San Francisco-based J Boogie is a DJ, producer, and bandleader who has a knack for creating vibealicious cocktails of equal parts live instrumentals, DJ beats and samples, and MC rhymes. Under the umbrella of J Boogie's Dubtronic Science, he's been spinning infectious hip-hop, dub, deep house, latin, soul, funk, afro, and breakbeat grooves for over a decade now, in partnership with an impressive list of featured collaborators.
Even when J Boogie and crew are laying down the dope rhymes with socially conscious messaging, the mood always seems to be a celebratory one, so much so that almost every track irresistibly beckons even the most reluctant of souls to a sweaty dancefloor workout.
For today and tomorrow's post, the two tracks I've selected prove that less is more when it comes to bringing on the par-tay. Both keep enough instrumental and vocal separation to avoid an overlayering of sound that is all too common in dance music. This doesn't take anything away from the groove--in fact, it enhances it. These are tunes that will have you headbobbing, goosenecking, freestylin' and bootyshakin' the night away!
People Under the Stairs, the LA-based hip-hop duo of MC's Thes One and Double K, are J Boogie's partners in rhyme on the old skool-inflected 'Movin' to My Beat.' The track originally appeared on J Boogie's LP debut, 2003's self-titled 'J Boogie's Dubtronic Science,' and was penned by Double K. The original song clocked in at 3:08 and was pretty standard hip-hop fare. enjoyable, but hardly my fave track on that LP.
Now I must confess I have mixed feelings about remixes, pun intended, hehe. I generally prefer original tracks over the tweaked versions. Some songs it seems are the recipients of several remixes. And if the tune gets any traction in the music 'marketplace,' the number of remixes can multiply further. Ah, the perks of becoming a shiny nickel!
When I do come across a track that has been remixed by several other artists, I rarely, if ever, like more than one of those remixes. Having said that, there are some occasions where I actually dig the remix more than the original. Well, not only is that the case with the Zeph Remix version of 'Movin' to My Beat,' (2004, Om Records 12"). it's also true of the Crazy P Remix of 'Together,' another J Boogie collaboration, this time with Jennifer Johns, that was in yesterday's post. Could it be that J Boogie is the lucky charm with the midas touch who conjures the magic that turns the remix into musical gold?
Perhaps, but credit is also due 'Movin' to My Beat' remix maestro, Oakland-based DJ Zeph, who reworks nearly the entire track. Whereas I felt the original had a bit of a flat sound overall, Zeph definitely improves upon the groove and the sonics immensely, in my very humble opinion. And he achieves this using a very minimalist approach, utilizing sparse, 'handclap' drumbeats that seem poised to reverb into infinity, but instead, dissipate quickly and then reset for more percussive clackitude. He saves the heavy reverb for the digitally-delayed space-groove of the unintelligibly warbled chorus, a chorus that doesn't even appear on the original track! Backed by a simple but nasty bassline, the Zeph Remix really shakes and breaks with mad old skool homages during its 3:45 assault!
People Under the Stairs, for their part, do take their music seriously, yet rock the rhymes with such a laid-back flow and humorous lyrics, that the cumulative result is classic New Skool Old Skool, whatever that means, but hey, you get my drop.
1. Movin' to My Beat (Zeph Remix)
'Back again for the run-down, funky till sundown
It’s Double K and Thes One, let’s have fun now
This ain’t your typical “throw your hands up”
We on that laid back tip and Los Angeles trippin’
J-Boog did the track, and I did the dope
Om put the label on it that’s all you need to know
I turn snow to concrete when it’s time to speak
Turn sluts into virgins when my word start pervin'
Yeah, man, we coolin’ and smoothin’ it out
Young ladies dig the way words flow out my mouth
And I tell ‘em everyday, it don’t get no better
I’m shootin the shit like tips from a black Beretta
Keepin’ it hot like sweaters, compact like a Jetta'
More from J Boogie and friends on the way. See ya mañana!
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