Subscribe

* indicates required
Okayplayer News

To continue reading

Create a free account or sign in to unlock more free articles.

By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy

Mixtape Monday Features Tapes + Sets From Breakbeat Lou, Lord Finesse, Kon & Amir, Flea Market Funk + More For January 1st, 2018.
Mixtape Monday Features Tapes + Sets From Breakbeat Lou, Lord Finesse, Kon & Amir, Flea Market Funk + More For January 1st, 2018.

Mixtape Monday: Breakbeat Lou, Lord Finesse, Kon & Amir, Fleamarket Funk + More

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: SoundCloud

We’re going back to basics for the first Mixtape Monday of 2018. Getting down to the root of mixtape culture means giving it up for the DJ’s.

This week’s roundup features an all-vinyl collection of archival mixes to refresh your recall of breaks, samples, rare grooves and the people responsible for bringing out the very best in every crate.

Seasoned diggers and even the vinyl curious should appreciate these sets from Breakbeat Lou, Lord Finesse, Kon & Amir, Questlove, Fleamarket Funk, Rich Medina x Danny Akalepse and more.

--

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: Mixcloud

Lord Finesse - EVR: Frozen Files Diggin' Special

The Funky Technician Lord Finesse dropped gems during a 49-minute digging special for East Village Radio’s Frozen Files in 2014.

--

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: Mixcloud

Kon & Amir - Off Track Vol III: Brooklyn

Kon & Amir take on the borough of Brooklyn with Volume III of their celebrated Off Track series.

Off Track III finds the New York/Boston-based pair shining light on another diverse array of underexposed vinyl. The eclectic African disco and soul cuts Amir highlights on his disc are Americanized by style but inherently authentic in feel, demonstrating the very best of the region’s dance music from the period following Fela Kuti’s mid-70s creative peak. Some standouts: Tee Mac’s 1980’s insistently catchy ‘Living Everyday’; Effi Duke’s percussive masterpiece ‘The Time Is Come’; and Christy Essien’s glorious ‘You Can’t Change’, which features famed bandleader Geraldo Pino’s Show Train outfit. Also in the mix are a couple of cuts from unsung Nigerian star Dizzy K. Falola aimed at sophisticated dancefloors.

--

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: SoundCloud

Breakbeat Lou - Discogs Mix 44

Breakbeat Lou brings his years of Ultimate Breaks and Beats expertise to the tables for Discogs Mix 44.

Part of the mystique of hip-hop culture revolves around folklore: the urban legends that circulate from generation to generation are the tales that separate true industry veterans from new jacks. In those few moments when myth and reality merge, we see the legacy of true OGs and pioneers who contribute to making the culture what it is today. So when one day two dudes meet in a record store – both looking for the same “Ultimate Breaks and Beats” record – this story could include anyone. But when the two dudes are Dr. Dre and Easy E, you begin to understand the relevance of the “Ultimate Breaks and Beats” Collection. And this collection doesn’t happen without the legendary BreakBeat Lou.

--

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: Mixcloud

Fleamarket Funk - New Directions In Sound

Fleamarket Funk drops “a fuzzy rock 45 mix for the whole family” during a 2015 set for New Directions In Sound.

It's no secret that FleaMarket Funk digs fuzzy 45s. We've put out a few mixes that have included some of these type of sides. There is something about the fuzz that keeps us close to the funk 45s we covet so much. We have been digging up these 45s for years, sitting on them, and recently been throwing one or two into our live sets. That's where this mix comes in. Here is an exclusive mix for The Funky 16 Corners pledge drive. It's a little bit off the beaten path, and we dig it. Here are 19 fuzzy rock forty fives for the whole family. We had a great time putting it together, you have a great time listening to it.

--

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: SoundCloud

Rich Medina x Danny Akalepse - Props Mixtape Vol. 1

Rich Medina and Danny Akalepse linked in 2013 to drop the first volume of the Props Mixtape. Their 45-minute set is an all vinyl tribute to the art of sampling and proper record selection. A surefire oldie but goodie that stands the test of time.

--

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: SoundCloud

Damu The Fudgemunk - Top Ten Sample Flips

D.C.’s own Damu The Fudgemunk is always in decent proximity to deep crates. It makes sense, then, that his 2014 Top Ten Sample Flips mix for Redefinition Records should be reflective of that.

This is music that I cherish and enjoy. I take pride in having these records in my collection. Please do you your research and dig deeper into the catalogs of each artists to keep their music alive. Much respect to the talent and efforts of all the people who were a part of these songs. Thank you for listening."

--

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: SoundCloud

Z-Trip - Live At The Get Back

Z-Trip rocked an all-vinyl tag team set live in Vegas at The Get Back in 2012. Playing alongside John Doe, Melo-D and Phoreyez, he dropped what might be one of the funkiest 15-minute mixes ever recorded. Take a listen for yourself.

--

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: SoundCloud

DJ SomaR - Record Store Day 2013 Mixtape

DJ SomaR celebrated Record Store Day 2013 with an all-vinyl mix dedicated to classic hip-hop and soul.

To celebrate Record Store Day, I figured I'd put together an all vinyl mix... some of the tracks I just bought a couple weeks ago, ha! On a side note, I'm actually burning the mix and posting the CD's up in some of the local record stores as well, for those who are supporting their record stores to grab. But, here it is, and make sure you go support a record store or two or three. To the DJ's let's do our part in keeping vinyl alive... it's always been such an important part of our culture, it would be a shame to see it go away. Thanks for listening, peace!

--

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: Mixcloud

G-Spot - The Funk Recipe

G-Spot dropped a 1-hour mix entitled The Funk Recipe for Soul Cool Records and Pots & Pans Radio just ahead of Thanksgiving 2017. The impossibly funky all-vinyl mix gets a bump here because it deserves to be heard. Plenty of tunes make the cut including jams from James Brown, Lou Rawls, The Soul Investigators, Eddie Bo x Inez Cheatham and more.

--

Lenny Kravitz, Grace Jones, Lauryn Hill, Lion Babe, Thundercat, SZA & More Rock The Afropunk Festival 2015 in Brooklyn, NY. Source: Mixcloud

Questlove - The Lesson Mix

If you know anything about Questlove’s DJ sets, you know that one of his signatures is original samples. True to his encyclopedic knowledge of all vinyl everything, he delivered a clinic on breaks, rarities and more during his 2005 visit to Gilles Peterson’s BBC Radio show Worldwide. The set deserved several listens when it first landed. It still does now.

--

Karas Lamb writes and digs for tunes you haven’t heard yet. She actually wants to listen to your mixtape. Follow her on Twitter @karaslamb or Instagram @blamblamkaraslam.