Oh What A Feeling, I'm Feeling Life

It's a celebration bitches!

Even though this is the umpteenth American Gangster remix album, the concept intrigued me enough to give a least one listen. I'm happy I did, because I was pleasantly surprised by the effort here.

Production team The Engineerz (I'm actually 100% this is them thanks to an e-mail, also check MySpace) reinterprets two of Jay-Z's works by utilizing specific vocals from AG and the samples from Reasonable Doubt. The best part about it is they didn't just jack the beats from Jigga's '96 classic but rather flipped the samples, creating brand-new instrumentals that still capture the disc's essence.

Gracias to the uparalled hip-blogger Ivan of Hip Hop Is Read who even compiled the samples for both LP's (WOW!). I've linked my favs down bottom and you can find the full-length at Ivan's blog, Enjoy!

Download Jay-Z's Reasonable Gangster mixed by The Engineerz

Track List:

1. No Hookz
2. Dreaming Again
3. Roc Boyz Return
4. Brooklyn 3.0 ft. Lil' Wayne (Producers absolutely killed this rendition of "Brooklyn's Finest"!..)
5. Too Ignorant ft. Beanie Sigel
6. Falling '09 (..And again with the piano riff from "Dead Presidents")
7. New Magic
8. More Success ft. Nas
9. Party Feeling
10. So Sweet

Another American Gangster Remix Tape Worth Hearing...

DJ Mick Boogie recruited German beatsmiths Shuko and The Gunna for this soulful blend-tape utilizing Marvin Gaye samples to reinterpret Hova's lyrics. This one is definitely worth scooping up from Mick Boogie's Blog (damn I need a new layout, coming '08!). I uploaded some of my top picks below, Enjoy:

Hello Brooklyn

Sweet (that "Juicy" drum sequence has always been music to my ears)

Party Life (this is the first instrumental over which I could tolerate listening to Jay's childish verses, my least favorite on AG)

Say Hello

American Gangster

[just let it ride out]

American Godfather....

DJ Skee & Jay-Z - American Godfather

Seeing that The Godfather is my favorite movie (duh), I was excited for this blend-tape mixing instrumentals chopped from the film's musical score with Jay-Z's verses on American Gangster. What I liked most here was the movie quotes dispersed throughout, Skee put this one together well for a crisp project. Even though the beats get a little redundant here and I thought the production on the original was on-point, these tracks really impressed me:

Jay-Z - American Dreamin' produced by THX

Jay-Z - No Hook produced by Rome

Jay-Z ft. Beanie Sigel - Ignorant Shit produced by Ervin "EP" Pope & THX (sample sound familiar? yea, same here)

Jay-Z - Roc Boys produced by Tommy Gunnz (nothing can beat the original horns but this beat shines on its own, the bassline is oh so serious!)


The entire tape is available to download at Skee's site here, good lookin' out playboy!

[it's all in the family]