Words by Jesse Serwer— We’ve heard a lot of talk lately about the 20th anniversary of classic hip-hop albums such as Wu Tang Clan’s Enter the 36 Chambers and A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders, but dancehall has some milestones of its own this fall, too. It’s been two decades since dancehall legend Red Fox released his debut album As a Matter of Fox via Elektra Records on Sept. 28, 1993. The album featured the singles “Dem a Murderer” and “Ghetto Gospel,” production from DJ Premier, Todd Terry and Dave Kelly, and guest appearances from Brand Nubian and members of Red’s Ruff Entry Crew—dancehall’s own Wu Tang.
If you’ve been wondering what a gwaan these days with Red, whose classics also include the combination tunes “Pose Off” and “Bashment Party” (with Ruff Entry crewmates Screechy Dan and Rayvon, respectively) well he’s been more active than ever this year, dropping singles like “Hot Like Fiyah” (with Germany’s Cocotaxi) and “Soulja,” to name a few.
We couldn’t be more pleased to see Red back in the mix so we’ve teamed with our bredren DJ Shirkhan and Sammy K of Sweden’s Safari Sound to present his first-ever mixtape. Fiyah Fox, dropping Nov. 21, features brand-new material, recent catalog, classic hits, and even a few freestyles on recent hip-hop beats and up-to-di-time riddims, all showcasing a deejay still at the top of his lyrical game. For the first taste of the mixtape, Red and longtime cohort Screechy Dan reconnected over a classic Wu Tang beat from The RZA.
“We Run the Party” finds the old friends running though their nightlife credentials—and dropping a few jokes—over Method Man’s still-electric “Bring the Pain.” I don’t know about you, but we could listen to these two freestyle over classic hip-hop for hours… Download “We Run The Party” below, look out for Fiyah Fox. Nov. 21 and stay tuned for details on the mixtape release party at the new-and-improved NYC edition of Brand New Machine.