Just so y'all know what I'm working with, how I spend my hard-earned money, and what kind of gems might just pop up out of nowhere at a Synergy jont, I'll give you all a peek at the results of a vinyl acquisition mission I undertook yesterday. Big ups to my peeps at Capitol City Records on U-Street.

Mary J. Blige - "I Love You"
With the Smif-N-Wesson verses and all. Yes it was a bootleg but I've needed this forever. Jesus knows my heart, I shall not be judged.

Floetry - "Floetic"
2 sistas out of London. One with really great pipes and the other a kind of spoken word chick who isn't that handy with the rhymes but has a sweet accent. Nothing ground-breaking here just something to get your 2-stepping back and forth groove on to. It's a fun tune.

BBD - "Poison"
Y'all better know. The used bin always spits forth the good come ups.

Rare Essence - "Body Moves"
I already have a copy of this on a compilation but this is an original. See the BBD entry above. I know this record backwards and forwards but I had to listen to it in the store and dance all the way through cuz it gets me so psyced (cyssed?).

Erykah Badu feat. Common - "Love of My Life"
I don't know how I feel about this. Didn't Common do this already with "I Used to Love H.E.R." and then again with the Roots on "Act Too: Love of My Life"? What is going on here? It was the arrangement that got me, and it will sound good in a lounge setting. It's always beats before lyrics with me anyway. I'm still a bit miffed though.

Mos Def - "Brown Sugar"
Grab a jont, hug a jont, grind a jont, dance close with a jont. This is my current happy song.

Monica - All Eyez On Me
Some new jont that interpolates a Michael Jackson tune. This was a guilty purchase because it's kinda commercially cheesy. I can fit it into a set though for a change of pace. Always thinking strategically that DJ Stylus.

Craig Mack - "Get Down" (with remixes!!!)
All praises due to reissues. Gotta love 'em.

Das Efx - Mic Checka/Jussumen (with remixes!!!)
The reissues were breaking my wallet off fierce but they're the best thing going these days. Loud drums, xylophone loops, non-sequitur rhymes about nothing.... aaahhh...

EPMD - "Crossover"
I own a promo reissue of this but this is a reissue of the original 12-inch. I only bought it for the B-side, "Brothers from Brentwood L.I." I've never been the same person since I first heard DJ Book cut that joint to shreds. Now all I need is another copy.

Nuspirit Helsinki
These cats are bananas. The boys from Finland are adding their 2-cents in a big way to the whole "eclectic soul/intelligent dance/broken beat/nu-jazz/world rhythm fusion" thing that I first heard in 4-Hero. This whole movement is quite exciting, the shit actually feels NEW rather than derivative of what's already out. Of course you can point out the influences of house, drum & bass, fusion and others, but it really feels fresh. For more stuff like this, check out Agent K and Jazzanova.

And in a stack of promo's I've just received from DJ Book...
Slum Village - "Tainted" rmx
My thumb is starting to point down on this one. It's a James Brown sample with some chick singing the hook. Remixes are supposed to surpass the originals. I think that idea got lost long ago. This is straight radio fodder. More power to 'em though.

-Stylus


Stylus - 1:17 PM
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8.13.2002