When Chuck Berry opens your summer mix with “School Days” and then says what up “Havana Moon” style 11 tracks later, you know you’re in good hands.
Check out these two fine summer mixes from my friend Ben. Uno (You scared? Go to Church): smooth n’ mellow summertime hip-hop jams, and Uno mas (Different Strokes for Different Folks): classical rock n’ roll vibes.
Ben (McRubes, Rubix, Beezle, the McBeezlebub–I cannot stress enough how well this man wears a nickname! Damn!) is an editor at Centerstage Chicago, so I’m always asking what he’s listening to. Dude knows. So naive and impressionable I am, he has shown me the way: Atmosphere, People Under the Stairs, Spoon…Bernardo di Beeze has turned me on to all kinds of crazy good shit over the years.
There are tracks on these mixes that are straight-up ridiculous. Um, how can you not sigh (and mean it) when you hear Lou Reed “Perfect Day” or just feel baller driving around with The Coup “Me and Jesus the Pimp in a ’79 Granada Last Night” playing. But “Ben” (sometimes it suits him), is a master of the pacing. Bang. I said it. See what I mean:
fuck yeah
That’s what I said dude. That’s what I keep saying!