For those from the DMV, we know his as the Godfather of Go-go, a musical genre that originated in Washington D.C. with a heavy emphasis on funk, r & b, Hiphop and percussion. If you don’t hear congas then it isn’t Go-go.

As a DC area native a lot of us have our own personal Chuck Brown stories, I saw him on a number of occasions just eating lunch while chillin’ with the fans. Naturally, he was all over local commercials and he consistent presence resulted in a street being named after him in Northwest DC.

I would recommend you dig into his discography to fully embrace his sound and understand the influence he had on artists over the years. Run Joe.

I didn’t have to know MCA to respect his music and his commitment to humanitarian efforts, specifically his dedication to the people of Tibet. It was Yauch that started up the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and introduced a new dimension to what we thought we knew MCA was about. Even more impressive than the 40+ million records sold, the awards and the fact that these guys were able to stick together and sustain a career for over 30 years is the clear love they all had for the music. They weren’t afraid to experiment and try something new with the music. They could release songs that had nothing to do with hiphop and it didn’t feel forced. I can’t name any artist or group that was as musically diverse as the Beastie Boys and MCA was in the middle of it all.

These guys sold millions by doing whatever the wanted and the public ate it up. They went against the grain to carve their own niche and no one ever said it wasn’t hiphop. They made it cool for you to be yourself. You didn’t have to be the same skin color to want to be like MCA in those crazy videos.

My earliest memory of MCA was back on Hawaii when Fight for your Right came on after Falco’s Rock Me Amadeus and by the end of the song I start singing the chorus. It didn’t matter what age you were or where you were from, if you were a fan of music you were a fan of MCA and the Beastie Boys. Enjoy Brooklyn Mr. Yauch, you’ve deserved it.

And lets just end this with a random MCA cameo.

May Day! It’s finally here! The collaboration album between the super dope producer magOwl and myself is a lyrical hi-lo-fi Hiphop journey. Propelled by the fan favorites, Bonne Nuit & Jet Baby, the album is a snapshot of mag and Atari at their very best, a stream of complex rhyme deliveries and jazzy, electronic production so dusty you can still hear the crackle of the vinyl.

Pre-order the digital release now and receive an EP with exclusive remixes and bonus tracks not found on the album.

Click here to pre-order Magnificent Blitzkrieg.

The tracks all have a gritty, low-end heavy vibe that create a consistent vibe throughout the experience. A.I.’s production strength lies in his ability to effectively layer samples and craft basslines that complement the drums and audio samples.

The problem with a lot of instrumental releases and it’s apparent here is that the track doesn’t build as you’re listening so you feel like you’re sitting through 2-3 minutes of a loop. Producers should approach instrumental releases different than when they produce tracks for artists and turn it into an organic experience. Play an instrument, add new elements to the track so that you create an immersive experience. The Vangelis production this release was inspired by often featured live instruments to counter the synth-heavy ambient vibe.

Outside of that, A.I. has added vocal samples throughout to break up the monotony and he also does a solid job of replicating that moody, futuristic vibe of the film. Standout tracks include; Walking the Beat, Tears in the Rain, Enter the Blade Runner & Too Bad She Won’t Live.

Peep it below or go here to listen on Bandcamp and download a copy.

Remix #4, this one produced by my Magnificent Blitzkrieg counterpart, magOwl, oh yeah the album is coming soon. Honest. Anyway, vibe out to this funky take on the original track and if you’re digging it, leave a comment below. It works now!

Until then, peep the video of me explaining the release below and peep a “teaser” joint, Party in the Streets produced by Bronze Nazareth. Enjoy.

Remix #3, this one from long-time collaborator, DJ A.I. who I first linked up with on ‘Getchaminewrite’ off of the 12.30.99 EP. He went with a sinister, synth-heavy vibe with his take.

In celebration of the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Dragon. You can vibe out to the Chase the Dragon EP. A joint project between Digital Fiend and myself. Enjoy!

The first release from Atari Blitzkrieg x Digital Fiend’s second album, Serial Port Experiments 2, Is a continuation of the cyberpunk themes set forth in the first album, expanded to include more live instruments, guest vocalists and genre-blurring production.

Click here to download on Bandcamp

We recently lost a person with close ties to the Godsendant Music family. A mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a rapper, a producer, a human. I began conversing with SoUneik over 2 years ago when I was pulling together production for 12.31.99. She was unable to make the deadline and was so worried that I would never reach out to her again that she was almost giddy when I emailed her a few months later for a remix contest. Is was during this time that I began to find out more out her as a person and did my best to her guide her music and her career, at one point I even tried to help her find a job. A cynical person would assume I was doing this because she was a female, the irony is that I just assumed she was a dude (I didn’t know her real name until about 2 years later) and I was helping her out because that’s the type of person I am, I help out those who I feel need guidance. I wish I was able to provide more guidance but I only knew her on the surface and so my advice was typically music-related.

Anyway, this was one of her favorite Atari tracks. She always wanted to get on a song with me where we did a back and forth, me rhyming about love and her and her about, well something else. The track Hellbent was supposed to be that track but the production didn’t fit the vibe and it was a better showcase of her skills anyway. Who knew she rhymed? I didn’t.

Anyway, this track was originally supposed to go on Technicolor Crime Scenes but didn’t really fit, in fact I have no idea where it will end up but I’ve always been a fan of this song. My man Hidekazu added the additional guitars and Digital Fiend provided the drums, which is how she actually heard the song, through DF. So anyway, this song was never mastered or anything so I’m just pushing out the raw mix.

We’re going to do out best to honor her music and continue some of the dreams she had. She will be missed.