This is Madchild with his first single “Fuck Madchild” off the upcoming album “Dope Sick”. He’s one of the founders of the group Swollen Members, and a member of the world famous Rock Steady Crew. He makes beats, raps, and he just plain runs shit. Check out this video and click on the links below to learn more about him. My boy Jamie Kistler in San Diego 619 shared this with me. Jamie is a true hip hop head.

http://www.madchild57.com

http://www.swollenmembers.com

http://www.twitter.com/Madchild57

https://www.facebook.com/Madchild.Official

Be sure to follow My Mind Spray on Twitter  and Facebook.

Today we give thanks and praise to one of our greatest leaders and sources of inspiration, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Please take a few minutes to watch this video about a great man. If you want to learn more about MLK, click on following link, http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086

This tilt shift timelapse video is very good. I hope you enjoy it. Check out more of MINIMUS

This guest post is by Tom Cooney of a.tom.called.cooney.

The Bar-Kays first played together in 1966 as a backing band on Stax Records.  There were 6 original band members; Jimmy King, Ronnie Caldwell, Phalon Jones, Carl Cunningham, Ben Cauley, and James Alexander.  Just as their career was taking off King, Caldwell, Jones and Cunningham along with Otis Redding and his manager, were killed in a plane crash over Lake Monona.  Cauley and Alexander were on a separate plane since there was only enough room for 8 passengers.

After some time, the remaining members began to rebuild the band.  They found success playing for Isaac Hayes on his albums “Hot Buttered Soul”, “Shaft”, “Movement” and “To Be Continued”.  The Bar-Kays were immediately recognized as a band with a lot of talent and were eventually signed to Mercury Records.

Soul Finger was released in 1967 and reached #3 on the R&B chart.  Other hits include Son Of Shaft (1972), Shake Your Rump To The Funk (1976), Lets Have Some Fun (1978), Hit & Run (1981), and Freak Show on the Dance Floor (1984).

Many hip hop artists have been influenced by The Bar-Kays such as; Cypress Hill, Ice Cube, De La Soul, Edan, Public Enemy, and The Beastie Boys.

I first heard the Freak Show On The Dance Floor when it was featured in the movie “Breakin”.  I thought the song was kind of cool, and the chorus was catchy.  As I got older I was able to appreciate the talent of the entire band, both new and old members.  Hit & Run is constantly in my playlist whenever I play out.

The Bar-Kays are still available for booking and will be playing at the Monterey Blues Festival on June 24^th.  They still put on a pretty dope show and are worth checking out if you get the chance.

This guest post is by Tom Cooney of a.tom.called.cooney.

Thirteen original band members formed the New York City Players in the early 70s.  By 1974 they had changed their name to Cameo to avoid confusion between them and a similar funk band, The Ohio Players.  By this time the band was carrying 24 members led by Larry Blackmon.  They were eventually signed to Casablanca Records in 1976.

Cameo started out as a funk band with singles such as “I Just Want To Be”, “Find My Way” and “Rigor Mortis”.  When synthesizers became big in the 80s, Cameo capitalized on the movement.  They changed their style to a more disco/dance genre and saw huge success with songs “She’s Strange”, “Single Life”, and their two biggest hits; “Word Up” and “Candy”.

The band’s success faded in the late 80s and into the 90s.  Although they were still releasing albums major labels Mercury and Reprise, they had pretty much fallen off.  They released their most recent album Sexy Sweet Thing in 2000.

Several members of the band are still making music today.  Aaron Mills (bass), Jheryl Bright (Trombone) and Kevin Kendrick have been hired by the hip hop group OutKast for live and studio sessions.  Aaron Mills actually recorded the bassline for “Ms. Jackson”, one of Outkast’s big hits.

Hip hop artists such as Brand Nubian, Above The Law, The Beastie Boys, King Tee and Kool Moe Dee have sampled Cameo.

I became a Cameo fan back in the day when I first heard “I Just Want To Be”.  That jam is so funky!  After a little break, the release of “Candy” and “Word Up” had me hooked once again.  I play at least one Cameo joint every time I play out.  No matter what the crowd is, I always get a good response.  Ooow!

XXL Magazine presents Elmatic by Elzhi, a tribute to Illmatic, the classic debut LP by NaS. Check it out, download it, and watch the video below. With a little help from Will Sessions, Pete Rock, DJ Dez, Amp Fiddler, DJ House Shoes, Stokley from Mint Condition, and Royce Da 5’9, this album is an instant classic, “it’s like the game ain’t the same!”

Download the album FREE at http://elzhi.com/

Track List

1. The Genesis
2. Detroit State of Mind (Houseshoes Shout)
3. Halftime
4. Memory Lane
5. The World Is Yours
6. Represent
7. Life’s A Bitch feat. Royce da 5’9 and Stokley Williams of Mint Condition
8. One Love
9. It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Pete Rock Shout)
10. Pete Rock Shout

Andre L. Williams a.k.a. Dre Dog, and Andre Nickatina was born March 11, 1970 and represents San francisco, CA. His first album “The New Jim Jones” released in 1993 is my favorite album by the artist. I was in high school living in San Diego and me and my boys Jamie K. and Demon had that album on repeat pretty much everyday. Don’t ask what kind of trouble we were getting into though because I will plead the 5th. There are many great tracks on this album  like “Most Hated Man in Frisco“, “Smoke Dope and Rap“, “Off That Chewy“, “Lips“, “Alcatraz“, but I’m featuring “The Ave” today. “The Ave.” is the only single released off the album and samples “Juicy Fruit” by Mtume, which is the same song B.I.G.G.I.E. and Diddy sampled for their track “Juicy” one year later. And It’s a music video so you can see Dre Dog doing his thing instead of just listening to the track and trying to imagine. WARNING: The lyrical content on these tracks are dark, dirty, violent, and sexual. But this dude is a real O.G. talking about shit he knows, and his skills are very apparent in each verse. Dre Dog is a true hip hop legend and if you don’t know, know you know.

Here’s a bonus track to listen to, “Smoke Dope And Rap”. Then it finishes with “Let’s Get High”, the intro track to the album, which you should definitely listen to. It basically sums up Dre Dog in a nutshell.

First inspired by the art of Logan Walters, Gerald Watson commissioned DJ 2-Tone Jones to put produce a mix of great jazz instrumentals to Wu-Tang Lyrics. The final product is a historical collab that will spark new conversations and hopefully inspire the future of music. Watch this 5 minute introduction to the project, and check out the album art below. Then download, sit back, relax and enjoy.

This is a FREE Download

Download Shaolin Jazz | The 37th Chamber mixtape on DJ 2-Tone Jones MediaFire account here.

Yo check out The 58′s! Repping The Burgh to the fullest, these dudes are definitely next to blow up so don’t sleep. Want a super hard beat? Check track 21 BONUS On My Job.

This is a FREE Download