Monday, November 9, 2009

THE EARLY YEARS






Nick James Presents...The Early Years, is a compilation of unreleased remixes and beats I have compiled over the past six years.  In the past I have remixed whole albums such as Jay-Z's, The Black Album, American Gangster, and an 18 track mixtape remixing various songs from 6 different Nas albums entitled, The Nas Remixes.  I've always remixed as a way to get better at sequencing and mixing music and in the process I have accumulated about 100 remixes.  Thus, I decided to create a download to provide a snapshot of unreleased music I've done over the years.  The beats on this album are free for anyone to loop and use as their own.






Nick James The Early Years

TRACKLIST

01 The Early Years Intro
02 Jay-Z - Takeover Remix
03 Notorious B.I.G. - Nasty Boy Remix
04 Lupe Fiasco - Just Might Be Okay Remix
05 Fabolous - Breathe Remix
06 Elevator Interlude Beat #1
07 Clipse Feat. Pharrell - Mr. Me Too Remix
08 Outer Space Beat #2
09 E-40 - Tell Me When To Go Remix
10 A Message From The Narrator
11 Young Gunz - Set It Off Remix
12 Korbel Cashmere Beat #3
13 Slum Village Feat. Kanye West & John Legend - Selfish Remix
14 An Erie Troutman Beat #4
15 Nas - It Ain't Hard To Tell Remix
16 Jah Rasta Beat #5
17 Kanye West - Jesus Walks Remix
18 Dope Mayfield Beat #6
19 Reflection Eternal - Move Somethin' Remix
20 Eminem - Lose Yourself Remix
21 She'll Never Know Beat #7
22 Nas - Street Dreams Remix
23 Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing Remix
24 Pharrell Feat. Snoop Dogg - That Girl Remix
25 Chill Beat #8
26 Mos Def - Travellin' Man Remix
27 Jay-Z - Lucifer Goes Remix
28 Reflection Eternal - Good Mourning Remix
29 The Early Years Outro

ENJOY

Saturday, November 7, 2009

CO-SIGN :: SPANK POPS - BEAUTIFUL NOISE


MOST INTERESTING EPISODE IN TV HISTORY


I loved "A Different World" but this episode was a stretch.  Though it is tight that there was a show that even contemplated the subject matter of the underground railroad, Freddie finding the underground railroad behind the wall in a the Hillman luandry room...highly unlikely. 

NICK JAMES PLAYS COMMON


 

The fourth installment in the Nick James Plays Series.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

JUST COPPED

I haven't been buying vinyl like I used to because rare LP's are so easy to download online so when I do go I get music I really want to listen to, not stuff to sample.  Check the rhyme and reason behind each pickup today (oh yeah Happy Halloween):

1.  Q-TIP - KAMAAL THE ABSTRACT  I used to work at a parking booth and this cat named Nino used to park there everyday.  Once we realized we had the same musical tastes, I gave him free parking everyday in exchange for data disks filled with music.  Hip-Hop, rock, house, and some of the best electronica I've ever heard was from this dude.  This is at a time Napster was just shut down and folks were still figuring out how they were going to send files, so needless to say I loved when he rolled up with something new.  He rolled up one day like 8 years ago and was hyped about this Q-Tip album.  He gave me a copy and I instantly liked it.  It's a trip it took so long to come out but I'm glad it has finally dropped and that they pressed up vinyl.  When I walked into Ameoba today, this album cover was staring at me and I can tell you confidently that it is now mine.  "Barely In Love" is the truth.  Many obnoxcious moments have been under the influence of that song.


2.  SLUM VILLAGE - FAN-TAS-TIC (VOL.1)  Classic.  I have Vol.2 on vinyl and always wanted this for "The Look of Love" and "Pregnant."  Never thought I'd have this on vinyl so like the Kamaal, it was staring at me.


3.  NAS - ILLMATIC  I know I have this somewhere but when you see a brand new Illmatic LP for $8.00 just get it.


4.  MICHAEL JACKSON - THRILLER (Special Vinyl)  I always wanted this vinyl.  I wish it was from the original pressing but I'll take the 25th Anniversary Edition.  It looks amazing.


5.  THE WIZ  I saw this when I got the Thriller album and since it was $3.00 so like the Nas advice, when you see anything Michael Jackson just get it.  The Wiz was mad annoying but a classic for Black Folk so it has a special place in my heart.


6.  CAMP LO - UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT  Yooooooooooooooo! For those who know me must know how amazing this is to me.  This is probably my favorite album.  It's definetly in the top five.  It has been so hard for me to find and I can't belive I finally have it.  A part of my life is now complete.


NEXT COP (Bidding on Ebay as we speak) 

OUTKAST - STANKONIA GOLD VINYL

Thursday, October 29, 2009

AOKI


 www.aokifilm.com

So the homies Mike Cheng and Ben Wang have put together an amzaing film about one of the first Black Panthers, Richard Aoki.  Aisde from the Black Panthers he is responsible for the great organizing of the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF) as well.  Come out to the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland on November 12th. Oh yeah, I made the score and the poster.  Holla.

Monday, October 19, 2009

BEST SONG OUT RIGHT NOW


Another Random Joint - Kev Brown from Humble Monarch on Vimeo.

CAMP LO :: BOOGIE NIGHTS




Yo the chorus is hilarious.  Best chorus since this.  Again, my favorite group.

Boogie Nights Chorus:

Sonny Cheeba
-Slide into the boogie nights
Geeche Suede
-Martini and Rossi Asti Spumante
Sonny Cheeba
-Slide into the boogie nights
Geeche Suede
-And when I peel the scene I got the Cadillac Alante

For reference, this is a Cadillac Alante and Martini and Rossi Asti Spumante Sparkling Wine (retail: $7.99), lmao.  People ask me why I think they are amazing.  Get it know?


Sunday, October 18, 2009

NICK JAMES PLAYS CROWN CITY ROCKERS



So I went crazy yesterday.  I got home at 4 in the afternoon and made music until 4 in the morning.  This is the end result.  The whole "Nick James Plays" process has been an interesting one.  I thought I had a schedule of what and when I wanted to drop these remixes but my imagination has been taking me to different places.  Years I got a bunch of Crown City acapellas and I remixed five songs.  The best one by far was "Culture."  When I sat down to my computer yesterday I remade the remix from scratch because I wanted to re-release it because I didn't like the mix down from three years ago.  I ended up making a new remix using the same sample that sounds completely different.  I added a speech I love from Malcolm X to emphasize the content of the song and poof.  I made the Zion I remix at about 2 in the morning and finished by 4.  Download the whole project with all the remixes, instrumentals, and samples below.   

Tracklist:

1. Crown City Rockers - Culture feat. Malcolm X (2009 Nick James Remix)
2. Crown City Rockers - Culture (2006 Nick James Remix)
3 Crown City Rockers - No Sense (Nick James Remix)
4. Crown City Rockers feat. Zion I - Without Love (Nick James Remix)
5. Nick James - Culture Instrumental (2009 Remix)
6. Nick James - Culture Instrumental (2006 Remix)
7. Nick James - Without Love Instrumental
8. Malcolm X - You Can't Hate the Roots of A Tree (Vocal Sample for Culture 2009 Remix)
9. Alice Coltrane  - Turiya and Ramakrishna (Sample for Culture 2009 & 2006)
10. Mandrill - Children of the Sun (Sample for No Sense)

FREE FEATURE :: Ill-LIT - THE HERE NOW


Homies and branding masterminds Ill-Lit are dropping their new album, "IB4the1," on Nov. 7th for free.99.  Be sure to get updates at ill-literacy.com.  This post features their new song "The HereNow."  It reminds me of a humble/message driven "Poppin Tags" (sorry Jay you gotta stop bragging).

Access their amazing song "The HereNow" Here (pun intended)

Synopsis: According to the relativity of simultaneity, it is impossible to say in an absolute sense whether two things can happen at the same time if they are separated by space.  However, the band of funky fermions known as iLL-Literacy insists that everything and everyone share a single moment – that we are all logged into a grand social network known as the HereNow.  It is the central hub where our avatar souls bend time in hopes to save the day, and where our common date with Destiny is to avoid becoming dated.  As coy fishes in the flow of time are poisoned with mercury, and Pluto is denied planetarianship, it seems that our moments (like all other natural resources) are plundered not with consideration for the Now, but fear of the Future.  By way of syllogism, the question then becomes:  when frozen in time, can thou keepest it cool? Indeed, where the electron is negative, iLL-Literacy’s spin is positive. And positively charged thou shalt be with another single from their debut project iB4the1.1.  Fusing their talents with the vocals of the photonic phenom known as Jeremy “Passion” Manongdo, the iLLs beckon thine to come hither and join “The HereNow”–a P/G-Funktified ode to being present.  Lean in for the moment.

For further enjoyment check out their first video:

Monday, October 12, 2009

NICK JAMES PLAYS STEVIE WONDER

MY FAVORITE GROUP HANDS DOWN


I finally got around to posting my remix of Camp Lo's Coolie High. Pretty soon I will be dropping this:

In the meantime, enjoy some classic Lo.


Friday, October 9, 2009

NICK JAMES PLAYS OUTKAST





It begins. Download: Nick James Plays Outkast

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

ODE TO MY CHILDHOOD


Is Rebbie Jackson in town because she hasn't callllled me!

CONTROL DIALOGUE


This short sums up how conservatives and rabid capitalists control the public perception regarding social issues.