Disponibile dal 27/3/2020 With the original UK 7” of this release now as rare as hen’s teeth, and with the group having recently ‘reformed’ for one last album together, the Mr Bongo replica re-release of this 1990 masterpiece by Gang Starr couldn’t be more timely. The now-legendary duo of DJ Premier and Guru dropped this at the height of hip-hop’s sampling of jazz, which had led to a creative leap forward for the genre. Yet while others plundered in the dark, this instant classic wore its influences on its sleeve and paid verbal homage to the musicians they were sampling. The “melodious funk” of “Thelonious Monk” gets namechecked, while the track samples two of his records, including 1958’s Bop gem ‘Light Blue’. While both versions presented here have common elements, the ‘Movie Mix’ – so-named for the song’s appearance on the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s mythic jazz biopic ‘Mo’ Better Blues’ – goes in a few different directions to the ‘Video Mix’. Rather than just drop in an instrumental for the B-side, DJ Premier instead shows his versatility by switching up the base track (Kool & The Gang’s 1971 ‘Dujii’) and layering in other samples. In more ways than one, his virtuosity here echoes the improvisation of a jazz musician, akin to Denzel Washington’s Bleak in the movie. Of course, he’s not the only show in town. The late Guru’s voice is as mellifluous as an instrument itself here, his potted history of the genre and the artists of jazz delivered with his own unmistakable cadence. Without this record, would he have gone on to make his ‘Jazzmatazz’ projects

2Lp prima stampa U.S.A! Con inserto!

2Lp disponibile dal 6 dicembre! TRACKLIST 1. The Sure Shot’ (Intro) 2. Lights Out Feat. M.O.P. 3. Bad Name 4. Hit Man Feat. Q-Tip 5. What’s Real Feat. Group Home & Royce Da 5’9 6. Keith Casim Elam (Interlude) 7. From A Distance Feat. Jeru The Damaja 8. Family and Loyalty Feat. J. Cole 9. Get Together feat. Ne-Yo & Nitty Scott 10. NYGz 11. GS 183rd (Interlude) 12. So Many Rappers 13. Business Or Art Feat. Talib Kweli 14. Bring It Back Here 15. One Of The Best Yet (Big Shug Interlude) 16. Take Flight (Militia Pt. 4) feat. Big Shug & Freddie Foxxx 17. Bless The Mic

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Intro Solo Hardcore Producer – Dirty Dagoes 2 Dark Eyez Featuring – Christ Bearer, Thea Van Seijen Producer – Dirty Dagoes 3 Titans Featuring – Divine Souljah, Solomon Childs Producer – Imperial Skillz Empera 4 Invidia Featuring – Youss Yakuza Producer – Dirty Dagoes 5 R.O.C.C.O. Featuring – JoJo Pellegrino, Lord Madness Producer – Falling Down 6 Atmosfere Featuring – Kool G Rap, Maury B, Primo Brown Producer – Res Nullius (2) 7 Rap Alchemico Featuring – Bronze Nazareth, Dope One Producer – DJ Apoc 8 Shaolin Style 2013 Producer – Drunkn Monk 9 Electric Vibe Producer – Kuma19 10 + Blues Featuring – 12 O'Clock, Sick Boy Simon Producer – Dirty Dagoes 11 Sensazioni Producer – Gio Lama 12 My Mind Pt. 2 Producer – Virgo 13 True Words Featuring – Tormento Producer – Weirdo (10) 14 Outro Knowledge & Practice Credits

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