Author Topic: Detroit Producer and DJ Keeps the legacy of Dilla, Proof, MC Breed and Baatin alive  (Read 95 times)

GATMAN

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http://www.realdetroitweekly.com/content/article_5816.shtml


While Detroit is a city fortunate enough to have thriving music scenes of all genres, nobody can touch our hip-hop/rap scene. There isn’t another city that has bred talent like Detroit. Unfortunately, there probably isn’t another city that has lost as many key members of the scene as Detroit has. Although Dilla, Proof, MC Breed and Baatin have left us far too soon, they are still very much alive within Detroit’s hip-hop scene. People like Essman and DJ Butter are making sure of it.

Mixtapes can be tough. Either they turn out really dope or really stale. No middle ground exists. Essman and DJ Butter made one hell of a mixtape out of Esspionage Volume 1. The tracks and artists they have chosen to use are an unusual mix, which is a contributing factor to Esspionage’s appeal.

A really nice touch is that an Esham track was thrown into the mix. As the creator of “Acid Rap,” Esham sometimes tends to get left out when classic Detroit hip-hop is discussed because of his unusual style, when in reality he paved the way for many of Detroit’s biggest stars today. His track featured on Esspionage is titled “Eroll Flynn,” and it's a straight-up club song, which is a totally different style than what we’re used to from Esham ... but it works very nicely on this track.

The standout track on this mixtape easily has to be “Focused,” which features MC Breed, Proof and Obie Trice. To speak quite frankly: this track is the fucking shit. This is the kind of track that could be all over the radio, in every club and at every college party. Everything from the hook to the beats is stellar and it just makes it even more of a damn shame that MC Breed and Proof aren’t around to see Esspionage be released.

Other standout tracks include a track by Method Man and Sticky Fingaz titled “Kirk & Cliff,” and “Deebo the Game” by Sticky Fingaz.

Normally I’m not one for mixtapes. All the ones that I come across have just seemed like a mish-mash of sloppiness with no flow and no thought put into them. I was pleasantly surprised by Esspionage, as it is fantastic. Its completely worth it just to hear some unreleased Proof and MC Breed. Essman and DJ Butter have so many tricks up their sleeves ... all I can say is look out!

Butter started DJing when he was 12 after his dad bought him one turntable and he bought the other. He began to play house parties in Highland Park, and at age 14, he began to DJ for Sudden Strength, a hip-hop group with rappers Ounce, Bandit and Illy-Ill. He went on to become D12's first DJ in 1999, spinning at the Majestic Theatre, Latin Quarter, Lush and the Scribble Jam in Cincinnati.

DJ Butter is also working on this upcoming 7 Mile movie which is a documentary focused on the hip-hop scene past and present of Detroit. The film features appearances from Eminem, Proof and Bizarre. Stay tuned for more developments on this flick! It's shaping up to be a must see not only for local hip-hop cats but for people everywhere who are fans.  — Andrea Bonaventura
 

KaiserSoze

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Sounds dope, let me know when this shits availablle  8)