Without sounding like an old man whos losing his marbles (I’m 33 this week), sometimes it’s good to re-visit the classics. In this world of X-Factor mania, and “skin feeling visibly younger”, sometimes you need to cut out the nonsense and go back to basics.. Every once in a while we all need reminding that quality should always be the watch-word.

Which is what we’re doing here.

Here’s an exclusive mix from Blunt Buddy (and blood brother to our own Doug) Prolifik, in memory of the late J Dilla.

Quite simply, it’s some on-point hip hop and soul, perfect for the current sunshine we’re having. I know this mix is a couple of years old, but it’s always good to take something like this back off ice once in a while and give it a listen. Remind yourself whats important. In this case it’s slick rhyming and tight snares, deep beats and soulful breaks, in tribute to the man, J Dilla. Not Ant and Dec talking to some dizzy bird who wants to be Mariah Carey, or some daft fecker in lycra who fancies himself as Michael Jackson on roller skates.

So, take the advice of this old man. Pour the Kool-Aid, pitch up on the stoop, hit play, and transport yourself back to the good old days, with some smooth beats from one of the best producers who was ever in the game. A full tracklisting is below.

1. Intro – ‘Coastin’ (Taken from Vintage)
2. Think Twice – Jay Dee (Welcome to Detroit)
3. Fall N Love (Dilla remix) – Slum Village (Fantastic Volume II)
4. 4 Moms – Jay Dee (A.T.C.Q – The Love Movement)
5. Dime Piece Remix – Dwele (The Shining)
6. Time: Donut of the heart – Jay Dee (Donuts)
7. Untitled – Slum Village (Fantastic Voulme II)
8. Inside My Love – Minnie Ripperton
9. What Love Is (Alternative) – Slum Village (Fantastic Vol. II)
10. You Cant Hold The Torch – Busta Rhymes ft. Q-Tip (The Big Bang)
11. No Liver Than This – 1st Down
12. Track 10 – Jay Dee (BEAT CD ‘05 *3)
13. Lets Take it Back – J Dilla (ruff Draft EP)
14. Clap Your Hands – Guilty Simpson (Chrome Children)
15. Outro (MED – Push)

Marcus, Adam and myself put together four hours of funk, soul, nujazz and afrobeat for your listening pleasure, with a spattering of DnB and dubstep. Grab the download while you can (before next Thursday), and check the tracklisting below.

Part 1 – Marcus G Hurley

1. Something Special – Max Sedgley (Jalapeno)
2. Let It Blow – Dazz Band (Motown)
3. Happyness – A Skillz (?)
4. Money Inc. – Mr Konfuse (Nova-Gain)
5. Azua Azua – Deela (Switchstance)
6. Funk For Me – DJ Asparagus (GAMM)
7. Afro Elements – Aroop Roy (Fresh Out Of The Box)
8. Oh Why – Defkline & Red Polo (Hot Cakes)
9. Flat Toes – Defkline & Red Polo (Booty Breaks)
10. Twang Banger – A Skillz (Insane Bangers)
11. All This Lovin’ – Gwen McRae (?)
12. Funky White Brother – Featurecast (Good Groove)
13. How Is The Party – Funk Thomas (Good Groove)
14. Punk Rolla – Grape Vine (?)
15. Pro Nails (Rusko rmx) – Kid Sister (Fools Gold)
16. Cockney Thug – Rusko (Sub Soldiers)
17. Darkside – Unknown (dub)
18. Swagga – Datsik & Excision (dub)

Part 2 – Adam Williams

1. Wu Tang – Method Man (Wu)
2. Live Sciences – Purple Zones (?)
3. Ain’t It Funky – James Brown (Polydor)
4. You Can Do It Baby – George Benson (Giant Step)
5. Carnaval De São Vicente (Jazzy Carnival mix) – Cesaria Evora (Lusafrica)
6. Infinite Rhythm – Afro Mystik (Om)
7. Attend! – ?
8. Brick House – MoD & Staffan Thorsell (Purple Music)
9. We Love This Music – Soulmagic (Purple Music)
10. Everyday – Central Living (Naked Music)
11. It’s Complete – Atjazz (Collision)
12. Fish – Mr Scruff (Ninja Tune)
13. In The Picture – The Underwolves (Compost)
14. The Sea – Saint Etienne (Heavenly)
15. Travellin’ Man – Syncopix (Hospital)
16. Natty Dread – Defidom (white)

Part 3 – Doug

1. African Rhythms (intro) – Oneness Of Juju (Shekere)
2. Funky In The Middle – Nickodemus ft. Jay Rodriguez & Ticklah (Eighteenth Street Lounge Music)
3. Psychedelic Woman (Bonobo rmx) – Honny & The Bees Band (Soundway)
4. Blow Your Horn – Quantic ft. Ohmega Watts (Tru Thoughts)
5. Why Me – Kinny & Horne (Tru Thoughts)
6. Take Me Back From Piaui (Dubben mix)- Bigga Bush (Stereo Deluxe)
7. Afrobeatnik – Gecko Turner (Love Monk)
8. Zuzukus People (Lightning Head remix) – Bigga Bush (Stereo Deluxe)
9. Mister Sinister (original Kokolo mix) – Kokolo Afrobeat Orchetra (Jamayka)
10. We Dey Suffa – Oghene Kologbo & Afrobeat Academy
11. Ilegal – Couscous Party (Love Monk)
12. Mother Earth (LP version) – Lanu (Tru Thoughts)
13. Power Brain (Hi-Perspective rmx) – Franck Biyong ft. Wunmi (Love Monk)
14. Don’t Follow Fashion – Oghene Kologbo & Afrobeat Academy (MK2)
15. Can’t Buy Me – Femi Kuti (UWE)
16. Ye Ye De Smell – Fela Kuti & Africa 70 (Universal)
17. Bukom Mashie (Quantic remix) – Oscar Sulley & The Uhuru Dance Band (Bottletop)

If you weren’t able to make it down to Bar Absolute in Hitchin last Friday, fear not! We got the while night in the can and it will be revisited in tonight’s Soulfood show.

Tune in from 8pm to catch sets from Morroco, Marcus Hurley and myself. Spanning hip hop, nu-jazz, funk, breaks, electro and DnB, it was a top night of tunes. Don’t miss out a second time!

I think we all agree a change is good once in a while. Even if it’s just your socks…Foot hygiene issues aside, it’s healthy to change the norm now and again.

The rambling point of this post (and rather rubbish sock reference), is to let you weblanders know that we’re taking transmission of tonight’s live radio show out of the smoky confines of Blunt HQ, and into Bar Absolute (in Hitchin, Hertfordshire) for the evenings proceedings. It’s fair to say that Bar Absolute has comfier seats and a better range of spirits than we currently have here at Blunt HQ, and they probably empty their ashtrays more often, so we’re glad they’re letting us come over for the night! (“thank you”…)

As advertised, tonight’s show will be another infamous “Groundbeat” session. Expect lots of chilled-out, jazz-influenced beats from across the genres, live from 8pm UK time. DJs will include Blunt residents, and Adam Williams, who returns to the fold once more as tonight’s guest DJ.

If you’re in the area, feel free to pop down to Bar Absolute to say hello, treat yourself to a Campari and Lucozade, and kick back to some live sounds from the family Blunt, from 8pm through until midnight.

If you’re not lucky enough to be nearby, then you can of course listen live to the whole 4 hour session via our radio page from 8pm tonight. You can do this in the comfort of your own home, without even having to change your socks. (“Socks!!! See?? I knew I’d get there in the end! Erm….I’m off for a siesta now.”)

Blunt beats radio presents Groundbeat live from Bar Absolute, with special guest Adam Williams. Live from 8pm UK time – Wednesday 20th January. www.bluntbeats.com/radio

Kit Knows brought us a heavyweight rap version of fLako’s beattape The First Spaceshit On The Moon (released spring 2009). All tracks have been transformed into full length, fully-fledged songs. By keeping the original track names and recording vocals thoughtful he kept the original flavour and made the beattape grow into something complete. Listen to the track below or download it, and more glitchy hip hop goodness, from Kwatro.info.

fLako & Kit Knows – Welcome (Remake) by kwatro.info

This is a full length album which may introduce Kit Knows to you and brings a new dimension to fLako’s First Spaceshit On The Moon.

We’re back on air at 8pm tonight, with the return of our Allsorts show. 4 hours of musical wanderings from across the genres, as chosen by Blunt residents Agent M and the Erbalist. This show is like Ronseal. It does exactly what it says on the tin (but it tastes nicer…)

Blunt Beats radio presents Allsorts. Sets from Blunt residents Agent M and the Erbalist. Live from 8pm UK time Wednesday 6th January. www.bluntbeats.com/radio

Well, it is, frankly.

Instead of some seasonal pastry and Christmas CD, tune in tonight to our deep-fried, full fat, brandy-soaked Soul Food radio show. It’s far tastier. I’m sure even Delia would agree.

Live from 8pm UK time tonight, Santa’s (not so) little helpers Agent M and the Erbalist will be dishing up man-sized portions of soul, funk, hip hop, and all manner of dusty ghetto breaks.

Just the thing for a dice game on the stoop. (But, I wouldn’t bother with that in this weather….you’ll turn into a bloody snowman.)

Blunt Beats Radio presents Soul Food. Live from 8pm UK time Wednesday 23rd December. Music from Blunt Residents Agent M and the Erbalist. www.bluntbeats.com/radio

Here’s the tracklistings from last nights AFRO show. Super banging party music for 4 hours, ranging from Acid to Dubstep to Death Metal (!!!), and back again….

Many thanks to our special guest DJ Akira , keeping things random for an hour and 20.. cheers mate!

As usual, you can grab this from the Radio page for the next 7 days… enjoy!

Part 1 – Agent M

1. Give A Little Love – Nookie (Daddy Armshouse)
2. Infiltrate 202 – Altern8 (Network)
3. Subsurround – Orlando Bourne (Ignitor)
4. The Funk Part 2 – Orlando Bourne (Ignitor)
5. Unknown (White Label) – Unknown Artist (Arcola)
6. Impersonator – Newton (Maschine)
7. Aftermath – Nightmares On Wax (Warp Records)
8. Domain (Pierre’s Late Night Wild Pitch Mix) – E Smith Jnr (Spank Spank)
9. Acid Trax – Phuture (Trax)
10. Rise From Your Grave – Phuture (Trax)
11. Wet Wendy – DJ Rocca & 5th Suite (Functional Breaks)
12. We R Ie – Lenny De Ice (IE Records)
13. Way In My Brain – SL2 (XL Recordings)
14. Lock Up (Monolith Mix) – Zero B (London Records)
15. Bomb Scare – 2 Bad Mice (Moving Shadow)

Part 2 – Erbalist

1. 20 Seconds To Comply – Silver Bullit (Tam Tam)
2. Ruffneck – Freestylers feat Navigator (Fresh/Chrysalis)
3. The Herbgrinder – Brothers Bud Vs Z2 (Finger Lickin)
4. The Drum – Soul Of Man (Finger Lickin)
5. Toba – Meat Katie meets Elite Force (Kingsize)
6. Put The Needle On The Record (Zoid Mix) – Criminal Element Orchestra (Finger Lickin)
7. Dirty South – Meat Katie (Kingsize)
8. Creepshow – Plump DJ’s (Finger Lickin)
9. Freakazoid – Freaq Nasty (Botchit & Scarper)
10. Distorted Minds – Hexstatic (Ninja Tune)
11. Punisher(SE25remix) – Pinch (Planet Mu)
12. Turn Away – LV (Hyperdub)
13. Kingston – Kode9 feat The Space Ape (Hyperdub)
14. Iroko – Juju (Narco.Hz)
15. Marnetic City – Kode9 (Soul Jazz)
16. Halogen – Clue Kid (Earwax)
17. Missin – D1 (Tempa)
18. Could You Be Loved – Pizzy Yelliott (1965)

Part 3 – DJ Akira

Coming Soon!

Soul Food is being served tonight on Blunt Beats Radio…

Soul, Funk, Jazz, Hip Hop and everything in between, served up by the Erbalist and myself…

Tonight from 8pm on http://www.bluntbeats.com/radio

Well well….this weeks live radio show sees us sittin’ on the stoop with the Olde English and the Phillies as we take in yet another Soul Food Session. Blunt Residents Doug and Marcus Hurley will be taking you through the crates, pulling out lots of smoked-out hip-hop, soul, and funk flavours.

And, for you lucky listeners, we’ve got something a little bit special lined up… We’ll be playing you the on-point “Smokers Lounge” mix from Altanta-based DJ Osmose. Take our word it, you won’t be disappointed, and we’ll have more from our special guest Osmose coming up in future shows very soon.

Nice….now pass me that chicken wing, fool, and roll the damn dice!!

Blunt Beats presents Soul Food, with Blunt Residents Doug and Marcus Hurley, with a guest mix from DJ Osmose. Live from 8pm UK Wednesday 7th Oct. www.bluntbeats.com/radio