Explorations in 99¢

All right, World. Wherever you're tuning in from. Brooklyn, I see you. Manhattan, hello. Chicago are you out there? LA? Monterrey, Nuevo León? I want to take you on a tour of my local 99¢ store. Now, on paper this may not seem like a lot of fun, but what about when we add the magic of YouTube & User-Generated Content?




This is a pretty big spot. Deep enough to hear 3 to 4 different boomboxes as you peruse their countless aisles of valuable stuffs. Now, what I do is head straight to the back. That's where the CUMBIA vs REGGAETON vs MERENGUE sound-clashes usually go down. It's here where America meets China, Mexico meets Colombia, and I meet my local hookup for MP3 CD Bootlegs. (Hi RIAA)

You'll recognize this track as the first one you heard in the above video:

CUMBIA DE LOS BORRACHITOS by Damn Zun™ - BK.NYC

Thought to myself when I woke up today, "What is Obama up to?" Then, "What am I up to?" (shout to @capitalkev for the inspiration). What if Obama and I were in our morning meeting? Well, we'd talk about how Damn Zun warned of the unrest in Tunisia. We'd talk about Libya and why our American pop stars were performing for, dare I say, "Turrrrrists", just a few weeks ago.

But we'd also touch on some lighter issues, like how I wanted to share this track with a bunch of people for free because I thought this would help it live forever! And I'd ask him if he knew who made it or when it was made or how drunk they actually were?

And before I left, I'd get him or maybe the new Press Secretary (@presssec) to sign off on my newest logo using the Official USA Govt Bald Eagle


(10 min Photoshop sesh courtesy of Ian McG-Unit)

Now to end OUR meeting (that's you & I, Barack had to peace), one last video from the back aisle. Some heavy tunes being thrown down. Check out Abuelita gettin it in with her little finger dance at the end.


(Towel placement for XXXtra Bass)

YUCAWORK

Much like the hot sauces pictured
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(@elyuacateco)
Chicago / Ghetto House / Booty / Juke / Footwork are all closely related, yet divisively different. Collectively, Damn Zun feels that Music is Music and Hot Sauce is Hot Sauce. Or at least it should be, right? Allow me to explain..

I went to the grocery store the other day, on a mission to find apple sauce. Now by definition, or title, apple sauce is not much more than manzanas y agua RIGHT?
WRONG! I had to pay $0.75 more to get good ol American apple sauce. If you want synthetic sauce, well, it's there too. If you want real Juke, Real Chi Town, here it is, Dj Clent from the Wild Hundreds (complete w/baby DJ cryin in the backround)


"...it's like outer-space music" - DJ Clent

For posts with no mention of hot, or apple sauce, please explore the much deeper lessons and further dichotomies (in Juke, not sauce), with Dave Quam (video jacked)

So off the apples, and onto the music. 2010 was an interesting year. Baile Funk (Funk Carioca) continued to backslide into our collective (un)consciousness. Baltimore Club seemed boring. Electro was laughable and Dubstep was being played at college frat houses across the USA.
But wait, what's this? BBC Radio 1 likes Moombahton? African Kuduro being played by a Gringo in LA, and Colombian Cumbia embraced by young club DJ's in every major city..what's happening, ITZ NOT RITE



The South Side of Chicago, in 2010, became one of the most recent ghettos to receive worldwide exposure. Where did it start? Not sure, I didn't research at all. But I do remember Planet Mu being the first label I can recall to release an official collection of Chicago footwork music. Bangs & Works Vol.1 gathered tracks from some of Chicago's most respected producers (DJ Nate, DJ Rashad, Traxman, et al.)

Highlights for me included the above, as well as:



full transparency (source material):



&

DJ Lil Rome & DJ Yung Tellem - Kill Da Circle Play by Damn Zun™ - BK,NY

Now, if you still don't believe in the Internet and Social Revolutions (#TUNISIA #JAN25 #EGYPT), I'd like to present exhibit Z:

Freaktion EP(minimix)-soon on Generation Bass by Sabbo

Brand new release from Sabbo, put out digitally by the fam Generation Bass, Freaktion is Middle Eastern Juke. Tel Aviv crossing paths with Chicago.

AND IT WORKS. DJ Sabbo deconstructs tracks, layers them to the sky, and then turns them to dust with filthy 808 work. Well done, sir.

"This man does footwork better than most producers in Chicago!" - DJ Rashad

Dónde Están Mis Snoweros

Ok, so I've been working on the set of something for someone, 12+ hr day type trabajo. Multi-national type corporate love from Bushwick, BK all the way to UES/MIDTOWN/ALL MY RICH GENTE! Not making excuses, just framing my post and mindset for you. It's cold, freezing most days, literally, and I'm frequently slipping into dreams of far away places ( el sol, la playa, un tro de baina...)

So, I've been sitting on some tracks for a few weeks now. Then I came across a few videos, and then read @eddiestats' post over at FADER which ended up being the final inspiration for todays output. (Thanks! Great Ghetto Palms mix today, check it)

But before you do, or after, come back quickly for these blood diamonds/oil reserves below:



Now, within the first 10 seconds I know you're cursing me. What is this? Stadium Rock Tribal? A horrible Crunk/Grime/Rave mashup!? But just wait it out. If it will change your mind, know this - my girl came into DZ HQ while I was researching/watching this video, and was a LITTLE MAD. 'Gata, I didn't shoot or edit the video OK?'

These girls in Texas are loving DJ Tetris en la IGUANA DISCOTEQUE, I can't be held accountable for that.

Up next, DJ Otto from the Colectivo 3Ball Monterrey, and Yuyuman Style on the vocals. Yes, as seen on Damn Zun last year, I am once again calling for TRIBAL SUPERGROUPS to be formed. These songs become a whole notha beast when you add the hype man/woman, free download below:



DZ XCLSV DL (3ballMTY check yr email!!)

^^ This is the one que rompe todo en NY recently..Great response from the people. Power to the people. I'm a lobbyist for 3ball interests here in Brooklyn. @WhiteHouse, can we work on an Ambassador of Sound position for me? Weekly podcasts from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW anyone?

In closing, I'd like to share a rolita for your mamita. Safe and bubbly, DJ Lugo Mix with his rendition of El Alacrán: