For the first time since 1993, my weekly record store visits were put on hold as duty called and I deployed overseas to Southeast Asia in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. With many rifts lingering throughout hip-hop, DJ Kay Slay’s Hot 97 “Drama Hour” and street mixtapes provided a platform for the storied tradition of the emcee battle, and his signature East Harlem bravado only added to the excitement like the voice inflections of ring announcer Michael Buffer.īy the spring of 2003, I had been a hip-hop consumer for a strong decade, rarely missing a Tuesday without copping some brand new music.
#My way usher zippyshare series#
Clue achieved new heights of commercial success, the inaugural chapter of his series reaching platinum status.Īs the new millennium rolled in, other DJs like Frankie Cutlass, Tony Touch, and West Coast media icons Sway & Tech featuring DJ Revolution all released similar studio projects that helped add a new dimension to hip-hop, expanding the sub-genre of compilation albums.īuilding his brand by harvesting key relationships with marquee artists during pivotal times of their career like Nas, Cam’ron, and 50 Cent, it almost seemed as if it was DJ Kay Slay’s turn to release a hot studio album to usher in the summer of 2003. DJ Clue would follow suit as his own label, Desert Storm Records, merged with Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Music Group for his own three-part series The Professional. Veteran nightclub DJ and radio personality Funkmaster Flex was able to secure a major label deal with Loud Records for the first three installments of his Funkmaster Flex Presents: The Mixtape, (60 Minutes of Funk) series. Regardless of the particular brand, this underground circuit became a bicoastal-and even international-phenomenon by the mid ‘90s, garnering the attention of major record labels. Following the tradition set by the older DJs, it seemed that everyone had their niche, while following the one uncompromising principle of keeping the listener well in-tuned with the street.ĭoo Wop’s specialty was featuring raw studio freestyles from hardcore artists, while Clue frequently boasted of debuting exclusive new music. At least until my older brother was able to secure a plug that supplied DJ Craig G, DJ S&S, Doo Wop, and DJ Clue mixtapes on a regular basis, circa 1994. Since the 1970s, notable dee jays have always shown great marketing acumen by pushing the culture, so when the new generation of rap acts began to heat up the game around Y2K with a fierce spirit of competitiveness, a superstar DJ emerged not far from hip-hop’s Mecca and dubbed himself “The Drama King.”įor me, growing up about 200 miles south of the Big Apple in Baltimore, MD during the ‘90s, an actual mixtape was as hard to get as a Triple Fat Goose Bomber underneath my Christmas tree. In fact, long before cultural pioneers like the late great Love Bug Starski coined the term hip-hop or the musical genre was branded as rap music, the cool kids of New York City’s five boroughs filled parks and recreational centers just to be in the presence of turntablists such as Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Disco King Mario. It will also include footage of the making of Carr’s reimagined tracks and “never-before seen archival footage of Usher from the album’s era,” according to the announcement.Unfortunately, we often forget that the very fabric of hip-hop culture was originally woven and, in many cases, remains stitched together not just by the master of ceremonies but largely by the ingenuity of the disc jockey. Directed by Dolapo Sangokoya, it will feature exclusive interviews with Usher, Carr and producer Jermaine Dupri. The mini-documentary, “Usher: 25 Years My Way” - about the making of “My Way” - will be released exclusively to Usher’s YouTube channel. The reimagined tracks, on which Carr and Usher collaborated last summer, inspired the Grammy Award winner’s performance on NPR’s “Tiny Desk.” It was a viral event, garnering more than 11 million views to date.
The deluxe edition comprises the original 10-track album, an updated reshoot of the original cover, a lyric and photo booklet, a mini-documentary, drummer/producer Ryan James Carr reimagined versions of three hits singles, as well as instrumental versions of Carr’s reimagined songs.
Usher to release 25th anniversary deluxe edition of “My Way.” (Photo by Bellamy Brewster for Sony Music Entertainment)
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