Mixtapes and DJ mixes in 2011 have become a pretty trivial thing. Thousands are released every month and to be honest, very few are even worth your attention. Which is why I don’t share a lot of them with you all. To me a good mixtape is a nice blend of technical skills but also has to work the angles and actually tell a story. Anyone can just put the latest 20 dubstep, hip-hop or uk funky jams on a mix. I gots no love for that.
This however is very different. Skratch Bastid is probably Canada’s best party DJ. And I don’t use the word party negatively. The guy knows how to rock a crowd with his technical skills and presence but most importantly he takes chances! And that to me is one of the essential qualities of any DJ. As you can see on this tracklist there are some current hipsterisms like Hudson Mohawke, SBTRKT some classic boom bapisms like EPMD, LL Cool J, Postive K, funk gems from Spanky Wilson, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble… and a ton of remixes and edits from the dude himself. The reason that this deserves your time is that no one else could have made this mixtape therefore it is a true artistic expression and not just a generic B.S dj mix.
Words from Skratch: “I’m proud to present: The Entertainer. It’s a mixtape in digital format. I don’t need to tell you who is on here (but don’t shy away from looking at the tracks) – it’s a mix. It knows no genre boundaries and bounces between many style of music – the only connection is that the music is great. I scratch, mix, juggle, produce, remix and blend your favorite and future favorite jams. If you are a music lover – there is something on here for you. Pop it in and let it ride.”
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1. The Entertainer Intro – Skratch Bastid
2. Take a Walk on the Wild Side – Lou Reed
3. (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay (DJ Moves Remix) – Otis Redding
4. Paid In Full – Eric B. & Rakim/Ofra Haza (Bastid Reconstruction)
5. Just A Lil’ Dope – Masters at Work
6. 99 Problems/Rock The Bells (Inst) – Jay-Z/Rick Rubin/LL Cool J/Jorun
7. Get Me Back On Time, Engine No.9 – Wilson Pickett
8. 10 Crack Commandments/Shut ‘Em Down – Notorious B.I.G./Public Enemy (Bastid Reconstruction)
9. Eat Em Up L Chill – LL Cool J
10. Rampage – EPMD (Bastid Reconstruction)
11. Bumpin’ Bus Stop – Thunder & Lightning
12. Step Up Front – Positive K
13. As We Enter the Gravel Pit – Wu-Tang Clan vs Nas & Damian Marley (Skratch Bastid Remix)
14. Sunshine Of Your Love – Spanky Wilson
15. Get Up Stand Up/Slippin’ Into Darkenss – Bob Marley vs War (Skratch Bastid Blend)
16. Hercules – Aaron Neville
17. Give You All I Can – Shad & Skratch Bastid (Produced by Skratch Bastid)
18. Sleazy – Andre 3000 ($kratch Ba$tid’s Ke$ha-less Mix)
19. Cameras vs Like A Boss – Matt & Kim & Slim Thug (Skratch Bastid Remix)
20. Look At Hudson Mohawke Now – Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne & Hudson Mohawke (Skratch Bastid Remix)
21. Wildfire – SBTRKT featuring Little Dragon
22. Spottie – Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
23. International Whisperer’s Anthem – UGK, Outkast & George Michael (Skratch Bastid’s Sexy Sax Mix)
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