Passion of The Weiss Favourite Songs of the Summer part one
I concepted and organized this feature for Passionweiss, as well as part two.
Asking music writers to agree on one thing is an impossible task. Some think Young Thug’s otherworldly yelps ruled the summer while others would prefer he return to his home planet. One thing you can depend on is most of these tunes will inspire unrestrained dancing all the way into autumn. See below for our varied favourites from the sunny season.
My picks:
Migos: “Handsome and Wealthy”
Based on which Migos track has infiltrated more clubs and white family minivans, you might assume I would choose “Fight Night” as my favourite song of the summer. However as someone well versed in Versace connoisseurs rapping in triplets, I prefer the karaoke-inducing chorus of “Handsome and Wealthy.” Quavo, Takeoff and Offset released their crowded “No Label 2″ mixtape earlier this year, which featured 25 tracks of Pyrex kitchen cookware references and shout raps. This tune sees the group pushing their sound into more melodic territory while continuing their ascent to overthrow ZZ Top as the world’s best power trio. The three amigos from Atlanta have also perfected novelty ad-libs, if you’ve never chanted “handsome” “professor” and “can you tell me” in quick succession you’re missing out.
Runner Up: iloveMakonnen- “Tuesday”
It’s a rare skill to make partying on a weeknight sound melancholic and Makonnen’s pitch shifting wail delivers. I’m not convinced the 25 year old who feels guilty about the good times will live up to his current hype, but along with this and “I Don’t Sell Molly No More” he’s got two unique jams in the chamber.
Read the rest here.
Read the rest here.
B. Bravo Interview
Originally published on Myspace
Conjuring images of smoky
discothèques, groovy roller discos and uninhibited dance-offs, this L.A. producer
with a rich musical background creates undeniable boogie jams.
NAME:
B. Bravo
HOMETOWN:
Monterey, Calif.
HOMEBASE:
Los Angeles, Calif.
B. Bravo's cosmic grooves
and talk-box experimentation push the boundaries of funk while spreading the
positive vibes of a far from gone genre. The LA based producer's natural
progression toward intergalactic tunes was partly stimulated by the G-Funk
sound of 90s rap and he continues to be inspired by the forefathers of funk.
Bravo has graced Red Bull's Music Academy and he keeps busy working with
production partner Teeko as well as playing sax and keys in San Francisco band
Bayonics.
What drew you to funk music?
I remember going to the
Monterey Jazz Festival when I was a kid in school and Tower of Power were
playing there. The reason they stood out to me was that they were so different
than all the other acts. Everybody was sitting down for the other performances.
They [Tower of Power] were just like this powerhouse and they had this horn
section with a driving beat. Everybody just jumped on their feet and started
dancing. It was an instant reaction, everybody was dancing even like the
security guard. I remember seeing my friend's dad just dancing and smiling. I
was just like "wow what is this? This is crazy." I was like
"what are these sounds?" Just the feeling and the energy they created
was totally different so that was one of my first experiences seeing it live.
Have you played with any of your personal funk
heroes?
Years ago, back in the Bay
Area, my band Bayonics were playing on KPFA Radio in Berkeley. George Clinton
came in the studio with his bass player named Thumpasauras Rex. We got a chance
to meet George and talk with him, and we ended up jamming all together in the
studio. That was pretty epic; this must have been in probably 2005. It was
pretty crazy, the whole time we were kind of looking at each other like,
"Woah man. This is insane." I remember he had the thickest, manliest
hands I'd ever shook, it was like grabbing on a tree branch or something.
A large part of classic funk and soul music was
related to the struggles of Black America. Did you find it hard to relate to
that growing up?
Myself growing up, I
wasn't necessarily from a poor family. My dad was actually from a really poor
family in Japan, so he basically came to the States with nothing in the late
70s and so through his stories I've known a lot of that- the struggle of making
your own way and being your own man. The area that I grew up in was definitely
working class, but I think it's a universal message. Funk music was originally
made by people in the struggle, whether it would be race, economics or class.
Do you see funk regaining the same relevance it had
in the '70s and '80s?
I mean a lot of people are
like, "Oh you guys are bringing back funk. It's a like dead genre." I
don't really see that. It transcends through a lot of different genres to me. I
don't know whether there's going to be top 40 funk songs or not. I'm not sure
if that's where it's heading, but I don't think that's really the aim. The aim
is to spread the message to people. We're not trying to make pop music. We're
trying to make music that will touch people and uplift people, give them
something they need in the world that they're not really getting from other
sources.
You've collaborated with Salva and released music
under his label, how did that happen?
He's the one that really
got me started releasing music as a solo artist. We met at this regular job in
software. This was in about 2007. He hired me to work for him and on my resume
it said I had an interest in music and DJing. We got to talking and we were
listening to each other's music. He was like, "I want to create a label
and release some music; do you want to do something?" So I put together an
EP and that was kind of my first solo release. That's what started everything
for me. He's right here in L.A. so we've been working on stuff together and
that's my main man.
Jeezy ft Jay Z - Seen It All
Originally published at Passionweiss
Presidential parties, museum tours and marriage ensure we won’t be getting ‘98 Jigga bars anytime soon, but in 2014 “Seen It All” is as close as it gets. Jay-Z shunned Kanye’s wedding to the Kardashian dynasty last month, so there’s a chance Jeezy may become his new best friend. They’ve worn matching pleather jackets, they knew Pimp C but probably locked their car door when talking to him and they’ve been collaborating since Jeezy’s 2006 single “Go Crazy.” While this evidence may be circumstantial, the duo has a solid track record and the rap Proleteriat needs a break from Jay’s rhymes for the 1%.
The Snowman will never be a lyrical scientist. He’s found his rap formula, which is strictly limited to raspy boasts and A-grade adlibs. No matter how many water features Jeezy adds to the mansion, he’ll never stop rhyming about selling drugs. “Seen it all,” delivers accordingly and Jeezy’s biggest decision is whether to blow the cash at Atlanta strip-club institution Magic or at the mall. His verse is nothing special, but most of us clicked play to hear his guest feature verse anyway.
Then it happens, Jay swoops in during the 1.30 mark and it’s tough to believe these bars came from the Magna Carter Holy Fail sessions. There’s no blatant flow jacking or overdone Basquiat references, just tales of his dope-boy past life over a melancholic instrumental. Jay-Z excels on this track because unlike Jeezy, he refers to specific experiences as a felon. There’s drug connects in Saint Thomas, expanding his fledging empire to Maryland, his uncle’s stabbing and more memories that make you thankful you weren’t Shawn Corey Carter before the fame. Despite snubbing DJ Khaled’s crew for the “They Don’t Love You No More” shoot, he might even attend the video for this one. While no one is proclaiming this as Mr Beyonce’s comeback, Jay can still deliver.
Winter Playlist Series
Written for Passionweiss. I organized this feature and there's
plenty of other great sounds ranging from Blaxploitation soundtracks to
electronic so check them out.
This mix defines my winter tastes pretty well –
grumpy old and new raps combined with soul and funk. While I’ve been listening
to beats and rhymes since before the Willennium, booty-shaking riffs and smooth
grooves are something I’ve only properly investigated in the past few years.
However one has inevitably led to the other – Kanye is a big Curtis fan,
Three-6 Mafia put me on to Willie Hutch, and RZA blessed his crew with several
Stevie Wonder samples.
Many of these classic tracks contain some form
of social commentary relevant to whatever era they were recorded in. This makes
them both uplifting and gritty, which is a lot like the season where you are just
as likely to spend all night in a toasty bar as you are to get hail flying
diagonally into your face on the way home. Push play and pray for summer.
Also as per last season’s mixes, thanks to BJ
Beatson and Aaron Frank for helping me put these together. Link after the jump.
Tracklist:
1. Big L –
Danger Zone
2. Vince
Staples ft Schoolboy Q – Back Sellin’ Crack
3. Joey Fatts –
Picture Me Rolling
4. Jay Z –
Can’t Knock The Hustle
5. Boldy James
– Optional
6. The Beanuts
ft Big Pun and Cuban Link – Off The Books
7. Elzhi –
Memory Lane
8. Big Pun –
Punish Me
9. Droop E ft
Nite Jewel and J Stalin – ‘N The Traffic
10. Willie
Hutch – In and Out
11. Curtis
Mayfield – Wild and free
12. Stevie
Wonder- Living For The City
13. The
Manhattans- New York City
14. Marvin Gaye
– What’s Happening Brother
15. Curtis
Mayfield – We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue
16. Kool and
The Gang – This Is You, This is Me