Hip Hop Heads Hit a Hill - Red Sky Monday Mixtape Vol10

They say you always Love the music you grew up on. So what do you do when you grew up on Hip Hop but you are a pasty white slightly over the hill Englishman in NY the wrong side 40? Is it still OK to blast Wu Tang in your less than Lexus-like Hyundai? I must admit to occasionally glancing around sheepishly at red lights and dropping the volume a tad in this scenario. I still do though love the 90's and 00's Hip Hop that was the soundtrack of younger times. There is still decent and innovative music being made in the genre but I will forever have a soft spot for the now vintage Hip Hop gems in this week's #mondaymixtape

THE HERBALISER - Generals

Do me a favour. Listen to this track right through before reading the next sentence then come back. STOP ⛔️now and listen.............⛔️▶️
........OK welcome back. Lots of great emcees on that track right? WRONG... Just one great emcee Jean Grae voiced 5 different characters here via her vocal acrobatics combined with the production skills of The Herbaliser making her sound alternately male, female, like a feisty 12 year old and herself. Superb.

SLUM VILLAGE - Raise It Up

J Dilla is famous for his beat making prowess. He did in fact make the beat for this one but also gives a vocal performance that turns hip hop cliches on their head.

BLACKALICIOUS - Alphabet Aerobics

You absolutely cannot beat the literal verbal aerobics of appropriately named Gift of Gab from Blackalicious. Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliff did a passable job covering this on Jimmy Fallon's show that has now hit 83 million views on Youtube but you cannot surpass the original that apparently inspired a young wizard.

A TRIBE CALLED QUEST - Electric Relaxation

This track from 1994 has a mellow infectiousness that hooks you in from the opening bars. These guys are also well in to their forties now too (Except sadly Phife Dawg who passed in 2016) and still making great music.