Mix Up Look Sharp

Nice Up! Mixtape Vol 1 by Bobafatt on Mixcloud

I've been proudly rollin' with the Nice Up! family for a little while now.

Daddy Shepdog requested that I put my mixtape hat on, on behalf of the fam, so I did.

Here's an hour 15 (ish) mins of 60+ dutty tracks.
Dancehall, Reggae, Hip Hop, Drum & Bass, Dubstep & other assorted mashed-up bashy sounds.

You can download the mix HERE

Danger Milk

More love from us for one of our favourite up-and-coming bands The Milk, this time for their new single "Danger" (peep the video). Produced by The Nextmen's Brad Baloo, a stamp of approved quality if ever there was, the band are tipped for big things and it's easy to see why. There are a couple of remixes doing the rounds at the moment - a shit hot mix by The Nextmen and this wicked rinse out by UK Funky champs Greenmoney. Big Tings!!

DOWNLOAD: Danger (Greenmoney mix) - The Milk

p.s. while you're at it, be sure to check out The Nextmen's new podcast - more essential tunes from the boys!

[instrumentals] jazzscapez / usa

this has to be the sadest beatmaker post on my site yet.

about 1.5 months ago i became aware of a very talented beatmaker and emcee from fitchburg massachusetts. 21 years young and steadily putting out dope beats. his concept was one beat tape each month. i contacted him in february and we were ready to put out a post on crates of ag. he just finished creating his website mid march, when things took a turn to the worst– he passed away. i don't have all the specifics- but apparently he got shot by cops in his own house.

i don't wanna act as if i knew him all my life, but still- i was shocked. in my opinion he was extremly talented and would have lightened up the rap scene in his own ways. not to mention what great collaborations with other beatmakers and mc's would have been possible.

«As long as it has to do with spreading around true hip hop im all for it. Ive been at this shit for six years. Constantly elevating.»

i asked him about the mc on some of his beats.

«Yea thats me rapping. I spit too. Trying to get an album together but im a perfectionist so i always feel like i can do better haha.»

speaking of collaborations. before the tragedy happened, he hooked up with beatmaker kickback and self the bluest eye, another emcee from edmonton. kickback just sent me three tracks of them all together.

so, after all i want to take the chance to spread his works for all of you, who have not heard him yet. i offer a selection of his 3 beat tapes here, 1 remix, 3 vocal tracks by him and the 3 tracks with self the bluest eye. everything else you'll find on his page: www.jazzscapez.com or on his youtube-channel. what a potential...

JAZZSCAPES «SELECTIONS» '11

r.i.p. jazzscapez

jazzscapez - selections [teaser]

pz,

akutt 

alkuttraz - new & limited mix

even though the vinyl market is shrinking..there's not one single month without any of the dope unreleased limited edition records from the usual suspects such as one leg up, diggers with gratitude, chopped herring, vinyl addicts, six2six, ipower, no sleep, freestyle records, solid ground, dope folks etc. i grabbed a bunch of these from the last couple of years and did a mix for you guys. 56mins! i'm sure there will be a part 2.

the tracklist should be pretty easy! this mixtape is limited to 300 downloads...

ALKUTTRAZ «NEW & LIMITED» MIXTAPE '11

1. tragedy - death row (og version)
2. amazing maze, lord tariq & wyldbuch - my story is yours
3. constant deviants - jewelia
4. i-power - ruff draft remix
5. nas & kool g rap - fast life (buckwild remix)
6. alps cru - loudmouths
7. herb mcgruff - i keep my palm on the handle (godfather don remix)
8. freestyle professors - hot damn
9. sons of sam - it's like that
10. sparrow feat. one speaker supreme- armageddon
11. constant deviants - problem child
12. shadez of brooklyn - now a dayz
13. o.c. - outsiders
14. pudgee - get down
15. stranj child - stranj fruit
16. poison ladd s.l.r - who's the man
17. the nonce - open up
18. chief - sometime ago

pz,
akutt

Regulate RIP

Not a good week for music as we learn today that Nate Dogg has also passed at the ridiculously young age of 41. Without a doubt king of the hooks in west coast hip hop and a voice that loaded any track with instant playa cred, his vocals have graced many a classic. From his debut on Dr Dre's seminal G-Funk set "The Chronic" and Snoop Dogg's timeless Doggystyle to mainstream appearances with Pharoahe Monch, Mark Ronson and Eve, he is undoubtedly best remembered for his massive hit with Warren G "Regulate", which we're posting here today in it's reggae-rubbed Jstar remix.

RIP Nate Dogg

DOWNLOAD: Regulate Rock - Jstar

RIP Smiley Culture

News has just reached us of the sad and untimely passing of UK dancehall legend Smiley Culture. The details are not yet clear, but it appears the 47 year old died as the result of an altercation with the police at his home. For those who don't know, Smiley was one of the original members of the Saxon Soundsystem who later found fame in the UK charts with "Cockney Translation" and "Police Officer". His lyrical style, similar to the fast-chat of Tippa Irie, Asher Senator and Papa Levi is an obvious source to many of the styles used by todays Drum & Bass, Grime & Dubstep MCs.

It's unbelievable now that this song made it onto the BBCs flagship music show at the time - with references to ganja and anti-establishment lyrics. I vividly remember my cousin having this recorded on a Betamax video and him watching it on repeat trying to work out the words, whilst I tried to work out why the police were playing instruments on Top Of The Pops.

By pure coincidence, I was meant to pick up test pressing of for the next NICE UP! release - a drum & bass reworking of this very hit. We might have to bust out our kangols and pringle knits too.

RIP Smiley.

Goggle

I've been getting quite a few requests for the remix of Tanya Stephens "Goggle" I used in my mix for FBI Radio last year (click here to check it if you haven't already), so I thought I'd post it up here. Unfortunately I have no idea who made it, or infact where I got it from originally, so cannot give any props or referrals apart from to the original. I know it was originally cut to the Cloak & Dagger riddim, and there was a very similar "Busta Beat" riddim doing the rounds at the same time, but that was a remade version of the "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" beat, whereas this sounds like a straight mash-up.

Either way, it bumps! If you can shed any light on this, please drop a comment!

DOWNLOAD: Goggle (Hip Hop mix) - Tanya Stephens

Ani Tek Mix

Pre-Listen Here:
Download Here by Grizzly

this is Tiger_Beat...
01. The Bees - Winter Rose (Nicolas Jaar Rmx)
02. Chromatics - I'm On Fire
03. Lou Reed - Walk On The Wild Side (Holtoug Bootleg)
04. Joanna Billing vs Arthur Russel - This Is How We Walk On The Moon (Bogdan Edit)
05. Seahawks - Sneaking Past The Fleet
06. Brewer & Shipley - All Along The Watchtower (Grzzl Edit)
07. PlanningToRock - Doorway
08. Talk Talk - April (Grzzl Edit)
09. Spectral Display - It Takes A Muscle To Fall In Love (Get A Room! Edit)
10. Sons Of Noel & Adrian - Wreck Or Boat (m's Edit)
11. Noir Désir - Le Vent Nous Portera (Rubber Room ReRub)
12. Slow Hands - Rough Patch
13. Tomcraft ft. Tommy Sunshine - New York Storm
14. Peter A. - Did You Ever Wonder

Play Music Selecta

Fresh in from Mungo's Hifi is this remix package of Israeli dancehall/dubstep producer Kalbata's recent single "Play Music Selecta". We've been loving the original since it appeared on the B-side of his last 12" for Soul Jazz, but here Mungo's step it up in a more steppers fashion along with some other voicings on the same riddim from Lady Ann, Ranking Levy and the late, great Sugar Minott. Also part of the package is a wicked RSD remix of "Sugar Plum Plum" featuring Little John.

Released in April, be sure to keep your eye on the Scotch Bonnet shop for vinyl and downloads.

Play music selecta by mungoshifi

Tempo Inna Dancehall Jstar DJ mix

Yes Yes!

At the Nice Up! family we love to share, so Jstar has dug into his vinyl collection for the 4th in the ongoing mixcloud mixtape series 'Jstar Digs Music' for this digitally minded 30 minutes or roots and dancehall just for you guys.

Expect plenty more DJ mixes and get your free downloads from the back catalogue here at the Nice Up! blog in months to come!!!

Sign up and give us a comment!
Peace!

Jstar Digs Music #4 - Tempo Inna Dancehall by Jstar on Mixcloud

[hanDJob talks to] perv of da low livz

here we go again with another sureshot. it's da low livz from philly.

this is their debut and at the same time last release from '96. why did such a dope posse never release anything else and how come munk with da funk is spitting on «niggaz got beef»? well, hanDJob comes through with the answers. check out his interview with pervert, rapper and producer on this ep.

«Perv:   I was actually introduced to Munk by the group GNC. Corleone, who is on Niggaz Got Beef, is his younger brother and I used to talk with him and Bruce aka Little Gotti. He was from West Philly and I was North Philly. We talked here and there and I asked them all to do a track. At the time it was a Perv track that I was doing to diss various people...»

READ THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW HERE

this ep contains four tracks and was released on dialect records. rappers are mersinareez, twizzler, dirty rat, pure and pervert.

DA LOW LIVZ «DA FAM AND SQUAD RADIO BOOTLEG» EP '96

1. FAM & SQUAD

2. NIGGAZ GOT BEEF

3. PER-VERSE

4. PER-VERSE (PERVERTED HEADNODDERS REMIX)

big shout out to perv for taking the time and of course to my man hanDJob once again!

pz,
akutt

Nah Mean

Probably one of the most posted topics on this blog, it appears we simply can't get enough of Nas & Damian Marley around these parts - and all the more now that DJ Nu Mark (Jurassic 5, Blendcrafters) has dropped his remix of the standout banger from the album "Nah Mean". Giving it a Madlib-esque shuffle, the beats are upfront and banging, providing a perfect backing for the sparring bars.

DOWNLOAD: Nah Mean (DJ Nu Mark remix) - Nas & Damian Marley

Outlook 2011 mix

Recorded to promote myself and Jstar performing once again at this years Outlook Festival in Croatia, this new mix tries to encapsulate a little bit of everything that the festival is for me - reggae, dubstep, drum & bass and above all - GOOD VIBES! With tracks from Jahtari crew Pupa Jim and Zeb & Scotty alongside dubstep heavyweights Magnetic Man and Doctor P to the jump up vibes of Congo Natty and Visionary, this is a 60 minute ride through what to expect from the NICE UP! Soundsystem in Pula this year!

Don't forget, you can still purchase tickets for the event here - seriously got to be one of the best festivals in Europe if you like your bass...

Outlook Mix by Djshepdog on Mixcloud

Wu Tubby

This project blends classic Wu Tang Clan tracks with some big big riddims from the man like King Tubby.

Following on from the recent 'Jay Z Vs Wailers' booty LP, these are put together by the same (anonymous) chap.
As before, mp3's of these mash-ups have done the rounds over the past year or so, but have not had a physical release until now.

Seek out this one out from all good specialist Vinyl emporiums, seen.

Bad Boy

This one should be dropping within the next month or so.
Original ruffneck ragga jungle business...