A big shout to Brooklyn's "Teflon Don" MC, Notorious B.I.G., a.k.a. Christopher Wallace, who was murdered on this day back in 1997. How do you know when an artist's music is enduring? I DJ'd a Bar Mitzvah in Manhattan last month and had a whole chorus of 13 year olds rapping back to me the lyrics to "Juicy." Classic. (Shout to Mandean for the heads up.)

Back to basics this week, as I bring some fresh riddims for the new year. Jump Start riddim is fyah, the 2010 riddim: also fyah. A couple of new Vybz Kartel joints (leave your kids out of the room when "Beg Yuh..." comes on), including the new banger "Versatility,” a solid follow up to last year's "Romping Shop". Sorry, no Mavado in this mix, but don't think I'm taking sides in the Gaza/Gully conflict (peep this week's Village Voice to know what I'm talking about. Apparently some people feel that the rivalry between Vybz and Mavado could become Jamaica's answer to Biggie and Tupac.) I go out to left field with some solid Bhangra mash-ups from  Tigerstyle, then bring it home like always with the roots and culture. Tell Mr. Officer to cool down for the next 50 minutes, I-man not cause no trouble, just bringing vibes and tunes.

This week on Greenmoney, Alex and Leo welcome Photomachine for a mix of heavy bass and forward thinking dance clangers. If you're in the Brixton area of the U.K. across the pond, you can check out the Greenmoney crew at their bi-monthly fiesta, Download This! at Plan B. Joining them on the decks is Roska, Seiji, Redlight, and Photomachine. 

Greenmoney - Black Mama (Tracklist and Download)

Busta Rhymes (far left) made his presence felt at The Rub this past Saturday at South Paw in Brooklyn. Woo-ha. Got you all in check. 

Lil' Wayne starts his mandatory rest and relaxation at Rikers Island Resort and Spa today. If the goblin rapper is a good boy, he could be out in eight months. He was sentenced to one year for gun possession on an October 2007 felony charge, when his tour bus was raided by the NYPD and a semi-automatic pistol was found. We look forward to his prison bar blues mixtapes, where autotune will be a hard commodity to trade for. Fast home, Weezy. 

Ever wonder how that guy in the traffic light stretches his legs? Yeah, I had no idea either. Until I watched this video. [via Beautiful/Decay]

Reports coming into the magical bodega that is The Dope Spot this week is that the Wu, down many members on Friday night at the Nokia Theater, still brought the menace. I'm certainly enjoying this new track, "Criminology 2.5," which is part of their new LP, Wu Massacre, dropping March 29th. As usual, there's plenty of new stuff to dig into and funky classics to get your Monday moving.

The Dope Spot - Criminology (Tracklist and Download)

Photos: Ryan Barkan 

Before actually listening to Ann Arbor native Mayer Hawthorne, one might be hard-pressed to believe that this 31-year old is a crooner who learned from listening to the greats (Mayfield, Hayes, Robinson) while driving with his father as a young boy. The Stones Throw producer, songwriter, DJ, rapper and snazzy dresser has had quite a year. Even before his debut release, A Strange Arrangement, came out in September of '09, Hawthorne was touted as this decade's soul man. Hawthorne and his live band The County chose Webster Hall in NYC as the jump off  for this latest series of U.S. tour dates. 

DJ U-Tern gets your weekend started with this week's episode of One Day Later, "Head For the Hill." There's a slew of new dance music here, with an exclusive remix by yours truly. If you're in the Vancouver area tonight, check out U-Tern on the decks at Fortune for the Happy Endings Friday party. Let's goooooooooo!  

One Day Later - Head For the Hills (Tracklist and Download)

DJ Darkat is a sunshine scientist behind the boards on this week's episode of Sound Dimensions. Mixed up on this show is Gus Valley, Squarepusher, Money Mark, DJ Food, Flanger, Mouse on Mars, and much more. 

Sound Dimensions - Sunshine Scientist (Tracklist and Download)

Robert Luis and Tru Thoughts Records gets you to shake into spring with another episode of Unfold on Brooklyn Radio. New slices of soul from Johnny Cash, Bonobo, The Game, MJ Cole, Massive Attack, and plenty more eclectic selections to make you move. 

Tru Thoughts Radio - Shake (Tracklist and Download)

Kids! Our podcasts are back. Simply go to a DJ's show page, click the icon like the one posted above, subscribe through iTunes, and wham!--new shows will be delivered directly to you as soon as they are updated. We've also created a new player for streaming. It should be more functional for all web browsers and operating systems. But let us know if you run into some issues. Thanks for listening. 

After almost three years of nonstop hits and delirious responses from DJs, dancers and music heads around the world, Names You Can Trust, a.k.a. the Trustus League on Brooklyn Radio, is ready to drop its first collaborative full-length project.

For this release, a diverse set of talented DJs, producers and bands from around the world were chosen to have their pick of the NYCTrust catalog to remix and rework. While adding their own sense of style and flare, these artists stayed true to the label’s own sensibilities of releasing only the highest quality music for dancefloors and discerning listeners alike. The digital download will be available at Juno on March 8th and the LP later this month at NYCTrust.
 

If human sparkle Johnny Weir and Olympic figure skating wasn't edgy enough for you, perhaps Nirvana On Ice will do the trick? Who knew "Smells Like Teen Spirit" contained the hidden message to do retarded ballet dressed like Garth from Wayne's World? [Boing Boing]

This week on Greenmoney, Leo and Alex welcome the U.K.'s heavy bass blasters Tomb Crew for a special guest mix. Having reworked dance music's latest golden boy, Drop the Lime, on his new cut "Devil's Eyes" (pick it up here), you can be sure for a heavy set of dubplates to give your speakers a headache. Artists include Jay Dilla, Crookers, Joy Orbison, Let's Go To War, French Fries, and plenty more wobbly tunes from across the pond. 

Geenmoney - Tomb Crew (Tracklist and Download)

The Shake Up is on the road in Rio De Janiero, just in time for Carnival. I found a great indie rock scene here. Parties included PutaFest (pics here) Foxforo, and Casa de Matriz. Plenty of new music, including "The Heat of The Week," Fanfarlo's "Luna." And, of course, no stay in Rio would be complete without a girl from Ipanema (which is also a great Hostel. Highly reccomended). For those fans of M.I.A and Bmore, there is a special Flavor of Rio mix at the end. Enjoy.

The Shake Up - Rio Rock (Tracklist and Download)

America's favorite rap goblin, Lil' Wayne, avoided prison again today. The New York courthouse where Weezy was to be sentenced had a basement fire this moring. The entire building was evacuated. This was clearly a deed done by the gods of rock and the underworld N'awlins voodoo from which he came. No one, of course, is reporting that fact just yet. (Except us.) So: Wayne will have one more day of freedom. His dentist will continue having a lifetime of nightmares. But we will turn your attention to this stylistically shot Young Money flick for "Roger That," featuring the always cartoonish Nicki Minaj and Tyga. Done up in Sin City noir effects, Wayne's last video for a while has him rocking a gas mask and running through a comic book. We imagine this freakishly animated world of flesh and shadows is the one Wayne sees regularly. [Vulture]

Photographer Sam O'Hare took 35,000 pictures of different locations around New York City one day last August to create this video, "The Sandpit." At first, you'll think the digital images were created using mini replicas. But look closely. Those are real people. Real helicopters. Real cranes. Real everything! He's using a technique called tilt-shift photography, which employs a special lens to manipulate the focus and create the illusion of miniaturizing objects. Click play and become entranced. [Gawker]

DJ Emch of Subatomic Sound Radio was at Rose Live Music this past Saturday in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to do it dubby style with the Sound Liberation crew. They have a nice recap of the night in words and pictures over at their site. Go check it out. [SLF]

The New York Post is reporting that Jay-Z, Russel Simmons, and former U.S. Rep Floyd Flake (That's your name! Really?) have been subpoenaed in a state probe on contracts with slots at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. Since he's become a target for further ruining New York's government, David Paterson's name is mentioned. He's a friend of Flake. Paterson has all kinds of friends that are flakes lately. But I digress. This story is a bit confusing if you're not on the gaming comission, but play along:

"The subpoenas were issued by the State Inspector General's Office, which is working with the US attorney. The three are the first of dozens likely to be quizzed. Aqueduct Entertainment Group offered the state the least money up front, had unrealistic revenue estimates and provided fewer financial details than competitors, according to Saratoga Racing and Gaming, a partner in a losing bid from Delaware North."

Basically, something smells very bad about this deal. And it's not the Hudson River. More news as it comes down the track. [NYP]

 

I am desperately trying to not get too hyped out of my socks for the new LCD Soundsystem record coming out this spring. Sound of Silver was easily my favorite LP this past decade. And putting any work that comes after it is going to be somewhat of a let down. But wait! What if it's better than Sound of Silver? What if James Murphy outdoes himself? The video above has me dreaming in expectations. Murphy rented Rick Rubin's Laurel Canyon mansion in L.A. to escape New York and record, live, and dive his pudgy body into a pool. (The Red Hot Chilli Peppers recorded their classic Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik there.) The entire band and staff of engineers are required to wear all white, all the time. It's a bit surreal. The results of this experiment will be out in a few months. And, really, I can't wait. But: Must. Remain. Calm. [The Fader]

Art: Aurel Schmidt

Soulstatic learned the hard way over the weekend that Canada still has it over America in hockey. But that didn't stop him dropping this week's episode of The Dope Spot, which features some '90s hip-hop classics, new joints from Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Usher, Dennis Ferrer, Black Van, and laid back R&B. He'd like to remind you: When life gives you donuts, make them into art. 

The Dope Spot - I Learned the Hard Way (Tracklist and Download)

Damon Albarn's multi-media cartoon band Gorillaz has their new full length, Plastic Beach, dropping next week. But the fine folks at NPR are allowing you to stream the album in its entirety today. We've heard a few cuts and feel the catchiness from the last album hasn't popped out yet. But we're about to dig in and see if we can find it. [NPR]

If you live in the Tri-State area, we're sure you tune into Hot 97 to get a flavor of what's currently popular on urban radio at the moment. (If you tune into FM at all anymore.) Home to Funk Master Flex, DJ Enuff, Bobby Trends, Cipha Sounds, Camillo, Mr. C, and more, it is truly New York City's hip-hop culture, even if it has been on the wane lately due the the South's dominance of the airwaves. Nonetheless, even if you're unfamiliar with New York radio, we're here to bring you up on the station's industry gossip, Miss Info. Besides giving away salacious news of your noble rappers on-air and the web, she also gives away lots of mp3s through her site. Today's round-up includes Estelle, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, Ja Rule, Ludacris, and more. [Miss Info]

Billboard Magazine is reporting that Guru, a.k.a Keith Elam, of Gang Starr suffered a major heart attack this weekend and is in a coma.

"Rapper Guru, who rose to fame with pioneering group Gang Starr and later released a series of successful solo albums under the 'Jazzmatazz' banner, is in a coma after suffering a heart attack and will undergo surgery today (Mar. 1), according to a Sirius radio interview with his former partner in Gang Starr, DJ Premier.

The 43-year-old artist released a solo album, "Lost and Found," in May 2009, which ended a two-year break following his fourth Jazzmatazz album, 'The Hip-Hop Jazz Messenger: Back to the Future.'

Gang Starr never officially broke up but hasn't been active in more than five years. Its last album was 2003's 'Ownerz.'"

Animal New York has put together a nice video package of classic Gang Starr cuts. We'll keep you updated as we learn more. If you have any information, please send it our way: dan@brooklynradio.net.

Over the past few weeks, you might have noticed we've been adding more DJs and shows to Brooklyn Radio. And I am real excited to have Oakland, California's DJ Darkat and Aware bringing you their mixed up vibe of soul, funk, reggae, hip-hip, disco, Latin, and everything else. The only difference here, kids, is that they're doing it all on vinyl. There's not an mp3 to be heard on the four shows they've already posted. And if this is just the beginning, I think our coasts are going to get along just fine. Check out their latest episode, Paul's Booty, mixed by Darkat to get an idea of what I mean. 

Sound Dimensions - Paul's Booty (Tracklist and Download)

Stay up on the latest Brooklyn Radio site updates, get links to music news, leaked tracks, concert information, free downloads, and more by following us on Twitter. We scour the web. So you don't have to. 

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Sign up for our mailing list and get a hand selected track from the Brooklyn Radio staff every Friday. Whether it's major label bubblegum pop, underground dubstep, or original productions from our selectors, there's no pressure to buy. Because, yeah, all of these tracks are FREE! And who doesn't love a little gift on Friday? Start your weekend on the good foot.

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Subatomic Sound System is back in Williamsburg, Brooklyn tonight for Afro-Dub Sessions, a new combination of DJ and live music series blowing up at Rose Live Music hosted by Sound Liberaton. Free. RSVP on Facebook. Emch will be on the mix, dubs, and melodica. Get a free track here.

The event will also feature live dub and afrobeat vibes from Super Hi-Fi with some cameos from Emch and other guests. DJ sets will be thrown down by Q Mastah, Lil Tiger, and Linh. Bring your dancing shoes and be ready to have a great time!

So I'm back from a super crazy 10 days in and around Vancouver. You can read about my Olympic misadventures and see a few pictures on the Turntable Lab Blog. (Part 1, Part 2) This Saturday is Flashing Lights, so make sure to RSVP and come rave with us in the Dim Sum palace.

If cabin fever has set in, it's time to get out of the house. Shake out your sofa syndrome with E's E and Oneman of Trustus League Radio at Franklin Park in Brooklyn tonight. DJ DRM of Bastard Jazz has told us he will be there, driving the bar into the early morning. 

Snow covered the streets in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn - Photo: Rueters

Theodore and Kathleen dub Snowmageddon 2010 a good time all over the world--in Japan where the toilet seats are warm and intelligent, in Vancouver where the Olympians are aliens, and of course in Brooklyn where Gilles Peterson recently played.

The No Hiding Show - Snowmageddon (Download)

This is the second part of my two part series. This time I am focusing more on the "roots and culture" tunes that have been featured on the world famous VP Records compilations known as Reggae Gold. Although dancehall became the dominating sound by the ‘90s, roots reggae, the more traditional and spiritual sound, still remained a favorite in the Jamaican music scene. On some of these records, we even hear a blend of styles, both old and new, mainly from artists who began to make a name for themselves in this era, such as Shabba Ranks and Sizzla. And with re-makes of early classics, such as Gregory Issac's "Night Nurse" and Barrington Levy's "Murderer,” we see the respect for past reggae generations is evident. Lots of fire in this week's mix. 

Wake the Town - The Best of Reggae Gold Roots (Tracklist and Download)

Ursula 1000 took the snow day as a chance to dig deep into his lab of treats and pull out some real gems for this week's episode of Guilty Pleasures. Artists include: Credit Crunch, Ray Charles, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Runaways, The Sonics, The Sweet, and plenty more. 

Guilty Pleasures - Noize from the Lab (Tracklist and Download)

Join Brooklyn Radio's own Bruce "Jerk" Tantum as he celebrates his birthday at Soho's subMercer (underneath the Mercer Hotel) on Saturday, February 27th. And dig the crazy lineup of DJs who'll be aiding in the effort: the dance-music virtuoso Justin Strauss, who's worked with the likes of Erasure, Book of Love, Depeche Mode, Yazz and, er, Michael Bolton over the course of his long career; Dennis Kane, deep-disco doyen and proprietor of the most excellent Disques Sinthomme and Ghost Town imprints; and DJ Spun, mastermind of the label that's launched a thousand sweaty basement parties, Rong Music. SubMercer is at 147 1/2 Mercer Street, between Houston and Prince Streets; just say your there for Bruce's birthday, and you'll be whisked right in. And, best of all, it's free!

Carnival in Brazil has come to an end, but that is no reason to stop partying. Chucky Brown takes his eclectic style to MUSEUM (James Joule, 65) to bring all our Shake Up listeners in Sao Paulo a special live DJ set on Friday, Feb 26th. This will feature rock, '80s, indie, mash-ups and more. My main man Gui Chueire was nice enough to produce this event and will offer special guest list for any listeners from Brooklynradio.net that would like to attend. Email me at chuckybrown70@hotmail.com for more info.

Close your eyes, relax your mind, and Unfold into the transcending sounds that Robert Luis and Tru Thoughts bring to fill your mind. This week's show has an eclectic mix of genres from around the globe, including Fela Kuti, Skeletons, Jamie Woon, Massive Attack, Erykah Badu and The Lions re-worked by Todd Simon.

Tru Thoughts Radio - Musical Mind (Tracklist and Download)

Greenmoney got your number, girl! Leo and Alex do their do thing and get the dance floor moving to the best new joints and throwbacks in underground dance music. Artists on this episode include Gorillaz, Delphic, Mia Mendez, Fuzzy Logic, MJ Cole, Twizzle, and much more.

Greenmoney - Call Me (Tracklist and Download)

Last week, we brought you the documentary Synth Britannia, where the BBC went deep into the history of synthesized electronic music in the U.K.  Now done with your history lesson, we thought it would interesting to take you into the present. MotherBoard.tv has been creating the excellent series Electric Independence, which interviews and follows modern producers working in the game. In this latest episode, they chat with Gavin Russon, who was nicknamed "The Wizard" when he was behind the boards for the DFA label in Brooklyn. Having traveled abroad for a while, he eventually returned to America and get back to his roots. Part two of the interview is after the cut.  

Lloyd Banks has a new pro-luxury consumer gangsta' joint out called "Beamer, Benz or Bentley." (Doesn't being rich like Lloyd mean never having to choose, though? We have a car for every day of the week, son!) Get ready for the new remix of this song of every brand on the planet over the next few weeks. NY Magazine has helpfully put together some of the most recent ones, including Joel Ortiz's working class banger, "Nissan, Honda, Chevy." [Vulture]

What is Chat Roulette? (See the video above.) If you've ever wanted to spend your time observing the large interweb populace flexing their flesh pipe for the camera, now is your chance to do so. The site reminds us of that old saying: Everything old is new again. (Does anyone remember when people used to pay money  to do this same thing?) If you haven't been there yet, happy oggling hairy legs! [The Awl]

We're very excited to read The Fader's interview with rap vixen Nicki Minaj. But they're only printing it on paper. (Shake fist at sky, God, little birds chirping.) [The Fader]

Kanye West's 808s and Heartbreak's icy auto-tuned ballad "Coldest Winter" recently got the remix and video treatment. The one thing that will keep us all warmed up during these frigid days--emotionally and physically--according to the video, is boobs. Really big ones swinging everywhere in tinted blue. Put your eyes on those radiator mammaries after the cut.

Soulstatic gives up his gun, but shoots 2 hours of straight heaters in the form of sonic bullets from the magical bodega that is The Dope Spot this week. As always, it's an eclectic set of artists and tunes, including new shiz from Vampire Weekend, Lloyd Banks, Dennis Ferrer, Lindstrom, Jaheim, Black Van, and plenty of dance classics mixed in.

Soulstatic - Giving Up the Gun (Tracklist and Download)

This show goes out to Weezy. I've received tons of jail mail over the years and I can say this: It's always interesting. I've never responded. (Sorry.) So this is my first attempt at a prison shout out. The show has a bunch of Wayne on it, some bounce tracks, The Dum Dum girls (who I really like) and a track from Mouse and Gonzales (both are excellent). Good luck in the slammer Wayne. I look forward to more music when you get out. Also, if you're ever annoyed that I don't get a show in as often as you like, check out these sites: Mad Decent, Fader Magazine, Pitchfork, Digital Daze, Turntable Lab, Jet Set Records, Hypem, Elbo, RCRD Label, and Other Music.

High Heels - Jail Mail (Tracklist and Download)

Are you sick of winter yet? I am, and have been since sometime around, say, December 22nd. But I've always found a bit of disco-tinged house helps to heat things up, so that's the direction I went with this mix. Of special note are the two Essa tracks, from a mid-'90d EP by the Nottingham, U.K.-based DiY label. What ever happened to DiY? They were one of the best house labels going, and they just kind of disappeared five or so years ago. I miss those guys.

Jerk! - Hot Starlight (Tracklist and Download)

Vampire Weekend's new video for "Giving Up the Gun," from their recent album Contra, is a parody to the '80s all white yuppiedom tag the band has been labeled with. Besides the song being great, the video features RZA from Wu Tang Clan as a sage ninja chair umpire, an appearance by Lil' Jon to mime French, Jake Gyllenhaal guzzling scotch, and people playing tennis in motorcycle helmets. Basically: something for everyone.

As a fan of the late '90s boom in downtempo grooves and instrumental indie rock, I'm always on the lookout for new cinematic scores to provide for my ears while walking down the street. (We're all in our own movie, right? With our brains plugged into our iPods?) Queens, NY duo The American Dollar combine the swirling effects of echoed guitar lines screeching and swaying over electronica-tinged keys and beats. It's an update to the noir funk sampled by Massive Attack and Portishead, whose debut albums basically defined the genre. Recently, The American Dollar has had their music used in the George Clooney trailer for Up In the Air and the CBS franchise series CSI: Miami, which makes perfect sense when you put the visuals next to the sound. After the cut, the track "Second Sight" from their new full length, Atlas.

I wrote a review of Gil Scott-Heron’s I’m New Here for the Washington Post. I think it may be the best album of the young year. (I didn’t bother to listen to many January releases, so I can’t say this with certainty). After a veritable drought recently, this week’s new release schedule is full of good stuff to listen to: I recommend the new Sade and Jaheim albums, though I haven’t had the chance to spend much time with either yet. One release that I have jammed quite a bit is Galactic’s Ya-Ka-May, a great, sprawling and accessible overview of New Orleans music in all its variations, which I covered in a Post profile that ran on Saturday.

When out on the West Coast for tour dates, Subatomic Sound System always makes a point to build with our people out on the left coast.  As a result, we are very fortunate to have a special guest mix on this episode of Subatomic Sound Radio from Los Angeles based DJ and producer, Mexican Dubwiser, purveyor of Elektronik Cumbia Latin Dub, founder of the LA Dubwise Sessions party, and the go to DJ for Manu Chao on many of his recent US tour dates--including his last show in Brooklyn. Tough Tough Tough! Let's go!

P.S. - Speaking of Brooklyn, don't miss Subatomic Sound System back on the home turf, appearing this Saturday, Feb 27, at Rose Live Music in Williamsburg for the Afro-Dub Sessions party. Last month's kick off, put on by the Sound Liberation crew, featured Ticklah and was bananas.  

Subatomic Sound Radio - Mexican Dubwiser (Tracklist and Download)

In the 78th episode of The Edit, I'm teaching a valuable life lesson. Say No To Drugs... Just Blaze! It's deeper than that, though. Every sound you hear on this show is created and/or arranged by the Megatron Don himself. From some of his earliest work, to his most recent bangers, you'll be sure to find something you can bounce to. And now, thanks to the good people who write my BKR paychecks, you can now sign up for the Mandean Radio Edit Podcast. Enjoy.

The Mandean Radio Edit - Say No To Drugs...Just Blaze (Tracklist and Download)

With all the music we play on this station, some talk was in order. So we found Brooklyn residents and local artisans Theodore and Kathleen to discuss the topics of the day and bring their friends on for some laughs. Tune in to hear what happens. It could get ugly. But most likely, funny. In this episode, our hosts remind you not to douche, extol the virtues of saunas, then giggle away with Moist Paula Henderson, baritone sax player of Moisturizer, Secretary, and Reverend Vince Anderson. What's jazzing Henderson lately? She's leaving for Paris this month with the Burnt Sugar Arkestra to work on Melvin Van Peebles' operatic rendition of Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.

The No Hiding Show - Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (Download)