Count Machuki is the originator of the style of music I have been doing lately.
He is also one of the earliest pioneers of modern day recorded Beatboxing (Vocal percussion is centuries old, and dates back to India/China, etc.).
Check the sound effects over the music. In the days of early Jamaican Ska, these sound effects were used to augment the rhythmic element of a track. Machuki referred to them as “peps”.
Count Machuki was a mobile disc jockey who would recite humorous rhymes over records as he spun them. This became an important element of the soundsystem culture. It was derived from American radio disc jockeys whose broadcasts reached Jamaica. The style would eventually make its return to America in the form of Rap music, and become the most prevalent element of Hip-Hop culture.
Currently every rapper or Reggae singer owes a debt of gratitude to Count Machuki, who was ultimately ill rewarded for his efforts, and walked away from the music industry. As he was primarily a live performer, he very seldom recorded himself. Any original vinyl of his however, is in great demand, and can be priced in the hundreds.
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So many happy people at shows… and then a few haters. It’s always the bullies who think you won’t turn and deal with them.
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Dominique Rowland is a nice guy, a pretty good songwriter, but really nothing special for stage. MC ZULU is a circus clown with too much testosterone who will command a crowd’s attention at all costs.
Things are great now…. but I come from the days of not getting billed, or not getting paid, sometimes both. I would open a veritable Pandoras Box of self-promotion tricks… swinging machetes on stage, antagonizing everyone in attendance (especially hecklers) maybe even pull the damn fire alarm.
I have changed my ways somewhat, but unqualified critics who pretend to offer well-intentioned advice,
}} By All Means, hop YOUR SORRY ASS up on stage, and show me how it’s done, son.
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Tune in next time as I give CERTAIN MAGAZINES, (who commonly OMIT my name from projects I am featured on) DETAILED instructions on how to go out of business, evacuate their offices, and set their buildings on fire..
These cameras are just that damn good. No I am not being sponsored either. The Canon Powershot series… perfect for concert footage, random vacation shots and sexy bedroom scenes alike (I’m just saying); at this point I have purchased 4 of them.
#1 Lost in London.. Either on the train or confiscated by agents of Heathrow airport security
#2 Dropped in the ocean in Australia. I was going for a wave type beach shot.. I’m a dumbass
#3 Fell when the tripod was accidentally tipped over… No further comment
Canon knows what they have, with the low-light sensitivity and HD video, so they upgraded a little and almost doubled the price.
Hoping like crazy to keep up with this new one…
I hate the default Quicktime but still… Good enough to repurchase
I kinda kept it under wraps, but I have been conducting a search for a hype man to join me on stage… I believe that search is over.
(shouts to Bijan for the link)
ALSO BIG NEWS.. Congratulations to POIRIER and FACE-T for their 2010 JUNO nomination!! “Wha La La Leng” for Best Reggae Recording Of The Year!
The song made its debut on the Soca Sound System E.P. (Ninja Tune)
I am seriously happy for these kids, and I hope they win. For you Imperialist, American, capitalist, DOGS (oh dayum) who don’t even KNOW what a Juno is… It’s CANADA’S version of a Grammy..! OK..!?.. MAN, Get WITH it!
OK I admit…… I didn’t have a fkn CLUE either, until my friends were nominated.
SO WHAT? I still believe this takes my average up a little, you “being the company you keep” and all..
It won’t be long NOW, before I’m telling everyone at parties how.. I .. WON an OSCAR, AND a GRAMMY, all on the same NIGHT..!….. but <uuumm>yeah,baby <ahem> you know …uh.. it was up there in Canada.
OK… NO willpower whatsoever to take my tired azz into this gym.
The song in the deck: The General by Jah Dan.
I have been in the lot for half an hour. The problem is that there is a Dunkin Donuts right around the corner. Nobody is perfect.
Big respect to people getting the latest music I have been putting out. (the one above is not mine… but I RATE That one deh) .. ALSO Thank you also for your kind messages. Really I want to uplift musically.
Anyway I will probably take a nap and go inside later. Much love to you all.
This is a party in England – Ruffneck Diskotek, playing the song “Hyped Up” out now on Steakhouse Records. Grass roots parties with people having a good time is always where the fun is. Large Up Monkey Steak.!
On tour in Australia, I met Aloe Blacc. He was touring with Mya Jupiter, and DJ’ing her music. Since he wasn’t on the bill as a headliner.. NATURALLY I treated him badly and hated on him every chance I got.
Well now I’m really going to regret that, because his song “I Need A Dollar” has been named as the THEME SONG for a new HBO production, “How To Make It In America”..!
Actually you probably realize that is not at all how it went down in Australia..
Aloe Blacc – FIRST OF ALL… He is Panamanian…. BIGGG IT UUUUP..!
I heard someone singing pitch-perfect Salsa / Merengue tunes in Spanish when I was backstage. I had to go see who it was, because it was well wicked. It turned out to be a Stones Throw Records soul singer named Aloe Blacc; there as part of the great Mya Jupiter’s show.
Maya Jupiter, Aloe Blacc and a badazz Flamenco, Mariachi guitarist Victor Valdes played live instruments, Hip-Hop & Dancehall breaks, and even incorporated an Iron Butterfly bassline (the one Nas sampled). This was worked into a set that touched on music from every corner of the globe.
After getting to know their crew, there was a small mention about the possibilities with Aloe and HBO, but you never know until you sign the contracts, and the show is running. I am glad to see that opportunity was waiting for him once he touched back down in L.A.
As of late I have been playing sound system style concerts with POIRIER. Sometimes we get an audience that does not really understand Dancehall culture. Too much [[(Insert ANY Dancehall Name Here) Banton]] and the dancefloor just might thin out. Before I reach the point of cursing the crowd of lazy, drug addled youth back to the stone age, POIRIER will put on one of his tracks, and all is well. This instrumental EP is another pre cursor to his epic “Running High” double album, which will be released on the Ninja Tune label.
I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed the evolution of Dubstep from its Jungle roots firsthand. Producers turned themselves on to the new style of music which had obvious origins in Reggae. Sure there were some die hard conversion refusals, but in my humble opinion, few producers have made such a seamless transition as LionDub. He has gone from producing Drum & Bass breaks/dubs of pretty much every luminary in the Dancehall game, to co-producing JahDan’s timeless DubStep “General” track with Matt Shadetek. This latest project with Marcus Visionary is released on Lioindub’s label, and also features the vocal talents of my good friend Satori.
Somehow… the powers that be in the universe have aligned, and I snagged a feature (Not This Song) on the forthcoming album by Saul Williams Producer / Trent Reznor collaborator / Kanye West sometimes DJ / aka CX Kidtronik. In real life he is absolutely iconic, introspective and crazy as hell. Actually it was producer/artist David Last who told me to send him a 16 bar verse. CX proceeded to cut, and twist the vocals into something that will NOT be recognizable by even my mother, but it is so much fun you just have to laugh. In Chicago Saul Williams had a concert with some of the holdover, Old School Wannabe Hip-Hop Haters in attendance (The usual “Reggae Is Played Out / You Ain’t Even Jamaican” contingent). Taking the stage with CX, Tchaka Diallo and Saul Williams to perform my small part, was a nice, quick middle finger to all of them.
GERMANY:
We left Switzerland and landed in Berlin with an hour to be on stage (in Leipzig).
The driver took a wrong turn, and had to make up for time.
Made it to the Splash Festival with three minutes to spare, had to jump directly on. No time for camera setup, and I had to change backstage. Still managed to get shoutouts from one of my favorite acts, Toddla T and Serocee after the set.
You might know Toddla T and Serocee from this absolute JAM… If not get acquaintedd.d!
Serocee has also done work with Bassment Jaxx, and routinely tours with South Rakkas Crew. As they would say… “Big In The Game”.
Maga Bo always seems to get next to some of the more interesting people in music. This time he sits down with Ghislain Poirier to discuss music philosophy. Pay attention to the part where he says he [has no interest in being 'REAL'... REAL does not exist].
… To me that is the TAO of DJ / Producing. You can still serve a purpose (regardless what it is) without being singleminded in your pursuits.
If I catch you being a lazy slug in the front row of my shows I will shamelessly berate you. Drug-addled lethargy is for back stage http://www.twitter.com/mczulu
