DJ MK - Bastard Breaks Vol 6 (2021)

Man like MK returns with the 6th volume of his in-demand Bastard Breaks series. You can cop a digital copy direct from his Bandcamp. He's also got limited edition cassette copies available if you're quick. Contact him at emm_kay@hotmail.com for details.

DJ MK - MF DOOM tribute mix

Obviously there's been a ton of tribute mixes and podcasts since DOOM's death was announced on new year's eve. I haven't actually had to time to check any of them so this one MK dropped yesterday is what I'm rolling with. There's a download link in the Mixcloud description if you're quick enough.

Nuthin But A 5G Thang

DJs be busy right now. Quick round-up for you and yours...

Filthy Rich has dropped 2 mixes recently - a tribute for Big L's debut, and a Pete Rock x Q Tip mix

DJ Yoda - A Written DOOM (the Jay Electronica album, minus Jay Z, with MF Doom beats)

Jaguar Skills - Hip Hop Timebomb 2010

Tobes & DJ Dub - Heatwavez (80s freestyle & electro)

DJ MK - Foundation Vol 1 and Vol 2 (breaks, electro and early hip hop)

DJ MK - Adventures In Stereo (2019)

New breaks mix by MK, recorded for J Rocc's show on KPFK 90.7FM

DJ MK - Skool Dayz part 1 (2016)

Man like MK going in with 80s and 90s classics on Itch FM last week.

I'll be back but for now just google...

Its a BDP reference. No posts recently due the house move now being in full effect. 20 years ago, almost to the week, I bought my first set of turntables - some Gemini belt drives. Today is the first time since then I haven't had them or my vinyl (or any CDs for that matter) in the house. Having lots of records is all well and good until it comes time to move, and then it's just a total bastard. Especially when you live on the 3rd floor with 5 flights of stairs and no lift. It's hard not to feel envious of the people who have all their music on a harddrive, or the types that just use iTunes and Spotify and occasionally buy a compilation from the supermarket.

Anyway, rant over. I feel like I may have posted something similar before but the point remains relevant. This is going to be one of those placeholder type posts where I put you up on them thangs I've discovered on my online travels. No one really sends me their mixes to post anymore. Feel free to do that if you've got something you want to share. Some decent artwork and being able to actually mix helps btw, although I'm fully aware I never have art for my own mixes. So...

Random Rap Radio continues to be a source of things you never heard before (for..for..never heard before...) like this Pete Rock & Marley Marl Future Flavas mixtape sampler for MCA Records from 1999

Remember The Supafriendz? They were Mad Skillz' crew back in the day. Bad Cop just put together this 'best of' mix featuring posse cuts, solo joints and radio freestyles. Check Supafriendz - Da Supa Mixtape

DJ Semtex shared a couple of old Bootcamp Click freestyles following the sad news about Sean Price (RIP).

DJ MK dropped his 'Watever Mixtape Vol 1' last week.

I recommend checking Big Ted's weekly show on Mi-Soul for new and classic Hip Hop.

Mark 563 has posted his dope 'Whats Real' mixtape from 2005 on Mixcloud, featuring all sorts of mid 90s classics.

If you want something to read while you're listening to these, the homie Stan Ipcus recently hooked up another one of his excellent Mixtape Memories pieces, this time interviewing Craig G.

That should keep you going for now. Have fun and enjoy whats left of the summer.

Edit - just realised that 4 of the 6 people linked above used to work in record shops in London. Weird. Shout out to Mr Bongo, Liberty Grooves, Handspun/Deal Real and HMV Oxford Street!

One other thing. I really wanted to like Compton and aside from the presence of Kendrick Lamar and Eminem the tracklist showed some promise. I can't remember the last time I was that pleased to receive a new release in my inbox, but on hearing it I thought the majority of it was rubbish with one or two songs being tolerable at best. The first track after the intro is particularly terrible. Comments I've read online - and there are many - suggest I'm very much in the minority but then as a general rule, comments online suggest most people are stupid. So there. There's a new Warren G EP out with previously unheard Nate Dogg vocals. I suggest you seek that out instead,

DJ MK - London Underground 2014

If you haven't heard, DJ MK has re-issued both his seminal London Undergound mixtapes on one handy cassette themed USB stick. For a very reasonable price, you get remastered versions of Volume 1 and 2 along with a host of previously unreleased material from the original sessions.
They're limited to 200 copies so don't sleep and end up having to pay double on E-Bay in a few months  from now (and don't ask me to upload it either!)

For details check Suspect Packages or email emm_kay@hotmail.com

Volume 2 in particular is a personal favourite of mine. Along with Skitz's 'Countryman' album it captures that early 00s era of UK Hip Hop perfectly. Go get that!

DJ MK - The 808 Mixtape (2014)

DJ MK - 808 MIXTAPE by Dj Mk on Mixcloud

New ish from MK...

"So I thought I would make a mixtape of all my favorite Bass heavy Hip Hop/Trap cuts that I play in the club. I've thrown in some acapella mixes, doubles, and some cuts too. Every track is 808 heavy. This is one of my favorite mixtapes ive recorded in a while. Turn that ishhh up and ENJOY!!! "

The Hop: Live 09.12.98

 

The Hop was a Wednesday night event held at the now legendary London nightclub The End back in the late 90s. Pretty much anyone who was anyone at the time in London played there along with a host of visiting US artists. Here's a 90 minute snapshot from 1998 with DJs MK, Shortee Blitz, Pogo, Bizness and Diablo dropping joints new and old...

DOWNLOAD    STREAM SIDE A    STREAM SIDE B

The club itself was based about 10 minutes from the record shop hub of London's West End where heads would congregate at stores like Mr Bongo, Deal Real, Wild Pitch and Uptown to network and cop the latest releases. I never actually went to The Hop - I lived outside London and none of my friends at the time were into rap music - but frequented The End regularly until it closed in 2009. It had arguably the best sound system around and hosted some of the most popular promoters from a variety of genres. Personal highlights include seeing Kenny Dope and DJ Spinna back to back (literally) on 4 decks at a BBE event; going to the Urban Takeover album release party with a pile of promos of my first and only Drum & Bass release to give to the DJs, and one of the closing parties where Mr C (the co-owner) dropped a 'Back To 88-89' set and had the whole dancefloor singing along to 'Promised Land' and Inner City's 'Big Fun'. I miss that place.

DJ MK - Best Of 2013

DJ MK - BEST OF 2013 -  HIP HOP MIX by Dj Mk on Mixcloud

Hope you all have a good time whatever you're doing tonight. If you need some tunes to bump at some point, MK just dropped this Best Of 2013 mix for you.

DJ MK - Volume 15: Watch Out Now! (1999)

Another classic mixtape by DJ MK. No cover for this one but the tracklist is below.

 DOWNLOAD  STREAM SIDE A  STREAM SIDE B

Side A
Intro
Mr Eon freestyle
Pharoahe Monch 'Simon Says'
Shabaam Sahdeeq & Xzibit 'Concrete'
Planet Asia 'Bringin It Back'
Phife Dawg 'Bend Ova'
Tash 'Pimpin Aint Easy'
Ol Dirty Bastard 'Rollin Wit You'
B1 & Large Professor 'Put Yo'self In My Place'
Gang Starr 'All 4 Tha Cash'
Sir Menelik, Grand Puba & Sadat X '7XL'
Skinnyman freestyle
Shyheim & Big L 'Furious Anger'
Ghostface Killah 'Apollo Kids'

Side B
Slum Village 'Fall In Love'
Afu Ra 'Defeat'
Mos Def 'Hip Hop'
Mobb Deep ft Kool G Rap 'The Realest'
Ghetto Dwellas ft AG 'Gettin Dirty'
Beatnuts 'Monster Music'
Madd Rapper 'D Dot vs TMR'
Jeru The Damaja freestyle
Casual 'I Gotta Get Down'
DITC ft Big Pun & Milano 'Where You At'
Mobb Deep 'Where Ya Heart At'
Slum Village 'Players'
Talib Kweli 'Human Element'

Original tape once again courtesy of JPS

DJ MK 'Summer Grooves' (2013)

New mix on that 80s funk and soul tip by DJ MK

GO HERE

Masta Ace - Kiss FM freestyle (2008)

Masta Ace live on DJ MK's show on Kiss FM, freestyling over the 'Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers' beat...

DOWNLOAD

On this same visit, he rocked a great show at London's East Village, which is where I took the above photo (admittedly it could've been a better pic but I'd had a few beers and was bouncing around like a goon).
Almost unbelievably, its now 10 years since the release of the dope 'Disposbale Arts' album and Ace is putting togther a documentary on the making of the album. Should be interesting.

The Funhouse @ Soundcloud!

Those good peoples over at The Funhouse have set up a Soundcloud page where you can stream or download some of their highlights from the last couple of years, including mixes by J Rocc, Mr Thing, DJ MK, DJ Kofi and Skitz...

GO HERE

DJ MK 'Volume 16' (2000)

The last MK tape I posted (Volume 8) proved popular so thought I'd drop another one on you...

DOWNLOAD

DJ MK 'Volume 8' (1995)

This tape came out in the Summer of 1995 when I'd just got my first set of turntables (Gemini belt-drives!) and had started going up to London every payday to hit Unity, Mr Bongo, Handspun, Blackmarket and the plethora of record shops that populated the West End around that time. A LOT of good music came out that summer!

DOWNLOAD

My favourite part of this mix was the blend of KRS's 'Ah Yeah' over 'Moments In Love' by Art Of Noise. It still sounds dope now so I've included it as a seperate track in the download.


















MK was recently interviewed for Hot110 - check it HERE

DJ MK 'Volume 12 - Worth The Wait' (1997)

Quality mixtape right here from London's DJ MK. This was probably the first place I heard the 'next generation' of UK artists like Fallacy, Skinnyman and Roots Manuva, who would go on to be huge a few years later. Some good US stuff on here aswell from DITC, All City and Tribe.

DOWNLOAD












Here's a bit of info on the tape from the man himself...
POINTLESS BUT TRUE FACTS ABOUT THIS MIXTAPE !

1 - The comedian Russell Peters used to hook me up with promos and gave me my copy of "Northern Touch"
2 - All the freestyles were recorded in one night at my flat using Braintax's studio. I made Roots Manuva a pizza as he was hungry and had no money at the time. Skinny man smoked the flat down.
3 - The cover was drawn by the world renowned Parisian graffiti artist KAY ONE.
4 - Tony vegas gave me his copy of the only test pressing at the time of "Itchy Town" I gave it it's 1st play on a mix i did on Choice Fm for 279 and also put it on this mixtape. Tony also gave me his spare DMC mixer, which i used to record this mixtape on - MK

Catch MK alongside Harry Love plus guests streaming live from The Funhouse every Monday to Thursday night from 9pm UK time

LL Cool J - Kiss FM freestyle (2004)

Freestyles by James Todd Smith are pretty hard to come by as far as I can tell. Here's one from 2004 when MK was hosting the Hip Hop show on Kiss FM. LL goes in over E Rule's classic 'Listen Up'...

DOWNLOAD

Thanks to Mr Lawson for hooking me up with the original tape on this one.

Shortee Blitz & DJ MK - J Dilla tribute mix (2010)

GO HERE

TRACKLIST
A Tribe Called Quest – Get A Hold – Jive
Jay Dilla – Make ‘Em N V – Grooveattack
Stylistics – Maybe Its Love This Time
Jay Dilla Ft Guilty Simpson & Madib – Baby – Bbe
Eddie Hazel – Frantic Moment
Jay Dee – Track 23 – Beat Tape
The Pharclyde – The Drop (Instrumental) – Delicious Vinyl
Phat Kat – Don’t Nobody Care About Us – House Shoes Recording
J Dilla – Fuck The Police – Up Above
Gary Numan – Cars
J Dilla – Trucks – Mca
J Dilla – Two Can Win – Stones Throw
Jay Dee – The $

Cris Williamson – Shine On Straight Arrow – Wolf Moon
Jaylib – The Red – Stones Throw
Raekwon – Baggage Handlers – Universal
Billy Paul – Let The Dollar Circulate – Assorted Music
Steve Spacek – Dollar – Sound In Color
Jaylib – Da Rawkus – Sound In Color
Jaylib – The Official – Stones Throw
Gap Mangione – Diana In The Autum Wind
Slum Village – Fall In Love
Busta Rhymes – So Hardcore – Elektra
The Jackson 5 – Dancing Machine – Epic
Q-Tip – Move – Universal
The Singers Unlimited – Clair
Slum Village – Players – Good Vibes

Herbie Hancock – Come Running To Me
Slum Village – Get Dis Money
A Tribe Called Quest – Jam – Jive
A Tribe Called Quest – Wordplay – Jive
A Tribe Called Quest – Stepping It Up – Jive
A Tribe Called Quest – Find A Way – Jive
Common – Cold Blooded – Universal
Q-Tip – Vivrant Thing – Arista
J Dilla – Light Works – Stones Throw
Jay Dee Ft Pharoach Monch – Love – bbe
Thomas Bangalter – Extra Dry
Slum Village – Raise It Up

Chubby Kids on Kiss FM with Jehst, Supa T, DJ MK, Kyza, Blufoot, Mystro & Beni B (2002)

Whole heap of people in the studio on this one and some dope tunes aswell!
Jehst, Kyza & Supa T (aka Sundragon) are up there promoting 'Its All Live', their collaboration with DJ MK & Harry Love, which went on to be a massive track that year.
Mystro & Blufoot are also in the house and there's a nice freestyle session to finish things off (my tape cuts out a bit early unfortunately).

Also on the show, Beni B of ABB Records passes through and Blitz and Big Ted drop new tracks by Kool G Rap, Dilated Peoples, Tony Touch and Wu Tang.