2Mex @ The Blue Cafe (Live Review)

It was a star-studded night at a packed house at The Blue Cafe in Long Beach, CA. Besides the pajama party going on down the street, the Hip-Hop heavyweights were in full effect and had the crowd going nuts from beginning to end. Pigeon John was seen in the crowd with his LA Symphony crew as well as Lord Zen of the Visionaries making a surprise appearance.




2Mex ripped the crowd a new one with an array of hits spanning his 10+ year career covering hits from the Look Daggers, Over The Counter Culture, Gloria Was A KROQer, and even his soon to be released joints from his solo album and The Returners.

Visionaries were in the house as Lord Zen joined 2Mex on stage and blessed the crowd with his distinct flow and voice.



Trek Life was the night's host and did a great job getting the crowd pumped...not an easy job.



Evidence of Dilated Peoples capped off the night with his steady flow promoting his latest EP, The Layover, but it was his Weatherman tracks that had the crowd going crazy singing along to his hooks. Madness!



Check the video for one of my favorite tracks from DJ Babu's Duck Season 3.

2Mex & DJ Rhettmatic TOMORROW

If you live in Southern California, you do not want to miss out on two dope shows tomorrow night, Thursday, Jan. 29. Sadly, both shows are at the same time, so choose wisely.

First off, 2Mex (Look Daggers/Visionaries) rocking a solo set in downtown Long Beach opening up for Evidence (Dilated Peoples).



If that's not your cup of tea, DJ Rhettmatic (Beat Junkies/Visionaries) will be on the one's and two's in downtown Santa Ana along with Plann.B.



Choose wisely!

Kev Brown "I Do What I Do" Instrumental Album

Hot off his collaboration album "Selective Hearing" with LMNO, the Kev Brown "I Do What I Do" Instrumental album will be released via iTunes and all other digital outlets NEXT WEEK - FEBRUARY 3, 2009. Don't sleep on one of the illest Producers in the game right now!!!

Astronote "Bigger & Better" (The Notorious Remixes) Mixtape

I was first introduced to Astronote by LMNO who received some beats from him about a year ago. LMNO would come in the office and talk about these guys from France (along with French producer Yann Kesz) who had the illest beats he's ever heard in his life. Of course, when something like that is said, especially from LMNO, your attention is wide open. LMNO did not lie to me as Astronote's hard hitting beats blew my mind.

Fast forward to today. Along with Astronote's numerous remix projects (which you can find on his Myspace page), this mixtape is his latest and greatest. Alongside DJ Graffiti, Astronote remixed some of The Notorious B.I.G.'s most notable hits with the help of Erykah Badu, Buff 1, Busta Rhymes, Guilty Simpson, Big L, hosted by the one and only Talib Kweli.

Download here: Bigger & Better (The Notorious Remixes)

Tracklist:
Intro
Young G's (ft. Talib Kweli)
N*ggas (ft. Buff1)
Don't Stop (ft. Big L)
Everyday Struggle (ft. Bahamadia)
Interlude #1
Party & Bullsh*t (ft. Erykah Badu)
Whatchu Want
Dangerous MCs (ft. Guilty Simpson & Busta Rhymes)
Let's Get It On (ft. Heavy D, 2Pac & Grand Puba)
Dead Wrong
Interlude #2
I'm F*cking You Tonight
Come On (ft. Sadat X)
Crush On You (ft. Junior Mafia)
Victory (ft. Puff Daddy & Busta Rhymes)
Outro
Don't Stop Pt.2 (ft. Big L) [BONUS]

Be on the lookout for the Astronote digi-single from Up Above Records...

Visionaries "We Are The Ones" Double-Sided Poster

Just added to our online store is the double-sided Visionaries "We Are The Ones (we've been waiting for)" Poster. The front side is the album cover while the back side is the Visionaries mosaic containing the pictures you've sent in. Get it now so you can check yourself out forever engrained on a poster! Each order comes with two posters so you can enjoy both sides.



Visionaries "WATO" Poster - order here

Limited Posters Now Available in our Web Store

Posters from the Up Above Catalog are now available in our online store. We only have a limited quantity of each Poster, so don't sleep! We also have a few limited Visionaries "WATO" 1-inch buttons...previously used as promo for their "We Are The Ones" album, we've had a few requests to bring them back, your wish has been granted.

DJ Rhettmatic "Exclusive Collection"


SonGodSun aka 2Mex "Over The Counter Culture"


More posters are available including:
LMNO "Economic Food Chain Music"
LMNO "P's & Q's"
DJ Nu-Mark & Pomo "Blendcrafters"
Kev Brown "I Do What I Do"

Look Daggers - "That Look" Remix

The Look Daggers album has been out for a few months now, and for those who have yet to cop the CD+DVD "Suffer In Style" you are definitely missing out. So please check it out and listen to the album and watch the DVD - it will blow your mind (available in our online store).

This Remix was first used as a bonus track for iTunes when it was first released back in March of 2008. When the physical CD+DVD release came about, Ikey wanted to release this track on a cassette tape w/ the "New Wave Mash-Up" (limited to only 100 copies) for the UPABOVE.COM online orders. The cassettes were gone before all the pre-orders were shipped out.

The Remix features the drummer from Reel Big Fish Ryland Steen, who also played on a few tracks on the "Suffer In Style" album as well as being featured in the Look Daggers DVD, "Alive For Now In Long Beach." On bass is Jessica Dobson who just toured with Beck as a member of his live band, as well as working on her solo project Deep Sea Diver.

Download "That Look" remix for free below. Enjoy!

http://media.ocweekly.com/2788393.0.mp3

Check out "The Making Of The New Wave Spazout" Music Video while you're at it!

DJ Rhettmatic - Pure Funkmode Mix

Here's a little something for you to listen to over the weekend. I'll let Rhett introduce his mix:

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MIX

Here's a new mix for yall to download & listen to. I did this mix in conjunction with www.247hh.com. My man Jellow from Chrewd Marketing in Chicago reached out to me to do a little mix for the website he helped build; he was inspired by the KDAY mix that I sent out & wanted to do something with that type of vibe.

It's a 30 minute mix with some Funk shit (not the P-Funk, but Funky Soul shit) & some classic & new Hip Hop shit. It's something to get your James Brown on.

1. Duck & Cover - Orgone
2. Brass In Africa - Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
3. Ghost Walk - The Budos Band
4. Super Strut 1 - The Kashmere Stage Band
5. I Wish - The Kashmere Stage Band
6. Reverse Pt. 2.5 - Percee P
7. Day At The Races - Jurassic 5
8. Give It Up Or Turn It Loose - James Brown
9. Special Category/Rapp Cats Pt. 3 - The Roe-O-Tation/Quasimoto
10. The Wrath Of Kane - Big Daddy Kane
11. Jingling Baby Rmx - LL Cool J
12. Walking Into Sunshine - Central Line
13. Melting Pot - Booker T & The MGs
14. Keep On Dancing - Alvin Cash
15. Dance For Me - Queen Latifah

Look Daggers Interview

Look Daggers (2Mex & Ikey Owens) were interviewed a while back by Loudvine.com.  Check the full video interview below and get their debut album "Suffer In Style" in stores now.

Up Above Records - Carving A New Standard

 Hello and welcome to the first post of the Up Above Records blog.  If you're unfamiliar with who we are, we are an independent hip-hop music label established in 1995, releasing vinyl and full-length albums from the likes of the Visionaries, Supernatural, Kev Brown, Declaime, DJ Nu-Mark, 2Mex, LMNO, Jurassic 5 - the list goes on and on.  

We wanted to start this blog to keep you in the loop of what we have brewing in the future, as well as getting you more familiar with our work from the past.  So please continue to follow this blog and we'll have some weekly goodies for you.

It's only appropriate that we start off the blog with a look at the very first music video from Up Above Records...initially released on the "Turntable Wizardry" VHS tape, this is some original 90's hip hop.

KeyKool & Rhettmatic aka Kozmonautz "Can U Hear It"