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Russel Fong discusses his 5 favorite samples from Sample Junkies No. 2 (+ mixtape)

mrjones@33jones.com (Fresh) — Wed, 11 Nov 09 21:00:51 GMT

Ever since the first time I heard Kid Capri's classic 52 Beats mixtape, an event that immediately inspired me to go on the first of what would become numerous vinyl-purchasing binges, I've always had a soft spot for break beat mixes. I recently even went so far as to vote DJ Semantik's 100 Breaks tape as one of the 10 best albums of the decade on Weiss' survey from this past summer. It was with some excitement, then, that I received word of a new break mixtape from Russel Fong and DJ Matt Cali, Sample Junkies No. 2.

Sample Junkies No. 2 Mixtape d/l link (Media fire link)

Half of the fun of a break tape is the process of identifying and tracking down the various songs that are on the tape, so I didn't think there was much point in doing a real review of the tape and giving away all of the tracks that are included. Instead, I reached out to Russel Fong, the man who compiled the various songs for DJ Matt Cali to put in the mix, and asked him to briefly discuss a few of his favorite samples from Sample Junkies. Here are his top five picks, along with a brief word from Russel on each of them:

The Charmels - As Long as I've Got You
I was in elementary school when I first heard "C.R.E.A.M." and ever since, Wu-Tang has been tops in hip-hop for me. Although not so much as a whole anymore - Ghost, Rae & GZA are still putting out solid solo albums.

Menahan Street Band - Make the Road by Walking
These guys are a super group in terms of instrumental funk; I'm a big fan of Budos Band and El Michels Affair, so it's natural this track is fire. Young Hov knew what's up. Plus Menahan Street is near my crib in Bushwick, BK.

Aretha Franklin - One Step Ahead
Everyone knows "R.E.S.P.E.C.T." and "Natural Woman," but how many know this one? This is classic Aretha to me. [Perhaps most famously sampled by Mos Def's Ms. Fat Booty.]

Leon Haywood - I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You
Pretty self-explanatory. Dre's creation is pretty much the anthem on the West Coast, so...yeah.

Tom Scott - Today
I don't think Matt included this in the mix, but this track was sampled by Pete Rock in "T.R.O.Y" - one of my most favorite tracks of all time. C.L.A.S.S.I.C.

So there you have it, shoutout to my man Russel for taking some time out for us and shout out to Matt Cali for putting together the mix. Once again, here's the download link for the mix:

Sample Junkies No. 2 Mixtape d/l link (Media fire link)
Mixed by: DJ Matt Cali
Beats and Breaks Compiled by: Russel Fong

If you want to see more of what Matt and Russel are up to, head on over to Matt's blog calipaper.com.

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Curly Castro and DJ Ambush - Phatman and Likklebwoy (Beat Garden)

mrjones@33jones.com (Fresh) — Mon, 9 Nov 09 21:00:51 GMT

Not content with simply representing for the most talented duo in independent hip hop (as if you don't know), Beat Garden Entertainment recently expanded its roster to include Brooklyn-born emcee Curly Castro. His new mixtape with DJ Ambush, Phatman and Likklebwoy, which Castro had been working on for two and a half years, serves as his introduction as a Beat Garden artist and the precursor to his upcoming official album Winston's Appeal.

As with most of the artists that B.G.E.'s point man Zilla Rocca has put me onto, Castro might best be categorized as a "lyrical" emcee, though without having to resort to the golden age mimicry that typically comes along with such a categorization. That's not to say that Castro doesn't acknowledge his (and hip hop's) roots; quite the opposite in fact and, as a fellow product of the late 70's growing up in the shadow of NYC, I seem to share a lot of the culture reference points that Curly Castro does. That shared background is perhaps why I found myself so consistently entertained with the various metaphors and name drops that he scatters throughout his lyrics - from historical events (the '77 blackout) to pop culture (a full song devoted to the Simpsons) to the brief appropriation of classic De La (like they used to say...), each verse is loaded with references of all sorts.

You don't have to be a grizzled old rap fan like me to appreciate Castro's talents however, as his skills on the mic should be evident to hip hop heads of any generation. Of course, a good mixtape is more than just a platform for lyricism, and Phatman and Likklebwoy's beat selection doesn't disappoint. Put together by DJ Ambush, who also drops an occasional verse on the mixtape, the tracklisting features beats from, among others, Outkast, Cage and Black Milk. The production's highlight, though, is a reworking of The Clipse's Keys Open Doors. I don't have a full tracklisting for the mixtape so I must confess that I don't know if it's an original beat or if Ambush jacked it from someone, but props to him if he put that one together on his own.

In any event, here are two of my favorite tracks from Phatman and Likklebwoy, including the Simpsons tribute that would do Bartman proud:

Curly Castro and DJ Ambush - Chaos Theory

Curly Castro and DJ Ambush - The Rapping Simpsons

Further Listening:
Download link for Curly Castro & DJ Ambush's mixtape Phatman and Likklebwoy (mediafire link)
Curly Castro on Myspace
DJ Ambush on Myspace
Beat Garden's website

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A Playstation Cost More than a Choppa (Conscious Rap from N.O.)

mrjones@33jones.com (Fresh) — Mon, 9 Nov 09 09:00:51 GMT

Bilal Abdul-Hakeem - A Playstation Cost More than a Choppa

About a year ago, I put up a video from Louisiana rapper Bilal Abdul-Hakeem, A Playstation Cost More than a Choppa. As I said at the time, I was caught off guard by the idea of hearing some legitimately conscious lyrics from a New Orleans rapper. Most independent artists from the area were (and still are) doing their best to emulate Lil Wayne's sizzurp-soaked non sequitur style of rhyming, devoid of anything that might provoke any sort of thought or analysis out of the listener. Bilal's song was in an entirely different lane, and the only thing holding it back was the video which was little more than a slideshow of images taken off of the internet. Recently he put together an official video for Playstation..., and although it's unlikely to make it into MtV's rotation any time soon, I think it's a real good look for Bilal and his song.

Let Bilal know what you think of the video.

(Shoutout also goes to Mia, who confirmed that a $299 PS3 does indeed cost more than an AK-47, which can be had for as low as $200 in certain parts of the country.)

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Japan, as seen by a turntablist (DJ Izoh)

mrjones@33jones.com (Fresh) — Thu, 5 Nov 09 09:00:51 GMT

DJ IZOH - Kizakura

Not a whole lot needs to be said to intro this video: DMC Champ DJ Izoh, a Japanese turtablist/b-boy/black-belt-in-training, cuts up a record while traveling through various scenic locales in Japan. It's dope, it's short, go watch it.

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You Must Learn: A History of Black Inventors as told by KRS-1

mrjones@33jones.com (Fresh) — Mon, 2 Nov 09 21:00:51 GMT

Boogie Down Productions - You Must Learn

When I was in grade school, I used to listen to Boogie Down Productions on a constant basis. At such a young age, however, the meaning behind much of KRS-1's lyrics flew right over my head. It was good enough that the beats were dope, so I didn't really bother to catch all of the knowledge that the Blastmaster was kicking in his rhymes. One song that did stand out for me even then, though, was You Must Learn. Whenever one of my parents, or one of my teachers at the time, criticized me for listening to hip hop I could always recite a few of the lines from the song. I didn't necessarily know who Lewis Latimer was - and my fourth grade history lessons certainly didn't enlighten me - but the mere fact that I could namedrop him was enough to get the elder critics off my back for listening to the music.

Some twenty (plus) years later, I once again heard the song while flipping through my iPod and I had to stop and reconsider the various names that KRS shouted out in the second verse:

I believe that if you're teaching history
Filled with straight up facts no mystery
Teach the student what needs to be taught
'Cause Black and White kids both take shorts
When one doesn't know about the other ones' culture
Ignorance swoops down like a vulture
'Cause you don't know that you ain't just a janitor
No one told you about Benjamin Banneker
A brilliant Black man that invented the almanac
Can't you see where KRS is coming at
With Eli Whitney, Haile Selassie
Granville Woods made the walkie-talkie
Lewis Latimer improved on Edison
Charles Drew did a lot for medicine
Garrett Morgan made the traffic lights
Harriet Tubman freed the slaves at night
Madame CJ Walker made a straightenin comb
But you won't know this is you weren't shown
The point I'm gettin' at it it might be harsh
'Cause we're just walkin' around brainwashed
So what I'm sayin' is not to diss a man
we need the '89 school system
One that caters to a Black return because you must learn...

Perhaps I've just grown more cynical in my old age, but I was curious to see just how many of the facts KRS got right so I headed to the greatest library on Earth, google, to find out. What follows is an admittedly rudimentary overview of the various figures that he mentions and, though it won't cover much more than what you can find in Wikipedia, it should at least give you some starting points if you're interested in more information. Of course, if you're not looking for a history lesson just nod along to the above video and keep it moving.

Benjamin Banneker - Born in 1731 in Maryland, Banneker began studying astronomy at the age of 57. He collected his astronomical calculations and observations, along with various essays and a full calendar, in a series of journals that eventually evolved into the first Almanac.

Granville Woods - Known as "The Black Thomas Edison," the prolific inventor Woods' most productive years came during the late 19th century in Columbus, Ohio. He spent the majority of his time devising ways to improve the performance and reliability of electric railways, and invented the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, which allowed engineers to communicate between the train station and moving trains. Alexander Graham Bell purchased the rights to Woods' invention, though he was later sued by Thomas Edison. Edison claimed that he invented the multiplex telegraph first, though Granville Woods eventually won the lawsuit and turned down Edison's subsequent offer of employment.

Woods' multiplex telegraph was a major breakthrough in communications, but KRS-1's claim that he invented the Walkie-Talkie isn't quite accurate. Though Woods' invention was certainly the precursor to it, the first modern "Walkie-Talkie", which was so heavy it had to be carried in a large backpack, was developed in 1940 by a team of engineers at Galvin Manufacturing Company, the predecessor of Motorola.

Eli Whitney - Whitney's invention of the cotton gin, a device that removed the seeds from cotton and revolutionized the cotton industry, and the larger concept of manufacturing were two of the most important developments in early U.S. history. The cotton gin led to a dramatic increase in slavery in the South, while manufacturing, and the idea of interchangeable parts that came with it, played a large role in the North's eventual victory in the Civil War. There is some debate, however, as to whether Whitney was the true inventor of the gin or if he, in a time when women were not allowed to hold patents, merely filed the paperwork on behalf of Catherine Littlefield Greene.

This all avoids the larger issue, however, that should become immediately apparent after seeing the above picture of Mr. Whitney: he's white! A brief scan of google seems to point to the fact that many people were taught that Eli Whitney was black - I seem to recall being told that by one of my teachers at some point during grade school - so we'll have to give KRS a pass on this one.

Haile Selassie - Breaking the theme of the verse, Selassie was not American nor did he invent anything of note that I'm aware of. He was, nonetheless, an important historical figure, leading Ethiopia in its war against Mussolini's Italy during the lead up to World War II (Ethiopia itself is notable for being, prior to Selassie's reign, the only African nation to resist European colonialism through force). As any fan of Bob Marley is no doubt aware, Selassie has since become an icon among Rastafarians and is believed by them to be a Messiah who will one day lead the people of Africa to a sort of heaven on Earth.

Lewis Latimer - As revolutionary as the invention of the lightbulb was - an invention credited to Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan - it's usefulness was initially limited due to the fact that the bulbs tended to burn out rather quickly. Enter Lewis Latimer, who, after working for Edison himself, "devised a way of encasing the filament within a cardboard envelope which prevented the carbon from breaking and thereby provided a much longer life to the bulb and hence made the bulbs less expensive and more efficient. This enabled electric lighting to be installed within homes and throughout streets." (source) KRS-1 most definitely got this one right when he said, "Lewis Latimer improved on Edison."

Charles Drew - Drew, a physician whose relatively brief life spanned from 1904 to 1950, certainly "did a lot for medicine," as the Blastmaster said. Serving as the director for the Blood for Britain project, he pioneered the use of several techniques for storing, handling and preserving blood plasma, techniques that were used extensively during World War II to save the lives of thousands of injured Allied soldiers.

Drew's death in an auto accident at the age of forty-five eventually became fodder for an urban myth, in which it was told that he, one of the founding fathers of blood transfusion, was denied that very treatment due to the fact that he was black. The Straight Dope ran an article disproving that story:

' In 1950, while driving three other black doctors to a conference in Alabama, Drew fell asleep at the wheel. The car swerved and rolled over, breaking his neck and crushing his chest. According to legend, he desperately needed a blood transfusion, but doctors at a hospital in Burlington, North Carolina, refused to admit him, and he died.
This story is told in several black history books and has been repeated by Dick Gregory, among others. But it isn't true. Morris spoke with Dr. John Ford, one of the passengers in Drew's car. "We all received the very best of care," Ford said. "The doctors started treating us immediately."
Drew didn't receive a transfusion because his injuries wouldn't permit it. "He had a superior vena caval syndrome--blood was blocked getting back to his heart from his brain and upper extremities," Ford said. "To give him a transfusion would have killed him sooner. Even the most heroic efforts couldn't have saved him. I can truthfully say that no efforts were spared in the treatment of Dr. Drew, and, contrary to popular myth, the fact that he was a Negro did not in any way limit the care that was given to him."'

Garrett Morgan - The son of former slaves, Garrett Morgan is often credited as the inventor of traffic lights. By the time Morgan invented his version of the traffic light system, in 1923, there were already several other versions in place (the first traffic signal of any sort appeared in London in 1868). Like the other traffic lights of the time, Morgan's were operated by hand, though his system was something of an improvement in that it allowed the traffic light operator to change the lights from a distance rather than having to stand directly next to the light pole. However, the idea that Morgan was the inventor of the modern traffic light - an idea espoused by many historians, not just KRS-1 - has been called into question (or debunked outright, depending on who you believe) due to the fact that numerous patents for very similar systems existed years before Morgan's patent was filed.

Though Morgan's work with traffic lights has garnered him the most attention, he was at the time more highly regarded for his rescue of several tunnel workers, who were trapped after an explosion at Lake Erie in 1916, using another one of his inventions, the Safety Hood. As with his traffic lights, there has been some debate over the Safety Hood's legacy, though it has been argued that this served, in part, as an inspiration for modern day gas masks.

Morgan, as with many other black inventors of the time, often had to give credit to his white business partners in order to generate any sales and, on the rare occasion that he went out on a sales trip himself, presented himself as a Native American to potential investors and buyers.

(As an aside, I should note that during virtually any discussion of an invention by a black man, someone inevitably comes along to argue that a white inventor came up with the idea first. Many of the debates are undoubtedly motivated by an interest in unearthing the true historical facts, but the racial undertones are hard to overlook and make the search for the true origins of any given invention on the internet an effort in futility.)

Harriet Tubman - I can only hope that our school systems haven't failed so badly that whoever is reading this isn't at least vaguely familiar with the name Harriet Tubman. A former slave who gained her freedom by escaping to Philadelphia, Tubman eventually returned to her home state of Maryland to help other slaves, including her family, flee to the north under the cover of darkness. Later, she joined the Union Army and became the first woman in U.S. history to lead an armed expedition, the Raid at Combahee Ferry, which freed over seven hundred slaves.

As with many black soldiers, Tubman received very little compensation for her service and it took the government several years to even acknowledge her role in the war.

Madame C.J. Walker - Born in 1867, Walker made her name in women's hair care products. After her hair began to fall out as a result of the various products she was using, she began to develop her own hair care line, including the straightening comb that KRS mentions. I'll leave it up to Chris Rock to debate the merits of hair straightening, but it's worth noting that Madame Walker is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as the first female to ever become a self-made millionaire.

Bonus lesson:

The video for You Must Learn opens up with KRS-1 reciting one of the lines from Why Is That? to a high school class:

" Genesis Chapter 11, Verse 10 explains the genealogy of Shem. Shem was a black man in Africa. If you repeat this fact, they can't laugh at ya."

Here are verses 11 and 12 from Genesis, Chapter 11:

"These are the generations of Shem: Shem was a hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters."

The Bible, as well as various Islamic texts, make reference to God dividing the Earth among Shem and his two brothers, Ham and Japheth, with the genealogical line of Shem eventually leading down to Jesus. Further, tradition holds that each brother had a different skin color, but unfortunately KRS doesn't get it quite right with Shem. Shem is usually considered to be a descendent of the Adamic line, which is Hebrew for "reddish" or "swarthy," while Ham is referred to as being black and Japheth as white. The larger point, that the image of Jesus in mainstream culture is unlikely to be an accurate representation of reality, is nevertheless worthy of consideration.

If I haven't bored you all with this, perhaps at some point in the near future we'll investigate the history behind the third verse, starring JF Blumenbach and the origins of racism.

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New Music from Mally - By Any Means (Minnesota Hip Hop)

mrjones@33jones.com (Fresh) — Sun, 1 Nov 09 08:00:51 GMT

I generally try to avoid jacking material wholesale from other sites, but I'll make an exception for my man Mally. As part of DJBooth's ongoing Freestyle Series, Mally contributed his song By Any Means, which uses Blu's Thank U instrumental. Peep:

Mally - By Any Means

If all goes well, we should have something from Mally and everyone's favorite albino emcee at some point in the near future. Stay tuned!

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The Beastie Boys on UHF U68 (1985)

mrjones@33jones.com (Fresh) — Fri, 30 Oct 09 08:00:51 GMT

Beastie Boys - Promos for U68

Way back in the day, when MtV was almost exclusively devoted to rock and their lineup of artists was just as white as a 20-watt light bulb, there weren't a whole lot of outlets for hip hop videos. TBS, a station that these days is primarily of note for keeping spectacularly unfunny sitcoms in perpetual syndication, was one of the very first channels to play any sort of hip hop during their weekly show Night Tracks. For those of us in New Jersey who didn't have cable, though, there were only two options for televised rap: Ralph McDaniel's show Video Music Box, which aired on Channel 31, and UHF's U68, a channel devoted entirely to playing videos.

U68's lineup consisted of 30 minute blocks of videos that were decidedly outside of the mainstream, and, at the time, hip hop fell well within that category. The video above features the Beastie Boys recording a series of promos for the station and their video She's On It, with a very young-looking Rick Rubin making a cameo around the :25 mark. This is from 1985, before License To Ill came out, when the group was still transitioning from punk rock to rap. It's easy to forget that the Beasties were, at one point, considered an "edgy" group, far more controversial than whatever it is they've become in 2009. I don't think the "Don't Be a Faggot" line or the multiple references to using Dust would play well with their current image as political activists, though with twenty years passed I suppose it can be dismissed as youthful indiscretion.

And here's the video they were promoting:

Beastie Boys - She's On It

Shoutout to Mike for passing along the video.

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NBA and Hip Hop: Where Amazing Happens

mrjones@33jones.com (Fresh) — Tue, 27 Oct 09 08:00:51 GMT

With the basketball season about to start tonight, I thought this would be a good time to put up a few of my favorite rap songs involving NBA players. The following videos are by no means the best examples of NBA rap, certainly not by any musical standards, but merely the few that have managed to keep me entertained over the years. Peep:

Hurt 'Em Bad - N.B.A. Rap

Released in 1982 on Groove Time Records, this is the earliest example of NBA-related rap that I was able to dig up.

Fu Schnickens featuring Shaq-Fu - What's Up Doc?

Though it doesn't have quite as many quotable lines as his classic freestyle Kobe How My Ass Taste?, nor does it benefit from a Biggie guest verse, What's Up Doc? is the pick from Shaq's vast catalog simply for the fact that it was the first song to show that, given a good enough ghost writer, professional athletes were capable of putting together marginally successful rap songs.

Akeem the Dream & Hurt 'Em Bad - The Unbeatable Dream

Shaq might be the most successful NBA center turned rapper, but he wasn't the first. Akeem Olajuwon (he wouldn't add the "H" to his first name until 1991) released this single with the aforementioned Hurt 'Em Bad in 1987.

Naughty By Nature featuring the NBA - Hip Hop Hooray (NBA Remix)

Any song that puts Tom Gugliotta and Christian Laetner into the role of "Video Ho" is okay by me.

Allen Iverson - Big Tigger

Everyone of course remembers Jay-Z's beef with Nas, a beef that resulted in two of the best songs of the decade: Ether and Takeover. Often overlooked is the shot that Jay also took at Allen Iverson and his (and Nas') former girlfriend Carmen Bryan on Supa Ugly, with the line, "Me and the boy A.I. got more in common / Than just ballin and rhymin, get it? More in Carmen." Though Iverson had given up his backup career as a rapper by the time Jay's song came out - it's unclear whether it was the rhymes about guns and weed or just the fact that A.I.'s fumbling on the mic made Shaq look like Rakim by comparison, but either way NBA commissioner David Stern wasn't having it - The Answer got back in the booth one last time to fire back at Hov on Big Tigger. Some street cred was lost for shouting out Mase's Harlem World, but at least Iverson outdid Carmen's diss record.

Jay-Z - Blow The Whistle Freestyle

Iverson isn't the only NBA baller that Jay-Z has attacked on wax. In an attempt to curry favor with Lebron, perhaps hoping that he will one day sign with the Nets (the team that Jay owns a minority stake in) Jay-Z put out this diss record after Deshawn Stevens called James 'overrated' during the 2008 playoffs.

Kobe Bryant featuring Tyra Banks - K.O.B.E.

Almost a decade later, it's easy to forget that at one point both Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson were both threatening rap audiences with solo rap albums. As mentioned, A.I. was forced to shelve his album after it became clear that the general public just wasn't ready to hear a multimillionaire athlete rap about committing homicide. As for Kobe, any chance of his album seeing an official release disappeared as soon as he chose vocally-challenged supermodel Tyra Banks (who was also working on an album of her own around the same time) to sing the hook on his lead single K.O.B.E..

Ron Artest - Michael Michael Michael

I have to admit that I have been utterly fascinated by virtually every song Ron Artest has ever put out. Ron Ron can't rap to save his soul, but damn if he doesn't pour his heart into every malformed lyric that he spits. Thus, I'm more than a little concerned when he drops this line during his tribute to Michael Jackson: "MJ, I know you in heaven, I hope to see you next year."

I'm sure there are many songs I've overlooked (the Michael Jordan/Michael Jackson/Heavy D/Kris Kross collaboration, for example, would have made the list if youtube allowed the video to be embedded). Feel free to add your own picks in the comments.

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Baltimore's 810 goes jacking for beats, raps about the NFL

mrjones@33jones.com (Fresh) — Thu, 22 Oct 09 08:00:51 GMT

Continuing his prolific string of releases in 2009, Baltimore emcee 810 has just released a new EP, I Hate OBPs, in advance of his new album Glass Half Full. For those keeping count at home that's two albums and two EPs, along with numerous co-starring roles with his Bmore partner Black Sunn on various other tracks, in less than twelve months. Like I said, the kid's prolific, but what's been impressive has been the amount of effort that 810's been putting into these releases. Most rappers who put out such a steady stream of material generally end up sounding like they're rapping just for the sake of rapping (or keeping their names on the top of the blog lists), but 810 has been consistently thoughtful and creative with his lyrics, examining the source of racism one moment and crafting tales of bank robberies as intense as any celluloid caper the next.

For this latest EP 810 jumps on a handful of "other people's beats" (the OBPs of the title), jacking a rather diverse group of artists for their instrumentals, from Cash Money to Kanye. With a tracklisting of just five songs the EP is brief, but should hold you over until the real album comes out in November. Peep:

810 - NFL

810 - La La La

The beat for NFL is taken from Jay-Z's A Million and One Questions, but I have to admit I'm drawing a blank on the source for La La La. Drop a line in the comments if you can id it.

Here's the link to download 810's I Hate OBPs EP (mediafire link)

Further Listening:
810 and DCypher Make a Case for Autotune
High Off Banana Peels and New Jack Swing
Adventures in Slumberland

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Chicago's Griff remixes Digital Underground and Common

mrjones@33jones.com (Fresh) — Tue, 20 Oct 09 19:00:51 GMT

Longtime readers will undoubtedly recognize Griff's name, as he's been contributing music here for several years. As one half of J-Direct, founder of Rhyme City and freelance producer - most recently on the summer blockbuster Bring Me the REMIX of Zilla Rocca - Griff's established a signature sound that's unlike what just about anyone else is doing in hip hop right now.

To showcase his talents, he's put together a collection of remixes for his new EP Griff Remixes Vol. 1. The highlights include a flip of Digital Underground's classic Kiss You Back into a synthed-out pop joint that sounds like it came right out of the 80's, and a remake of Common's 1-9-9-9 that brings the song into the 21st century. Peep:

Common and Legacy - 2-0-0-9 (Remix by Griff)

Digital Underground - Kiss You Back (Remix by Griff)

Here's the link to download the full EP - Griff Remixes Vol. 1 (direct link to .zip file)

After you check out Griff's EP, head on over to his new blog bordering insubordination. Over there you'll find links to various Rhyme City projects, Griff's thoughts on the NFL and random J-Direct trivia (who knew radio personality and waterboarding enthusiast Mancow used J-Direct as his background music?).

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