NEWS
EVENTS
Throwback Thursdays - Ninth Wonder mixtape "God's Stepson" featuring Nas
Thursday 27th June 2013 | Chris
Introducing Throwback Thursdays, a new feature to Guestlist which digs up old records, mixes and mixtapes.
Offering a different take on a classic album, God’s Stepson is a mixtape that is a must listen for any hip-hop heads. Over a decade has passed since God’s Son was released by lyricist Nas, a platinum selling album which redefined an artist and told a very compelling story. This release was the first time Nas opened up to listeners about his personal life and issues that were troubling him at the time including the loss of his mother and an ongoing feud with Jay-Z. In 2003 Ninth Wonder was inspired to remix the whole album, taking the vocals off each track and combining them with his own instrumentals. This made hip-hop history as it was the first time a well-known DJ remixed an entire album start-to-finish, which anticipated many future releases such as Danger Mouse’s Grey Album.
He entitled the mixtape God’s Stepson and transformed the album into something vibrant and soulful, showcasing Ninth’s talent as a hip-hop producer. God's Stepson is a hijacking masterpiece which throws together vintage hard-hitting flows with some soft samples and a pulsating kick drum to bounce to.
It’s always nice to find musicians that produce consistently good music and do not alter their style in accordance with trends. Ninth Wonder has always stayed true to his own formula, which has been heavily influenced by J Dilla and DJ Premier. He takes samples from old soul, jazz and funk records and often speeds up the melodies before cutting them into his tracks. For him this is a method of preserving material that has been created by fellow African Americans and carries a sound that bares his roots. Ninth also puts importance on preserving hip-hop music and culture and his passion has led to his active involvement at universities in the US. He has taught ‘hip-hop history’ and ‘soul sampling’ at institutions including the prestigious Harvard University.
It’s fair to say Ninth set the bar high when he produced what was the first hybrid hip-hop album. For those of you who enjoy the mixtape, we highly recommend looking up a few more of Ninth’s remixes. Here's one of our favourites...
by Chris Schwartz
