The good people at Art Don’t Sleep are cooking up TWO crazy shows on Tuesday, February 13th.  They are taking over both the The Echo and the Echoplex.  Upstairs is #jazzisdead and downstairs is the return of the 70s Ethiopian funk god, Ayalew Mesfin!

If you purchase entry into one of the events, you will be granted entry into both events. This is a very special one time happening and only going down in Los Angeles.

Egon has put together a mixtape of psychedelic rock, Krautrock, and obscure, overlooked gems from the 60s-70s rock scene. These are many of the same records that inspired Madlib’s Rock Konducta. (Track list possibly coming soon.)

via Rappcats

Here’s the latest record from Dilla’s long-lost (and still tangled) album The Diary, “Give ‘Em What They Want,” 12-inch on clear vinyl with five tracks produced in 2002 by J Dilla and Supa Dave West. This will be released on May 6th on Pay Jay Productions.

Dilla set out in 2002 to record an album collaborating with his favorite producers, and Supa Dave West was among them. The first two vocal tracks on this record are built around the same lyrics – “Give ‘Em What They Want” produced by Dilla and “The Doe” produced by West are typical of how he would re-record a track, changing his delivery to fit another producer’s beat. (Another version of this track over a completely different Supa Dave West beat is still missing.)

The last vocal track “So Far,” also produced by Supa Dave West, will be familiar to some fans of MP3 bootlegs. On this record, it’s mastered for the first time by Dave Cooley, who worked on Donuts, The Shining and Ruff Draft.

Thanks to James & Karla Murray for the cover photo, from their book Store Front (Ginko Press). The label illustration is by Denise Nestor, based on a photo by B+. Sleeve by Jeff Jank. This was produced for reissue by Eothen Alapatt, with coordination from House Shoes, Henoch Moore and J Rocc.

Pay Jay Productions was founded by J Dilla (James Yancey). The Estate of James Yancey is administered by attorney Alex Borden and overseen by the Probate Court of the State of California on behalf of Yancey’s four heirs – his mother, Maureen “Madukes” Yancey, his brother John “Illa J” Yancey and his two daughters, Ja’Mya Yancey and Ty-monae Whitlow.

via @rappcats

J Rocc put this mix together for Carhartt Radio on the eve of the Madlib Medicine Show tours in Europe and Australia later this month, both presented by Carthartt. The tour shirt designed by Mason London (above)

Madlib Medicine Show, Europe Tour, 2012
feat. DJs Madlib, J Rocc, MC Freddie Gibbs
October 10: Frankfurt at Zoom Club
October 11: Berlin at Festsaal Kreuzberg
October 12: London at HMV Forum with DOOM, Jneiro Jarel, Kutmah
October 13: Paris at Le Trabendo
October 15: Moscow at MILK
October 16: St Petersburg at A2

Madlib Medicine Show, Australia Tour, 2012
featuring DJs Madlib, J Rocc & Egon plus special guests
October 25: Brisbane at Coniston Lane Tickets
October 26: Sydney at The Metro Tickets
October 27: Perth at The Bakery Tickets
October 28: Melbourne at Prince Bandroom Tickets

lifted from Rappcats

We usually communicate with Stones Throw via email or see them at shows…we haven’t had a face to face meeting in years, but we were recently in L.A. to chop it up in person.  PB Wolf was in the studio, but we did see J.Rocc (and I think briefly Krondon?) roll through.

Jason manages the office (amongst other things…)

Kota handles distribution in Japan.

Joe was coordinating new releases & production with their distributors.

Egon!

Nate, who handles all the digital distribution.  He’s also the proprietor of  Innovative Leisure Records featuring releases from Laser Sword (from SF)  and Mexicans with Guns.

the wall of posters

Celeste, the lone lady, holding it down in the warehouse.

David (along with Nick…not pictured) pulls the bulk of the orders.

Some of Playboy Eddie’s ST pieces on the wall outside the office.

And some of the other pieces have DOOM stencils.

ST HQ also happens to be down the street from the very first Forever 21 (still called “Fashion 21”) .  Not sure that the local residents even realize all of the empire-building taking place in their neighborhood.

Stussy – J Dilla Documentary Prt3 (of 3) from Stussy on Vimeo.