Tracks

  1. Sunshinin' — Cancer Rising
    from cancerrising.com, 2004

    You can't get it anywhere but the internet, but this is a required jam for Seattleites. I'd been subsisting on a KEXP rip of this song for a long time until I discovered the lovely free download from CR's website. I couldn't think of a better way to kick off this hip-hop-stacked mix.

  2. Re-Fresh — Common Market
    from Common Market, 2005

    Seattle hip-hop has come a long way since Sir Mix-a-Lot and Kid Sensation. Then again, so has hip-hop in general. A side project of the more buzz-worthy Blue Scholars, Common Market is probably my favorite current Seattle MC crew.

  3. Int'l Player's Anthem (I Choose You) — UGK featuring Outkast
    from UGK (Underground Kingz), 2007

    Since I don't listen to the radio much anymore, I found this (of all places) on Pitchforks Best 100 Singles of 2007. The soul-heavy sample, the appearance of both Outkast members, and the semi-explicit lyrics make this one a winner.

  4. Callin' Out — Lyrics Born
    from Later That Day, 2003

    Though it was almost ruined by that Adrian Brody Coke commercial, this undeniably bouncy gem gets the place bumping. Indie hip-hop has made great inroads in the past 10 years or so, and with songs like this I can see why.

  5. What's Golden — Jurassic 5
    from Power in Numbers, 2002

    Having grown up on the no-frills hip-hop of the '80s, the old-school emcees of J5 always charmed me. They were great live, too… I actually saw them open for Fiona Apple once. Weird, I know.

  6. Rock the House — Gorillaz featuring Del Tha Funky Homosapien
    from Gorillaz, 2003

    Sure, everybody knows "Clint Eastwood," and probably "19-2000" too. But now that we're 5 years past the release of the debut collaboration between Blur's Damon Albarn, cartoonist Jamie Hewlett and producer Dan the Automator, I find this song to be the standout of the wildly eclectic album.

  7. Shock Body — Talib Kweli
    from Quality, 2002

    I bought this album almost entirely on the strength of "Get By," which I loved mostly for its use of Nina Simone's "Sinnerman." The rest of the album's pretty good though—this song in particular always seemed quite sunny to me.

  8. It Was a Good Day (Remix) — Ice Cube
    from The Predator, 1992

    And now we come to the gangsta portion of the program. What was it about 1992 that caused the explosion of this genre? And why did suburban white kids like it so much? Maybe it was the fact that we were all emerging from a long decade-plus of conservatism, and now suddenly felt free to be un-PC. Who knows. What I do know is every word to this song. The original version's a classic, but I think this remix lets the song get even happier.

  9. Nuthin' But a G Thang — Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg
    from The Chronic, 1992

    I challenge you to find a person who doesn't know at least some of the lyrics to this monster hit. I'll admit, I'm a little off my game on this one, if only because I'm so used to hearing the clean version for all these years. As such, there's something still a little risqué about listening to the original.

  10. Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta — Geto Boys
    from Greatest Hits, 1992

    Thank you Office Space for introducing the world to this song. The irony was thick as pudding during that unforgettable scene where the boys slow-motion bash a fax machine with baseball bats. I too feel the irony when I blare this from my cute New Beetle, driving through Ballard or Queen Anne.

  11. In Da Wind — Trick Daddy featuring Cee Lo and Big Boi
    from Thug Holiday, 2002

    This was actually one of the first tracks I ever bought from iTunes. I'm not exactly sure what I love about it, other than the fact that Trick Daddy has crazy gold teeth and his lyrics are totally absurd. Don't forget, this one's for the kids.

  12. Ignition (Remix) — R. Kelly
    from Chocolate Factory, 2003

    This absolutely had to be on this mix. And if anything's more absurd than Trick Daddy, it's R. Kelly. I mean, the man created my favorite comedy of all time in Trapped in the Closet. This song's got some comedy too, and is a great opener to the dirrty section of the mix.

  13. The Seed (2.0) — The Roots featuring Cody ChestnuTT
    from Phrenology, 2002

    Proof that you need soul to make a dirty song not feel dirty, this collabo with Cody ChestnuTT is one of the most instantly infectious tracks Philly's finest have ever produced.

  14. Oh Boy — Cam'ron
    from Come Home With Me, 2002

    I've loved this song for years. Thank goodness with this mix I finally had an excuse to add it to my collection. Rap appreciation for me starts with the beat and the sample, and this jam works on both levels.

  15. I Get Around — 2Pac
    from Strictly For My N.I.G.G.A.Z., 1993

    Do people know that Tupac started out as a side member of Digital Underground? He was great in the video for "Same Song." Shock G and the boys returned the favor here, on what is arguably Pac's biggest hit. It's also one of my favorite rap songs ever.

  16. Give It To Me — Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake
    from Shock Value, 2007

    Rap does a lot of things well, but the best are probably remixes and collaborations. Which is why you're seeing so much of both on this mix. I love me some Nelly Furtado (and JT ain't too shabby either), so I just had to pick up this dance-rap rave-up from Tim. Side note: whatever happened to Magoo? That guy's like the Garfunkel of hip-hop.

  17. My Drive Thru — Santogold, Pharrell and Julian Casablancas
    from Converse Century, 2008

    This summery collaboration comes straight from the internets, and more specifically, a hipster-centric ad campaign from older-than-your-parents Converse. Haters might call sell out, but I say thank you Converse for bringing this song into the world.

  18. When Baby Mamas Collide (Qualo vs. Chin Up Chin Up) — The Hood Internet
    from The Hood Internet vs. Chicago, 2008

    I found this mash-up mixtape on the internet by sheer chance. A month later, I've downloaded all of the Hood Internet's mixes. They're quite amazing, and as great as the individual mash-ups are, the real brilliance of the "albums" is the endless mix, with each song transitioning perfectly into the next. They're kind of my heroes in that way.

  19. Frontin' On Debra (Beck vs. Pharrell and Jay-Z) — DJ Reset
    from Frontin' On Debra, 2004

    One of the first officially sanctioned, legally released mash-ups was this DJ Reset genius work combining Beck's "Debra" with the Jay-Z/Pharrell ballad "Frontin'." It's absurd how good this thing is. If you don't know the originals at all, you must check out "Debra." One of the best blue-eyed soul songs ever, its greatness is elevated by J.C. Penny references and so-ironic-they're-sincere lyrics.

cover: Splash / July 9, 2008 / Seattle Center, Seattle, WA