This last weekend, I got the joyous occasion to celebrate two dear friends of mine by throwing down on the decks. This one is for you Ben and Brianne. Love you.

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Love Loss and Everything Inbetween part 1

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Love Loss and Everything Inbetween part 2

Tracklisting:
Deadbeats- Pick Me Up
Heavy D & The Boys- Nuthin’ but Love
Notorious BIG- Big Poppa
Pepe Bradock- Un Pepe Dans La Dentelle
Beastie Boys- Slow and Low
LL Cool J- Diggy Down
The Pharcyde- Passing Me By
Nas- N.Y. State of Mind
MIA- Paper Planes
Danger Mouse- Top Billin’ (DM Remix)
J. Period- Come Together Inst.
Cool Kids- Gold and A Pager
Kanye West- We Don’t Care
Dr. Dre- What’s the Difference Inst.
Zion I- Coastin’
?- Closer in the Club
Lupe Fiasco- I Gotcha
The Beatnuts- Props Over Here
The Geto Boys- Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta
The Lootpack- Hityawitdat
DJ Z-Trip- Fatbottom Remix
Hi-Tek- Round and Round
Das Efx- Real Hip-Hop
Ed O.G. & The Bulldogs- I Got To Have It Inst.
Lauryn Hill- To Zion
Gang Starr- You Know My Steez
Armand Van Helden- Bounce
The Fat Boys- Falling In Love
Mos Def- Working It Out
Dr. Dre- Dre Day
Big Pun- Still Not A Player
Funkdoobiest- Papi Chulo
The Pharcyde- Runnin’
Talib Kweli- I Try
The Jackson 5- I Want You Back (DJ Z-Trip Remix)
Digital Underground- Same Song
Busta Rhymes- There’s Not A Problem My Squad Can’t Fix
Les Demon Flowers- Deep In The Clubs
DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince- Here We Go Again
De La Soul- Keepin’ The Faith (Straight Pass Inst.)
2Pac- Changes
The Roots- The Seed / Melting Pot / Web (Live On BBC Radio One’s Worldwide Show With Gilles Peterson)
Celeda- The Underground

Hey everybody… I cooked up a new mix that I wanted to share. No real theme to this one other than simply great tracks. I actually call this the “All Good Mix” so that gives you a sense of what’s in store. As always, I hope you enjoy. Let me hear what you think in the comments section. Thanks and keep doing what you are doing. Best.

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All Good

Track listing:
Lupe Fiasco- Daydreamin’
DJ Shadow- Walkie Talkie
Cool Kids- Mickey Rocks
E&A- Exhausted Love Inst
Roots- Dear God 2.0
Talib Kweli- Peace of Mind Inst
Cypress Hill- I Wanna Get High
Mos Def- Auditorium
DJ DSL- Coming With The Sound/Happy Bear
Lauryn Hill- Lost Ones Acapella
Pharoah Monch- Simon Says
J-Zone- Lapdance
Gang Starr- Skillz
Method Man- Uh Huh Remix
Kanye West- Gold Digger Inst
Steinski- Vox Apostolica
Biggie- Juicy
N.O.W.- Easejimi
OutKast- ATLiens
Strange Fruit Project- You (the Only Ones)
KRS-One- Step Into A World (Rapture’s Delight)
RJD2- Ghostwriter
Jay Z- 99 Problems Remix
Prefuse 73- Nuno
Das Efx- Mic Checka
Beastie Boys- So Whatcha Want (Soul Assassin Remix)
Kormac- Good Lord
A Tribe Called Quest- Excursions

As you know from this site, sometimes I like to put together mixes that honor a certain group or rapper. This time I decided to honor one of the greatest producers of all time: DJ Premier. You always know a Premier beat… it’s as simple as that. Without further ado, I present “DJ Premier Is In Deep Concentration.”

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DJ Premier Is In Deep Concentration

Tracklisting:
Intro
Black Eyed Peas- BEP Empire
J-Live- The Best Part
– Code of the Streets Inst.
Mos Def- Mathematics
– Nas is Like Inst.
– DJ Premier Is In Deep Concentration
Das Efx- Real Hip-Hop
Nas- Represent
– Unbelievable Inst.
Jeru- Come Clean
KRS-One- MCs Act Like They Don’t Know
Common- The Game (DJ Premier scratching)
Lord Finesse- Baby Too Nasty
Jay-Z- A Million and One Questions
Outro
Gang Starr- Check The Technique

We interrupt your regularly schedule program to bring you the year 1993. Wu-Tang Clan’s “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”; A Tribe Called Quest’s “Midnight Mauraders”; De La Soul’s “Buhloone Mind State”; Cypress Hill’s “Black Sunday”; Snoop Doggy Dog’s “Doggystyle”; Digible Planet’s “Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)” and the list goes on… Do I need to say more? Enjoy.

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1993

For the beginning of this mix project, please see: 2000 and 2001

OK party people, here is two more years for yah. I’m really enjoying this project so I hope you are enjoying it too. Post up your comments in the comments section.

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2002 – 2003

Tracklisting:
2002
DJ Shadow ft. Mos Def- Six Days (Remix) (prod. DJ Shadow)
RJD2 ft. Blueprint- Final Frontier (prod. RJD2)
DJ DSL- Beats Fur Die Party (prod. DJ DSL)
DJ Vadim ft. Demolition Man- Who Me (prod. DJ Vadim)
Zion I- Kharma (prod. Amp Live)
Jurassic 5- Freedom Inst. (prod. DJ Nu-Mark)
Emanon- What You Live For (prod. Aloe Blacc)
Edan- Mic Manipulator (prod. Edan)
RJD2- Ghostwriter (prod. RJD2)
J-Live- MCee (prod. J-Live)
Mystik Journeymen ft. Me’Shell N’Degeccello- Jambalaya (prod. Sunspot Jonz)

2003
Boom Bip- U R Here (prod. Boom Bip)
Punjabi MC- Mundian To Bach Ke (prod. Punjabi MC)
No Luck Club- Percussion Funktion (prod. The Chan Brothers)
Chops ft. Mystic- No Pressure (prod. Chops)
J-Zone- Too Many Babies Inst. (prod. J-Zone)
Livesavas- Head Exercise (prod. JUMBO The Garbageman)
Soul Position- Printmatic (prod. RJD2)
Diverse- Ain’t Right (prod. Madlib)
Lexicon ft. Dizzy Dustin- Party Party People (prod. Vin Skully)
Atmosphere- Apple (prod. A.N.T.)

DJ Craze - getting ILL on Chicago Ave.

<Scroll down for Saturday slide show>

Booya, Chicago West-Town represented full force at this year’s WestFest.  Like last year illmeasures was once again on hand to provide the ill-sound (we have 3 blown sub drivers to proove it!).  illmeasures’ own Justin Reed and Striz anchored Saturday and Sunday respectively.  The other DJs were cool as shit, the crowd was electric…We love you chi-town!

Saturday

Justin Reed – downtempo

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DJ MTM – misc

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DJ Willy Joy – pop, house and electro house

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Mark Gertz/Trancid – electro house

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DJ Zebo – nudisco and house

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Million $ Mano – house and freestyle

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DJ Craze – electro house – first half only (mc obliterated most of second half)

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Special thanks to SmartBar and the West Town Chamber of Commerce.

wnur-gravel radio

Big ups to Tim Stroh and Gravel Radio for hosting Striz and myself-6-16-2009.  It was a great chance for me to flex my downtempo/hiphop credentials – the result was serato blessed bangers and raw electonic headnod bizness.

JR downtempo/hiphop

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striz got funky as a mosqueeter’s tweeter playing a mix of OG funk bombs and modern dope.

Striz\’s Funky excursions

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For a long time now, over and over you hear heads arguing that hip-hop is dead. Recently I got into a discussion about this very topic over at a favorite blog of mine Martini & Jopparelli’s Music Selections. Basically, although I love the classic jams (as evident in many of my mixes) I recognize that there are still amazing musicians in this hip-hop game. That discussion got me thinking about doing a 21st century mix to highlight what has been produced in the last decade. Why argue when you can listen and enjoy, right? Here’s the beginnings of my newest project. I present to you the years 2000 and 2001. I hope this continues to inspire your love of hip-hop music.

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2000 – 2001

Tracklisting:
2000
Reflection Eternal- Too Late (prod. Hi-Tek)
People Under The Stairs- We’ll Be There (prod. Thes One)
Masterminds- Joints 2000 (prod. Mr. Khaliyl)
DJ Presto- Relax Your Mind (prod. DJ Presto)
Slum Village- Conant Garden (prod. Jay Dee)
Dead Prez- Hip-Hop (prod. Dead Prez)
Blackalicious- Deception (prod. Chief Xcel)
Jel- Stop (and Listen) (prod. Jel)
Funkstorung- Grammy Winner (prod. Funkstorung)
Rise- Do You Know Him? (prod. DJ Spinna)
Rubicon ft. Ronnie B- Mister Mister (prod. Rubicon)
Schoolz of Thought- One Of Those Days (prod. 88-Keys)

2001
Jigmastas- Nocturnal Jam (prod. DJ Spinna)
Alp- Pistachio (prod. Alp)
J.Rawls ft. J-Live- Great Live Caper (prod. J.Rawls)
Eyedea & Abilities- Liquid Sovereignty (prod. DJ Abilities)
Unspoken Heard- This Is Me (prod. The Sound Providers)
Hi-Tek ft. Jonell- Round & Round (prod. Hi-Tek)
Prefuse 73- Nuno (prod. Prefuse 73)
Mars Ill- Sphere of Hip Hop (prod. DUST)
Aesop Rock- 9-5ers Anthem (prod. Blockhead)
Cannibal Ox- A B-Boys Alpha (prod. El-P)

2002 (sneak peak)
DJ Shadow ft. Mos Def- Six Days Remix (prod. DJ Shadow)

Thankfully I was blessed with growing up in Chicago and loving hip-hop because it meant I got to listen to Common (Sense). This lyricist played with words like no other and to this day I’m STILL catching new wordplays in his classic album Resurrection. However, what I admire most about Common is his growth as a true artist. He has never been afraid to try on new sounds, new flows, and new directions… challenging his audience along the way. Some folks are great hip-hop MCs but Common will go down as a great musical influence. Since there is just too many incredible songs in his collection, I offer up this first installation.

“I met this girl, when I was ten years old and what I loved most she had so much soul…”

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Anything But Common Vol 1

Tracklist:
“I’m the C O, double M, O, to the N”
Resurrection Inst
Reminding Me (of Self)
Announcement
Be
Breaker 1/9 Slope Remix Inst
Soul By The Pound
U Black Maybe
Doinit
Rock the Verse
Get ‘Em High
Respiration Inst
Act Too
Resurrection
Resurrection Large Prof Remix
The 6th Sense
Like They Use To Say Inst
Electric Wire Hustler Flower
Tekzilla
Geto Heaven Brooklyn Funk Remix
Forever Begins

New Year’s Eve… a time for celebration, friends, and basically just a good old fashion time to start the year off right. I bring to you a mix from NYE 2006. This one I challenged myself to step out of just a hip-hop framework and attempted to bring in a diversity of music from funk, rock, house, etc. You’ll notice each part has it’s own distinct flavor. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and let it just remind you to sit back, smile, and have a good new year.

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PART 1- the beginning – PART 2- a little funky –
PART 3- back to basics – PART 4- tricked out ending

1
Beatles- Elenor Rigby
Talib Kweli- Lonely People
Rusty Pelicans- All I Have Inst
Rob Swift- Define Music
J5- Monkey Bars
Bustah Rhymes- Dangerous Remix
Andre Johnson- Way We Swing
Lords of Underground- Chief Rocka
Mr Scruff- Come ON Grandad
Onyx- Slam
Cut Chemist- Lesson 4
MLK Jr.- I Have A Dream Speech
2
Precyz- Comanche
Eminem- Drug Ballad
Quantic- Don’t Joke With A Hungry Man
Ugly Duckling- Turn It Up Inst
Aretha Franklin- Rock Steady
Lifesavas- Fa Show Remix Inst
Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock- It Takes Two
Up Bustle & Out- African Friendship
Rock Master Scott- The Roof Is On Fire
Kurtis Blow- The Breaks Inst
Sound Species- Approach To Sub City
Lionel Richie- All Night Long
St. Germain- So Flute
De La Soul- Keepin’ The Faith (7″ UK) Mix
Michael Jackson- Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough
Chekov- Turntable Soul Kicking
George Carlin- 7 Words You Can’t Say
3
Wu-Tang- Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin To Fuck With
Dr. Dre- Still D.R.E. Inst
Reflection Eternal- Too Late
J-Live- Whoever
Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince- Brand New Funk Inst
N.O.W. ft Corinnena Joseph- Play On
Lauryn Hill- Ex-Factor Acapella
DJ Shadow- Midnight in Perfect World (Gab Mix)
4
Prince- When Doves Cry
Cassius- Feeling For You
Pepe Bradock- Demarre Le Chouve
Stevie Wonder- Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing
Eddie Mates- Afreeka
Mos Def- Umi Says
AC/DC- You Shock Me All Night Long