DJ 3rd Degree’s
Fire Pick of the Week
Week of July 24, 2017
Back on the new music tip as
the summer starts to heat up!
Got a brand new track for ya this week that is for sure going to blaze up your eardrums and have turntables burning!
Bodega Is The Crew!
Bet you’ll be chantin’ that once you finish listening to the new release from The Bodega Brovas, “Bodega Is The Crew” (White Label). Produced by CL Burrough and sampling Janet Jackson’s “When I Think Of You”, the fellas bring back some of that fun missing from today’s rap world.
The three MC’s that comprise Bodega hail from different parts of the U.S. — Headkrack from the Bronx, Keynote from Dallas and Travii the 7th from Chicago. Each of them bring different flavors and their own style to the track, lyrically dancing on the dance floor jam.
I always look forward to what The Bodega Brovas bring to the table and this one Did Not Disappoint!
This is a hot track and I encourage you to
go grab it for your playlists!
Til next week . . . Peace!!
DJ 3rd Degree
I KNOW YOU GOT SOUL!
Legendary San Diego DJ from KCR radio and original member of Nasty-Nes’ Rap Attack Lives conference call panel, Mike Soul aka Michael Onz & I digging in Chicago. Vato Locos for life. We go back over 20 years and over those 2 decades I've made not only friends but people who are family to me. He did in San Diego what I and many other DJ's did in our cities. We played great Hip Hop on our radio shows.
I always look forward to connecting with him. We drove around Chicago listening to this past week’s "Dedicated" show and he gave the thumbs up approval.
Thank you my brother for being who you are.
DJ 3rd Rail (WNUR-Chicago)
FLASHBACK!
NASTY-NES & SWAY CALLOWAY B-BOY SUMMIT PANEL
Dedication to
Fresh Kid Ice of 2 Live Crew
Christopher Wong Won (May 29, 1964 – July 13, 2017), better known by his stage name Fresh Kid Ice, was born in the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. At 12, he moved to Brooklyn, New York and attended school in the city. After high school, he enlisted and spent 4 years in the Air Force. That took him to Riverside, CA in the early 80’s, where he met Amazing Vee and Mr. Mixx. Together, they formed the group 2 Live Crew.
In 1984, 2 Live Crew established their own label, Fresh Beat Records, and recorded their first 12” single. The A side was “The Revelation” while the B side was “What Is This”. Both were electro-rap records that became successful in Miami, Florida. That success led the group, minus Amazing Vee, to move to Miami and perform.
During 1986, Brother Marquis joined the group and they recorded what would become some of the most amazing music to come out of Miami’s growing hip-hop community. Songs like “Throw That D” and “Ghetto Bass” not only helped popularize the Miami bass sound but it started Luke Skyywalker Records and the group’s run into stardom.
Fresh Kid Ice is known as one of Hip Hop culture’s first Asian rappers.
The group has numerous smash hits and will always be remembered for being the first group to ever have the government label their music ‘obscene’.
He passed away suddenly this past July 13th and will be sorely missed.
Our heartfelt condolences to his family and to all of his friends.
Thank you for the music!
May you rest in peace, forever!
DJ 3rd Degree, Nes and the Rap Attack DJ crew salute you!
NASTY-NES REMEMBERS
FRESH KID ICE
by Nasty-Nes
In the early 80's there were two Asians that were well known in Hip Hop — me, Nasty-Nes (NASTYMIX Records/Sir Mix-A-Lot) & Fresh Kid Ice (The 2 Live Crew). I remember being on the road with Mix-A-Lot & fans would see me & think I was Fresh Kid Ice! Well, as the saying goes “We All Look Alike” right? LOL Wrong! Same thing happened with Fresh Kid Ice.
As Mix-A-Lot's DJ, I was fortunate to perform at several shows in Miami with The 2 Live Crew. Luke & I were good friends but it was great getting to know a fellow Asian aka “The Chinaman”, a rarity in the early era of Hip Hop.
I would run into Fresh Kid Ice at various music conferences, like the Jack The Rapper conference in Atlanta, and our relationship grew stronger.
The last time I saw him was about a year ago in Long Beach at the Freestyle Show on the Queen Mary.
Hard to believe that almost 30 years had passed since we first met.
Around 1985, I remember playing “Throw That D” on Seattle's KFOX Radio.
I had to edit the track but the request lines were ringing off the hook for that single.
For Fresh Kid Ice and The 2 Live Crew, the rest is history.
He was only 53 when he passed.
(R.I.P.) Christopher Wong Won aka Fresh Kid Ice.
! ! ATTENTION DJs ! !
If you'd like to interview the following reality TV stars
on your show, hit up DJ 3rd Degree at:
TheRealDJ3rdDegree@gmail.com
Swift ( Love & Hip Hop New York)
Bonnie Godiva (Wildin Out)
Aja (Basketball Wives)
! ! ATTENTION DJs ! !
DJ's can I get you to do a Video drop from your phone or Go Pro for artist G-Rod & PB?
Here's the script:
"This is dj ________ on (call letters)
and we rocking/ playing that Barz record.
Shout out to G-rod & PB!”
Plz send it to: nastynes1@aol.com
JAY-Z 4:44 ALBUM REVIEW by: DJ 3rd Degree
June 30, 2017 marked the return of Jay Z, one of the rap game’s greatest MC’s, and his new album 4:44. Considering the majority of music released in this genre in the past year, the rap world felt a shift. Aside from Kendrick Lamar, the main stream has not seen the likes of work that Jay just put out. Released exclusively on Tidal and for Sprint customers, Jay’s album is his 13th studio release and entirely produced by No I.D. Having one producer on an album is rare these days as most artists utilize the talents of numerous producers on their albums. This highlights one of the shifts I mentioned above.
Let’s dive in and explore the album.
To open an album with a song with this title would be daunting for most. Jay isn’t like most though. Over a beautifully constructed beat, Jay talks about how people talk about him in the public and social media worlds. One of the key lines on this song is, “F… running with everyone is what you saying, but if everyone is crazy, that means you’re the one that’s insane”. This is a nice track with which to open the Jay Z show episode 13.
Track 2: The Story of O.J.
This song, of all the ones on the album, is probably the darkest one. No I.D. samples the great vocalist Nina Simone’s “Four Women”, with her voice saying “My skin is black”. Jay talks about how black America is still dealing with the war on the culture by white America. This is a wonderfully produced track and it allows Jay to speak deeply while the racism in our country is still burning. This is a strongly written track by J and is really one of the best ones on the album.
Track 3: Smile
This track, featuring Gloria Carter, opens with a quick sample of the great Stevie Wonder’s “Love is in need of love today”. On this track, Jay is a lyricist for adults, not kids. He writes, “a loss ain’t a loss, it’s a lesson.” True indeed! This song is a lot about taking life into your own hands and making dreams come true — your dreams, not someone else’s dreams.
No I.D.’s production reaches new bouncing heights on this track. This song has a playful fun vibe to it but Jay isn’t playing games with anyone here. Jay does not write for those unable to open their minds to deep lyrics. I think this song highlights some of Hova’s strong lyrical styles and, he does not disappoint the listeners.
Track 5: 4:44
The title track is next. The opening begins with a sample from “Hannah Williams and the Affirmations' "Late Nights and Heart Breaks". A beautiful vocal then gets rocked with some boom bap drums that Jay jumps all over. This track has numerical significance for Jay and his family. This is the first album for J in 4 years. His birthday is on the 4th of December while Beyonce’s birthday is September 4th and her Mother’s birthday on January 4th. And former President Obama was America’s 44th president. Quite a lot of significance there.
Track 6: Family Feud
Sampling The Clark Sister’s song “Hey Ya” opens track 6 with some off beat drums finding its way on the track. Jay goes in about him and Queen B being two billionaires, which is better than just one.
Using a very well known dancehall sample from Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam”, this song is a chance for Hovato to let everyone know that he still runs the rap game and takes no prisoners.
Track 8: Moonlight
No I.D. does a beautiful job sampling The Fugees “Fu-Gee-La” on this beat. Real heads will recognize it but the average listener will not readily know this song uses that sample. I think Jay is referring to a lot of the new-school rappers on this song. You really hear him talking about how they all have similar flows and he can’t tell any of them apart. For our Los Angeles readers, he shouts out Calabasas on this one.
Track 9: Marcy Me
This song is a recognition of where Jay grew up and went from Shawn Carter to Jay Z. No I.D. does another wonderful job with the construction of this track, using Quarteto 1111’s “odo O Mundo E Ninguem” and speeding it up.
Track 10: Legacy
This song opens with a sample of Jay’s kid saying “Daddy, what’s a will?”. This song ends the album in a wonderful way, with Jay talking about how to take care of you and yours. Sampling Donny Hathaway’s “Someday we’ll all be free” gives this track such a wonderful soulful feeling.
This album is well produced and very well written.
It’s not something commercial radio will probably embrace
but true Hip Hop heads should for sure Go Get It!
RAP ATTACK's OG outta Iowa, DJ Commando has officially launched his new online radio station KNHB. Download his mobile app- KNHB Radio IA or listen live online at http://www.knhbradio.com.
Albert Johnson (November 2, 1974 – June 20, 2017), better known by his stage name Prodigy, was an American rapper who,
together with Havoc, formed the Hip Hop duo Mobb Deep.
Mobb Deep is one of those rap groups that will live forever in the hearts and minds of those who love this art form. Why?
Because they were real, and they brought that realness to their music.
Prodigy came from musical lineage. His grandfather and great-uncle were prominent jazz musicians from the be-bop era. His father was part of the doo-wop group The Chanters. His mother was part of The Crystals. And his great-great-great grandfather founded Morehouse College, a prominent black college in Georgia.
In 1995, Mobb Deep started their journey and hit us with a classic album titled “The Infamous”. Even at their young age, both Prodigy and Havoc showed how lethal they were with their lyrical skills. Tracks like “Survival Of The Fittest” and “Shook Ones” made us understand that this duo was going to be a force to be reckoned with for a long-time. And they have been that force.
When we lose someone like Prodigy, it hurts.
It hurts because he died too soon.
He had more to give us. We will always be rocking his joints,
maybe now louder than we used to.
Our heartfelt condolences to his family,
his partner in rhyme Havoc and to all of his friends.
Thank you for the music!
May you rest in peace, forever!
DJ 3rd Degree, Nes and the Rap Attack DJ crew salute you!
Raymond T & Nes
D-Tragic & Sir-T
Urban Network Panel
Urban Network
Various Pix
Narcotic, Andye, Nes & OSP (Syrka Records)
The High Children
Nes, The High Children & DJ 3rd Degree (Nes, Jayson, Tim, Jamal)
Tiara Asia (Krayzie Bone’s daughter) & Nes
Nes & BeatDatTrakk
Macola Records is BACK!
The original West coast record label that launched a grip of West coast Hip Hop 12”s & albums back in the early 80's is back!
2017 West Coast Rap Pioneer DJ Flash recently purchased the Legendary Los Angeles Old School "Macola Record Co." label. Macola was the first to manufacture & distribute well-known artists like Eazy E., Uncle Jams Army, King T., Ice T, Timex Social Club, NWA, Egyptian Lover, Unknown DJ, Sir Mix-A-Lot and many others.
Macola is currently in negotiations with INgrooves to handle vinyl and CD reissues. Electro Hip Hop innovater Rich Cason's Greatest Hits is set to be the first release on the newly revamped Macola Label. Release date is slated for July 1, 2017.
Kritta, Nasty-Nes & DJ 3rd Degree at the Peace & Kindness Festival.
(above) Kritta was in the WRSU building at New Jersey's Rutgers University over the weekend paying respects to Ahsan The Golden Child!
Kritta continued his hustle at WPRB, Princeton University
with DJ Phil Jackson. (below)
Look who’s “Diggin in The Crates!” - none other than Chicago's DJ 3rd Rail from WNUR!
Nasty Nes and 3rd Rail
DJ’s Surge, 3rd Rail and Nasty Nes
DJ 3rd Rail, DJ 3rd Degree and Nasty Nes
DJ 3rd Rail and DJ 3rd Degree
DOES COLLEGE RADIO MATTER?
by Jessica Weber (Co-Sign)
Radioland
I don’t have to tell you all this, but since Pitchfork asked —
yes, College Radio matters.
I know, CMJ didn’t publish a chart last week, the Music Marathon didn’t happen last year and CMJ’s direction has become a question mark . . . but, so what?
Let’s be real: CMJ’s charts provide a great snapshot of what’s happening week to week nationwide, but it’s been a minute since they’ve been THE voice of College Radio.
More importantly, the impact a station has on its community and fans doesn’t have a thing to do with whether or not a trade magazine exists.
Honestly, people have been asking whether or not radio still matters since the early 2000s when I started in the music business as a College Radio Promoter.
The answer has always been the same. Yes.
As music lovers, you already know radio isn’t the only way to hear new records anymore, and it never will be again. This is OK! These days, technology allows all media to be consumed in many different ways (thankfully!), and often with so little intention. So to all my independent radio stations out there in the world, I say this makes you stronger.
Regardless of format, listening to your local radio station is not a purely utilitarian exercise so much as a conscious choice. People are tuning in because listeners know
that YOU fuel and enable music discovery.
This means you’re tied directly into an open, engaged, local and loyal audience of music consumers and fans, not to mention donors and volunteers. They are hungry to contribute and be a part of something meaningful, and support an outlet rooted in community. Work that!
That being said, and I say this with love, there’s always room to step up our game, College Radio. And to be totally clear, I’m not saying don’t report to CMJ. I’m saying do that, and more.
Stations have to find new ways to trumpet the amazing things they're doing with bands and labels to the rest of the world, beyond charts. So, continue investing in your station’s community by building with your local record stores plus the venues and publications you love
to create a truly meaningful local network.
And most important — get to know your listeners. These are your people! Keep investing, grow awareness for your station in your market and become an essential mouthpiece for your market.
Don’t ever forget — you are a powerful amplifier. Your audience, your community and your format have a voice. And remember we need to continue working to find new and innovative ways to amplify our voices and provide more for our listeners, our community and the artists we believe in.
Jessica Weber
Founder - co-sign
http://www.co-sign.com
I am honored to be on the West Coast Board of Directors reppin' the upcoming Universal Hip Hop Museum about to be built in the Bronx, New York. The latest meeting at the JW Marriot hotel sponsored by Microsoft was a day full of reconnecting with friends & legends:
Lonzo (World Class Wrekin Kru), Arabian Prince (NWA) Kurtis Blow, Rocky Bucano, Captain Rapp, King Tee, Hen Gee (Ice-T), Scotty-D Spencer, Tomica Wright (Eazy-E), MellowMan Ace, Douglas Young, Medusa, Krayzie Bone, JRo (Tha Liks), Lisa Thomas, Tiffany Gaines, DJ Cli-N-Tel, Silky-D
& more!
Nasty-Nes
UHHM Group
Lonzo World Class Wrekin Crew
King Tee
Arabian Prince NWA
Kurtis Blow
Tomica Wright
J-Ro
Medusa
"RAP ATTACK” made its debut on PowersRadio.com
with DJ's Nasty-Nes & 3rd Degree.
"RAP ATTACK” airs every Sunday from 7pm-9pm (pst) on www.powersradio.com.
ALL our shows will be archived here on RapAttackLives.com.
The Force behind The Rap Attack show, Sunday nights on www.powersradio.com.
(L-R): Arash Haile aka Ay-Rash (the BEST engineer in the 818 who makes our show sound 110% Fresh),
Nasty-Nes aka The Original Crazy Pinoy (38 years deep on the MIC & wheels) &
DJ 3rd Degree (my spiritual brother who adds a lot of Hip Hop flavor & personality to the show)!
This is my WINNING TEAM for 2017 . . .
very blessed & thankful.
Episode 11 of "Can You Dig It!?" podcast features Mr Supreme &
DJ TopSpin in a one-on-one exclusive interview with
Seattle's Godfather of Hip Hop radio, DJ Nasty-Nes!
The Biggest Podcast
(click pix to read, click to get back)
During my past 36 years in the biz, I've been interviewed many times over &
I never get tired of sharing my story!
Recently, I did one of the BEST interviews ever in "The Biggest" podcast show,
hosted by Miguel Rockwell & Joe Hawkins!
You'll hear how I learned to DJ, who taught me and how I became an on-air radio personality. How I met Mix-A-Lot, my first encounter with Mix at the Boys club with Ed Locke (we were the only 2 Asians in the bldg), who started NASTYMIX Records and where the name NASTYMIX came from.
How I still feel so bad (yes, to this day) about getting kicked out of Seattle Prep high school — I reveal what I did & why it was so wrong — and about losing my mom to cancer when I was 18.
How I got to be on Eazy-E's "Radio," my history with Jerry Heller & The World Class Wrekin Cru, my history at 1250 KFOX in 1980 and the FreshTracks show intro
from The Emerald Street Boys to Sir Mix-A-Lot.
Why I got fired at KFOX, how KCMU Rap Attack started in 1988 on the condition that Shockmaster Glen Boyd would be my co-host and the birth of KUBE 93's HotMix on Sat night with NUMBER ONE ratings.
Plus you'll hear rare recordings of me on KFOX & KCMU and two original Quick mixes I did featuring Sir Mix-A-Lot, Eazy-E & NWA and yes, allllllllllllll pre-Serato!
A solid 90 minutes with Seattle's Original MasterMixer & Crazy Pinoy . . . And MORE!
Enjoy!
KCMU RAP ATTACK #FBF 1988
(click for more, click to get back)
KCMU RAP ATTACK #FBF 1988: I found this on You Tube — a rare recording of two of my very first RAP ATTACK radio shows aired in 1988. The first link is about 37 min long & you can hear my MasterMix around 10min 30 sec into it. Both aired on 90.3FM KCMU, 28 years ago.
I was fired from KFOX in April of 1988 as the station was sold & they made it clear to me that the new KFOX would NOT play RAP/Hip Hop anymore.
KCMU, based on the UW campus, offered me a Sunday night slot around July of 1988 to keep KFOX FRESHTRACKS on the air. I accepted the offer, went from AM to FM in 3 months & renamed my show KCMU RAP ATTACK.
I wanted this show to sound just as good as if you're listening to a Casey Kasem American Top 40 show or any professional sounding show you'd hear on commercial radio. I didn't want to just yell on a mic & say my name in a mix or during the show so I invested $$$ in getting Professional Custom Voice Over Drops. I also made my own Drops & the rest is Seattle Hip Hop HISTORY!
Here it is from 1988 (28 years ago) yours truly, NASTY-NES on KCMU RAP ATTACK!
(click to get back)
PEACE, LOVE & HIP-HOP UNITY
(God Bless & Isa Mahal),
Nasty-Nes
www.FaceBook.com/NastyNes
www.twitter.com/nastynes1
PINOYPRIDE4LIFE / JOHN 3:16