Words by DJ Arems
With the earth strong of Bob Marley having just passed and the beginnings of Carnival popping off around the world this weekend – in comes an extra packed installment of #MixtapeMondays to celebrate all that and more.
LargeUp Premiere: Rampage Sound Global, The Gong #The Year of the Light: This past Saturday, February 6th, the honorable Bob Nesta Marley would have turned 71 years old. Celebrations of his life occur every year around this time but our brethren DJ Rampage took things to the next level with this mix of 33 tracks all produced by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Just about every human being on Earth is familiar with songs like One Love, Waiting in Vain, Three Little Birds and Could You Be Loved, but Rampage has compiled a collection of music from Mr. Tuff Gong that often doesn’t get as much shine. Of course you are bound to hear some tracks you already know but there are many gems the casual Bob Marley fan may not have heard before as this is definitely not a “best of” mixtape. Rampage has weaved together the perfect selection to help us celebrate the life of a brilliant artist who always made us all dance while still constantly advocating for social change and positive spirituality. Stream the mix below, tracklist here, design by @IllKingz
Mr. Leub, Ayiti Kanaval 2016 Rap Kreyol Mix: Carnival celebrations have already begun around the globe with a feverish pitch all leading up to the climax of Mardi Gras, french for Fat Tuesday. While many of us think New Orleans when the term Mardi Gras comes up, Haiti is known for having one the world’s biggest Mardi Gras celebrations with it’s Hatian Delfie Kanaval held in Port-Au-Prince. Many other city’s in Haiti celebrate carnival as well with Large Up having just recently chronicled the Kanaval in Jacmel. Music is a huge part of any carnival party and thankfully Mr. Leub has put together a current mix of Haitian Rap, Zouk and Soca that one would rarely get a chance to hear otherwise. The tracks on this mix are very recognizable as hip hip or soca but all delivered in French or Haitian Creole. Even 2010 Haitian presidential candidate Wyclef Jean makes a brief appearance with Power Surge, the Haitian producer known internationally for working with Flo Rida and DJ Khaled. Try this mix for something new as we celebrate the world wide party that is Carnival.
Silent Addy, Gyal Segment Part 2: Silent Addy Premiered Gyal Segment Part 1 with us just last summer but 18 thousand plays later it was clear that it’s time for another installment of filthy chunes to buss a whine to. With brand new music from staple gyal favorites like Vybz Kartel, Alkaline and Popcaan, Silent Addy takes things in a decidedly more club orientated direction on this one with entries from the likes of Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Drake and Major Lazer. A must have for all party situations as we slowly work our way out of winter and get sprung for spring.
Gyal Segment Part 2 (Dancehall Mix) by Silentaddy on Mixcloud
DJ Filthy Rich – 90’s Reggae Hip Hop Volume 1: Toronto’s DJ Filthy Rich brings us a power mix of well crafted blends and lost-in-the-crates remixes on this compilation of reggae and dancehall artists over strictly 90’s hip hop beats. This mix takes us back to the golden era of hip hop and dancehall when U.S. record labels were signing dancehall reggae artists to large North American deals and commissioning huge remixes between MCs like Biggie, Method Man and Q-Tip with dancehall artists like Capleton, Super Cat and Bounty Killer. The intro is wicked and Filthy Rich creates some party breaks and remixes that are not to be missed. A must have for any old school hip hop or dancehall fan.