Cuttin' Class: Rare Equations - Mixed by Cut Chemist


Cut Chemist describes the mix better than I can below. One thing that struck me about this mix is how many Primo samples made the mix. It's clear by listening to this mix that Cut was feelin' Primo's production as much as (if not more than) everybody else in the mid 90's though you're not likely to hear any Primo in a 2013 Cut Chemist set. I'm not trying to diss. The only point I'm trying to make is that there are a lot of quality deejays out there who in 2013 act like they were never into rap. I'm all in favor of growth and change, but you don't have to disown the genre that you first fell in love with and made you known. I don't mean to pick on Cut, because he actually incorporates a lot more rap into his sets than the names I'm not naming, but it was this mix that got me to start thinking. Description along with Side B after the jump.

Liner Notes:
"This Was A Mix I Did While Cutting Class Back In 1995 And Will Be The First Release From My Studio’s Archive Series. This Mix Was Originally Released On Cassette As “Rare Equations” Through A Mix Tape Company Called Hip Hop Vibes Along With “Sick Experiment,” “Theories Not Yet Proven” And “The Diabolical” Which Came Before It. However This Mix Was My Favourite Because It Showcased Mixing All Kinds Of Music, Not Just The Latest Rap Singles Coming Out At The Time. So Sit Back And Check Out How Mix Tapes Were Done The Hard Way... On My Half Inch 8 Track Recorder (R.I.P.) And Listen To Some Cool Drops, Some Phone Taps, And Good Blends.
“It’s The Livin’ Roughness.”
Special Thanks to The Beat Market For The Title. "

14 comments:

Eric Nord said...

C'mon... name some names! You are a blogger... upsetting people is what bloggers are supposed to do!

DJ Ian Head said...

1. This is another classic mix, love this tape. 2. Mostly agree with you re the DJs thing. It's interesting to me the cats who were underground nerds at one point now only play hipster club shit. I don't know if that means they were never truly into hip-hop, or if they really did "grow" out of it. 3. Agree with Eric.

pipomixes said...

I hear what you're saying EJ, but are you asking because you don't know the names I'm referring to or because you just want me to stir the pot a little. I hesitate to name names for two reasons. One, this blog is more about music and inspiration than it is stirring the pot. Two, I don't know if I'm 100% comfortable naming names because I haven't witnessed every show of these deejays. For all I know they are playing 90's boom bap at every show and I just don't know it. With all that said, I think we all know who I am referring to (especially since many of them are reguarly posted on this blog).

Eric Nord said...

I honestly have no idea which DJs you're alluding to. As someone who doesn't really have a genre preference, I haven't paid much attention to it. But now that you brough it up... I'm a bit intrigued. :-)

jimmy said...

beat junkies?

The Dynamic Hamza 21® said...

Everybody knows I can name names!! hahaha But I won't because it's Pipo's site. However I will say it's very difficult to mention deejays who haven't left Hip Hop than those who have.


Pipo did you posted this mix this before?

http://www.pipomixes.com/2013/04/rare-equations-1995-mixed-by-cut-chemist.html

Damany G said...

I totally Agree with you Pipo!!!. It is hard to find jams that play that Boom-Bap Hip-Hop Sh*T

Eric Nord said...

Kenny Dope?
J.Rocc?
Muro?
Z-Trip?
Shortkut?
Spinbad?
A-Trak?
DJ Shadow?

Personally, I feel like the idea that a Hip Hop DJ should be "loyal" is ridiculous. The genre is founded on innovation, and so it makes perfect sense that many DJs would branch out. The three archetypal DJs (Herc, Bam, Flash) didn't even have Hip Hop records, per se. Hip Hop was founded on thinking outside the box. Battle DJs have always been experimental and crossed genres. Bboy DJs generally shy away from commercial hip hop and now you hear a lot of electronic music in the dance scene.

What I'm suggesting here is that any DJ that has so-called "left hip hop" simply doesn't want to be limited to a single genre (and/or isn't feeling new Hip Hop). Yes, some DJs have gone on record as saying they are burned out on Hip Hop (J.Rocc, for example).

Personally, I feel like Hip Hop has been stagnant for awhile now. To me, that's the main reason why good DJs are so-called "leaving" Hip Hop. I give new stuff a listen, but it's 99.999% garbage. The last solid new Hip Hop sets I heard were from Custee (aka Custodian of Records). Yes, there are still gems to be heard, but as a DJ, I would also be veering away from so-called "Hip Hop" (which, in actuality, is much broader than just 90's boom bap). Believe me, I wish this weren't the case. I WISH THERE WAS MORE DOPE HIP HOP. But there isn't.

Rudy Martinez in Sacramento said...

people just get tired of playing the same shit after two decades

pipomixes said...

By no stretch of the imagination did I mean to suggest that hip hop deejays should only play rap. In fact, I completely agree with Eric's description of a hip hop deejay playing multi-genres. My point was more directed at deejays who have completely disassociated themselves from the musical genre like it was some skanky slut they had sex with when they were young before they "grew up." There are countless ways deejays could get creative with it by mixing different genres but still infusing a little "I'm still hip hop" flava here and there. It doesn't necessarily have to be 90's boom bap stuf. There's plenty of quality here and there that can be mixed and still sound fresh and new. I'm just suggesting a better balance. A lot of deejays have gotten so deep into crate diggin' that they're too busy playing Ukrainian funk that nobody knows than actually mixing records in a technically sound fashion.

Eric Nord said...

Thanks, Pipo. I just wanted to stir the pot a bit. Part of the reason why I listen to so much Dubstep (gasp! the horror!) is the mixing. Whether you like Dubstep or not, it's hard to front on the DJ skills of a guy like Youngsta. Dude can murder the mix. I used to think hip hop DJs were all-around better DJs than Electronic DJs. But now I'd say it's even. Hip Hop DJs obviously murder it with the juggles and mixing a wide variety of genres. But Electronic guys are doing way more complex blends. To a hip hop head, the idea of long blends might sound boring, but to me long blends can take a mix to another level.

hazardous said...

I think with cut chemist and shadow is they have to think of their career as a DJ/producer and have realised to keep headlining big venues they have to keep up with the young audiences, people like myself who grew up on their 90's hip hop mixes don't go out as much.

Its a sad fact that most of the classic hip hop DJs dont play the records that made them what they are.

I have dj'd for about 10 years and always tried to keep the old school alive because I think its the most fluid music to mix for me, I have messed around with different styles but always come back to the breaks, soul and hip hop etc.
Thanks for blogs like pipomixes for keeping this genre going and hopefully showing the new DJs a classic genre and movement. Word.
This Cut Chemist mix is one of the finest of the old tapes along with Q berts Demolition Pumpkin squeeze music.

themightymikep said...

Personally I view hip hop dj'ing as a style more than anything. Like Eric Nord said above, the original hip hop DJ's weren't even spinning hip hop on wax, but it was still hip hop because of the way they flipped it. So when I see J-Rocc or Cut Chemist or whoever spinning everything from funk to house music, I still think it has a very hip hop feel to it and I'm not disappointed with it at all. In fact I much prefer seeing them spin other shit than hip hop, since hip hop is a finite resource given that there's very little new good shit coming out, and most of the good stuff's already been played to death.

That said, I do get annoyed seeing DJ's like Craze or A-Trak play pure EDM sets which don't even have a hip hop flavor anymore.

Anonymous said...

I go to the club to get @$$ not listen to a stoner play music