Exclusive: Von Pea- "Lookin' Fly" feat Don Will & Trackademicks

My Brooklyn-Bred homeboy Von Pea of Tanya Morgan is dropping a solo album. Expect more HNRL features on that thang...

Von Pea- "Lookin' Fly" feat. Donwill & Trackademicks (prod. by Von Pea)

Back[Track]in': Basia "Cruising For Bruising"

My mom used to listen to this Basia album all the time.

This song is unforgivingly sophisti-pop in sound and topic matter.

Off the top of my head, Basia second most important export from Poland, next to sausage. Bad jokes are in there somewhere as well.

Holllller!

Liner Notes: Joyo Velarde "Certain Special Way" (Trackademicks Remix)

I remember seeing her back in the day at the now defunct Maritime Hall performing her timeless song "Sweet Angels". Since then I always thought she had the craziest voice. Soulfully Operatic.

So when presented with the chance to do a remix for her upcoming project, I was excited. After listening to all the tracks, Tap and I thought "Certain Special Way" was the one I could flip the best.

My Idea for the remix was to bring it back to a cross between that "Champagne Soul" and that "Tender Knock" (as coined by Whiz and DJ Tap.10 ).

Not quite sure what that is exactly?

Just peep my verse in the remix:

The way I am, the way we are, keeps me thinking Rated-R/
Business for grown folks, no jokes and no games/
Wit you, aint gotta play at all, In it for the long haul/
Keep your body on call, I'll put out all these old flames/
Tie up these Loose Ends , Tell me am I premature/
I'm sendin' out an SOS , just give me what I'm feenin' for/
Let me make this Kleer, you hotter than a furnace/
I want your Juicy Fruit , this aint just on the Surface /
Let me ask, How Deep is Your Love /
You can whisper in my ear its a secret for us/
Wit you ain't no reason to play the field/
I'm sayin' for real, thats just the way I feel.

If you thought 808's were just a Reason refill, I'm here to tell you , tell you there's something more! If you've peeped my productions, then you know how important the the Roland TR-808's legacy is to me. And not just me, but all modern, electronic-based music as a whole.

And as far as "Champagne Soul" and "Tender Knock" we here in the HNRL have only touched the surface...

Grab the [RE]Mixtape Vol. 3 HERE!

Paramount Studios Jumpoff

I got a chance to get down with Kid Sister at Paramount Studios in LA for Billabong's Design For Humanity this past Thursday.



There were a lot of old and new homies in the spot to be including Them Jeans, Pase Rock, Rusko, Kesh to name a few...



Yeeee!!!

Do You Really Want It?

So I just finished listening to the sampler... This record is sounding crazy! UK in FULLLLLL effect.

via Fools Gold Blog

Fool’s Gold’s fresh coast representer Trackademicks is featured on Track #1 of Count & Sinden’s long awaited Mega Mega Mega LP, out this August. The final tracklist was revealed today, and you can check a teaser of their collab “Do You Really Want It” along with snippets of the rest of the LP on this new promo mix.

Tracklist:
1. Do You Really Want It – feat. Trackademicks
2. After Dark – feat. Mystery Jets
3. Desert Rhythm
4. Hardcore Girls – feat. Rye Rye
5. Roll Out – feat. 77 Klash
6. Elephant 1234
7. Hold me – feat. Katy B
8. Mega
9. Addicted To You – feat. Bashy
10. Panther
11. Llamamé – feat. Coolio Iglesias
12. You Make Me Feel So Good

Yeeeeeee!!!

The Trackademicks Process

The Trackademicks Process (Extended) from Dave The Dopeman on Vimeo.

Recorded live at the Band Room Oakland, Ca

Throwback video for those who haven't peeped.

Shout out to Dave the Dope Man at Touch The Magic Now"

Live at Live 105's BFD with Amp Live

Today I got to check out Temper Trap and catch Sweet Disposition"". Love that damn song. Shout out to Whiz for putting me up on game waaaaaay back.

I also had a chance to get down with Amp Live in promotion for his upcoming album "Murder at the Discotech" out June 15th. If you forgot, I'm featured on the lead off single, "Gary Is A Robot".

Get That.

Back[Track]in': Ras Kass "Miami Life"

I was just doing some CyberCrateDiggin' today and came across this instrumental one of the folders.

I used to slap this like everyday in high school.

So Fresh Coast.

The beat always sounded like cloudy day on Miami Beach. You know, where everyone is in their own world.

From the Old Folks to the Tourists to the Cocaine Cowboys.

A world where one man's paradise is another's purgatory.

It's funny because this song is off of the movie The Substitute. Never saw the movie, but it remember back then, troubled high school kid movies were all over; Dangerous Minds, High School High... LOL.

Personally I like 80's trouble kid teachers.

Joe Clark.
Jaime Escalante.
Rick Latimer.

Tangent over with.

Liner Notes: Zion I and Grouch "Lift Me Up" (Trackademicks Remix)

Previously on Trackademia...

Most people who know me would agree that I'm a mellow fellow. Chill for real. I have to attribute that to this Northern California lifestyle.

The Water.
The Mountains.
The Vibe.
The Communities.

Everything about it is real understated. Not over the top. Real Solid.

When I was approached by Amp Live and Om Records to do this remix, I was juiced to get the chance to reinterpret through my own stunnas. I basically wanted to represent that Northern California chill that many people feel when they visit.

When I hear this, I think of late afternoon when the sun's glare fills my eyes as I skate across the Bay Bridge...

Get my version right here.

AND

Grab the [RE]Mixtape Vol. 3 HERE!

Liner Notes: Wale "Ice Cream Girl" (Trackademicks Remix)

I love it when folks rep their city. Those who've let it permeate every piece of them till they're inseparable from it. Locality and region in music are getting lost more and more in the shuffle of today's Viacom/Clear Channel fed generation. Things are sounding the same. Regional colloquialisms are getting edged. New rappers seem to adopt the accent of whoever is on top of the charts. Many producers are copies of a copy. Shit is outta control.

I don't say this to say its all bad. There are a lot of good things going on; you just have to pay attention a little bit harder to get any substance though all the filler.

When I first heard of Wale putting the nation's capital on his back with his brand of hip-hop, I was all for it. DC isn't the first place people think of when hip-hop comes to mind. So when Wale dropped a Go-Go infused "Ice Cream Girl", I had to respect it.

This also meant, as a Bay Area representative, I had to bring it right back home with the remix. What else than to reference Dru Down's "Ice Cream Man" feat the Luniz. I borrowed first line of Yukmouth's verse for the hook. Originally I flipped Funkadelic's "Nappy Dugout" like Dru Down's, but decided to a create something Fresh(Coast) from scratch and jump on that thang.

Grab the [RE]Mixtape Vol. 3 HERE!

Liner Notes: Jazmine Sullivan "Need You Bad" (Trackademicks Remix)

The thing that got me really into remixing was the fact that you can take an artist's finished arrangement and interpret it in your own way. I've always tripped about how great songwriting lends it self to interpretation by many genres.

Ever since hearing "Lions, Tigers, & Bears, I've loved her voice. That track does a perfect job of supporting such a dynamic voice and message. "Need You Bad" carried the same weight vocally.

When I first considered remixing the original, I knew I wanted to "soften it up" a bit, while creating a sense of urgency and forward movement. The message of this song is so sincere. A cry of desperation. You don't want to drown out emotion like that, especially with a voice like Jazmine Sullivan's.

My decision to jump on the remix was both stylistic and personal. I was going through a similar situation at around that time. And in my experience, life is definitely the best inspiration. Nothing like it.

Something happens, we walk away/
But not too Far like Rockaway/
Both get mad, dont talk for days/
But somehow this ones not the same/
I hope you checked my blog today cause honestly I got a lot to say/
My heart it stays in chronic pain/
Like it got its name from Dr. Dre/
Between the fightin' and fussin' and cussin'/
and lustin' and lovin' and leavin'/
There's something I needed, believe it, I see it, I mean it/
I mean it seemed to me that we could reach the zenith or Eden/
No need to pretend, Its you I needed.

Oh yeah, P.S.

Somebody deserves a lecture for omitting the WAAJEED-produced "Without You" on the Fearless. Just sayin...

Grab the [RE]Mixtape Vol. 3 HERE!