Rap Tradition (feat. Phill Most Chill)

Ubiquitous London DJ / producer Chris Read continues his run of 7"s on Breakin Bread with his first release of 2013, a floor shaking slice of dancefloor hip hop featuring legendary '80s mic controller, Philadelphia Soul Man, Phill Most Chill.

SIDE A – RAP TRADITION (ORIGINAL VERSION)

'Rap Tradition' is not only a title but a mission statement as guest vocalist Phill Most leads the fast-rap renaissance. Fondly recalling an era of innovation and the competitive spirit of the battle, the track is a lyrical ode the genre's traditions. Sitting atop a pounding drum track which is equal parts crisp 2013 production and homage to the classic beat makers of the late '80s, deft wordplay weaves in and out of punchy drums, horn stabs, hints of hammond and a captivating bass groove. With a nod to '80s greats 45 King and Marley Marl, it's a track which follows in the footsteps of those playfully keeping their tradition alive: NuMark, DJ Format, Cut Chemist et al.

SIDE B – RAP TRADITION (CHRIS READ'S RAP RENAISSANCE REMIX)

The B Side of this fast rap throwback picks up where the A Side left off. Harking back to a day when remixes really were remixes, all musical elements of the original are abandoned in favour of a stylistically similar but entirely new instrumental. This time round a rolling drum groove underpins a memorable bass line and catchy horns offering an alternative soundtrack for the vocals of the Soul Man's traditionalist ode. It's no less dancefloor friendly than its A Side counterpart and ensures any lovers of the original version get two for the price of one!

BACKGROUND

CHRIS READ:

Chris, a collector of hip hop, funk, soul boogie and related beats and jazz based music since the late eighties first came to prominence as a club DJ in the mid 90s through his 10 year role as resident DJ and promoter at Substance (one of the UK's largest and longest running hip hop and funk nights). An album release for Different Drummer and a 2 year spell as mix DJ on BBC Radio 1Xtra in the early 2000s took Chris' production and DJ talents to a national audience. In the following years a steady output of high profile singles, remixes and mix albums has allowed Chris to DJ around the globe. In 2011 Chris joined the ranks of respected UK labels BBE and Breakin Bread, releasing three official mix albums for the former and series of tropical 7" singles for the latter. Chris is currently at work in the studio producing a new album for BBC New Urban Music Award winning band 'Maylight', a seven piece outfit fusing jazz, soul and electronics featuring the vocal talents of Tru Thoughts' Lizzy Parks. Chris will also release an album / singles collection for Breakin Bread in October 2013.

PHILL MOST CHILL:

A true hip hop renaissance man, Philadelphia MC, DJ, record collector, illustrator and journalist Phill Most Chill (aka Soulman) has done it all. An active contributor to hip hop culture since the early 80s, Phill's 1988 single 'On Tempo Jack' is a cult classic. A mine of information about rare and desirable records, breaks and all things made of black plastic, Phill penned the classic 'Soulman's World of Beats' column for Rap Sheet magazine which went on to spawn the popular 'Soulman' and 'Archaeologists' Classics' mixtape series. In 2013, Phill's material is very much still in demand with collections of Phill's rare and unreleased back catalogue seeing re-issues from aficionados' favourites 'Diggers with Gratitude' and collaborations with the likes of Paul Nice and DJ Format seeing recent releases.