Philly Fall Preview
The Roots – Things Fall A PreviewMCA Records – MCA4P-90170Cassette, Promo, US, 1999
Why this tape? It made me nod my head (and maybe even crack a smile) at the end of a rough week. There are a hundred pointless promo records, tapes and CDs for every one that has a buried gem on it, but every now and then you find a treasure.
Things Fall A Preview is one of those free cassette tapes you used to find given away in record stores to promote a new release. In this case, it was to boost the Roots' fourth album, 1999's Things Fall Apart. Instead of the usual 20 second snippets of songs on a tape that you'd throw away after one listen, we're treated to something special here. The tape is a full "best of The Roots" style DJ mix spread by legendary DJ and fellow Philadelphian, Jazzy Jeff. Yes, that one. If you only know him from sitcom cameos or Parents Just Don't Understand, take my word that DJ Jazzy Jeff is the real deal. (Also: don't front on Parents Just Don't Understand... If you saw the joy on my youngest son's face the first time he saw it, you'd remember why you loved it back in the day. And admit it- You know Bel-Air had it's moments too.)
Jazzy Jeff brings the goods, cutting up tracks from the new album along with favorites from the Roots' back catalog (his copy of the Organix LP is sounding pretty crackly). The is the album where the Roots really broke out into the mainstream, winning them a Grammy, a hit single, and a new level of recognition in the hip hop scene and beyond. The whole "hip hop band" thing sometimes left them treated as some kind of novelty act, outside of the "real" hip hop scene (ahem, long before the gig as a late night talk show house band). Since he dropped his recent solo album, I've seen Black Thought getting some overdue recognition as a long underrated MC. But listening to this now, with Jazzy Jeff running through so many tracks in half an hour, what's jumping out to me is just how good some of these beats are. Creative arrangements, classic breaks, and solid production throughout. Dynamite (with J Dilla collaborating as a producer) is a personal favorite and the drum break on Without A Doubt is pretty timeless.
The album's hit single, You Got Me, is notably missing, but that's OK. It's a great song, too, but might not have fit as well with the high energy boom-bap that Jazzy Jeff was shoving to the forefront. It's a straight DJ set by one of the best, highlighting some of the best hip hop that the Roots had already put down in 1999.
This is recorded from an unplayed copy of the cassette tape that I recently got my hands on. I didn't try to split up the songs- it's in two long tracks, one for each side, as a mixtape should be... I hope you enjoy and get a little boost from the tape like I did.
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Tracklist
One:
A1 Distortion To Static
A2 Dynamite
A3 Don't See Us
A4 Section
A5 Push Up Ya' Lighter
A6 Concerto Of The Desperado
A7 Double Trouble
A8 Without A Doubt
A9 Good Music
Two:
B1 Leonard I-V
B2 Popcorn (Revisited)
B3 Adrenaline!
B4 Clones
B5 Next Movement
B6 100% Dundee
B7 Love Of My Life
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My style metaphoric, to bricks and ten-ton FLACs hard to lift. (24/48kHz FLAC - download zip file):
https://mega.nz/file/ITgR0ZhD#P6JW8fFqzqYG0cNc_6_PaBUaTWH6bASN4FvHMxTKCjs
I provide you with the swerve you need, but take MP3 (stream or download):
Looks like an who is who in the hip hop world! (at least mine)
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All the way live from the 215! Thank you for the illadelph dynamite.
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