Tape Kingz #8: DJ Skully

The 8th in the series and this time DJ Skully steps up. Skully is a former DMC Champion, DJ'd for Klashnekoff's Terra Firma crew and hosted the rap show on Kiss FM for a few years in the early 00s. He's recently been sharing some mixes and shows from his archives exclusively on this site and here's his Top 3 + 1...

DJ Greenpeace - Fat Lace Volume 1 (1998) An important tape for me at a time when hip hop was changing quite drastically and I was favouring that underground sound. It's not really a skills tape, but the selection of exclusive joints on this was incredible and the placement of tracks is just right. Classic Lootpack, Dilated, Medina Green, Scaramanga, Rugged Man and loads more. Heavy rotation for months and months, from a dj/journalist who spread the word on independent artists more than most! 

DJ Riz - In The Mix (1997) Riz was a hero of mine throughout the 90’s and this mix is a great example of why. The choice of underground tracks was exactly to my taste at that point in time, and I rushed out to purchase any vinyl that was available in the record shops. The selection is consistently on point, with a perfect amount of deadly turntable skills. I still get a buzz when Tragedy, Beatnuts or Dwellas drop, DITC gets cut up, or Das EFX gets juggled! 

PF Cuttin - 5 Deadly Venomz of Brooklyn (1997) Even though this is just a small section from a classic mixtape, it still deserves a mention, it’s that good! I owned a record shop around this time and spent most of my days trying to perfect those raw PF skills. From the transform cuts on the intro, to Verbal Hoods, Breez Evahflowin, the Busta juggle, Powerule and everything in between, this short mix has some superb tracks and the sickest, most stylish table techniques.

Honourable mention: DJ Spinbad - Needle To The Groove Spinbad has to be one of the cleanest djs to ever do it, surely? Some of my mates used to be quite stubborn when listening to genres other than underground hip hop, but anyone who heard Needle To The Groove could not help but fall in love with it. Such a great mix of classics, tight mixing and super clean skills. I used to carry this cassette around with me and play it anywhere that had a tape deck, and still play it to this day. A truly superb mix from a world class dj.

DJ Skully - Kiss FM 13.01.03

Another dope Kiss FM mix from Skully's archives...

Tracklist

Talib Kweli - Shock Body

Royce 5'9 - My Friend

Gang Starr - Skillz

Infamous MC - Apocalypse

Little Brother  - The Way You Do It

Large Professor - Akinyele

Nas - Get Down

Conspicuous - Spittage

Foreign Beggars - Where Did The Sun Go

Ryans Hope - Sushi

Lewis Parker ft Profound - Sunny Dedications

Edo G - Be Thankful

Natty - Freestyle

Dilated Peoples ft Talib Kweli - Live On Stage (remix)

Jay Z - Bonnie & Clyde (Jay Zak remix)

Tre Hardson ft MC Lyte - Roots, Love & Culture

Truth Enola - No Way No How (remix)

Nightmares On Wax - 70s 80s (The Upbringing mix)

Emanon - For What You Live

Little Brother - Away From Me

DMP - Don't Wanna Give That Up

Conspicuous - Wonderful Life

L.E.O - Blue In The Vein

Joe Budha -Freestyle Frenzy

DJ Skully on Kiss FM (2002)

I've got a big soft spot for 2002 Hip Hop. There was still some good indie releases around, the UK scene was firing and the major label US stuff was fucking great. Here's Skully in the mix on late night Kiss FM, straight from the archives of the man himself... 

tracklist

TY - We Don’t Care 

Obie Trice - Rap Name 

Scarface - My Block 

Loop Troop - Heads Day Off 

Styles P - Good Times (I Get High) 

Binkis - Bullit 

Wildchild ft Percy P & Medaphor- KnickKnack 

Jaz-O & Immobilaire ft MOP - Pledge Allegiance 

Phi Life Cypher ft Task Force - Want It So Bad 

Roots Manuva - Witness The Swords 

DJ Spinna ft Shadowman - Drive 

Nas - Purple 

Mr Lif - New Man Theme

 Lewis Parker - At Large With A-Cyde 

Tommy Evans - Silent Mobius 

2For5 - Whats Ya Naim 

Karl Hinds - Freestyle 

Mr Lif - Trobleshooting 

50 Cent - Ghetto Qu’ran

DJ Skully on Kiss FM (2002)

Before Skully started doing his weekly show on Kiss he did a few guest spots on the station. This one from August 2002 is just before he represented for the UK at the DMC finals and came second. Here's 45 minutes of dope head nod hip hop for you...

tracklist

Jaz O - Love Is Gone

Masta Ace - Survival

Camp Lo - Glow

Morcheeba ft Slick Rick - Women Lose Weight (Alchemist remix)

Jazzy Jeff ft Baby Blak & Pauly Yamz - For Da Love Of Da Game

Da Bush Babees - We Run Tings (Its Like Dat)

Non Phixion - Rock Stars

Scorzayzee - Ammunition

Cocoa Brovaz - Tools Of The Trade

Obscure Disorder - The Grill

Tommy Evans ft Yungun - Silent Mobius

Braintax ft Jehst - Riveria Hustle

Madlib - Wanna Test (remix)

PUTS - Empty Bottle Of Water

DJ Yoda ft PUTS - Quid Control

13 - Clear The Spot

Black Opz - The Warning

Solitaire - Easy To Slip

Klashnekoff - Jankrowville

Da Grass Roots - Black Dove

K Otix - Take My Life

DJ Skully - Gully Breaks (2006)

Another OB4ZL exclusive courtesy of the venerable DJ Skully...

"I made this in 2006 and was supposed to be released in 2007 but life kinda got in the way that year. It started out as a breaks/hip hop mix for the car when I was on the road djing, but my mates loved it and convinced me to get some pressed. Its kinda influenced by what Doom, Madlib, Dilla, 9th Wonder, Kanye, Alchemist, Pete, Premier etc were producing around that time, as well as the classics.
I sent out about 50 CD’s for promo, and the rest ended up in my loft without release. There is no track list as it has 120+ tracks, but probably better off for this type of mix. Anyway, hope you like it.. took me fookin’ ages to make (and before Serato haha)"

DJ Skully & Sasha D - Summer 2003 mix

This is a full on exclusive as it was never actually released at the time, so thanks to Skully for excavating this one from his hard drive and sharing it with us. It's a nice mix of mostly US indie joints with a couple of UK bits including a Klashnekoff & Skriblah freestyle that I don't think you'll find anywhere else.

Tracklist

Louis Logic - Idiot Gear

Dilated Peoples - Bullet Train

MF Doom - The Mic Sound Nice

Ugly Duckling - Rio De Janeiro

Madlib - unknown

Klashnekoff & Skriblah - Freestyle

Smiley The Ghetto Child - Wake Up Call

Mr Voodoo - Regulation Time

Roc Marciano - Game Of Death

Madvillain - Money Folder

Kyza - Harsh Reality

C Ray Walz - Camouflage

Jus Biz - Straight From '95

De La Soul - Much More

Louis Logic - Dos Factotum

Defari - For The Love

Quest - Freestyle

previously: DJ Skully - 1Xtra All- Star mix (2007)

DJ Skully - 1Xtra All Star Mix (2007)

Excellent mix by DJ Skully recorded for DJ Semtex's 1Xtra show, with a load of dubplate specials by some big UK artists alongside some US classics.

tracklist

DJ Semtex - Intro

Big Pun & Fat Joe - Twinz

J Dilla ft Frank & Dank - Pause

Keith Murray - The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World

A Tribe Called Quest - 1nce Again

Little Brother - Light It Up

Nas - Halftime

Tragedy Khadafi ft Imam Thug - True Confessions

Method Man ft Mary J Blige - All I Need (Puff Daddy remix)

Fab 5 - Leflah

Nas -  Nas Is Like

Lowkey - Freestyle

Roots Manuva - Witness (1 Hope)

Task Force - Graf Da Bus Up

Klashnekoff - Murda (DJ Skully special)

Verb T & The Last Skeptik - Heaven (Among The Stars)

Kyza - Lights Out

Jehst - Alcoholic Author

Jehst - Made You Look freestyle

DJ Mentat ft Skinnyman - When I Give My Heart To You

Skriblah & Kyza - Angels Beside Me

M9 - Freestyle

Beat Butcha - instrumental

Fallacy - Scream Back (DJ Skully special)

Guru - Kiss FM freestyle (2004)

Guru spits a quick freestyle on Kiss FM back in 2004 when MK & Skully were co-hosting the Rap show on Thursday nights.

DOWNLOAD

This is decent but Kyza had been on the mic earlier that night and absoloutely killed it. Think I might drop that next.

Where the hell is DJ Skully at these days?!