Jam Pony Express DJs began in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. in 1981. It's original members are DJ Slic Vic, Diamond Dick, Hot Rod and Mr. M.B. Later members included Lock Cool Jock, Sporty "J" and Big Ace. Jam Pony's claim to fame was "regulating" on the microphone by cutting the music down and talking over the lyrics to create a new song. J.P.E. dropped an LP in 1994 on Express Records, which is affiliated with 2-4-1 Entertainment in Tampa.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright once compared his craft to musical composition in terms of artistic approach. Would that the great man had stuck around long enough to hear Shudder To Think, whose many-sided musical compositions possess something akin to the obtuse beauty of Wright's creations.

On Shudder's major-label debut, Pony Express Record, the band takes its unique songwriting and instrumental capabilities to a new level. The songs on Pony Express are made of sharp angles and turns, curious time signatures, hard rock guitar riffs, and singer Craig Wedren's insatiable falsetto.

Shudder To Think is actually a different band on this album, which is the studio debut of guitarist Nathan Larson and drummer Adam Wade. The pair fit in well with Shudder's quirky art-rock leanings and Larson actually becomes an integral part of the band, helping write five of Pony Express' songs. Though the strange song arrangements and constructions were present on much of Shudder's past work, the new lineup takes this unique aesthetic a step further as Larson's guitar steps out in the mix, giving the music a much harder edge.

As if to catch up, Wedren somehow becomes even more flamboyant than before, thus stretching the music in many directions. He breaks into a full operatic croon two measures into the album, and begins dropping such evocative imagery as "the case of her bones are softer than loose meat" or "my mouth is a cold sore display case." Wedren's vocal style is as much Freddie Mercury as it is J. Robbins, yet it's securely out of the reach of either.

A strange band, for sure, and an even stranger album. It makes one wonder what Sony was supposed to do with Shudder To Think from a marketing perspective. As a major-label debut, it probably alienated some of Shudder's more indie-cred-obsessed fans, but there's no way in hell any of these songs were going to climb up the Billboard charts.

Still, something about Pony Express Record's unwillingness to be just another major-label cash cow gives it a glow of originality. The music itself is even more original than the idea, resulting in a highly underappreciated, forward-thinking record.

Mad Linx: Back In The Saddle
By Dove ~Sheepish Lordess of Chaos~

B ET’s Rap City is easily one of the most respected shows in pop culture, and host Mad Linx is rapidly becoming one of the most recognizable faces in the Hip-Hop nation. From its beginning in 1989, Rap City has had a slew of hosts including Joe Clair, Chris Thomas, Big Lez and Big Tigger. When Linx took over in 2005, he followed in the legacy and a heritage of memorable moments the show was known for, and fans had high expectations.

A native of Queens, New York, Mad Linx got his start in the Tampa, Florida radio scene in the early ‘90s. He moved on to WTMP, and soon became their Mixshow Director, and eventually the drive-time on-air personality. In 2002, he got a big break as the tour DJ for Angie Martinez, and by 2003 he secured a position at Tampa’s WLLD radio.

With all of his charisma and background in radio, the transition Mad Linx made to television was smooth in terms of his talent, but somewhat difficult with regard to the way fans of Rap City received him. A little over a year later, fans were begging to have Linx return to the show when he left to co-host BET’s new start-up The Road Show. We recently sat down with Mad Linx to talk candidly about the pressure of being one of America’s Most Watched.

AllHipHop.com: Just a little over a year ago you took the spot over at Rap City, and you dealt with your fair share of criticism in the beginning. How did it feel this time being on the other end of that where people are asking you, “When are you going to go back to Rap City?”

Mad Linx: [laughs] You know, I think it’s one of those things in life where - and I’m trying to say this in the most humble way possible - sometimes you’re not appreciated fully until you’re gone. I’m saying that with no disrespect to anybody first off. I think even with Tigger, he’s dealt with his share of criticism for a long time as well, after he took over Rap City. When he was gone, all of a sudden everybody seemed to be like, “We always did love Tigger, what are you talking about?” It was a good feeling knowing that cats kind of came around after a while, and it’s always a challenge going into a new situation.

People tend to make these judgments off of a lot of things; it might be your physical appearance which you can’t help. For me it’s, “Who is this light skinned R&B ass n***a, that pretty n***a that they got doing Rap City?” Now I can’t control the skin color I have, or the way my face is structured and set up, but that has nothing to do with whether I’m Hip-Hop or not. I’m not gonna go out tryna be anybody who I’m not, I didn’t get shot up 15 times, or spend 12 years in the bing, or I didn’t push crack. I don’t have those stories to tell you when I’m hosting Rap City, but ultimately what does that have to do with whether or not you can conduct an interview if you know about Hip-Hop?

So all I can do and all I have been doing is bringing what I have to offer Hip-Hop-wise, which is long, vast and very deep. I think cats over the course of the year, have started to see it if they paid attention. I know that when a lot of artists come in, they might have preconceived ideas and then through the course of their show where they know that I really know about them and their history. I’m talking about their first album like I spun their record in the club, or I had their white label before the huge single came out, or I remember going to the store to get their album. Those are the priceless stories that you can’t [make up].

AllHipHop.com: Coming from the radio industry into television, with people not really understanding your background, did you ever feel the need to assert that, “Hey, I’ve been through all of these things,” or was there ever a certain point where you just kind of threw up your hands and said, “Think what you want?”

Mad Linx: I always thought that people are going to think what they want, regardless. But I got that attitude that, given the opportunity and timeframe, I’ll turn the whole world into Mad Linx fans. I think that respect is something that you earn, it’s not just given. People all the time see the end result - they don’t see the grind and the hard work it took to get there. It’s a challenge and it’s one that I take wholeheartedly.

AllHipHop.com: How hard is it for you politically speaking? If you may not be feeling an artist’s work, is there a part of you that feels the need to keep a good rapport across the board, or is it just that you really aren’t the type of person to outwardly state your opinions?

Mad Linx: My mom always taught me if you don’t have nothing good to say, don’t say nothing. I respect anything and anybody that’s trying to advance and move forward. I don’t even go out of my way to have thoughts like, “Oh this is some bulls**t.” It’s kind of like a waste of energy; I respect what everybody’s doing and understand that they have their own lane. Cats that caught a lot of flack this year - D4L “Laffy Taffy” - say what you want, but they have their own lane, and there’s the saying that a billion Elvis fans can’t be wrong. This group obviously has fans, they got fans right here in New York, because when the club isn’t popping you play that record and then all of a sudden something happens. Now, I might not listen to that CD when I wanna get my real Hip-Hop fix on, but I respect what they’re doing. All things may not be for me, but I’m not gonna go out of my way to s**t on them.

AllHipHop.com: Since you [started your career] in Florida and you had several years to embrace the scene, North Florida is revolutionary in the grind of getting independent music out and they support their own in that area. Coming into New York, do you see a big difference in the way the whole system works here versus what you saw in Florida?

Mad Linx: Oh definitely. I always said that I don’t care where the deal gets struck, and no matter where the person comes from, the check gets cut here in New York. The industry is changed to where the check still gets cut in New York, but the way you get to the point of getting the check has changed. I think that as we all we know, before it used to be good enough to run up on somebody, spit a hot 16 bars and you could get a record deal. Those days are gone. Now the way that the industry business works is, “What do your sales look like already?”

AllHipHop.com: How do you feel about giving knowledge to this new generation of Hip-Hop fans about where all that music and the hustle comes from?

Mad Linx: I think it’s very important. I just played recently in Cancun. The club I played in there were a lot of white kids I’ll say between the ages of 18 and 21. I played the Nirvana song and they knew every word. Keep in mind this song came out in ’90-’91, so most of these kids were maybe a year or two years old when it came out, but they still know it all. They knew about Van Halen’s “Jump” from way before they were born. There’s some kind of connect that happens with other genres of music that really hasn’t happened as much with Hip-Hop.

I actually have some ideas that I’m hoping we’re able to make happen with Rap City that hopefully will at least do a little part in trying to connect those dots. A lot of our kids in New York know who Grandmaster Flash is, but maybe in Texas or Alabama, they’re not as familiar. They may have heard the name one time, but it wouldn’t be like if “The Message” came on and they could rhyme it. The same way people in New York don’t know who DJ Uncle Al is or Jam Pony Express. These cats down South revolutionized the game. Hopefully, I can connect the dots for not only the younger generation but the older generation who has never heard of a Jam Pony Express.

I think one thing that makes it a little harder with Hip-Hop especially there’s always this push on what’s new or what’s next. I think that push comes a lot harder with Hip-Hop than other forms of music because a big part of that is the mixtape game. It kind of makes it hard to move back to the past a little bit, because we’re so rapidly moving towards the future. We still don’t have any classic Hip-Hop stations, and every market got a classic Rock station.

AllHipHop.com: How does it make you feel to see so much Southern Hip-Hop come through the video show?

Mad Linx: I feel a couple of different ways: I love the fact that now in 2006, no matter where you’re from, you got a shot. You can come from St. Louis, Atlanta, Oakland and you’re gonna get a shot. But now to get that shot it’s harder than ever, where before radio was a little more regionalized - you could get that shot locally first, and then if things happen well enough for you then you could go national. But like I said, I think the fact that it’s so much music coming from other places on radio here in New York is brave, but at the same time I don’t want artists from any market to get shut out of their own marketplace because of the commercialization of radio and the business.

AllHipHop.com: Did you sign a new contract with BET for Rap City?

Mad Linx: I’ll be with BET definitely for the remainder of the year. You know how this industry is the same with radio, the same with every other industry. Changes can come at any time, I’m fully aware of that. But as of right now it’s Rap City.

AllHipHop.com: What are your next plans?

Mad Linx: We got Spring Bling coming up. Now that I got my turntables and my mixer, I plan on working on a mixtape as well. Actually that’ll mean I get to practice for the first time in a year and a half - my practice was coming in for a few minutes on Rap City or in the club, which is not really good practice. [laughs] I love to DJ, so I’m looking forward to getting a nice little hour in a day from now on. The relaunch for madlinx.com is coming up, we’re still under construction. Rap City Monday through Friday from 5-6 PM. For those who are always surprised yes I am a DJ, I didn’t go buy ‘DJ in a box’ two weeks ago and thought I could get live in a party now.

AllHipHop.com: Is there anything else you want people to know?

Mad Linx: I’m glad to be back. And at the end of the day, the hate has never bothered me for a couple of reasons. One, any time people hate, that means you’re either doing something good or you’re in a real good place. I loved the fact that people hated on me even when I first started, to me that said that people cared enough about Hip-Hop to care who the host of the show was. If they didn’t care, that would just mean they didn’t care about Hip-Hop, so it didn’t bother me. I love the fact that people care about Hip-Hop and they care about the show.

Just because you see me for an hour a day, it don’t mean that you know me to know what I’m really like. That just means that you know what you see through that screen. As we all know, what comes through that screen ain’t necessarily the entire package. Rap City the show isn’t who Mad Linx is - come kick it with me, and you’ll leave with somewhat of a different perspective.

urban dwellers

JAM PONY EXPRESS

1. Throw the D. - 2 Live Crew
  2. Bass Rock Express - MC ADE
  3. Supersonic - J.J. Fad
  4. The Cars with the Boom - L'Trimm
  5. Give It All You Got (Doggy Style) - Afro Rican
  6. Just Give the DJ a Break - Dynamix II
  7. Drop the Bass - DJ Magic Mike and MC Toney B.
  8. Me So Horny - 2 Live Crew
  9. Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-A-Lot
10. Whoomp! There It Is - Tag Team/Whoot! There It Is-95 South
11. Boot the Booty - MC Cool Rock & Chaszey Chess
12. Bass Computer - Techmaster P.E.B.
13. We Want Some Pussy - 2 Live Crew
14. Sally (That Girl) - Gucci Crew II
15. Shake It - MC Shy D
16. Miami El Negro - DJ Laz and Danny D.
17. Welcome to the Planet of Bass - Maggotron
18. Creep Dog - MC Cool Rock & Chaszey Chess19. Now Dance - Byron Davis & The Fresh Krew
20. Let's Get This Party Started - DJ KJ & MC Kooley C.
21. Ghetto Bass - 2 Live Crew
22. Get It Girl - 2 Live Crew
23. Gotta Be Tough - MC Shy D
24. Revelation - 2 Live Crew
25. What I Like - 2 Live Crew
26. Boom! I Got Your Boyfriend - Danny D. & DJ Wiz / Boom! I Got Your Girlfriend - MC Luscious
27. Jealous Fellas - Dimples T. / Jealous Girls - JDC
28. I Wanna Rock - Luke
29. Tootsee Roll - 69 Boyz
30. Ghetto Jump - Krush
31. Stomp N Grind - Half Pint
32. Commin' In Fresh - Double Duce
33. DJ Magic Mike Cuts the Record - DJ Magic Mike
34. Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya - Poison Clan
35. C'mon N Ride It (The Train) - Quad City DJ's
36. Dazzey Dukes - Duice
37. Da Dip - Freak Nasty
38. Scrub Da Ground - Splack Pack
39. Dunkie Butt (Please, Please, Please) - 12 Gauge
40. Mix It Up - DJ Uncle Al
41. Shake That Ass Bitch - Splack Pack
42. Return To the Bass Planet - Maggotron
43. Ignition - Dynamix II
44. The Cabbage Patch - The Gucci Crew II
45. Move Somethin' - 2 Live Crew
46. Return of the Bass That Ate Miami - Maggotron
47. 122 BPM - Jive Rhythm Trax
48. Techno Bass - Dynamix II
49. Square Dance Rap - Sir Mix-A-Lot
50. Love You Down - INOJ
51. Swing My Way - KP & Envyi/Shorty Swings Both Ways - 3-Way Playaz
52. Time After Time - INOJ
53. Shake Shake - Jonny Z
54. Shake a Lil' Somethin' - 2 Live Crew
55. Nasty Dancer (remix) - Kilo
56. Kitty Kitty - 69 Boyz
57. 2 Much Booty (In Da Pants) - Soundmaster T.
58. Lose My Money (Honey) - Prince Raheim and Crazy Legs
59. Hold Up, Wait a Minute - DJ Smurf
60. Ooh Lawd (Party People) - DJ Smurf and PMHI
61. Do Your Duty - Beat Master Clay D. & The Get Funky Crew
62. Shake the Joint - Breezy Beat MC
63. Worse 'Em - Triple M Bass
64. The Beat Is Fresh - Prime Choice
65. Posse on Broadway - Sir Mix-A-Lot
66. My Boo - Ghost Town DJs
67. Wiggle Wiggle - Disco Rick
68. Party - Dis N Dat
69. Rodeo - 95 South
70. Red Alert - DJ Laz
71. Shake It, Do the 61st - Anquette
72. Let it Go - Afro-Rican
73. Chicken Head - MC Zeus
74. Smurf Rock - Gigolo Tony
75. That's Right - DJ Taz feat. Raheem the Dream
76. I Will Always Be There for You - Anquette
77. Pop That Thang - DJ Smurf feat. Kizzy Rock
78. Scarred - Luke Campbell
79. My Baby's Daddy - B-Rock & the Bizz
80. Raise the Roof - Luke feat. No Good But So Good Party
81. Do the Damn Thing - 2 Live Crew
82. Lap Danz - Top Secret
83. Show Me Love - Kilo Ali
84. Whatz Up Whatz Up - Playa Poncho and L.A. Sno
85. Bad Bass Music - Bass Cube
86. Butta (Miami Bass mix) - Pamp & Da Knox
87. Girls (Southside mix) - DJ Smurf feat. DJ Taz, DJ Kizzy Rock, and June Dog
88. All of Puerto Rico - Afro-Rican
89. Shake (Miami Bass mix) - Pamp & Da Knox
90. Ride Out - DJ Trans
91. When Will I See You Smile Again? - Ricky Bell
92. Woof Woof - 69 Boyz
93. Bass Is What We Want - MCB
94. Esta Locha (Part Bass mix) - To Kool Chris
95. Latin Swing - Jonny Z & DJ Laz
96. Freak It - Lathun feat. Da Brat
97. As We Lay - Dana Harris
98. Way Out - J.J. Fad
99. Everlasting Bass - Rodney O.
100. Get it Boy - Fresh Celeste & M4sers101. Dial-a-Freak - Uncle Jamm's Army
102. Throw the P. - Anquette
103. Esa Morena - DJ Laz
104. Rapp Will Never Die - MC Shy D
105. I Need You - B.V.S.M.P. feat. Stevie B.
106. The Bass That Ate Miami - Maggotron
107. The Miami Bass Machine - Bassadelic
108. Mentirosa - Mellow Man Ace
109. Bass Overdrive - B.O.S.E.
110. He is DJ Crash - Gigolo Tony
111. Roll It Up - Success N Effect
112. Pump That Bass - Original Concept
113. Janet Reno - Anquette
114. Ride - Sir Mix-A-Lot
115. Bass Generator - Dynamix II
116. (Push It) Grab It - L'Trimm
117. Make It Mellow - Missy Mist
118. Is It Love? - JJ Fad
119. Way Out - JJ Fad
120. Space Jam - Quad City DJs
121. Cutie Pie - L'Trimm
122. Crank It - MC ADE
123. Lookout - MC ADE
124. 808 Volt Megamix - DJ Battery Brain
125. Slice It Up - Kool Rock Jay & DJ Slice
126. B Girls - Young & Restless with Eric G.
127. Tha Hop - Kinsu
128. Drop Them Chones (No Senor) - Jonny Z
129. True Players - A-Town Players
130. Summertime Summertime - Corina
131. Saddle You Up (Bass mix) - Strawberri
132. Mamacita - Jonny Z
133. Journey Into Bass - DJ Laz
134. Artificial Intelligence - Industrial Bass Machine
135. Lizard Lizard - No Good-N-Jiggie feat. Luke
136. When We Kiss - Bardeux
137. Cameltoe - Fannypack
138. Drop Don't Stop - MC ADE
139. Feel the Bass - DJ Magic Mike
140. Stump and Grind - alf Pint, Clay D, and DJ Magic Mike
141. Don't Fess - Shaquan
142. U Like Pina Colada - Da Real One
143. Must Be the Booty (Mr. Mixx mix) - Dirty Dawgs
144. Weekendz (Freekendz) - Don Cisco
145. Feelin' Horny - Sex Kraz'd Superstars
146. Ding-a-Ling (Mr. Mixx mix) - Hi-Town DJs
147. La Rasa - Dino Latino
148. Fire Up This Funk - Poison Clan
149. Booty Shake - The Gucci Crew II
150. Take it to the Max - Tricky D
151. Il Na Na - 12 Gauge
152. Let Them Hos Fight - Disco Rick and Silence
153. Shake Them Titties - The Get Funky Crew
154. C'mon Babe - 2 Live Crew
155. You Go Girl - 2 Live Crew
156. Rippin' - Sir Mix-A-Lot and Kid Sensation
157. Down Low - Freak Nasty
158. So Def, So Fresh, So Stupid - The Gucci Crew II
159. Miami - Steven Jay Grey & Mr. Mixx
160. Bass it Baby - The Third Degree
161. Let Me C-Ya Work it - Splack Pack
162. Dunkey Kong - Kilo Ali
163. Everlasting Bass - Rodney O-Joe Cooley
164. Moments in Bass - DJ Laz
165. Hola Mami - DJ Laz and Danny D
166. Malice - DJ Smurf and PMHI
167. Hump All Night - DJ Laz and Danny D.
168. Tip 4 the Strip - Splack Pack
169. Do You Hear What I Hear? - Kilo Ali
170. Baby Baby - Kilo Ali
171. Heiny Heiny - 95 South
172. America Has a Problem - Kilo Ali
173. Stump and Grind - Half Pint, Clay D, and DJ Magic Mike
174. La Bamba - Jonny Z feat. DJ Laz
175. Hold Up, Wait a Minute - DJ Smurf
176. Big Butt - Bobby Jimmy and The Critters
177. Trible M Bass - Worse 'Em
178. Saddle You Up (Bass mix) - Strawberri
179. Back at One (Cibola mix) - Brian McKnight
180. Wherever You Go (Bass mix) - Voices of Theory
181. Say It (Bass mix) - Voices of Theory
182. Big Ol' Booty - Freaky J
183. Say It (Bass mix) - Kai
184. I Like It - Sammie
185. Freak Me (Let Me Lick You Up and Down) - Booty Girls
186. T-Shirt and Pannies - Booty Girls
187. Shake Your Body - Beat Dominator
188. Muevelo (Move It) - Brissa
189. Transbeat - DJ EFX
190. True To the Game - MC Shy D
191. Gimme What I Want - Lathun and Katrina
192. Six Eight - Katrina
193. Let It Go - Butter
194. What It Is? - Virgo
195. Gitty Up - Salt N Pepa
196. Lizard-Lizard-No Good - N-Jiggie feat. Luke
197. Ooh Big Momma - Lil' Jon and The Eastside Boyz
198. Ay Papi (Slammin' Sama mix) - The 2 Live Crew
199. Callin' - Will You Players Ever Learn? (Booty mix)-Amar
200. Wet-N-Wild (DJ Laz Booty Bounce mix) - 95 South

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Industrial Bass Machine - A Taste Of Armageddon

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Label: Joey Boy Records Catalog#: JB3047 Format: CD, Album Country: US Released: 1998 Genre: Electronic Style: Breaks, Electro Credits: Producer, Written-By - Phil Klein , Scott Weiser Artwork: Hajji of Urban Dwellers

 

Tracklisting:

1		Prepare Of Invasion (1:14)
2		Invisible Force (4:34)
3		Bonus Beats (1:08)
4		Industrial Bass Machine (6:31)
5		Robot Stampede (5:10)
6		Devastate The Planet (5:53)
7		Enter The Matrix (5:20)
8		Matrix Ver 2.0 (1:45)
9		Artificial Intelligence 1991 (3:02)
10		The Voice Of World Control (5:52)
11		More Control (2:42)
12		Sine Waves (1:38)

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Afrika Bambaataa Presents Khayan* - Feel The Vibe

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Label: DFC Catalog#: DFC 0231D Format: CD, Maxi-Single Country: Italy Released: 1994 Genre: Electronic Style: Tribal, Euro House Credits: Producer, Arranged By, Performer - De Point Production* Recorded By, Mixed By - Zafret* Written-By - A. Bambaataa* , C. Kowatsch , D. Sion* , F. Zafret* , N. Dyer* , S. Portaluri* Hajji of Urban Dwellers Notes: Accurate cat#: DFC231D Recrded and mixed at "Palace Recording Studios", Udine - Italy C & P Expanded Music Srl

 

Tracklisting:

1		Feel The Vibe (Coco Pot Radio Edit) (4:00)
2		Feel The Vibe (Radio Vibe Mix) (3:50)
3		Feel The Vibe (Vibe Mix) (4:25)
4		Feel The Vibe (Coco Pot Club Mix) (6:00)
5		Feel The Vibe (Extended Club Mix) (6:00)
6		Feel The Vibe (Vibe Instrumental Mix) (4:26)

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Time Zone - Thy Will "B" Funk

Label: Planet Rock Music Catalog#: PR1 Format: Vinyl, LP Country: US Released: 1992 Genre: Hip Hop Style: Credits: Producer - Afrika Bambaataa (tracks: A1 to A3, A5 to B2, B5) , DJ Fashion (tracks: A1 to A3, A5 to B3, B5) , Easy L.G. (tracks: A4, B3, B4) Artwork: Hajji of Urban Dwellers

Tracklisting:

A1		The 40oz Crew (The Drunk Mix) (6:04)
A2		The 40oz Crew (Inst. Mix) (4:24)
A3		Watch Me Now (4:10)
A4		Can You Flow (4:20)
A5		Can You Comprehend (4:00)
A6		Zulu Shout (Part 1) (3:15)
B1		Very Special (Radio Mix) (3:48)
B2		Very Special (Inst. Mix) (3:48)
B3		Zulu War Chant (4:06)
B4		In A Minute (5:55)
B5		The Zulu Shout (Part 2) (3:10)

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Time Zone - Throw Ya Funky Hands Up

Label: Profile Records Ltd. (UK) Catalog#: PROFT 442 Format: Vinyl, 12" Country: UK Released: 1995 Genre: Hip Hop Style: Credits: Producer - Afrika Bambaataa Notes: Rating: No votes yet. Rate It Submitted by: fugjostle

Tracklisting:

A1		Throw Ya Funky Hands Up (Radio Version) (4:38)
A2		Throw Ya Funky Hands Up (Instrumental Version) (3:36)
A3		Down With Da Nation (Radio Version) (5:14)
		Rap [Featuring] - Master Freeze
B1		Throw Ya Fuckin' Hands Up (Album Mix) (4:38)
B2		Throw Ya Fuckin' Hands Up (Instrumental Album Mix) (3:35)

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Time Zone - Warlocks And Witches, Computer Chips, Microchips And You

Label: Profile Records Catalog#: PRO-1464-1 Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP Country: US Released: 1996 Genre: Hip Hop Style: Go-Go, Gangsta, Conscious Credits: Producer - Afrika Bambaataa Artwork: Hajji of Urban Dwellers

Tracklisting:

A1		Zulu Interlude #1 (0:15)
A2		This Is Time Zone (1:33)
		Featuring - Sunstar The Funky Alien
A3		Funky Beeper (2:26)
A4		Unity Part 7 (The Rapmania Live Mix) (5:00)
A5		Mazuma (2:04)
		Vocals - Funky African
A6		Throw Ya Fuckin' Hands Up (4:35)
		Featuring - Queen Asia , Sunstar The Funky Alien , Zulu Nation
A7		One Time 4 Ya Mind (2:56)
		Featuring - Arthur 4X
B1		Godfather (Take You Higher) (4:42)
		Vocals - Petawane
B2		Zulu Interlude #2 (0:12)
B3		Fugitive (4:53)
		Featuring - Arthur 4X , D'Amazin' , Queen Asia
B4		Keepin' It Real (4:46)
		Featuring - D'Amazin' , X (8)
C1		Funkadelic Shack (4:37)
C2		Turn This Mutha Out - Part 1 (4:25)
C3		Zulu Interlude #3 (0:10)
C4		(It's Alright Now) Think I'll Make It Anyhow (3:46)
		Featuring - Arthur 4X
C5		Ugly Gals (2:53)
		Featuring - D'Amazin'
D1		D.C. Nation (3:47)
		Featuring - X (8)
D2		One Love (Work That Sucker) (9:38)
		Featuring - X (8)
D3		Lyin' People (4:43)
D4		Zulu Interlude #4 (0:21)
D5		Warlocks And Witches, Computer Chips, Microchips And You (5:09)

 

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We buy old school JAM PONY TAPE

A Block Of Speakers

Each year on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, every DJ in Miami brings his and her soundsystem to Liberty City, a neighborhood on the northwestern edge of town, to battle for supremacy. Known as the MLK Day Parade, it has less to do with marching for the man of honor than celebrating music and culture and generally creating the biggest block party in America that no one has ever heard of. Walshy Killa from the Black Chiney Soundsystem (who happen to be in our new issue) was kind enough to be our guide, and even though the police tried to rain on it, the parade undoubtedly went off. After the jump, read Walshy's running commentary to Oscar Hidalgo's mindblowingly awesome photographs.



How do you win a block party sound clash? The old way would be to buy out every speaker you can get in South Florida, get a few generators and drown your opponents out. Their DJ'ing skills won't matter if no one can hear them. But the jig is up on that, cuz now everyone is bringing out 40 to 60 speakers a sound.



Ghetto rules state that all sounds are given five songs to at least test out the sound and get it sounding right. After that, it's anything goes. While one DJ is playing, if he does not "pull the crowd," other DJs will begin to play creative diss loops such as a baby crying or the chant of "Defense! Defense!" Which totally throws the other DJs off who are usually oblivious to how bad they're doing. If he won't stop, opposing DJs just play music right over him. It sounds like horses running down stairs.





Now that you've gotten the low-quality sounds to pack up and the no skill DJs to go home, the best of the best are left on the block as the sun goes down. Now it's time for the DJs to give their home studio production some shine. Sound systems like Crunch Style Express, Vicious Funk, Triple M, Boogie Trick, Sugar Hill, Jam Pony Express and a hundred others have been doing this year after year after year. But one sound remains the ruling king...the Pure Funk Express DJ's.



Boasting to bring out 108 speaker cabinets every year, they have dominated Miami's underground scene. They have the most popular pirate radio station, and with DJ's like Todo, Bo the Lover, and Lil' Black, they have the home studio booty shake Miami bass scene on smash. They have songs that are so popular that competing DJ's play them as regular songs in regular rotation, or even against them. Everyone knows once you see the red and gold speaker boxes come out the Uhaul truck, that's where the crowd will be. And in this crowd are hundreds of dance crews.





Airbrushed Dickies with crew names on the back and full army gear with war face paint are both signs that you've entered Third World Miami's MLK battling dance crews.







They, like the DJs, have waited all year to get this shine. Hours of practice for a moment's glory. Concrete stage and street spot lights. Every song that comes on breaks the crowd into a synchronized dancing frenzy.



Pockets of crews move there arms and legs a million miles an hour as onlookers cheer on the craziest ones.



Usually, at the end of the day when the dust from all the street-illegal dirtbikes, fried conch, and blown amps has settled, one DJ is left playing. But this year the police were not having it. They were asking for permits and telling DJs they couldn't even unload speakers. Every time the police weren't looking, someone would pull them out, but it never lasted long. This MLK parade saw about two hours of DJs DJ'ing, total. So no clear winners this year, but the stage will be set again this same Monday next year!

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Rainysongs Entertainment is proud to announce the addition of Industry
heavyweight Mr. Brian Lassiter. Brian brings a wealth of expiereance, knoweldge
and resources to the table with a track record as impressives as Dr. Dre or
Jermaine Dupri. industry veteran that has has over 14 years of broadcasting
experience working at WSB-TV, WPBA-TV and WHUR-FM. Also, Brian has
written for the Source magazine, Murder Dog, the Illtip, Street Buzz, the Hip-Hop
Encounter, as well as doing media work for several artists.

Brian has been involved in the Atlanta music scene since the mid-1980's, releasing
rap singles, distributing & promoting some of the ATL's first generation of rap
artists (Triple Crush, Kid Finesse & DJ Fonzo, NRG, D-Rock & Swift C, Triplex,
USA Breakers, ADW, Hard Knocks, MC Shy D, Hitman Sammy Sam).

He did Southeast promotions for Tuff City Records--Spoonie G, 45 King, Lakim
Shabazz, Grandmaster Caz-AWOL Records-C-Bo, Marvellous, Pizzo,
Lunasic--TVT Records-Mic Geronimo, Kinsui, Wildlife Society, Royal Flush,
Bounty Killer-Creators Way-Twista, Legendary Trackster, Do or Die-as well as
Soundmaster T, Pastor Troy, DJ Jelly, Big Oomp Records, Jam Pony Express
DJ's, DJ Tat Money, DJ Screw, Crooked Lettaz, Ziggy Marley, the real DSGB,
Ghetto Mafia, SMK, Young Jeezy and many more.

He now spends most of his time working with new start-ups; setting up distribution,
retail promotions and doing consulting work. He appeared in the November 2005
issue of Black Enterprise magazine, 'Dream Business: Starting a Record Label'.
Brian is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC.

Brian will be responsible for national radio promotion and marketing for artists
signed exclusively to Rainysongs Entertainment.
Rainysongs Entertainment is proud that Brian is onboard with us, another "Green
Beret" specialist to join the Rainysongs team.


He now spends most of his time working with new start-ups; setting up distribution,
retail promotions and doing consulting work. He appeared in the November 2005
issue of Black Enterprise magazine, 'Dream Business: Starting a Record Label'.
Brian is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC.

Brian will be responsible for national radio promotion and marketing for artists
signed exclusively to Rainysongs Entertainment.
Rainysongs Entertainment is proud that Brian is onboard with us, another "Green
Beret" specialist to join the Rainysongs team.

---

HISTORY OF BASS BASS HISTORY_________ Miami Gets Put On the Musical Map In the late 1940's, music industry entrepreneur Henry Stone set up shop in South Florida, where he founded a recording studio, two music publishing companies, a number of assorted record labels in the region, and one of the most powerful distribution companies in the world. This was the genesis of Miami's contribution to the industry of Black music, as there were no others to do this before him in this region. Early on, most of the recordings he dealt with were Doo-Wop, R&B, and Blues, but as the 60's dawned, there became a notable Florida Soul sound within his camp, due to his ever-growing entourage that included teen-idol turned label mogul Steve Alaimo, and Soul singer/songwriter Clarence Reid. During the 70's, a strong Bahamian influence found its way into many of his artists' work, and the Junkanoo-Soul hybrid that came to be founded one of the cornerstones of the pre-electronic Disco sound; a sound Stone's TK Records is credited with helping form. Due to Stone's success and Criteria Studios becoming a mecca for the major labels to record from, Miami became one of the music capitals of the world. After TK grew to astonishing heights with the triumph of KC & The Sunshine Band, the end of the Disco era would fragment Stone's empire, and the shards that continued would have to individually rebuild into new, separate entities. The new industry cogs scurried for new hit songs to recreate Miami's past chart success. This is the sole reason Miami Bass existed. The Birth of Electro and Miami's Response After the towering success of George Clinton's Sci-Fi themed work in the 70's, the adoption of German Kraut experimentalists "Kraftwerk" by the New York Hip-Hop DJ culture became a barometer of Black music's audience appetite for robotic themes. The early 80's saw this dominate Soul, Funk, Rap, and Dance music's palette, much with the aid of E-Mu's Emulator sampler and inexpensive drum machines. South Florida was no exception, as area producers such as Pretty Tony, DXJ, Larry Dermer, Freddy Stonewall, Michael Sterling, Eugene Cooper, Noel Williams, and Dwayne Omarr joined the movement now termed Electro. Many of these producers created backing tracks for Clarence Reid's X-Rated alias, "Blowfly", who also was reborn an Electro artist -- although purely for comedic value. Blowfly would be cited as inspiration for the later exploits of 2 Live Crew, and their imitators. Proto-Bass: Sustaining the 808 If Arthur Baker is credited with introducing Roland's TR-808 drum machine to the Hip-Hop lexicon via "Planet Rock" in 1982, then it must be noted that it was the NY team of DJ Jazzy Jay and Rick Rubin who first sustained the 808's kick drum on T La Rock's" 1983 Def Jam debut "It's Yours". Though the song made little impact that year, it became a template for bottom heavy rap songs after Arthur Baker re released it in 1984 on his "Streetwise/Partytime" label. As Rick Rubin would go on to reuse his successful formula with Run DMC, LL Cool J, and The Beastie Boys, other producers cashed in on this model in the mid-80's. Most notably were Miami producer Amos Larkin III, New York based Mantronix, and an unknown West Coast rap group named 2 Live Crew. The music that these artists produced in the year spanning 1984 and 1985 formed a new sound for Black music fans in the South and on the West Coast: Bass. The 1st Wave: Cartoon Melodies and Ghetto-Style "Royal Sounds" was a record Store within the Lauderhill Mall in Ft. Lauderdale Florida owned by Billy Hines, and his son Adrian was his ear to the ground and occasional in-store DJ. Out of this store, Billy began the 4-Sight Record label in 1984. Enlisting Frank Cornelius (member of the "Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose" family) as the in house producer, 4-Sight released Electro and Rap records for assorted regional acts, mostly built on the 808 drum machine and the Emulator II keyboard sampler. Adrian knew that the newest generation of Black Music fans wanted Bass, so with that knowledge passed on to his father, Billy granted Adrian a present for his 16th Birthday; studio time allowing him to spearhead a song with lyrics about the bass itself. Enlisting Amos Larkin under the pseudonym "Leon Greene", the two created the monumental song "Bass Rock Express" in 1985 under Adrian's artist name, M.C. A.D.E. (Adrian Does Everything). Though this song was based on the same Electro pastiche of Kraftwerk's "Trans Europe Express" used in "Planet Rock", other South Florida and West Coast artists continued to take the lead of Rick Rubin's mid-tempo rap blueprint, but now began rapping about the bass itself - something none of the Rick Rubin produced artists did -- making Bass a genre claimed by the Southern and West Coast artists exclusively. Despite the relocating of 2 Live Crew from California to Miami by Floridian record promoter calling himself "Luke Skywalker", some of the remaining West Coast rap artists joined in immediately. As Egyptian Lover's Electro label "Egyptian Empire" hosted the rapper Rodney O's transformation from an up-tempo Electro artist to a mid-tempo Bass rapper, he became one of the 1st in a handful to create a song about Bass in 1986 with "Everlasting Bass". As groups transitioned from the early days of Miami's Electro and Rap scene to the official moniker of Bass, a surprise influence came from leftfield. Tyrone Brunson's 1982 hit "The Smurf" lingered in the air when Doug E. Fresh's 1985 song "The Show" made use of the theme from "Inspector Gadget", and now Bass groups wanted in on this formula of rap music +cartoon melodies. Between 1985 and 1988, a large majority of Bass songs were founded on a cartoon melody or theme song of any given kitschy television show, making the genre a bit of a novelty in the eyes of more serious rappers form the Northeast, despite much of its own region partaking in the same actions. While these melodies were the driving forces behind many Bass records, Luke Campbell (who now altered the spelling of his pseudonym to "Luke Skyywalker") coached 2 Live Crew to become an X-Rated rap group, which differed greatly from the West Coast era of the act. If the misogynous lyrics were one factor in the group's initial success, the other was simply by focusing more on raw 808 beats, and picking up the tempo of Bass songs to match its Electro parent genre, making the songs much more danceable than its mid-tempo counterparts. These techniques created a branch of Bass their label's roster dubbed "Ghetto Style". Many would eventually imitate their formula for the genre to both gain an identity and a stigma, but more importantly, bridge the genre into its next wave. The 2nd Wave: DJ Wars, Latin Bass, and the Introduction of "Booty" As the well of cartoon melodies ran dry, the genre could've easily found itself stalled altogether had it not been for the invention of E-mu's SP-1200 drum machine style sampler, and the foresight of DJ Magic Mike. Much like Kooley C and KJ did with their 1986 classic "Let's Get This Party Started", Mike found himself in 1987 mimicking the production of 2 Live Crew's Mr. Mixx when producing the song "Creep Dog" for MC Cool Rock & MC Chaszey Chess. Along with Beatmaster Clay D, Mike continued to aid in the production for the rappers' soon to be released album that featured the tune "Boot the Booty", which was quite possibly the first in a trend that would eventually sweep the genre; rap songs to place the female posterior on a pedestal. Aside from aiding Clay D's efforts, Mike moonlighted with Edward Meriwether's "Suntown Records" to build a name for himself. He took his 1986 demo version of "Drop the Bass" to Suntown when he met Rod Whitehead of the group "Prime Time", and the two men began production on a track entitled "Give it All You Got (Doggy Style)". After Meriwether gave Mike his contract to review, Mike turned his back on the label and "Give It All you Got" due to the stipulations within. As the future of Rod and Mike lied uncertain with Suntown records, the song was given to the group "Afro-Rican" for completion. With a touch of reworking, "Give it All you Got" immediately become one of the genre's highlights, and Afro-Rican's signature song. DJ Magic Mike would continue as Beatmaster Clay D's DJ and co-producer through the middle of 1988, but when Mike took inventory of the fact that he never received credit for the bulk of his work, he returned to his hometown of Orlando and landed a deal with the virtually unknown "Cheetah Records" to be a front man as a DJ/Producer. During this era, Mike would find a great amount of competition in quality, but not much competition in terms of sales. Magic Mike and 2 Live Crew proved to be a select bunch to represent the genre on a nationwide scale, but Mike's true competition between 1989 and 1992 in terms of quality and style would be in groups such as "Boys from the Bottom" and the label "Cut It Up Def". Whereas many producers of the early 80's utilized a sample of scratching from the Emulator to represent a DJ, these artists and others during this wave brought real DJ's to the studio (or were real DJ's as artists) possibly inspired to "keep it real" by the example set by the Rick Rubin produced groups. The 2nd Wave of Bass saw scratching heightened to an immeasurable art form, preceding the popularized "turntablism" in today's underground Hip-Hop scene. Another development of this era was a sound dubbed "Latin Bass"; the combining of Salsa music samples over Bass beats. The 1991 debut album of Power 96 radio personality "DJ Laz" was the beginning of this concept, and it has continued to infuse itself into the genre ever since. As the Miami Bass sound continued to evolve into its own, New York area producers abandoned the 808 based sound that inspired it, and a territorial war began. This directed the powers that be within the media to ignore the Miami Bass sub-genre altogether, and Hip-Hop artists and fans from the Northeast region would mock Miami's efforts for years to come. Electro Bass: Robots Don't Die All the while Bass grew into its own genre without ditching its roots in total. As MC A.D.E continued to make albums that only peppered its play lists with Vocoder driven Electro songs built on a solid foundation of Bass, Dynamix II and DXJ (including all of DXJ's aliases such as the seminous "Maggotron") would forge forward with the idea of Electro as the main fuel. Pretty Tony pumped out a few more releases under his primary alias, "Freestyle", but now grafted Bass onto his methods in the final years of his work. Joey Boy Records' in house producers known as "Rock Force" contributed to the sound as "Bass Patrol" in 1988 before the group's name was reallocated to another act within the label. Dynamix II alumni such as Lon Alonzo, Scott Weiser, and Phil "Bass Junkie" Klein produced enough material to carry the Electro-Bass sub-genre up to the present day. The fixed presence of Electro in Miami Bass proved to be an influence for all involved, no matter how much they necessarily drew from it directly. Car Audio Bass: The Science of Car Show Accessories Another development in 1991 occurred when a Bass artist named Techmaster P.E.B. signed to Tampa's "Newtown Records" and established success with his 2nd album. He single handedly invented a new sub-genre of Bass by removing all of the DJ and MC aspects from the music, and centering the focus on the Bass itself. Although artists such as Magic Mike had the occasional slow-tempo song centered on bass alone, the car show guys would skip through CD's and tapes to isolate the most bass heavy portions for the sake of showing off their car's audio system. Techmaster created a whole album for their needs. Initially, the album went gold without anyone imitating it, but as the 1990's continued, many artists were developing secondary aliases to release albums with this philosophy in mind. It would be safe to say that even the artists and fans of Car Audio Bass feel their branch of Bass sounds sterile as it elevated Bass frequencies to a science, standing in stark contrast to the Ghetto roots of Bass music. Eventually, Car Audio Bass and the development of "Booty Bass" would eclipse everything the genre had previously built, leaving behind the complex sample collages and competitive DJ'ing. The 3rd Wave: Full Fledged Booty Music Whereas the song "Boot the Booty" introduced the idea of a female's posterior being subject matter in 1987, it may be reasonable to say that only 1/3 of the genre's output revolved around it until the 90's, garnering the term "Booty Music" to define the 3rd Wave. The elements that characterize this sound began to rumble under the radar during what seemed to be the midst of the 2nd Wave's prime. Devastator was an artist whose song "Cold Blooded" failed to make much of an impression on Suntown Records in 1988, but he reemerged in the early 90's first performing background vocals, then as a producer producing Luke's solo hit "I Wanna Rock" in 1991. The song featured no rapping, scratching, nor car audio bass tricks, but rather just excessively fast moving dense beats combined with easy to recite, semi-explicit vocal chants. The following year, he combined his production skills and background vocal work while appropriating Big Ace's oral trademarks in Poison Clan's hit "Shake Watcha Mama Gave Ya". Big Ace was one of the founding members of a Ft. Lauderdale based DJ collective known as "Jam Pony Express", who was famous throughout the Southeast for their Hip-Hop mixtapes focusing greatly on Miami Bass and their overdubbed vocals. Whereas Jam Pony DJ Slick Vic improvised lyrics to rhyme with the original lyrics of any given song in the mix, Big Ace would improvise primal grunts, moans, and shrieks over artist's songs. Despite Big Ace's vocal work being well documented and received by the public, everyone from Devastator to 95 South to Crazy Leg's (not the same as the famed "Rock Steady Crew" member) chose to mimic it without giving credit to the sound's originator during the 3rd Wave. Another producer to lay the foundation of this sound was CC Orange, also known as CC Lemonhead. The native of Jacksonville Florida found very little success with his group "Chill Deal", but when retooled into 95 South, they hit big with their song "Whoot, There It Is". CC continued this sound with groups such as "69 Boyz", "Dis-N-Dat", and "Quad City DJ's", creating national hits such as "Tootsie Roll" and "Come on Ride the Train". This also would be the time when Bass artists from Georgia would no longer need to travel to Florida to get a record deal, but rather Atlanta and Augusta became highly notable cities in the Bass scene promoting their take on the sound independently at large. As the 90's evolved, tempos increased from 125 bpm to 140 bpm, and rappers further exaggerated their Southern dialects to help define this era, creating fuel for some, and an annoyance for others. Miami Bass Revival: Ravers, Hipsters, and Beyond Into the new millennium, Booty music seemed to have overstayed its welcome as releases dwindled, and car audio bass saturated the market to the point of no new sales. While this could've been seen as the death of Miami Bass, ultra-hip DJ's and the audience who previously snubbed the genre in whole began looking back with respect. Adding Miami Bass classics to their playlists, Bass became a notch in hipsters' belts, even in the Northeast region of the U.S where it was asphyxiated during its heyday. In 2003, the Brooklyn based group named "Fannypack" emerged with a decidedly Miami Bass sound, being reminiscent of bass girl-groups such as L'Trimm or J.J. Fad. As the Florida Rave circuit continued in the 90's, the new crop of producers behind the genre known as "Florida Breaks" began to cite Miami Bass as an inspiration, even incorporated some of its aspects in their songs and DJ mixes. Outside of the U.S., the Mo' Wax group "U.N.K.L.E." built their track "Celestial Annihilation" entirely on the beat of the 1986 Bass classic "Now Dance" by "Byron Davis & The Fresh Krew", and in England, Ed DMX produced a tribute to DXJ under his primary alias of DMX Krew in 1999 entitled "Back to the Bass" as well as a cover version of Dynamix's "Just Give the DJ a Break" (albeit, as a lo-fi thrash metal tune). The trend even infiltrated the center of Hip-Hop as early Florida Electro tunes would be sampled and reinterpreted by groups such as "Black Eye Peas", "Prince Paul", and "Busta Rhymes". In 2000, the first official Miami bass History Yahoo group appeared online to acutely document the fine details of the genre, and a book by the founder is said to be on the way. More recently, Miami Bass newsgroups have turned up in both Brazil and Germany, two countries quickly becoming recognized for their appetite of collecting classic Miami Bass records.

150 MIAMI BASS SONGS 1. Throw the D. - 2 Live Crew 2. Supersonic - J.J. Fad 3. The Cars with the Boom - L'Trimm 4. Bass Rock Express - MC ADE 5. We Want Some Pussy - 2 Live Crew 6. Just Give the DJ a Break - Dynamix II 7. Give It All You Got - Afro Rican 8. Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-A-Lot 9. Whoomp! There It Is - Tag Team/Whoot! There It Is-95 South 10. Tootsee Roll - 69 Boyz 11. Me So Horny - 2 Live Crew 12. Sally (That Girl) - Gucci Crew II 13. Shake It - MC Shy D 14. Boot the Booty - MC Cool Rock & Chaszey Chess 15. Creep Dog - MC Cool Rock, Chaszey Chess, Clay D., and DJ Magic Mike 16. Drop the Bass - DJ Magic Mike and MC Toney B. 17. Dial-a-Freak - Uncle Jamm's Army 18. Revelation - 2 Live Crew 19. What I Like - 2 Live Crew 20. Gotta Be Tough - MC Shy D 21. Techno Bass - Dynamix II 22. Boom! I Got Your Boyfriend - Danny D. & DJ Wiz / Boom! I Got Your Girlfriend - MC Luscious 23. Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya - Poison Clan and Devastator 24. C'mon N Ride It (The Train) - Quad City DJ's 25. Dazzey Dukes - Duice 26. Da Dip - Freak Nasty 27. Dunkie Butt (Please, Please, Please) - 12 Gauge 28. Shake That Ass Bitch - Splack Pack 29. Love You Down - INOJ 30. Kitty Kitty - 69 Boyz 31. My Boo - Ghost Town DJs 32. Swing My Way - KP & Envyi 33. Time After Time - INOJ 34. Throw the P. - Anquette 35. Welcome to the Planet of Bass - Maggotron 36. Red Alert - DJ Laz 37. Shake Shake (Shake Your Culo) - Jonny Z 38. Shake a Lil' Somethin' - 2 Live Crew 39. Jealous Fellas - JDC / Jealous Girls - Dimples T. 40. I Will Always Be There for You - Anquette feat. Janet Reno 41. My Baby's Daddy - B-Rock & the Bizz 42. Nasty Dancer (remix) - Kilo Ali 43. 2 Much Booty (In Da Pants) - Soundmaster T. 44. Lose My Money (Honey) - Prince Raheim and Crazy Legs 45. That's Right - DJ Taz feat. Raheem the Dream 46. Esa Morena - DJ Laz 47. Scarred - Luke Campbell 48. Scrub Da Ground - Splack Pack 49. Mix It Up - DJ Uncle Al 50. Just Let it Go - Afro-Rican 51. Rapp Will Never Die - MC Shy D 52. I Need You - B.V.S.M.P. feat. Stevie B. 53. Posse on Broadway - Sir Mix-A-Lot 54. Ooh Lawd (Party People) - DJ Smurf and PMHI 55. Freak It - Lathun feat. Da Brat 56. Show Me Love - Kilo Ali 57. Butta (Miami Bass mix) - Pamp & Da Knox 58. Shake (Miami Bass mix) - Pamp & Da Knox 59. Whatz Up Whatz Up - Playa Poncho and L.A. Sno 60. As We Lay - Dana Harris 61. Ride Out - DJ Trans 62. Rodeo - 95 South 63. Lap Danz - Top Secret 64. Party - Dis N Dat 65. The Cabbage Patch - The Gucci Crew II 66. The Bass That Ate Miami - Maggotron 67. The Miami Bass Machine - Bassadelic 68. Wiggle Wiggle - Disco Rick 69. Mentirosa - Mellow Man Ace 70. Pop That Thang - DJ Smurf feat. Kizzy Rock 71. Bass Overdrive - B.O.S.E. 72. Now Dance - Byron Davis & The Fresh Krew 73. He is DJ Crash - Gigolo Tony 74. Roll It Up - Success N Effect 75. Everlasting Bass - Rodney O & Joe Cooley 76. Pump That Bass - Original Concept 77. Raise the Roof - Luke feat. No Good But So Good 78. Miami El Negro - DJ Laz and Danny D. 79. I Wanna Rock - Luke 80. Shake It, Do the 61st - Anquette 81. Janet Reno - Anquette 82. DJ Magic Mike Cutz the Record - DJ Magic Mike 83. Ride - Sir Mix-A-Lot 84. Square Dance Rap - Sir Mix-A-Lot 85. Ghetto Jump - Krush 2 86. Ignition - Dynamix II 87. Bass Generator - Dynamix II 88. (Push It) Grab It - L'Trimm 89. Make It Mellow - Missy Mist 90. Is It Love? - JJ Fad 91. Way Out - JJ Fad 92. Space Jam - Quad City DJs 93. Cutie Pie - L'Trimm 94. Ghetto Bass - 2 Live Crew 95. Crank It - MC ADE 96. Lookout - MC ADE 97. 808 Volt Megamix - DJ Battery Brain 98. Slice It Up - Kool Rock Jay & DJ Slice 99. Smurf Rock - Gigolo Tony, Cutmaster Crash, and Fat Rome 100. B Girls - Young & Restless with Eric G. 101. Tha Hop - Kinsu 102. Move Somethin' - 2 Live Crew 103. Drop Them Chones (No Senor) - Jonny Z 104. Girls (Southside mix) - DJ Smurf feat. DJ Taz, DJ Kizzy Rock, and June Dog 105. Get it Boy - M4sers 106. Worse 'Em - Triple M Bass 107. True Players - A-Town Players 108. Summertime Summertime - Corina 109. Woof Woof - 69 Boyz 110. Esta Locha (Part Bass mix) - To Kool Chris 111. Saddle You Up (Bass mix) - Strawberri 112. Mamacita - Jonny Z 113. Journey Into Bass - DJ Laz 114. When Will I See You Smile Again? - Ricky Bell 115. Artificial Intelligence - Industrial Bass Machine 116. Lizard Lizard - No Good-N-Jiggie feat. Luke 117. When We Kiss - Bardeux 118. Cameltoe - Fannypack 119. Drop Don't Stop - MC ADE 120. Feel the Bass - DJ Magic Mike 121. Stump and Grind - alf Pint, Clay D, and DJ Magic Mike 122. Don't Fess - Shaquan 123. Chickenhead - MC Zeus 124. U Like Pina Colada - Da Real One 125. Must Be the Booty (Mr. Mixx mix) - Dirty Dawgs 126. Weekendz (Freekendz) - Don Cisco 127. Feelin' Horny - Sex Kraz'd Superstars 128. Bad Bass Music - Bass Cube 129. Ding-a-Ling (Mr. Mixx mix) - Hi-Town DJs 130. La Rasa - Dino Latino 131. Fire Up This Funk - Poison Clan 132. Booty Shake - The Gucci Crew II 133. Take it to the Max - Tricky D 134. Il Na Na - 12 Gauge 135. Shake the Joint - Breezy Beat MC 136. Let Them Hos Fight - Disco Rick and Silence 137. Shake Them Titties - The Get Funky Crew 138. C'mon Babe - 2 Live Crew 139. You Go Girl - 2 Live Crew 140. Rippin' - Sir Mix-A-Lot and Kid Sensation 141. Down Low - Freak Nasty 142. So Def, So Fresh, So Stupid - The Gucci Crew II 143. Miami - Steven Jay Grey & Mr. Mixx 144. Bass it Baby - The Third Degree 145. Let's Get This Party Started - DJ KJ 146. Throwdown - Gregory D 147. FlooR.I.D.A. (Dynamix II mix) - Rabbit in the Moon 148. Super Bass - SMOKEY DEE 149. Don't Knock It - Master "Mixin" Mando and Stigma 150. Hold Up, Wait a Minute - DJ Smurf

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"Miami home to an ocean of thugs, pawn shops, strip clubs and lowered cars that make the ground shake. A place so hot it can make your head fry, and just when you thought you had the Metatronix sound all figured out -- in steps Diamond Ice. The eerie bass-heavy soundscape he provides is that of a Miami Vice episode handed over to Timbaland, Magic Mike, and Supersoul. His funk is simple yet futuristic and straight to the point. Though new to the world, Diamond Ice goes way back into the Miami urban underground music scene. Ice having lived for 2 years at the infamous 90.9 FM THA BOMB, one of the pioneering pirate radio stations in Miami, is where he met and became friends with Miami Bass legends such as, Ghetto Style DJs, Uncle Al and Jam Pony Express and that's also where he first met Supersoul. These instrumentals are an ode to bass, the monster stereo systems and the cars that push them. Ice serves tracks designed for cruising, profiling and testing your sound system. Born and raised in the ghettos of Miami Dade County, this is truly experimental ghetto music, no tight long sleeve turtle necks, lap tops and Martinis. More like wife-beaters, $50 second hand drum machines and quarts of left over, back-washed Old English from the night before. Diamond Ice is the real thing like the diamond in his tooth."

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The year was 1981, and the streets of Ft. Lauderdale were like any streets in a predominantly black lower-middle class area. Crack cocaine was introduced, gangs and crews fought for territory, and this new “hip-hop” phenomenon filled the air. Yep, Royal Palm was like any other ‘hood. But you know the saying; there’s always that “diamond in the rough,” that “chosen one” who had enough talent to make it out, offer hope, and represent the block. In this case, it was two friends who found their outlet through music, moving the crowd with two turntables and a mic. This is the story of underground legends who carved their signature in Florida’s music culture: Jam Pony Express.

“We were just having fun,” DJ Slic Vic reminisces, grinning from ear to ear. “M.B. had equipment, and I had equipment. We battled each other, and the next day we was borring records.” But borrowing those records led to rocking backyard parties. After finding the right chemistry, Victor Austin and Marc Brown started DJing together. People around the way started to call them the Pony Express DJs because they would pull up to a party driving the Pony Express delivery truck. “Marc’s pops use to work for Pony Express, a mail carrier company way before UPS. I didn’t like being called Pony Express but it just stayed with us,” Slic Vic remembers. Shortly after, Pony Express became Jam Pony Express. Victor Austin turned into DJ Slic Vic and Marc became Mr. M.B.

After a few backyard parties DJ Slic Vic and M.B. decided to battle the popular CM Express DJs, which stood for the Cash Money DJs. “We didn’t win, but we got exposure and folks started to recognize us,” DJ Slic Vic explains. They had made a name for themselves, and people began to notice their unique DJing technique. “We were the first to regulate a record,” says DJ Slic Vic. “Regulating” a record was unheard of during that time. When you “regulate” a record, you cut the record down to change the lyrics of the song; then you say something and have the record answer you back. It was this call-and-response technique that had the crowd going crazy (and can still be heard all throughout hip-hop today). After the battle, the parties came by the dozens. Everybody wanted the Jam Pony DJs to rock their parties. People looked forward to the weekends because Jam Pony would set up outside at Sunland Park, Oswel Park or 6th Street (better known as the Ugly Corner) and play the sounds of MC ADE, Beat Master Clay D, Afro-Rican, and Jiggalo Tony. “It was all hip-hop to us back then: bass music, break beats, and funk,” Slic Vic remembers.

By this time, Jam Pony had added members like Spider D, Diamond Dick, Big Ace (R.I.P.), Zeke “the Panty Raider” Freak, Sporty J, Amazing Hot Rod, and Sporty Shawty. It wasn’t until member and party rocker Loc Cool Jock joined that Jam Pony Express took their tapes to the flea markets. Nasty Jeff and Loc approached a man who owned a car and rim shop, who agreed to sell the tapes as long as they’d plug the shop. The tapes sold out of the store on the first day. From there, Jam Pony began taking tapes to different flea markets, or “flirt markets,” as they liked to call them. Jam Pony tapes began flying off the shelves at 79th Street, Opa-Locka, 183rd St, and USA One. “They couldn’t keep a Jam Pony tape in there,” DJ Slic Vic laughs, referring to the Oakland Park flea market in Ft. Lauderdale that sold the first Jam Pony tape.

People simply had to have their Jam Pony tapes. They were addictive, and people became fiends. Sales became so ridiculous that Slic Vic’s father built a door directly to his son’s bedroom. “Every time the phone rang, it was for me,” says Slic Vic. “Every time they answered the door, it was for me. My mom told me that as soon as I was old enough, I’d have to leave!” At 18, he moved to the Parkway section of Ft. Lauderdale. He produced ten tapes a day: specialty tapes, custom-made tapes, and regular mixes, selling them for $10 to $25 each. He made a killing in the early 80’s. “I was making about $500 a week just in Ft. Lauderdale, and $1000 every other week in Miami!” The tapes quickly spread throughout Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, and even as far as Germany thanks to friends in the military.

But what made these tapes so hot? Why did everybody need a Jam Pony tape? It was NEW! They’d created a new style of DJing by regulating the records so precisely, with style and finesse. Jam Pony made DJs become entertainers, and the crowd wanted to be entertained. For example:

Children’s Story by Slick Rick Regulated by Slic Vic of Jam Pony Express DJs:
Jam Pony bustin out (not long ago)
You aint up on the style then you must be (slow)
The laws were stern
Lauderdale where I (stood)
All on the mic and
I’m ridin it (good)
There lived a little boy (Don’t get mis-led)
Jam Pony in effect
This is what we (said)
Me and you (Vic) we gonna make some cash
Go to town with Jam Pony you betta (make that dash)

Jam Pony Express “had more flavors then Lifesavers,” Zeke Freak comments. DJ Slic Vic was the voice of the crew, always heard but never seen. Loc Cool Jock was the clown, always making the crowd laugh, and bodyguard Big Ace (R.I.P) was the hype man. Jam Pony became so entertaining that promoters would book them as an act. “Promoters wouldn’t know what to do with us. We had so much control of the crowd that people wanted to see us perform, but we weren’t rappers!” In the midst of this misconception, Jam Pony Express DJs dropped their first album, The Legend Continues, in [1995]. The LP was dropped on H-Ski's Tampa-based record label, Express Records, which was a subsidiary of Bass Style. Bass Style later evolved into 2-4-1 Entertainment in 2001. [In 2003], the label released Rated R’s album Ghetto Psychic last year through Universal, and is currently creating a buzz with the Evenin’ Ridahz. “It’s two DJs for the price of one: Jam Pony Express and Bass Style DJs,” plugs DJ Slic Vic.

You might have even heard of Jam Pony Express and didn’t know it. Just listen to the hooks of some popular Southern songs, and there’s a chance Jam Pony came up with it first. “To the window, to the wall!” Check out the vinyl label above, copyright 1995, long before Lil’ Jon and the Ying Yang Twins had everybody screaming “Skeet, skeet, skeet, gotdamn!” Or what about, “Hold up, wait a minute, let me put some bass up in it.” Jam Pony! “Feel the funk all in ya trunk.” Jam Pony! All those “Ooooo-kkkkk’s!” and super-crunk “Yeaaaaah!”s on record? Jam Pony! They’re so influential and underrated when it comes to Southern hip-hop, it’s ridiculous. They’ve been Florida’s best-kept secret for nearly two decades! urban dwellers

Origin unveils the Can't Stop Won't Stop clothing series!

 

 

 

Jam Pony Express Fansite unofficial website

JamPonyExpress.net