Mix Playlist Updates: June 7 , 2007

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Flowink Interview with Kevin Michael [ Comments Here ]
Recorded 27 Apr 07 / click t o :: [ LISTEN ONLINE ]

[ From MySpace.com/KevinMichaelMusic ] There are artists who’ve got something, and there are artists who’ve got it, and upon hearing his voice for the first time, it’s obvious that Kevin Michael is firmly in the latter category. With an irresistible blend of soul, funk, r&b and pop, he invokes greats from the past while bringing something totally new to the game - he honors the roots of r&b while imagining it anew.

Growing up, Kevin heard the music within, and he began recording as a teen. “At 16, I wrote my first song,” he recalls. “I woke up in the studio one night and something literally clicked in my head! I really heard it, so I said, ‘I better write this down.’ For Kevin, music was the only option worth considering. He recounts, “I had the offer of a full scholarship to Hofstra, but I never seriously thought about it. I feel real strongly about doing what it is you want to do.”

Kevin Michael’s YaDig? EP, available only on Itunes, is an introduction to Kevin’s unique sound and style in advance of his album release on August 28th, 2007. “We All Want The Same Thing” is included in two ways: the hip-hop inflected version featuring Lupe Fiasco, and the stripped-down acoustic style featuring guitarist and beatboxer Akil Dasan, who also also appears on the acoustic versions of “Vicki Secrets” and “It Don’t Make Any Difference To Me” featured on the EP.

“We All Want The Same Thing,” the EP’s opener, is both a statement of purpose and roots for the artist who lived in worlds both black and white (“All my gangster friends/and all my skater friends/We all want the same thing/DJ’s in the clubs/Jesus freaks and thugs/We all want the same things”).

“Vicki Secrets” showcases Kevin’s falsetto, and proves him as a singer with considerable sex appeal who knows how to communicate to the ladies. And then there’s Kevin’s ode to Michael Jackson, “Stone Cold Killa,” which weaves a Latin percussive feel with snappy pop phrasing and layered vocal harmonies to conjure up a world of good times, beautiful women and smiles on the dance floor.

“It Don’t Make Any Difference To Me” shows both the range of Kevin’s songwriting abilities and the depth of his pride in who he is (“All you gotta do is look at me/Three generations of my family you see/People treat you different/When you’re in between/He was black and she was white/You know that most people thought that it wasn’t right/I can still remember what she used to say/It don’t make any difference to me”). The song combines an irresistible pop feel with poignant lyrics, and what emerges is a trans-racial modern day anthem. The album version of the song was produced by and featuring Wyclef Jean, bringing a Caribbean flavor to the mix.

“I don’t know where I begin and the music stops,” Kevin professes. With a stunning debut ready to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting music public, this young man brimming with soul and confidence is ready to take his vision on the road and to the next level.

The Big La's been sitting on a stockpile of treats for months and he's ready to unleash them to the world. Volume 6 of his Nu-Soul series brings you upcoming hotness from the Digisoul label, Jazzy Jeff and a host of others. To exclusively Hip-Hop mixes are also ready to go. And rounding out the set, is his second installment in the Artist Spotlights: Eric B & Rakim. Enjoy!

Big La vs. Todd | Prototype Of Nu-Soul, Vol. 6 [ Comments Here ]
Recorded 27 Apr 07 / click to :: [ LISTEN ONLINE ] or [ DOWNLOAD MP3 ]

01. Intro - T-Bob (Off-Balance Records)
02. Touch Me Wit Ur Handz - Jazzy Jeff f/ Chinah Blac
03. Lucifer (Kev Brown Remix) - Jay-Z
04. Candy Wrapper - SoulPersona f/ Princess Freesia
05. Analyze M3 - Arsun Fist
06. Please (T-Bob Off-Balance Remix) - Big La vs. Todd f/Princess
07. Music - Brand New Heavies
08. Ms. Philadelphia - Musiq Soulchild
09. Daylight (SoulPersona Remix) - R.A.M.P.
10. Guilt Junkie - GE-OLOGY f/ Vinia Mojica
11. Don't You Have A Man? - Little Brother f/ Dwele
12. Just Relax - Joe f/ Dre
13. Summertime (Remix) - Sublime f/ Tha Pharcyde
14. My Soul Ain't For Sale - Jazzy Jeff f/ Raheem DeVaughn
15. Longin' - Yukimi Nagano
16. Vicki Secrets - Kevin Michael f/ Akil Dasan
17. Lisa - Q-Tip

Big La vs. Todd | The Flow School Hip-Hop, Vol. 1 [ Comments Here ]
Recorded 10 May 07 / click to :: [ LISTEN ONLINE ] or [ DOWNLOAD MP3 ]

01. Get Retarded - MC EZ & Troup (early Craig Mack)
02. Step To The Rear - Brand Nubian
03. The Bridge - MC Shan
04. South Bronx - Boogie Down Productions
05. Kill That Noise - MC Shan
06. The Bridge Is Over - Boogie Down Productions
07. Black Together Again Remix - King Tee f/ Yo Yo, MC Eiht, B-Real, Watts-Up, Kam, J Dee, Ice Cube)
08. Sexy - Masters Of Ceremony f/ Grand Pupa
09. Bus Stops - The Nonce
10. Inside Out - Queen Latifah
11. Nobody Beats The Biz - Biz Markey
12. Funky Song - Low Profile
13. Marley Scratch - Marley Marl f/ MC Shan

Big La vs. Todd | The Flow Hop Show, Vol. 3 [ Comments Here ]
Recorded 10 Jun 07 / click to :: [ LISTEN ONLINE ] or [ DOWNLOAD MP3 ]

01. Flowink Freestyle - Columbo Black
02. Intro
03. Classic - DJ Premier f/ Kanye West, Nas, Rakim and KRS One
04. Bare Witness - Skyzoo
05. Want U 2 Want Me - Tonya Morgan
06. War Of The Roses - Kev Brown f/ Quartermaine
07. Prisoner (The La La Song) - Sene
08. The Place is Here - Jean Grae f/ Phonte
09. Practice - DJ Jazzy Jeff f/ J-Live & Allen Iverson (ha ha ha)
10. Avenging Fist - Arsun Fist
11. Astronaut - Quasimoto f/ Madlib
12. Coast Is Clear - J Roq f/ Space Ghost
13. I Made It - Jay-Z
14. Love It Here - J Dilla f/ Elzhi
15. Soul - M.E.L. (Music Elevates Life)
16. Lifeless Freestyle - Columbo Black f/ Fabian Bonaparte

Big La vs. Todd | Eric B & Rakim Spotlight [ Comments Here ]
Recorded 26 May 07 / click to :: [ LISTEN ONLINE ] or [ DOWNLOAD MP3 ]

01. Microphone Fiend
02. Eric B Is President (Original 12" Version)
03. The R
04. As The Rhyme Goes On
05. I Ain't No Joke
06. I Know I Got Soul
07. Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em
08. Don't Sweat The Technique
09. Paid In Full (Original 12" Version)
10. What's On Your Mind
11. Juice (Know The Ledge)
12. Mahogany
13. To The Listeners
14. Follow The Leader
15. The Ghetto

Feature: Enoch Is Real
Knocturnal Sunshine, Volume 8

From Enoch: "I am the founder/program director, artist and facilitator of KNOC Radio LLC. I go by Enoch IS Real! and am pleased to have you listen to my newest podcast creation called “Knocturnal Sunshine”. This show is a groove infused combination of Soul, Jazz, House, Hip Hop, Spoken Word and Lounge music at its finest. It was designed to be the ‘graveyard shift’ show for my site to be called knocradio.dj and I do actually record the show between the hours of 2 and 6a.m. Hopefully you can feel the vibe of the show and how it was done, usually with a lot of incense, lava lamps and good music. Feel free to leave a comment on the music and I thank you for checkin it out. New shows come out every week, so stay tuned!!"

Enoch Is Real | Knocturnal Sunshine Vol. 8 [ Comments Here ]
Recorded 06 Feb 07 / click to :: [ LISTEN ONLINE ] or [ DOWNLOAD MP3 ]

01 The Talisman- The Piscean Group
02 Rafiki (Hard Mix)- Zap Mama
03 Say the Word- Lizz Fields
04 Where Would I Be (The Question)- Kindred the Family Soul
05 Best Inspiration- Venus Malone
06 Sugar (& Spice) - Urban Jazz Naturals
07 Golden Boys- Res
08 Inspiration/Information- Shuggie Otis
09 Back in the Day- Tracy Mitchell
10 Get Into It (Jazz Mix) - Sylk 130 ft. Alison Crockett aka Diva Blue
11 Running Song- Ambersunshower
12 Need a Lover- Finley Quaye
13 By Your Side (Cottonbelly's Fola Mix Edit) - Sade
14 Get Up (Ron Trent vox mix) - Amel Larrieux
15 Save Room (VLR mix)- John Legend
16 Could Heaven Ever Be Like This (Bugz In The Attic Remix)- Susumo Yokota