MPS MIXTAPE PRESERVATION SOCIETY HOUR 23

The number 23 has some obtuse, esoteric significance. I first read about it when I read the Illuminati Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea. I don't really profess to be a believer in the 23 enigma but I've always found it fascinating. So here we are, Hour 23 of this podcast... and there's certain patterns emerging-- patterns that, frankly, I am not really happy about.

It seems like every other week a great pop musician is dying. It's alarming how frequently it is happening. My former paranoid self would most definitely attribute it to some sort of conspiracy. But in reality, we are reaching a time in history where most of the notables we have come to know and love are merely going the natural route. And as the recently deceased Fats Domino would say, "Ain't that a shame."

I was a fan of The Fat Man, mostly because his voice was so smooth and piano playing seemed so effortless. Check out his cover of The Beatles' "Lady Madonna", a song that Paul McCartney copped to writing in the style of Domino. (It's my personal theory that the only artists qualified to cover The Fab Four professionally are soulful black men) The man was so versatile and his style had a warmth and spirit that really took you somewhere. "Blueberry Hill" has a palpable magic to it that will always make my ears perk up.

I literally found out about Fats' passing minutes before conducting an interview for next week's podcast, but thought better of talking about it since I already knew I was going to pay a proper tribute, as I always seem to do these days, on the upcoming podcast. Fats Domino will be sorely missed.

As for the podcast, DJ Greenhouse returns to conduct something of a beat clinic: I went over to his pad and watched him chop beats, scratch vinyl, and sample delicious breaks. We even busted some freestyle raps over one of his creations (I had to edit out our real names, so it will sound a little altered in spots) and basically just hung out and shot the shit. It's this simplicity of purpose that makes Greenhouse one of my favorite cats to have on the show.

I also play a track by Gang Starr for flavor and color: "Alongwaytogo" which reappears later in the session as an instrumental Greenhouse drops a short verse over. Needless to say, DJ Premier is a huge influence of Green, and it's appropriate filler for this hour. Not that anything Primo and Guru ever did could be called filler-- I just wanted to drop an actual track in its entirety to liven things up.

Thanks for listening to the podcast, I hope you enjoy this week's entry as you have all the others!