United States of Mind

Dug this out today and figured I'd share it with everybody. My life story. The struggle never ends.

Horace Silver (feat. Andy Bey) - The Happy Medium

Also, if you're in town tonight you don't wanna miss Doc Delay (NYC) in town for 1 night only, myself and Aimlo bringing it to you all the way live at Reunión!

Grab Your Coat and Leather Shoes

Couldn't think of a better song for today. This one goes out to CA...






















Eddie Kendricks - Date With the Rain (12" Disco Mix)

Whoa.

That was a long time in-between posts. Without getting into too much detail, there was a tragedy in my family over Thanksgiving weekend and blogging hasn't exactly been the most important thing in my life. And not to make this a bummer of a post, but...


As some of you probably know, this Thursday marks the last Root Down. After 12 years, one of Los Angeles' best weeklys is calling it quits. Come out and support a legendary night that's had everyone from DJ Shadow & Z-Trip to Black Eyed Peas, Freestyle Fellowship, and more recently me and Exile (not to mention the Sound Clash series, Pushing Buttons, etc etc.).

Big thanks to Miles, Dusk (RIP), Expo, Sloe Poke, DJ Jedi, Ervin & Loslito. I've had a lot of great nights playing there. Thanks for the memories.

Breakestra - Getcho Soul Togetha prt.2

Easin' In

I was dubbing a bunch of records today and I realized I hadn't ripped this one for Sir Otto (I can't believe how many classic joints I still haven't gotten around to recording).
The intro to this song was always a bitch to mix unless you drop it when the bass comes in, so I did an extended intro/re-edit to play out.

Edwin Starr/Hell Up In Harlem OST - Easin' In

Have a good weekend and don't forget, this Sunday I start my new residency at The Ace Hotel.
Drinks + good music + free = WIN

Chop That Down, Pass It All Around

I've been playing this Prince Fatty cover of ODB since my gig at Stronghold last month. Enjoy, and go cop the 7" (or you can get the whole thing pon di digital here). Have a good weekend y'all.

Prince Fatty - Shimmy Shimmy Ya

Shadow Do

I probably shouldn't post this, but I figured after the long-ass gap between posts, the least I could do is hook you guys up with an exclusivo. This is a 1st/rough draft multi track mix I did just to rock in the car. Hopefully I'll get around to doing a more thorough one when time permits. Shout out to Kon who played his own version on Beat Junkie Radio when he was in town (if you missed that set @ JRocc's house you missed that shit!).

Gary Bartz - Gentle Smiles (Saxy) (DJ Day sax-less edit 1)

Booyaka Booyaka

Blogging from the hotel in Denver for Red Bull Big Tune this week...I've got an hour to kill before Exile and I go go-kart racing with Black Milk and Jake One (...?!), so I'm catching up on my posting.

Somebody asked me to post this up this Shabba Ranks/Dumb Girl blend I did a while back, so here it is..."for you...for you"

DJ Day - Dumb Teeng

Everybody's Groove

Lotta tings a gwaaaaaaan! Thought I would try and catch up with with everybody and let you know what's been up. As you can tell by my stellar posting, I've been kinda busy lately.
First things first, tomorrow night I'll be DJing with Kon & Amir, Jeremy Sole, Jeremy Ellis (Ayro) and more @ Zanzibar for Afro Funke's 6th Year Anniversary! I have no doubt this is gonna be mega!

Also this weekend I'll be rocking poolside at The Ace Hotel plus I've got a whole bunch of things going down the next couple of months including


For those who were wondering if the project I did with Miles Bonny was coming out on wax...Gilles Peterson recently played a song on his Worldwide Radio 1 show from the upcoming Raphael Saadiq 12" EP coming soon on MPM.

And last but not least, here's some joints I've been feeling lately (enough news, gigs and youtubes on this beeyotch)

Ashanti's - Everybody's Groove
Jeanette 'Lady' Day - Come Let Me Love You (instrumental edit)
Deep Heat - Do It Again (shout out to Nina Mendoza!)

Kingston Cardova/D.C.

Nothing like coming home to find records in your mailbox. I was lucky enough to score a copy of Black Cat's "Lovin' You" 7" from my man Jonny at Good Records NYC before I left for D.C.

I know this record has been in demand lately, so for those who are still looking for a copy

Black Cat - Kingston Cardova

BTW - D.C. was dope!

















Thanks to everyone @ ESL and all the folks who came out. Big shout to Doc Delay, Dori, DJ Stylus, Zen, 1905 (D.C.'s best kept secret!) and that random ass lady who kept asking for John Legend.

Double Cheese

I was going through some records (how many times have I said that on this blog now?) and I came across a couple songs hidden on those budget records that plague this city like musical herpes.
I can't tell you how many Peter Nero & Ferrante and Teicher records I've had to weed through, but sometimes there's some decent cuts on those albums themselves - like this cover of Johnny Harris' "Footprints on the Moon" by Francis Lai and "Mozambique*" by _______ used on Edan's last album. Sit back, drink some wine in a box and enjoy.

I'm gonna be out for the next few days so have a good weekend! Be back on Monday.


*sorry, no trainspot-o

Merry Merry prt. 2

More holiday cheerz. Yay.

Haha, for real, this season is always stressful, so here's a few cuts to play while getting drunk with your co-workers, djing for drunken co-workers, hanging ornaments on your tree, lighting your kinara or menorah, or just plain trying to grab some ass under the misletoe. I GOT YOU.

Catalist - Soulful Christmas

Milly & Silly - Getting Down For Xmas

& my all time favorite...

Donny Hathaway - This Christmas

BTW - Check out my man Catalist. He's one of the most talented people I know. Real speak.

Rainy Days & Mondays

Shout out to Karen Carpenter, but you cannot get the bol down.
















Looks like winter is finally here. It's been pouring all day and it's supposed to get worse, so I got the fireplace firin', turntables tablin', coffee coffyin' and the computer putin'...

Richard Barbary - There Was Never, Ever, Anyone But You

Steve Parks - Still Thinking of You (classique!)

Anvil Band - Nice Vibes (no cheese edit)

Kellie Greene & Co. - Zodiac Suite (Air)

$1 Quiet Storm

This is my schitt. Essential heads acknowledge the transaction.































George Duke - Just For You



yo...

dude named his last record DUKEY TREATS?!?!

NAGL

Better late than never

A couple random jammy's for the weekend...


















Rehash - Month Four
(you really need to cop this record if you can still find it)


















Kings Go Forth - One Day
(I really need to cop this record if I can still find it)

More info: Rehash Kings Go Forth

Hot, Cool & Easy

It's been a week like no other. Every emotion under the sun has been felt and unfortunately, one of those has been sadness with the passing of reggae great, Byron Lee.

















Here's a couple of my favorite songs in remembrance and a song of mine that was partly inspired by his music.

Byron Lee -Express Yourself
Byron Lee - Hot Reggay
DJ Day - Sunday

Have a good weekend everyone. There's a lot to think about.

RAISING HELLLLLLLLLL

my lil homie

I'm not that big on Halloween (and you know I'm already burnt out having kids), but I had to do something for today...

Here's a quick scratch sentence I made for Halloween a few years ago. I got the bright idea to dress up and lurk at the gig all night without anyone knowing it was me, then bust out with my superawesomescratchroutine. People figured it out in about 20 seconds.

DJ Day - Halloween cuts

Here's a couple other random (and I do mean random) records I dug out that are quasi Halloween and/or evil related.

Aphrodite's Child - The Battle of the Locusts

This schitt ^^^ will NOT be for everyone, but I can get down with some stuff like this. There's a little surprise in there for the scratch nerds (D-Styles headz know the deele).

Franco Micalizzi - Bargain With the Devil

This is from an Italian horror movie soundtrack I came up on a while back. The movie is basically Rosemary's Baby goes to Italy, but the music is pretty ill.
This last cut is more on a Halloween porno vibe so you might want to save it for the end of the night.

Have a good weekend y'all - don't be (too) stupid!

I Pioneered This

The first time I ever heard this record was on Michael "Mixxin" Moor's "Militant Master Mix" radio show on KCRW (dude was also responsible for helping break everyone's favorite DJ savior, DJ Shadow BITD). We used to trade tapes of his shows and he was always way ahead of his time. Michael Moor was a legend in the Los Angeles music scene and unfortunately not enough people know about him or give him the props he deserves. His show helped shape my sound and gave me hope that there were other people out there making the kind of music I wanted to create. This one goes out to him. If anyone has any of those old shows please drop me a line.














The Wreck Allstars (Kenny Dope) - Hit Em Like This

Militant Master Mix - 7/31/93 (courtesy of DJ Marioka)

R.I.P. Michael "Mixxin" Moor - January 1960 - April 2006

Miracles

For my local (and not so local) people, don't forget The Jackson Sisters are performing for the first time in over 30 years tonight at the PSHS Auditorium . **Tickets & event info here**

The Jackson Sisters - I Believe in Miracles

UBB - I Believe in Miracles (instrumental ;)

Like You Say You Do

As you can probably tell from my posts this week, I've been on mellow mellow (right on) mode and so I'm gonna end it on the same note. I recently got a promo of the new Menahan Street Band album and it's just as good as I thought it would be. Most people will know them from Jay-Z's "Roc Boys" (Jay basically rapped over the title track, "Make The Road By Walking") and from various other projects with The Dap Kings, Antibalas, El Michaels Affair, Joe Bataan, Budos Band etc. (basically that whole ill community of musicians coming out of New York). I've been a fan of all those cats for years and it's good to see them finally get some shine. I also posted up one of my favorite Lee Fields 7"'s that he recorded with some of the band. This joint will be worth $ one day - TRUST!

Enjoy and have a good weekend, y'all...

Menahan Street Band - Tired of Fighting

Lee Fields - Do You Love Me

Rhode Trip

You know how I do.

Slide Five - Rhode Trip