Lets take a minute to note that Headnodic and his fellow musical humans with instruments dropped The Iguana (Listen/Buy) (limited vinyl), an almagest on bedroom-eyes,  galactic adventures, and the exotic future we’re still imagining. Contemplating, biding it’s time, a masterful escape artist The Iguana is a rejection of disposable junk and within it exists the reason why unification was and is a revolutionary movement, and that’s because a whole is greater than its parts. And with that metric it becomes clear that as the lizard’s practice of shedding its skin is a symbol for regeneration, The Iguana also represents the growth of Hednodic as a cultivated musician. More that a homage to a collection of sounds; The Iguana can and does stand on its own. Highly Recommended.

Armed with years of experience as a Hip-Hop producer, Headnodic brings ALL of his influences to the studio for The Iguana. A full menu of styles from his years of crate digging are evident; jazz fusion, prog rock, Brazilian funk, psychedelic soul, and early electronic sounds. The result is exactly what the composer and producer intended – a musical time traveling exploration into the furthest reaches of rhythm and melody.

Kat O1O: Crumar Orchestrator, Moog & Casiotone202
Headnodic: Production & Moog
Max MacVeety: Drums
Valentino P.: Percussion, & Steel Pans

That’s right tunawaxers! I’m doing a shocker…actually, not even a shocker. Deal with it. Nerds rejoice for your musical masterpiece of retro space love has been dropped by our favorite west coast beat maker in what could be considered one of the best mixtapes of all time. I’m not claiming… but … ya know. Headnodic all up in your space.

Shocker: Headnodic – Funky Star Wars Mixtape (don lowed)

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Download Direct Zip File with Artwork: Download

Unless you’re old like me, then probably not… But in my seemingly endless quest to never leave my version of old school jams behind, I did some digging and found something worth sharing. At least I think so.

Do you remember Common, when he was Common Sense? Before soda commercials. Before sweater vests and puffy jackets. Before Grammy Awards. Before an acting career, (He’s gonna be Green Lantern in The Justice League movie!!!) Before all that…
Common was 20 years old, the year was 1992, the album was “Can I Borrow a Dollar?”

Pink: Common Sense – Breaker 1/9 (don lowed)

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Before he dropped “I Used To Love Her” off of the “Resurrection” album. Before the feud with Ice Cube and before he ended that same feud with an unbelievable knock out punch call “The Bitch In You”. Before appearances on The Chappelle Show with Kanye, Before all that…

Pink: Common Sense – Soul by the Pound (don lowed)

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Before modeling for The Gap, Before PETA, Before dating Erykah Badu, Before he released the “Electric Circus” album and whatever the point of that was… Before all that, he was down with the Nuts!

Stink: Common Sense – Heidi Hoe (don lowed)

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(produced by The Beatnuts)

Can I Borrow a Dollar? No need anymore cause Common is retarded rich. I’ve always been a fan. The new stuff is good, the old stuff is good, and the middle stuff is… well you’ll have to judge that on your own. I always enjoy seeing quality artists from way back still contributing and evolving themselves and their music. They have to just to stay around and remain relevant in a young mans game with Attention Deficit Disorder listeners. Just a flash back to the beginning of Common, back when he was Common Sense.

Love, Peace & Windy City Grease-
Big Ups to No I.D.
Zito-

Without doubt the Hip-Hop group “Brand Nubian” is and will forever be one of the greatest trios in history. Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar formed and debuted as a group back in 1986 and eventually their 1st album “All For One” was released in 1990. I remember it well. However, shortly after the release problems began to arise, there is a lot of speculation on why & what, but regardless it caused Grand Puba to leave and get his solo on. He released “Reel To Reel” in 1992 and the tension was still evident…
“For those that try to follow, sorry I left you”

Pink: Grand Puba – 360 (What Goes Around) SD50 Remix (don lowed)

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Sadat & Jamar moved on later in 92 without Puba, by releasing this single (which I have on casingle) and then in 93 dropped “In God We Trusted”. With the flashier Puba out of the mix, the group seemed to trim things down… “Punks Jump To Get Beat Down” is proof of that.

Pink: Brand Nubian – Punks Jump To Get Beat Down (don lowed)

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The group reunited for a couple singles on soundtracks 97ish and released “Foundation” in 1998. I remember looking forward to it and it didn’t disappoint this long time fan. The project brought in Diamond D, DJ Premier and other D.I.T.C. members to produce tracks. Without further a due… here is the “The Return”

Stink: Brand Nubian – The Return (don lowed)

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Just an interesting point in time for the Hip-Hop movement that I look back on with fondness. All the members continued with solo efforts, all pretty good and worth a listen. I’m a huge fan of Grand Puba’s album “2000” which he put out in 95 while the group was still split. Jamar partnered with Dead Prez on some things. I got to meet and see Sadat X perform, which was unbelievable! All good stuff… Hope you check it out and enjoy.

Love, Peace & Old School Grease.
Zito-

We all have our vices, some more than others. We all have our own ways of dulling the senses, I’m sure always for legitimate reasons… (keep telling yourselves that). But speaking from experience… it really doesn’t work, although it does help one sleep at night… sometimes sleep real hard, hard enough to sleep through the alarm clock, then being late for work with a lame excuse and a bangin’ headache. Keep telling yourself that it’s worth it, I do. Tang 10 & Tonic (Big Olives), Stella from the tap & a spicy Bloody Mary, that’s my version.

Pink: The Beatnuts – Here’s a Drink (don lowed)

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STONE CRAZY

When it comes to songs dedicated to burning and baking in Hip-Hop, there isn’t a shortage of supply… and demand for that fact. With so many tight rolled joints to choose from, I went back to one of my favorites that’s often forgotten… maybe due to poor short term memory. “The New Breed” album from way back in the day (1993) is solid as a brick. “Gotta Get Mine” with 2 Pac, “Tight” and The D.O.C. written smoker’s anthem. Smokem’ if you gottem’.

Pink: MC Breed – Something 2 Smoke 2 (don lowed)

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THE NEW BREED

Maybe it’s the release or the need to temporarily forget, although we never do. Whatever it is, unfortunately it still ends up with you in the morning… sometimes worse, sometimes laying next to you and has you quietly calling a cab. Maybe it’s because I’m older now, I know that years ago this post would have been a whole lot different, Live and learn, either way from what I can remember those days were great!! From now on do as Aceyalone asks us to do, “If you see a kid stumbling when they walk by, tell them…”

Stink: Aceyalone – Master Your High (don lowed)

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Love, Peace & Big Breakfast Grease

Zito a.k.a. Bonanza Iron-Clad

“Young bloods can’t spell but they can rock you in PlayStation”

Being the fact that it’s tax time I thought I’d bring this joint out the shoebox. Primo on the track… so you know it’s going to be a thumper… But Mos Def kills! I’ve always been a fan of word play and hard topic driven tracks and Mos, who I’ve always dug and been a fan of, comes clever and with knowledge. Social, Political and what ever else he felt like tossing in the stew.

“Like I got, sixteen to thirty-two bars to rock it
but only 15% of profits, ever see my pockets like
sixty-nine billion in the last twenty years
spent on national defense but folks still live in fear”

If you haven’t heard it before, now you have… if you have, check it out again.

Pink: Mos Def – Mathematics (don lowed)

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I won’t even begin to argue over the lyrics on this track, there are websites and blogs that go on & on over this one. All I will say is that, hate driven or not, historically accurate or not… which many times it’s not… it still carries merit. It’s a very strong, deep point of view, put together in the form of a Hip-Hop song… I don’t know about you, but I respect the hell out of that. If nothing else, it can be a talking point. As Ras Kass spans both history and the globe… there are a lot of talking points and debatable ideals to choose from.

“Let freedom ring with a buckshot, but not just yet
First we need to truly understand the nature of the threat”

Pink: Ras Kass – Nature of the Threat (don lowed)

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KRS-1 is a grab bag of knowledge based tracks… And I was told that I couldn’t leave him out and nor should he be. So I picked 1, could have been a different 1, could have been 3 or 4 from the same album. But I’ve always like the BDP “Live Hardcore Worldwide” album, which includes stops in Paris, London & New York. A live album is hard enough to pull off, but a live Hip-Hop album? “knowledge reigns supreme over nearly everyone”, done as only the “Blast Master” can.

Stink: BDP – Why is That (Live) (don lowed)

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BDP – Why is That (don lowed)

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Love, Peace & Synapse Grease
Zito aka Bananza IronClad

Someone once told me that Wisconsin summers are great… but you just have to make sure that you’re here for that weekend. It’s bad, but not that bad. Even though the last couple of winters have dumped record snow repeatedly year after year, I’ve learned to deal with it. When that snow starts disappearing, the mud & slush dries up and slowly gets replaced with longer days and more greenery… my mind state begins to shift. I start thinking cookouts, bocce and not having to wake up early to scrape ice off my car. I also start to think about a decent beer on a patio, rolling with the windows down… all stuff that you warm weather cats take for granted, I get to, well am forced to appreciate it. Meat cooking on the grill, kids & friends playing games in the yard and some good tunes.

Pink: Grand Puba – Very Special (don lowed)

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Ladies I love it when those sweaters get replaced by sundresses. Boots turn into sandals. Jeans transform into shorts & skirts. The cold & bitterness gets wiped away and tans, sunglasses & smiles move in. It’s in the air and on the way.

Pink: Ugly Duckling – Abigali Silk (don lowed)

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Spring also brings baseball back… I know some just hate it, it’s long, slow and boring. I realize all that, but I grew up playing it and love all the small chess game type details. Pitcher checking the runner on 1st, shaking off the catcher’s sign, the pitch sequence, infield shifts and all the drama. Plus, the vibe is great… sunshine, stadium packed, beer & food. Spring also brings back the fact that as a Brewers fans I inherently have been born with a deep rooted hatred for the Cubs… So Cub fans, I’m sorry. Not for the song posted, but sorry for the fact that you have to go through another year as a Cub fan.

Stink: Steve Goodman – A Dying Cub Fans Last Request (don lowed)

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It’s in the air and on the way… THANK YOU LORD BABY JESUS!!!!!!

Love, Peace & Spit Ball Grease.

Zito-

Then: I remember DJ Ack having me check out the B-side of a new single by some white freestyle kid from Detroit that was a new Dre project. I had barely heard of him, the single “My Name Is”, but flip that record over…

Pink: Eminem – I just don’t give a fuck (don lowed)

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Now: American Music Awards, Movies, Billboard Awards, Sex with Mariah Carey, Grammy Awards, Teen Choice, MTV… all that mess!!! Never would have seen all that coming back in the day. After a long hiatus the new projects, Relapse 1 & 2 are coming out this year, the 1st one I think mid-May.

Then: One of my very first hip-hop tapes, one of the first rap songs I heard on the radio… take into fact it was northern Wisconsin. We all kinda grew up with him… ugly, big ears, a bit corny… but who knew…

Pink: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper (don lowed)

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Now: Actor, film producer and married to Jada Pinkett. The only actor to have 8 straight movies open #1 and gross over $100 million and all the awards and accolades that go with it. Who saw all that coming while watching “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” … not me.

Who woulda thunk that Headnodic had crazy matrix acting skills? He does. While out in The Bay on vacation, I got a sneak peak at it and now can finally post it. It’s dope.

Kink: The Mighty Underdogs (Video) “Science Fiction”

Love, Peace & Jazzy Jeff Transformer Scratch Grease-
The Prodigal Son Benzilla-

I never know were hip-hop heads stand on Talib Kweli. Either they love him or hate him, he’s hit or miss or at least all the heads I’ve chatted about him with. I’ve always kinda dug him, proof being, I think I’ve posted a handful of his projects on here throughout the year. Black Star with Mos Def, Refectional Eternal with Hi-Tek both really fresh in my book. The drawback for me is that he does seem to push out an album every 9 months like a musical broodmare for Brooklyn, might just be my impression. The new album Eardrum is good and this track is a hit.

Pink: Talib Kweli – NY Weather Report (Don Lowed)

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Produced by Nick Speed, cuts by Cut Chemist & Jazzy Jeff

After the Tribe split, way back in 99 I know Q-Tip dropped “Amplified”, I just never got around to checking it out, even with some friends telling me it was well worth the listen. I may have missed on it then, but I can always go back and see if it was actually worth it. But the new album “The Renaissance” is a decent hit, or at least the first 2 singles are, the rest of the tracks are straight. “Move” which is produced by the late great J Dilla, is bangin’ and so is this track. Both have great videos, whoever is in charge of the decision making either management or even if it’s Tip, they hit on their picks for singles.

Pink: Q-Tip feat. Amanda Diva – Manwomenboogie (Don Lowed)

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Produced by Q-Tip

The big hit lately?
Is the hit to the pocketbook, checkbook, credit card, more money then a brother can loose, and you can find me with no gas walking in some beat up, dirt old shoes!
The crunch is on, has been on and looks to be hopefully getting a little better, but chances are the stink will linger around for a while. Willie D, Scarface and Bushwick Bill summed it up pretty good awhile back and it seemed relevant, so I figured I’d hit you with it.

Stink: Geto Boys – I Ain’t With Being Broke (Don Lowed)

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We Can’t Be Stopped (1991)
Rap-A-Lot

Love, Peace & Stimulus Package Grease-
Zito-

Formerly known as Kool Fashion, before converting to Islam to become Al Tariq, was a member of the legendary trio The Beatnuts with JuJu & Psycho Les, before they parted ways. He was the proclaimed “third of the trio” on the groups first 2 studio releases, Intoxicated Demons: The EP (1993) & The Beatnuts: Street Level (1994). Like most hip-hop heads, I’ve always had love for The Beatnuts. Why the split? I’ve heard a couple different versions of the story but regardless Tariq & The Beatnuts continued to work together after the dust had settled.

I was at one of those used CD shops, killing time way back in the day, and stumbled upon this track on a compilation.

Al Tariq – Think Not (don lower)

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Shortly after hearing “Think Not”, I found somebody that had the album “God Connection” and had them dub me a copy… on tape, I know old school. It wasn’t a very good copy, but I bumped it none-the-less.

Al Tariq – Do Your Thang (don Lower)

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Somewhere in the middle of all this I found the 12 inch of “Think Not”. The B-side joint is “Peace Akki”, which is now & forever will be one of my favorite tracks with these guys.

Al Tariq & The Beatnuts – Peace Akki (don lower)

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In 1996 Tariq dropped “God Connection” followed up in 1997 with “Kool Fresh”.
In 1998 Tariq joined up with Problemz & Black Attack to form the group “Missin Linx”.
More recently (as in last year) he reunited with Psycho Les & Problemz to form “Big City”.

I still liked The Beatnuts after Al Tariq left, they’re always good, but it always felt like something was missing. Les was crazy, JuJu was hard to the core and Tariq balanced everything out by being… the Kool Ass Fashion.

Love, Peace & Beatnut Grease!