Guess I Should Have Forgot Where I Came From

The majority of you may not remember this, but for quite a long time (in blogger years, anyway), Souled On posts were exclusively geared towards linking readers to other sites of interest. Last summer, I finally decided to start sharing some music from my personal collection for the very first time. Since then, the trusty link post has slowly become somewhat of an endangered species around here for a couple of different reasons.

First of all, being more involved in the content gives me much greater freedom to pay proper tribute to the artists and songs that have shaped and sustained my love for music over the years. Although many bloggers offer great tunes for general consumption, what they're posting are probably not the same songs playing in my head at any given moment.

Additionally, I've surrendered to the notion that at this point, there are quite a few blogs/sites who do rap-ups, round-ups, best-ofs, etc. Many of their administrators can produce these lists on a level that's better, faster, more than I will ever see.

However, there's also a couple of reasons why these posts are unlikely to ever become fully extinct. I still feel the need to occasionally give props to other sites for doing their thing, and doing it well. Furthermore, I can't seem to deny my natural human tendency to aggregate. So fuck it...

All of that just to say that I was bringing you the latest block watch report from my side of the cyberhood? Damn.

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Visit Martini & Jopparelli's Music Selections to d/l Jimmie & Vella Cameron's "Hey Boy Over There", the original song that DJ Premier borrowed for CNN's "Invincible".

Kanye's latest joint ("You Can't Tell Me Nothing") is as overly dramatic, self-indulgent, conflicted, and idiosyncratic as his detractors might expect...but it's also pretty damn nice. If you haven't already, cop it via Nah Right. While you're there, you may also want to check out Amy Winehouse's "Rehab (Remix)" (feat. Jay-Z) and "The Hardest" by Styles P and AZ (produced by Large Professor).

Amy Winehouse lovers should visit los amigos de durutti to download a couple of remixes. Amy Winehouse haters, on the other hand, should read this article from SFBG (spotted via she real cool).

The Most recent Sample Wednesday at Palms Out Sounds featured some original songs that have been borrowed for joints by Boot Camp Clik. Download tracks by Parliament, Minnie Riperton, Vicki Anderson, Lightnin' Rod, Baby Huey, and more.

In case you've been wondering, there are a couple of videos at sneakmove that explain how vinyl records are made.

Download Common's "The Game" (feat. DJ Premier) courtesy of Discobelle.

If you dislike Dubya as much as I do, you may find that Bush Bash can be quite a cathartic exercise.

Tuwa's Shanty is featuring a few premium tracks by Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra.

Ben from The Mark Out recently compared Joell Ortiz to "a young Fat Joe when he had a hunger for more than just fatty foods." Genius...

O-Dub recently posted the original song that was sampled on John Legend's "Slow Dance". Download "My Girl, She's A Fox" by The Icemen via soul sides.

This week's Old Rap Wednesday at missingtoof.com featured a nice selection of vintage hip-hop radio jams from 1991-1994.

Amusing novelty item or sign of a chilling post-Seinfeldian nihilism? You can now purchase Nothing for only $6.28. Get it while you can, suckas...

Dan Love recently posted a couple of tracks by Pete Rock & CL Smooth (from Soul Survivor II) @ From Da Bricks.

Flood just performed another skillful autopsy of a song---this time it was Roy Ayers who went under the analytical knife.

Download a diverse array of tracks by Sly & The Family Stone at Silence Is A Rhythm Too.

As many of you already know, Straight Bangin' and Passion of the Weiss invited some of their favorite bloggers to participate in a survey that "endeavored to discern" which hip-hop albums are regarded as the 25 greatest of all time. Peep the results at either location. I suppose I should have posted the list that I submitted, but procrastination has gotten the best of me for the past few weeks. I will tell you, however, that my very favorite hip-hop record is still (and may always be) Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers.

In related news, Travis from WYDU posted some excellent Masta Ace joints in honor of his favorite LP, SlaughtaHouse.

Adam at hahamusic recently posted several Gwen McRae covers of Billie Holiday classics.

Speaking of cover versions, check out John Holt's rendition of "For the Love of You" @ Dilated Choonz.

Visit exploration of music to download Jaylib's "The Mission (Remix)".

A couple of stellar tracks by The Ohio Players are currently available by way of Feel It.

Stretch Armstrong continues to impress the hell out of hip-hop heads worldwide, this time by posting a classic freestyle from an early '90s birthday bash for Big Daddy Kane. Artists who jumped on the track include Jay-Z, Masta Ace, Biz Markie, and Special Ed. If Konstant Kontact isn't already a part of your rotation, you probably stand corrected.

Before I go, I'd like to thank a lot of blogs for linking SO, but real life is calling my skinny ass to the table.

There's always next time, soul kids...

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