It was a little over 2 years ago that I predicted on this site that Beyoncé would release an Afrobeat joint by the end of the Summer. My guess is, knowing what Disney animation schedules are like, that’s right around the time that they cooked up the idea for Beyonce to produce an Afrobeat soundtrack album to accompany the redux Lion King. I AM NOT MAD AT ALL about this. I have always had love for queen B, but to see her giving shine to Mr. Eazi, Tekno, Burna Boy, Yemi Alade, & even Oumou Sangaré! These are the projects I can only dream about when I’ve eaten a plate of chocolate for dinner. I haven’t even seen the redux movie, and don’t really plan to, but thank you universe for the music! I took this as a stepping off point, and compiled a bunch of recent Afro heaters for you all. Some with vintage samples in the mix, others more on the poppy tip, and then some that aren’t technically Afrobeat but share the overall vibe. Shout out to my homie Sumohair who provided me with a couple of the uptempo gems. Also, do yourself a favor and follow visual artist / muralist / visionary Ju Mu, in case you’ve been sleeping. I’ve been seeing her work for years on party fliers for the Mash It Up crew in Germany, but these days it’s on another level.

Super happy to finally share this remix with you all! Dave Nada & Jesse Tittsworth are deejays I’ve looked up to since my early days as a scrappy kid starting to play parties in NYC, lurking on the Hollertronix message boards and geeking out about club music and all the new musical fusions and genres that were blending and being birthed in the early 2000’s. It was a mashup moment, and I feel like the latest project these guys have undertaken, starting the HERMANITO record label, is a massive coming to fruition of all those elements that were starting to sprout back then. Kes the Band, who I also have tons of respect and love for, has been one of the big kahunas of Soca music for more than a decade. When the Hermanito boys hit me up about doing a remix for this track, I was honored and felt like I really had to turn up the juice. This club banger was the result and it’s been a secret weapon in most of my DJ sets for the past 9 months or so. I hope it can shake a body or two near you sometime soon… Also, don’t snooze on the other remixes from homies like Deejay Theory & El Dusty!

I had to do it! Remixed one of my most played songs of the year by Koffee. This insanely talented kid from Jamaica has been giving me life every time I press play again- and she only has one EP out! Very excited to see what comes next from her. This bootleg remix gives her original tune a heavy bass & marimba treatment for the dace floor. Free download too, so spread the vibes…

The fact that I stumbled upon this great image of a fainted red coat during the week of American Independence Day was purely coincidental. More than it expresses any kind of pride I might take in my extremely fucked up country, I connect to the pure exhaustion the poor chap must have felt just prior to collapse, while all the other blokes are just doing their best not to make a show of it. I thought I knew hard work before fatherhood, but I truly didn’t. I have no plans to cut off my beloved (and highly outdated) blog, but I do again ask you to excuse prolonged lapses these days. It just ain’t like it used to be!

That being said, nothing has changed at all when it comes to the music that lifts me up and keeps me standing (dancing even!) through it all. So here is another long overdue selection of great ones that I hope do as much good for you as they do for me. Shout out to all of you reading this for your own dedication and faith that this site will still provide- I appreciate it!

Also, for of you in the Chicago area- I’ll be doing 2 separate events in 2 different public parks this upcoming Saturday July 13th. Get your sweat on at this Michelob Ultra event (I DJ 2-4pm to close it out), or catch me uptown at Willye White Park playing around 5:30-8. Tell a friend to tell a friend. Until the next episode… PEACE

Coming up for a quick breath of air! The juggle is real people. But the beats must go on. Wanted to share a quick playlist of bangers before joining my Subsuelo Crew homies for the 8 year anniversary party tonight at the tiny little place where it all began: Eastside Luv. Even though I’m basically absent from most of the group activity these days, this will always be my LA familia and the parties they (and sometimes WE) throw are a guaranteed bonanza of good vibes and top notch tunery. So pump up the volume on this playlist, and if you read this in time and live in LA, see you tonight at the jammy jam. Fittingly tropical artwork today comes from the uber-ill artist Katherine Bernhardt.

Happy Earth Day indeed, with new releases to share (which actually came out last week). First up, my new single “Ghost Dance” which gives a little taste of the music I’m working on for my next album, don’t hold your breath though, might be a minute before the full release haha. You can get your copy on the really great EARTH NIGHT compilation, put together by DJ’s For Climate Action (shoutout to Sammy Bananas & El Buho among other organizers). The concept of bringing Earth Day into the nightclub / dance music world has obvious appeal to me- I’m CAPTAIN PLANET for chrissake. So as soon as I heard about the project, I wanted to be a part. We did little fundraiser parties here in LA on Friday & Saturday, and there were bigger events in NYC, and other cities around the world. Hopefully next year we can take it even further, because let’s face it, we collectively need to make major changes in very short period of time if we want to maintain the diverse life on this planet as we know it! So BUY the album, donate extra, and hopefully plant something in the soil today. 

And then next up, is this cheeky lil Afro Edits EP I put together for Kampana Records (hi there Aroop Roy). Yes, 2 of these songs have made it into the world in digital form, but it’s nice to have them on vinyl, and then I made 2 new tracks that are ONLY available on this release. So go snag a copy before they are completely sold out.