With the relatively positive response of the first one, I’ve decided to make these things a monthly series. Dvious and I have been fleshing out a bunch of ideas for each one as well, so keep it locked for a variety of these compilations. This particular mixtape is actually more special to me than the first jumpoff, because I actually decided to get behind the boards as well this go-round since I know a few heads were asking for that. Tracklist & link under the cut.

Part One
01 DviousMindZ Intro
02 Light My Fire by Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express
03 The Bitch In Yoo by Common
04 The World Is A Ghetto by Ahmad Jamal
05 The Sh-t Is Real (DJ Premier Remix) by Fat Joe
06 Meaningless by Café Jacques
07 We Fight/We Love f. Raphael Saadiq by Q-Tip
08 Time Is The Teacher by Dexter Wansel
09 Maybach Music 2 f. T-Pain, Lil Wayne & Kanye West by Rick Ross
10 My World Is Blue by The Dramatics
11 My World Is… by Blu & Exile
12 Fallin’ In Love by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
13 Best I Ever Had by Drake

Part Two
14 Patrick Chewing Intro
15 You Don’t Have To Change by Kool & The Gang
16 We Roll f. Jim Jones & Max B by Pete Rock
17 What’s Your Name by The Moments
18 You, Me Him & Her f. Memphis Bleek & Beanie Sigel by Jay-Z
19 Everybody’s Breakin’ Up by Billy Paul
20 Let’s Stay Together by Ludacris
21 I Remember I Made You Cry by The Headhunters
22 Drink Away The Pain (Situations) f. Q-Tip by Mobb Deep
23 Proud Of You by Johnny “Guitar” Watson
24 Bread & Butter f. Grand Puba & Sadat X by Beanie Sigel
25 Don’t Ask Me by Ramon Morris
26 You Came Up f. Noreaga by Big Punisher

Part 3: Spotlight Session (ESG’s “UFO”)
27 UFO by ESG
28 Pop Off by Joe Budden
29 Ain’t No Half-Steppin’ by Big Daddy Kane
30 914 f. Styles P & Sheek by Pete Rock
31 Party & Bullshit by Notorious B.I.G.

DOWNLOAD: Meka’s Soul Mix Massacre, Vol. 2 (Mixed By DJ DviousMindZ & DJ Patrick Chewing) (Mixtape)

If you’ve followed these for the past year and some change, you’d know that one of my loves is to find the original samples that were used in your favorite songs. What I’ve always wanted to do, however, was compose a proper mixtape of said songs altogether. Thankfully, I was able to find a person who was able to actually mix the songs, rather than me just throwing a bunch of MP3s into a zip file. This is the first of what I hope to be many end-of-the-month compilations. Mek Dot on the boards, DviousMindz on the cuts, Shake on the artwork (click for large version). Tracklist & link under the cut.

1: Start: Aquarius by Cal Tjader
2: Cool It Now by New Edition
3: Hollywood Hiatus (Cool It Now) by U-N-I
4: Playing Your Game Baby by Barry White
5: I Got Cha Opin (Remix) by Black Moon
6: Adventures In The Land Of Music by Dynasty
7: Luchini (A.K.A. This Is It) by Camp Lo
8: Deliverance by Space
9: Rock Co. Kane Flow ft MF Doom by De La Soul
10: Dancing Machine by Jackson 5
11: Move by Q-Tip
12: One Night Affair by The Sylvers
13: Lovin’ It ft Joe Scudda by Little Brother
14: Do Whatever Turns You On Pt 2 by The Propositions
15: Gold Watch by Lupe Fiasco
16: Mother Nature by Albert Jones
17: Be by Common
18: Go Back Home by Allen Toussaint
19: D’Evils by Jay-Z
20: Sexy Woman by Timmy Thomas
21: Truly Yours by Kool G Rap
22: The Eraser by Thom Yorke
23: Us Chasers by CRS (Child Rebel Soldiers)
24: Cry Together by The O’Jays
25: Who I Am by The Diplomats
26: End: Midnight Marauders by A Tribe Called Quest

DOWNLOAD: DJ DviousMindZ Presents – Meka’s Soul Mix Massacre, Vol. 1 (Mixtape) | Mediafire

Yesterday I had the opportunity to stop by the set for H.O.P.E.’s “Nightlife” video, where I got some behind the scenes footage, then was randomly tossed in the video for good measure. Ha! Shouts to Julien for letting me roll through, and check the video out for some familiar faces in the crowd as well. Also check down bottom for more footage courtesy of Drew as well.

DOWNLOAD: H.O.P.E. - Nightlife

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.793342&w=425&h=350&fv=]

And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

Sheba Baby, 1975

I had to kick off Women’s History Month with a flick featuring the most baadassss woman in blaxploitation, Miss Pam Grier.

After starring a series of violent racy films like Coffy and Foxy Brown, Pam Grier returned in this more toned down flick. Grier plays Chicago P.I. Sheba Shayne, who returns to her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky to save her father’s loan business from ruthless gangsters.

Quote of the movie: “I said roll down that window before I blast a hole in your head!” (At 0:50) I love it!

Pop Culture Factor: In Austin Power’s part three (Goldmember), Beyonce, starring as “Foxxy Cleopatra,” spoofed the scene where Pam unzipped her scuba suit, trying to seduce the man on the boat. (At 1:06)

And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

Fred Williamson was one of the major stars of Black action films in the 70s. He was trained as an architect but ended up playing professional football after graduating from Northwestern University. He played in the first Super Bowl for the Kansas City Chiefs.

His first role was Steve Bruce on the late 60s, early 70s sitcom, Julia, which starred Diahann Carroll. He played Carroll’s boyfriend and felt the role was too mild-mannered for him.

“It was a wonderful acting experience,” says Williamson in an interview for What it Is…What it Was, “But it didn’t satisfy me. It wasn’t the way that I perceived myself. I mean, here I am tall, dark, handsome, in shape. Why can’t I be an action hero? Why can’t I be the kind of hero that I saw and admired on screen?”

After his first movie, M*A*S*H, where he played the supporting role of Captain Oliver Harmon Jones, he decided to move forward with the character he envisioned. He formed his own production company, Po’Boy Productions and began selling his vision to Hollywood. The first movie he sold (to Paramount) was The Legend of Nigger Charley.

“[Hollywood] never had a Black cowboy before, not a really standup kind of cowboy: A guy who starts off as a slave, beats up his slave master, escapes from the plantation, goes West, and becomes a gunfighter. This is the kind of character that I perceived myself as playing in Hollywood.”

Williamson called the film “Nigger Charley” because it was controversial, which sells. Because of the incendiary word in the title, aliases included Black Charley and The Legend of Charley when it was talked about in the press.

Williamson went on to star in several cult Black action films including Black Caesar, Hell Up In Harlem, Three the Hard Way, Bucktown, and several more. He’s appeared in over 30 films (some of which he wrote, produced and directed) since he began acting, and is likened to his White counterparts, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson and Burt Reynolds.

Facts:
According to IMDB, Williamson turned down a role in I’m Gonna Git You Sucka because he didn’t want to parody the “Cool Action Hero,” an image which he helped to create.

The lead role in Black Caesar was originally offered to Sammy Davis Jr. who turned it down.

######
It seems there’s a slight resurgence in the Black male action hero, and rapper Common is poised to take the reigns. He has Smokin’ Aces and Wanted under his belt, but with his role in the forthcoming Terminator, he might solidify his status in Hollywood as the next Black action hero. I’d love to see some if Williamson’s flicks ie, Black Caesar, remade, starring Common.

Next up on the (2)Dope hot seat is one of Inglewood’s up & comers, Shawn Chrystopher. We talk about individuality and conformity, the city of champions and why the Staples Center > Great Western Forum [1]. Check it out.

[1] It’s the Forum all day, eh day for me though.

In a world of conformity, what do you think takes to stand out as an individual?

Every person on Earth is different, that’s a given, but for some reason, in music, artists tend to try their best to fit a mold and play things safe.  There is a very thin line between major success and major failure, and some people are just too scared to fail to try anything different.

I tell my friends all the time that there are many similarities between basketball and music; more specifically the Lakers.  If there is 1 second left on the clock, and the team is down by 1, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Kobe is going to be the one to shoot the shot.  If Kobe makes the shot at the buzzer, the entire city is on his side; everyone loves him.  However if Kobe misses it, everyone’s mad at him and wondering why he didn’t shoot a better looking shot.  Then there is Luke Walton. Whether Kobe makes or misses the shot at the buzzer, everyone still feels the exact same way about Luke.  Well many musicians want to play it safe and rather be Luke Walton and maintain the little notoriety that they’ve gained than to put themselves out there and be Kobe.

So, in order to be an individual you have to not be afraid to fail, do something different, and be confident that when that buzzer sounds, your shot is going in the basket.

Inglewood is becoming the new melting pot for a diverse range of artists from the West. What makes this particular city stand out from the rest?

I think Inglewood is so much different than many cities around the country just because of its actual position geographically.  Growing up in Inglewood, I’m 5 minutes away from Los Angeles, 10 minutes from Hollywood, 10 minutes from Beverly Hills, and 10 minutes from the beach.  With that being said, the music that is coming out of the city reflects that heavily; it’s not one-sided.  The artists in Inglewood have experienced the highest of highs by traveling to Hollywood to party every weekend, as well as the lowest of lows in just struggling to keep our heads above water Monday thru Friday.

People really see that and feel it through our music, and relate to many of the topics in our songs; we’ve just been getting the respect we deserve as of late.

BONUS: Great Western Forum or Staples Center, and why?

This is hard. Even though people reading this will probably be mad at me, I’m going with the Staples Center.

There is so much history in the Great Western Forum, but everyone has that “what have you done for me lately” mentality and the the Staples Center is where we won our last 3 Championships, where Kobe went baseline on Yao Ming, and where Kobe dropped 81.

And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

1987

Hollywood Shuffle is the anti-Blaxploitation film. The Blaxploitation genre had a tremendous impact on culture, but in trying to break stereotypes and diversify the images of Black people in film, the films still were very stereotypical. Hollywood Shuffle is a satiric look at African American actors in Hollywood. It’s the story of an actor limited to stereotypical roles (ie pimp, hustler, slave, mandingo, etc) because of his ethnicity, who dreams of making it big as an esteemed actor.

I can’t front, even though Robert Townsend was trying to get a valid point across, the film was still pretty funny. [Insert pimp voice here] I ain’t be gotten no weapons…

Fact: While Robert Townsend was director, he also co-wrote with Keenen Ivory Wayans.

With it being *shudders* Black History Month, Starr takes the time out to dedicate a post to one of the GOATs. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

As influential as Curtis Mayfield still is today, he never enjoyed the same success in the 60s and 70s as his Motown counterparts. Luckily for him, he wasn’t just a singer, but also a an excellent guitarist and songwriter who penned hits for the likes if Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Staple Singers and Aretha Franklin. He had a hand in shaping the sound of three Blaxploitation soundtracks including Superfly, Sparkle, and Claudine.

Two of his most famous hits are “Freddie’s Dead” and “Superfly” from the Superfly soundtrack. En Vogue’s 1992 remake of “Giving Him Something He Can Feel” helped to continue his legacy, as well as the crate digging producers in hip-hop who have sampled his music.

DOWNLOAD: Beastie Boys – Egg Man

DOWNLOAD: Curtis Mayfield – Give Me Your Love

But since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day (if you care), slow it down a bit.

DOWNLOAD: Mary J Blige – I’m The Only Woman

I’m not really a fan of “tributing” rappers (especially on the days of their passing), but it just wouldn’t be right if today passed without recognizing one of the greats of the past. Big Moon Dog in his prime was that rare breed of “upper echelon MC” who had the ability to battle rap and make good songs and make a good album (Canibus should have taken notes). And while his way-too-short legacy will forever cast doubt over his “Top *insert number*” status, you can’ tell me that Capital Punishment wasn’t along the same lines of Illmatic/Ready To Die classic status. Enjoy some of his greates moments under the cut.

With it being *shudders* Black History Month, Starr takes the time out to dedicate a post to one of the GOATs. And as always, if you’re digging this, hit up Gangstarr Girl for a fresh take on hip-hop, politics, fashion and other worldly and wordy things through the eyes of a New York-helmed around-the-way girl. Without further adeiu…

It’s Black History Month so I decided to be cliche and jump off the icons edition of Blaxploitation Friday. Today’s solute goes to Gordon Parks–photographer, journalist, author, director, visionary.

Gordon Parks was the first African-American to make a studio film in 1969 with The Learning Tree. His contribution to the Blaxploitation genre runs deep as he directed Shaft, one of the first films considered to have set off the era.

1971

He also directed one of the sequels, Shaft’s Big Score! (1972).

Parks made a tremendous impact on hip-hop culture as well. D-Nice and Fab Five Freddy have admittedly been influenced by him, but it was when XXL Magazine tapped him to shoot “A Great Day in Hip-Hop” (September 1998), their tribute to the popular “Great Day in Harlem,” where people realized how important he was.

(click picture for bigger image)

That day was a big deal for the rappers who participated. Some were already familiar with Parks and some got schooled at the photoshoot, but the impact still resonates. If you obtain a copy of the October 2008 XXL Magazine, there’s a tribute piece commemorating the 10-year anniversary of that day. In various interviews I did along with Jack Erwin (with Rakim, Styles P, Sticky Fingaz, Kurupt, Cee-Lo, etc), you can read some of their testimonies where they acknowledge how big it was for them to work with Gordon Parks. Right on, brotha!

Fun Fact: Parks co-founded Essence Magazine