DiggingTheGreats

FREE Extended Video: Breaking Down Nas' "It Ain't Hard To Tell"

In honor of the 30th Anniversary of Nas' Illmatic, I'm giving you the FULL Extended Edit of today's video for free!

You're a member of the Free Tier here on Patreon, which means you get updates, streaming playlists, and a few bonuses here and there - but for members of the "Kick It" and "Producers" Tiers, they get access to the Full Extended edits of every video and more. These videos are longer and feature much more music and analysis, and it's the version I make f...

The Break Room - April Giveaway

Going live in just a few minutes! Drop a comment and say what's up! Make sure and click through to the video so you can view the live chat!

(This is an unlisted YouTube link, so throwing it on a TV should be easy)

Livestream & Giveaway - This Wednesday!

This month's Break Room is extra special - not only will I be DJing, playing music, and hanging out with you live, I'll be giving away records and DTG merch!

Tap in THIS WEDNESDAY, April 17th at 5pm PST for the livestream - I'll be picking winners randomly from the comment section, you'll have to be present to win!

This livestream is open to all tiers (Free, Kick It, and Producers) - you'll get an email tomorrow night when I go live and you can...

Outtakes - First Hip Hop Song

Look, nobody's perfect, alright? Here are some outtakes from the most recent video, an investigation into the first hip hop song, which of course led me MUCH further down the rabbit hole - SPOILER ALERT - if you haven't seen that video yet, you should watch that first!

As you'll see in this video, I didn't know that the big finale moment was going to come together as perfectly as it did! Let me know if you enjoyed this kind of thing and want to see more in the future!

What's the First Hip Hop "SONG"? - An Investigation

Today I want to answer the question - what was the first Hip Hop SONG? Let’s just say, the rabbit hole goes a lot deeper and a lot earlier than you might expect. Like, a LOT.

Note: This is the extended edit which is over 5 minutes longer than YouTube

Around the World in ONE Legendary Hip Hop Sample

Today, we’re going to cover a lot of ground, by way of this song, “Genius of Love” by Tom Tom Club. I’ll go ahead and tell you everywhere that we’re going, but you’ll have to see how we get there. We’re gonna talk about Tom Tom Club, sure, but then also Zapp, Common, Paul Simon, J Dilla, ACDC, Grandmaster Flash, The Talking Heads, Kurtis Blow, Fela Kuti, and just when we can’t go any deeper, we’re gonna loop it back and around and connect the whole thing together.

What’s Coming This Month at DTG

Hello Friends!

There’s a LOT happening here at Digging The Greats this month, and I want to make sure you don’t miss anything - Here’s what’s coming up in April, as well as a couple other housekeeping announcements.

DJ Livestream + Giveaway

Every month I host The Break Room - a livestream DJ set exclusively for DTG Patreon members. It’s a blast playing mus...

Why Tribe Made ZERO Dollars from “Can I Kick It”

Today we’re talking all about the classic song “Can I Kick It” by A Tribe Called Quest, why they’ve never made a dime from it, but with that… the strange story of the betrayed rock star who took 100% of this song - and why it’s a perfect encapsulation of everything wrong with the music industry.

NOTE: This video is 6 minutes longer than the YouTube edit, and includes a new kind of ending - let me know what you think!

Streaming Playlist: Digs, Vol. 3

Every month I release a new Streaming Music Playlist here on Patreon - last month was a playlist specifically dedicated to Funk, but this month I'm returning to the eclectic mix of the "Digs" series. I'm pleased to bring you "Digs, Vol. 3" - as a reminder, I've put this in a specific order based on tempo and feel, and it's meant to take you on a musical journey, so as always - DO NOT SHUFFLE

Click the links below to get "Digs, Vol. 3" on the streaming service of your choice. Enjo...

The J Dilla Album That Doesn’t Get Enough Credit

There’s one album that doesn’t come up in the Dilla conversation enough. It’s some of his best work, was a turning point for him as a producer, and helped birth the neo soul movement.

Today we're talking about Slum Village. If you’re a Dilla fan and you don’t know Slum Village, man get ready, cuz it’s some of Dilla’s finest work, and that’s saying a LOT. If you’re already a Slum Village fan, you’re in the right place.

We’re diving into the story...

The Break Room Radio - March Madness

Was "March Madness" a very loose theme for this livestream? Yes. Did we still have a ton of fun? YES

The full video replay is up with comments and everything, but here's the Radio Mix that doesn't include my mic, music only! 

Thank you to everyone who tuned in LIVE! I love getting to hang out with everybody and enjoy the music together! There's just one question left: what should the theme for April be?

The Break Room - March Madness

Going LIVE in The Break Room - come say what's up, kick back, and enjoy the music!

"93 'Til Infinity" Recreation

This is the Ableton recreation I made of "93 Til Infinity" by the Souls of Mischief for the video I just released. Normally, these recreations are available only for members in the Producers tier, but I'm making this one available to the Kick It tier as well! 

Download it, mess around with it, solo parts, play the drum pattern in yourself, or tweak it and make your own version! Enjoy! 

Why 93 ‘Til Infinity Will ALWAYS Be a Classic | Breakdown

The song “93 Til Infinity” is a classic song that instantly transports you back to the first time you heard it. It’s one of those songs that will FOREVER be a classic - but why do some songs fade with the years, and others, like this one stand the test of time?

Today, we’re talking all about the Mighty Souls of Mischief and their song “93 Til Infinity” - talking about the story behind this song, recreating the beat, and figuring out why thi...

Coming This Saturday: The Break Room

Every month here on Patreon I do a livestream called "The Break Room" where I DJ, play new mixes, new mashups, play bass, and hang out with everyone in the chat. Last month was "Dilla Night" which was dedicated to the life and music of J Dilla. THIS month I've picked the loose theme of "March Madness"

No, it's not gonna be all Basketball related music (though I DO love the original Space Jam Soundtrack). It'll be an eclectic mix of music that may not think of as going together, sort of ...

Dune 2's UNEXPECTED Musical Connection

The movie Dune 2 is out, and features Christopher Walken as the Emperor. This is crazy not only for Dune fans, for Christopher Walken fans, but also for fans of early 2000s big beat electronic music!

Today we're diving into the Dune Cinematic Universe (albeit, a loosely connected one) to see the connections between the new movie and the 2001 song "Weapon of Choice" by Fatboy Slim. Then I'll be breaking this song down because it turns out, it's FULL of great samples, famous bass players,...

The CRAZIEST Music Concert Documentary This Century (Full Edit)

How does a music documentary this good even exist? This movie captures the past, present, and future in many crazy ways.

NOTE: This is the Full Edit which is 2 mins longer than the YouTube version)

SOURCES 

https://www.okayplayer.com/originals/dave-chappelles-block-party-streaming-facts-release.html  

2024-03-08 17:15:05 +0000 UTC View Post

This Song ACCIDENTALLY Made It on “Thriller”

This week we're diving into the story of the song that accidentally ended up on "Thriller", including demos and alternate takes.

NOTE: this video is 4 minutes longer than the YouTube edit, featuring more music, and even a lame joke that didn't make the cut!

Here's the video I point to at the end 

SOURCES  

Steve Po...

Streaming Playlist: FONK

For this month's streaming playlist, we're diving into some funk - but the problem is the term "funk" or "funky" can be applied to a wide range of artists and songs. So where do you draw the line? 

I'll tell you where I've drawn it - music that makes you feel good, songs that make you move, and grooves that make you want to start the track over just so you can feel it again. Stuff that's SO funky, it can only be called FONK. 

As always, this playlist is in a specific ord...

This Curtis Mayfield Song DOESN'T ACTUALLY EXIST

Everybody knows the song "Diamond in the Back" by Curtis Mayfield. You know the one that goes "Diamond in the back, sun roof top, diggin' the scene with the gangsta lean..."?

Well, I'm here to tell you that this song DOES NOT EXIST and Curtis Mayfield NEVER recorded it. 

Today, we're going down a rabbit hole. How did this happen? If this isn't Curtis Mayfield, who is it and why does everyone think it'...