I neglected to mention L'Orange's Old Soul back in November; I wasn't gonna make that same mistake with this one...

No one has shaped my view of music more than James Yancey. He challenged our idea of music and pushed us towards a more progressive and creative appreciation of hip hop. He died six years ago, but the music lives on in his wake. This project is dedicated to the life and memory of the one and only J Dilla.

-L'Orange

This project has been on the Hip Hop Is Read backburner since February 2008. That's just ridiculous. Since that time, Q-Tip released the much-acclaimed solo LP The Renaissance - also in 2008 - which included a Dilla-produced track ("Move"). You won't find that record on this mix, however. My intentions with A Tribe Called Dilla were to focus strictly on the signature sound style of the Ummah era, which spanned throughout the second half of the nineties. One might argue that Tribe's new production work, which was a clear break from their earlier aesthetic, may have led to the group's disbandment. In my review of Michael Rapaport's 2011 documentary Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, I noted an important point of criticism which was introduced in Werner von Wallenrod's review: the film's failure to include the narratives of J Dilla (then Jay Dee) and Consequence - and the two artists' inclusion with Tribe. That being said, one can only speculate - as many already have - as to whether or not Jay Dee's affiliation with the crew somehow led to A Tribe Called Quest's falling out. When you compare Tribe's first three albums with their latter two Jay Dee-assisted joints, I suppose it's easy to jump to conclusions. But I call bullsh*t on that. The music speaks for itself and the production on A Tribe Called Dilla, as I see/hear it, is amazing. Those drums! Those drums... Happy Dilla month! Enjoy my mix! And as always... Turn it up!!

This project has been on the Hip Hop Is Read backburner since February 2008. That's just ridiculous. Since that time, Q-Tip released the much-acclaimed solo LP The Renaissance - also in 2008 - which included a Dilla-produced track ("Move"). You won't find that record on this mix, however. My intentions with A Tribe Called Dilla were to focus strictly on the signature sound style of the Ummah era, which spanned throughout the second half of the nineties. One might argue that Tribe's new production work, which was a clear break from their earlier aesthetic, may have led to the group's disbandment. In my review of Michael Rapaport's 2011 documentary Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, I noted an important point of criticism which was introduced in Werner von Wallenrod's review: the film's failure to include the narratives of J Dilla (then Jay Dee) and Consequence - and the two artists' inclusion with Tribe. That being said, one can only speculate - as many already have - as to whether or not Jay Dee's affiliation with the crew somehow led to A Tribe Called Quest's falling out. When you compare Tribe's first three albums with their latter two Jay Dee-assisted joints, I suppose it's easy to jump to conclusions. But I call bullsh*t on that. The music speaks for itself and the production on A Tribe Called Dilla, as I see/hear it, is amazing. Those drums! Those drums... Happy Dilla month! Enjoy my mix! And as always... Turn it up!!

Monday mornings are a drag, but what a pleasant surprise this is! Oakland legend Del the Funky Homosapien reminds us that Cali Iz, indeed, Active, hitting us with the first installment in this exciting three part series: West Coast Avengers, a mixtape that's "all P-Funk samples flipped by Sir Dzl himself." Wanna get funked up?

In 2011, eighties babies A$AP Rocky and ScHoolboy Q set the internets ablaze with the release of their respective solo mixtapes LiveLoveA$AP and Setbacks. Despite coming from opposite ends of the country, A$AP Rocky and ScHoolboy Q both seem to have tapped into a new energy in hip hop that's both fresh and appealing. Just a few weeks into the new year, Q has already dropped a follow-up to Setbacks (though he's referred to it as a prequel) with Habits & Contradictions - an impressively thorough project which further establishes his trademark as a solo artist. And we can only imagine what Rocky's got in store for us in 2012. Together Rocky & Q share a kush fueled vibe that's youthful and effervescent while at the same time being anchored by elements I'd describe as grim-yet-clean existential aesthetics. I like it; so much so that I thought to myself "A$AP Rocky and ScHoolboy Q should make an album together." And then I just went ahead and put this compilation together. You're welcome. Purple Reign features eighteen songs which serve as a primer (of sorts) on A$AP Rocky and ScHoolboy Q's respective track records. Mixed for seamless playback, I'm very proud of the final product. Listen and let me know what you think. But most importantly... Turn it up!!

In 2011, eighties babies A$AP Rocky and ScHoolboy Q set the internets ablaze with the release of their respective solo mixtapes LiveLoveA$AP and Setbacks. Despite coming from opposite ends of the country, A$AP Rocky and ScHoolboy Q both seem to have tapped into a new energy in hip hop that's both fresh and appealing. Just a few weeks into the new year, Q has already dropped a follow-up to Setbacks (though he's referred to it as a prequel) with Habits & Contradictions - an impressively thorough project which further establishes his trademark as a solo artist. And we can only imagine what Rocky's got in store for us in 2012. Together Rocky & Q share a kush fueled vibe that's youthful and effervescent while at the same time being anchored by elements I'd describe as grim-yet-clean existential aesthetics. I like it; so much so that I thought to myself "A$AP Rocky and ScHoolboy Q should make an album together." And then I just went ahead and put this compilation together. You're welcome. Purple Reign features eighteen songs which serve as a primer (of sorts) on A$AP Rocky and ScHoolboy Q's respective track records. Mixed for seamless playback, I'm very proud of the final product. Listen and let me know what you think. But most importantly... Turn it up!!