IT BEGAN WITH MATTHEW AFRICA

DJ O-Dub: It Began With Matthew Africa by Soul-Sides.Com/O. Wang on Mixcloud

After Matthew Africa passed away in the summer of 2012, his friends all pitched in song ideas for the music that played at his memorial. These were songs we associated with him, learned about from him, remixes he had done, etc. There was over four hours of music and folks had briefly considered using it to create a tribute mix in time for MKA’s birthday in October. The timeline was way too rushed though and we never got it off the ground then.

In the two years since, I put the idea of the mix on the back burner but only in recent weeks did I actually, finally, get around to working on it. Using that massive folder of songs as my raw material, I went through and whittled things down to a 37 song, 67 minute mix that reflected the broad range of MKA’s musical tastes. Simply putting this together just made me appreciate, all over again, how expansive his embrace of different musical styles was; this mix says far more about this sensibilities than mine, even if I cherry-picked the songs I thought would work best together.

This mix is dedicated to the memory of Matthew Africa and all his friends and family. Special thanks to Stephanie Gardner of Stephanie Gardner Design for use of the Matthew Africa logo.

Lee Moses-California Dreaming
Gwen McCrae-90% of Me Is You
Johnny K-I Got Bills To Pay
Freddie Hughes-Sarah Mae
Sergio Mendes-For What It’s Worth
The Fixxers-Can U Werk Widat
Dutchmin-Get Your Swerve On
Shades of Brooklyn-Change
AZ-Your World Don’t Stop
Dionne Warwick-You’re Gonna Need Me
Average White Band-School Boy Crush
Free Life-I’ll Keep My Light In The Window
MC Breed-Ain’t No Future In Yo Frontin’
DJ Quik-Dollarz and Sense
B-Legit and Too $hort-So International
E-40 and B-Legit-Sideways
Mr. Short Khop-Dollaz, Drank & Dank
Nice & Smooth-Hip Hop Junkies (Spanish Fly Mix)
The Specials-Message To You, Rudy
Sister Sledge-Thinking Of You
Imagination-Just An Illusion
James Brown-People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul
Sugar Billy Gardner-I Got Some
Ike Turner-Thinking Black
Fela Kuti-Sorrow, Tears and Blood (Matthew Africa Edit)
Jocelyn Brown-I Wish You Would (Matthew Africa Edit)
LCD Soundsystem-Someone Great
Ultramagnetic MCs-Poppa Large (Matthew Africa Switch Mix)
The Clash-Rock the Casbah (Matthew Africa Edit)
The Impressions-Love Me
R. Kelly-Feelin’ On Yo Booty
Twin Sister-Meet The Frownies
The Majestics-Key To Love
Lijadu Sisters-Life’s Gone Down Low
Darondo-Didn’t I
UGK-One Day
Sade and MOP-Slade