K'naan, J-Period, Kardinal, Steele and Baja - "Belly Full"

Homegrown to di mudda effin werl!!

What a mash up!

Check out J. Period's site for more information on the Messengers project. 

J. Period

The EP (coming soon!) will feature a TASTE of his genious. Collaboration to pay homage to the great ones - I love it!

Peep this and leave a comment!

Jigga Man got merked this week...

Now I'm not a huge fan of hip-hop, but there are some artists that will be on my top 10 list for the longterm. Mr. Sean Carter, aka Jigga, Hova, etc... is that kind of musician. And that's a very odd way to label a rapper, but I believe Jay-Z is just that - a musician. His savvy, when it comes to music and business, makes him an icon of gargantuan proportions. 

The highly anticipated release of Jay's new album The Blueprint 3 on September 11th, 2009 has been marred by his full album leaking all over the internet on August 31st. Jigga took the news in stride, saying that he "....may be the most bootlegged artist in history" and to the fans, "....enjoy it." (Via: The Rolling Stone) 

I say: if you see a site that posts the entire Blueprint album, tell dem fi eff off! I mean, what a way to spoil someone's hard work in trying to rebuild a broken music industry. I guess one can't really fight progress, but c'mon! Posting the whole album is just a travesty... Have some respect guys and gals!

In other Jay-Z news, Hova and Oprah walked and talked in the streets of Brooklyn on an August afternoon. I guess it was something that had to happen, just like a black hole forming in space after the collision of two stars. Read up on the highlights here: The Boombox Music Blog

By the way, Run This Town is a CHUNE of massive proportions! Just thought I'd put that out there!

New Bag of Biscuits! Its Its Its Serani!!! Just in case yuh neva know!

Serani's getting bigger, Bigger, BIGGER all the time! Take a look at the Billboard top 100 Rnb/HipHop charts. "She Loves Me" debuted at No. 89 and is going to climb even higher!!


My love for his music grew even more when I heard this tune:

Serani - When Its Cold (School Bell Riddim)

 (If you don't think its the sequel to "No Games", then yuh lost!!)

IMO, the lyrical direction that Serani was headed toward last year was a little disappointing, what with the very limited imagination and innovation in his writing. Way to come back to the light, Serani!!! Keep it up!


Dancers! Can you SKIP?? Let me know what it looks like! EMAIL your vids and I'll post them on the site! Skip to dis:

QQ f. Ding Dong - Skip

Serani f. Ding Dong, Razz and Biggy - Skip To Ma Luu

***REST IN PEACE, STEELY***

I would hate to start off this blog with bad news, but news must be reported.

Wycliffe Johnson, also known as Steely of the production duo Steely and Clevie, passed away on September 1st, 2009 at a hospital in Long Island, NY. The details are not very clear on the contributing factors that led to his leaving us. Most reports state that he suffered, for a long while, with an illness that affected his kidneys. Other reports claim that he passed away from Pneumonia. One thing in common throughout the blogosphere, though, is the celebration of his LIFE and his pioneering contribution to reggae music!

Steely was known for his professionalism, knack for innovation and dedication to his craft. I spent some time researching the work that Mr. Johnson did with his partner, Cleveland Browne. Here is a vid of Clevie and Steely participating in the 2005 Red Bull Music Academy in Seattle, WA.

**Note: This is a loooong vid, but there's a lot of GREAT information so Learn somn!**



One particular article stood out for me. The Jamaica Star ran an interview with Steely and Clevie on January 7th, 2005. In that article, there is a clear illustration as to why Steely will live on in our hearts as a legend: The birth of Steely and Clevie's "Sleepy Dog Riddim"

This editorial will be running in the Observer on September 2nd, 2009. The editor has some very strong feelings regarding the current direction of reggae and dancehall and how it could be saved... 'Steely' will be missed - JamaicaObserver.com

IMO, there has to be some serious reflection if we want the music to continue to grow and spread around the world. Steely's vision was not just to create a uniquely Jamaican sound. It was to create music. Period. Spending hours in the lab concocting beats means nothing if you don't have a vision for your work!

Lots of history, and a major loss for the entire music industry.

RIP.

* Wycliffe "Steely" Johnson (r) and Cleveland "Clevie" Browne (l)

(Picture from http://redbullmusicacademyradio.com/shows/862/)

I couldn't resist! I had to resurrect The Oasis for a second time! Honestly, it feels so refreshing to be back! Online is better than offline, I guess.

For those who don't know who I am, please let me introduce myself:

I'm Bella, your Selectah!! lol Otherwise known as the Educated One. I'll be your Master of Ceremonies, if you will, as we journey together from the past, to the present, and into the future. The purpose of our journey is simple: to single out the baddest dj's in the world.

Each week, I'll be conducting interviews with the Mistas and Ladies who rock the one's and two's. I'll also be supplying you desert wanderers with a refreshing pool of musical delights. Some fresh biscuits never hurt anybody right?

I will just say this: I'm not a DJ.... I am just an appreciative fan of the artform. Anyone who uses two turntables and a mic to entertain an audience gets my vote!

Here's to you, the DJ.