RIP Melvin Bliss x Synthetic Substitution

Melvin Bliss passed away today. The man is responsible for “Synthetic Substitution,” easily one of the greatest and most prolifically sampled records ever. The list of Hip-Hop songs that straight ganked the “Substitution” break is extensive, so I’ll include only a handful of my favorites (De La Soul, Public Enemy, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah and Ultramagnetic MCs) below.

Worth noting, the great Bernard Purdie is the drummer on the record. A preview of a documentary Earl Holder and Peripheral Enterprises put together on Mr. Bliss after the vids. Rest In Peace.

Ol’ Dirty Bastard “Cuttin’ Headz” Produced by The RZA

De La Soul “Potholes In My Lawn” Produced by De La Soul & Prince Paul

Ghostface Killah “Mighty Healthy” Produced by Allah Mathematics

Ultramagnetic MCs “Ego Trippin’” Produced by Ced Gee and likely Paul C

Public Enemy Enemy “Don’t Believe Hype” Produced by The Bomb Squad

Melvin Bliss Documentary Trailer

Grand Puba X Public Enemy X Lynching

You can call it Grand Puba’s version of “Strange Fruit.” Eskay pointed out via Twitter that folks over at his Nah Right homestead were feeling a ways about the photo (1st pic below) Puba selected for his new single (“I See Dead People” f/ Rell & Lord Jamar).

No surprise there since lynching was such a horrendous fate for too many in the Jim Crow South. It’s not the first time such imagery has been used, though. Public Enemy used a photo of a lynching (2nd pic below) for the “Hazy Shade of Criminal” 12″ vinyl’s artwork. The song is from their Greatest Misses (1992) album.

Puba’s new album, Retroactive, drops June 23, via Babygrande.

Grand Puba "I See Dead People"

Public Enemy "Hazy Shade of Criminal"

Radio Raheem X Love & Hate X Robert Mitchum?

Who says the Internets can’t be educational? The homie Chuck Creekmur mentioned something about love = hate via Twitter and it motivated me look up Radio Raheem’s Love vs. Hate monologue from Do The Right Thing. Spike Lee got the NYC establishment’s panties in a bunch when he dropped this wonderful flick in ’89. I love the movie but ’til this day I can’t bear to watch its final 10-15 minutes. I won’t drop any spoilers but if for some odd reason you haven’t seen it; what are you thinking?

Oh yeah, the educational aspect of the above clip… I had no idea Spike ripped the concept from The Night of the Hunter. Might be worth checking out. Radio!

Black Steele in the Hour of Colbert

Vodpod videos no longer available.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele aka token whipping boy aka pwnd by Rush Limbaugh is looking more like soft copper daily. As for Colbert’s rhyming; thoroughly suspect but highly entertaining. And to think, Colbert’s middle name is Tyrone.

On a barely related note, a daily dose of Chuck D never hurt anybody, save for the suckas. Shout out to the pinstripe hoody. [spotted at Huffingtonpost Post via Comedy Central]