Episode 181 : Still Rollin'.

Air Adam Podcast

"Come on and give me my props..."

- Diamond

Fifteen years! We started this ride in June 2009 and here we still are all these years later. Thank you so much for your support, and I hope you'll stay with me for as long as I'm able to keep putting these shows together. The point of this podcast has never been to prioritise new releases, or to only ever look to the past, but a blend of the two. With that in mind, this month's mix certainly has some old personal favourites, a sprinkling of new music, and some obscurities and rarities! Listen, enjoy, and please do spread the word as widely as you can - as I always say, I have a lot of things, but no advertising budget 😆

I was racking my brain trying to come up with cover art that would reference the theme of fifteen...then realised that the infamous "4, 5, 6" combination sums up to that very number!

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Playlist/Notes

The Thryday : Fantastic

The album this was ultimately released on is only available for silly money on the second-hand market, but at least I had this from an old mixtape ("WJLR Radio, Volume 1") to share with you! The Dutch master Nicolay is on production for this North Carolina group who were part of the Justus League family and appreciated by those in the know. This same beat, with the same name, is also on Nicolay's "City Lights" and the "City Lights 1.5" version, but with the rhymes that elevate it so...much harder to get!

[J Dilla] Jaylib : The Red (Instrumental)

You already know! One of the best-loved instrumentals from Dilla's post-Slum career - certainly if the reaction when I drop it in a set is anything to go by - and one that will move your speakers for sure. The original is from the famed "Champion Sound" collaboration between Dilla and Madlib, where each rhymes over the other's production, and now the full set of instrumentals is available, making the deluxe release a 100% must-own.

Jigmastas ft. Mos Def, Mr. Complex, Pharoahe Monch, Shabaam Sahdeeq, and Talib Kweli : Lyrical Fluctuation Remix

This is a true all-star MC roster from the late 90s-early 00s independent scene, with DJ Spinna of Jigmastas on remix duties, bringing a different vibe to Joc Max's original, based on crazy short chops of a classic soul sample and having them cheerfully bounce along. I only got this 2000 release in the last few weeks, but have already played it on Twitch, digitised it, and am now sharing its eternally-fresh energy here!

Ghostface ft. Wigz : Outta The Way

"...in the gym throwing the dumbbells all out of order" - disgraceful conduct... Another usage of the same sample from the "Lyrical Fluctuation" remix, this Anthony Acid beat is more straightforward, with Ghostface and Wigz busting through with the energy of two guys rushing a bank! This was one of the standouts on the 2005 Ghostface and Trife "Put It On The Line" LP, though not released as a single despite the potential.

Mobb Deep : Feel My Gat Blow

The soundtrack to the Saul Williams-starring "Slam" was very much a mixed bag in the vein of many 90s-00s soundtracks, but certainly had a few standouts and otherwise-unreleased cuts from some greats, of which this is one. Havoc's beat sounds like a mix between a medieval court and 90s NYC, and the lyrical content is trademark Mobb.

Redman : Winicumuhround

As much as I love Redman's "Dare Iz A Darkside" album (which, notably, he doesn't - reminds him of a bad time), I had all but forgotten about this track until I pulled the vinyl out for a front-to-back listen recently. Erick Sermon and Redman combine on production to have this one thump along with a killer bassline-lead track, and Red is in fine form on the mic. With the voice of the late Hurricane G appearing as part of the densely-packed hook, this is a Def Squad heater for sure.

Pete Rock : Death Becomes You

Definitely one of my favourite Pete Rock beats of all time, but we had to wait a long time to get an instrumental! The original track was on the soundtrack for the 1993 classic "Menace II Society", but it wasn't until the 2019 release of Pete Rock's "Return Of The SP1200" album that we got this version. Absolutely flawless in the sense that there's not a single thing, as a listener or a DJ, that I would have wanted him to change.

Roots Manuva ft. Big P, Blackitude, Fallacy, Rodney P, Skeme : Witness The Swords

I'd be willing to bet that while most listeners, especially in the UK, will be very familiar with the classic Roots Manuva single "Witness (1 Hope)", most won't know this! It's a blend of the lyrics from "Swords In The Dirt" from Roots' second LP "Run Come Save Me" and the "Witness" beat, from the same album. As far as I know, the only place to find this one is the 2002 "Extra Yard (The Bouncement Revolution)" compilation on Big Dada Records, which is worth picking up for some quality UK cuts.

Big Boi ft. Cutty : Shutterbugg

As a photographer, I really should dig this one out more! Big Boi co-produces with Scott Storch on this single from his solo debut "Sir Lucious Left Foot : The Son Of Chico Dusty", which was actually a much bigger hit in the UK than in the US, where it somehow didn't even break the top 50 in the R&B charts. It's a hectic-sounding track which unexpectedly takes a sudden quiet break in the second verse - and it's at that point that we move along...

Stro Elliot : Soul II Stro

...and so we move with a quick transition into another track that not just references but heavily samples the classic "Back To Life" by the UKs own Soul II Soul, a Stro Elliot workout that's just undeniable in its groove. The samples of Caron Wheeler's vocals haunt at times before coming firmly into the foreground, while the drums and bass thump along with an accompanying keyboard line. That Stro Elliot sampled that 1989 classic on his self-titled LP twenty-seven years later is a testament to the power of the original.

Kokane ft. Lil Half Dead : Ghetto Music

When I saw the garage-filmed (high-quality though!) video for this, I kept waiting for the rapping to start - but nope, this is just a funk product from start to finish which, as the track says, will make you want to move! Despite "Da White Album" only being released in 2022, it was apparently recorded back in the early 00s while Kokane was working on Dr. Dre's "2001" LP but shelved for over twenty years. It manages to sound vintage P-funk, 90s G-Funk, and modern all at the same time. Kokane is a real "if you know, you know" artist who has been putting in work for many years, has collaborated with almost everyone you can name, and keeps on bringing the heat!

[Erick Sermon] Tha Truth : Red Lights (U Gotz 2 Chill '96) (instrumental)

If you know me, you know I love Zapp and Roger Troutman, which means that EPMD's classic "You Gots To Chill" single is a firm favourite. On this R&B single from Tha Truth, who only released one album back in 1997, they came out of the gate strong with Erick Sermon on production, reprising his sampling of "More Bounce To The Ounce" and even throwing in the "chill" sample from his original beat. Shout out to DJ Melo D of Beat Junkies, who was the only person I've heard playing this and the one who told me (on Twitch) what it was!

Diamond D, Sadat X, and Lord Finesse : You Can't Front

A great album cut, loved by those in the know, taken from the early 90s classic "Stunts, Blunts, and Hip-Hop". Buckwild and Diamond's production is both clean and still vintage SP-era magic, with Diamond also grabbing the mic to spit a verse between two other greats. Sadat X was the perfect choice to go first, with his unique tone drawing you in immediately, and Lord Finesse brings it home strong.

Common : Dreamin'

For those that have missed the early chatter, here's a sample of the upcoming Common and Pete Rock LP, which promises to channel the specific forms of energy that each artist brought to their 90s work. If this beautifully-produced tale of a dream of a walk with Black greats both living and transitioned is anything to go by, we're in for a treat!

The Kid Daytona : Fly Lullaby

A deep cut from the 9th Wonder production discography, working with a loop that Pete Rock teased us with between tracks on "The Main Ingredient". The Kid Daytona is definitely a grown man now, but this was an early release from the Bronx native on his "The Interlude" mixtape from 2010 - where every track sampled some kind of intro or interlude from another Hip-Hop track. This is exactly the kind of overlooked track I like to throw in for anyone who might have missed it!

Dogg Pound ft. Snoop Dogg, RBX, and The Lady Of Rage : Who Da Hardest?

A grand reunion - would have left it to the last song as it is on the new Dogg Pound "W.A.W.G" album, but it fit so well here sonically that I changed my mind! For a coming together of West Coast legends, the biggest surprise is them bringing DJ Premier in on production, and maybe the most welcome is the featuring of The Lady of Rage, who has been a universally-loved MC since her star turn on "Afro Puffs". It's pretty long, but there's no instrumental outro and I didn't want you to miss out any of the MCs, so you get the whole thing here!

Terrace Martin & James Fauntleroy : Butterfly Effect

"Gotta stop taking life advice from songs" - I'd say that was good advice, but then that's also what you might call a circular problem! We go fully chill at the end of this section, with the undeniable and unmistakable voice and vocal production of James Fauntleroy alongside modern jazz legend Terrace Martin with a track from their joint "Nova" EP.

Marco Polo : Yung Feathers

The man from Toronto with a trademark bit of modern boom-bap on this final instrumental, a track from his "MP on the MP : The Beat Tape Vol.1" release, a great pickup for anyone who appreciates good Hip-Hop production.

M-Beat ft. Nazlyn : Sweet Love

A big switch-up to end the episode, with a vintage UK track - a jungle remake of Anita Baker's 1986 classic "Sweet Love" with Nazlyn on vocals. Even as someone who didn't like jungle when it first emerged, I couldn't deny this one, an absolute classic reworking. I understand it actually sold well - hitting a high of no.18 in the charts back in 1994 - which goes to show that just sometimes, the public at large catches on to some real quality.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!