Detroit’s online community has pulled together this week to support our home team in the Chevy South-by-Southwest (#DETChevySXSW on Twitter) road trip challenge. Four professionals from Detroit’s online community were chosen to represent our city, and compete against seven teams from other cities as they drive a Chevy Traverse down to Austin and complete missions as they go along. The team not only gets points for completing tasks, but also gets points for the support they get from their home town in the form of tweets, blog posts and other interactions on social media with the crew.

It’s safe to say that not only has team Detroit stepped up to the challenge, Detroit’s online community has stepped up as well. Take a look at the #DETChevySXSW hashtag and you will see an overwhelming response from the community. If we win, we will get to share the glory with team Detroit, as GM has planned an “epic tweetup” for the winning city.

One of my fellow Ignite Detroit organizers was chosen for the team. The close proximity of Ignite Detroit to the road trip challenge was a blessing in disguise for the crew. Ignite Detroit turned out to be a great success, with three hundred of Detroit’s greatest minds getting together to share innovative ideas, great music and cheerful fellowship. The momentum we created  was carried forward into the Chevy SXSW road-trip challenge. Needless to say, this city is fired up.

As I watched the #DETChevySXSW hashtag last night, I noticed a little pessimism coming from a single individual that doesn’t quite grasp what’s going on here. I’m not going to repeat what was said, because I think Dave Murr was right when he said that “some insults don’t deserve the courtesy of a response.” However, behind the crass and rude nature of this particular person’s response, a very valid point was brought up. What are we really doing for the city of Detroit?

We certainly aren’t all going to go out and buy a GM product because of this event. We’re not all going to move into an Urbane Apartment, drink wine at Vintner’s Cellar, eat at Olga’s or Panera Bread, or have a coffee at Biggby. While I am sure that these sponsors are happy with the support they are getting from the community, there is much more to this than advertising value. The ROI is much more than the slight increase in business these sponsors may see. These are companies that are investing into the future of this city. They are seeing the big picture. They are witnessing a new renaissance happening right before their eyes, and they want to be a part of it. They are seeing all of the greatest minds in Detroit coming together, dreaming, thinking, building, working and striving to bring hope to a city that has suffered for decades.

Hillary Clinton once said that it takes a village to raise a child. This concept can also be applied towards the rebuilding of Detroit. The village is made up of people, and the city is our child. We own businesses, we spend money on our hobbies, we create, we envision, we teach and we learn. Instead of constantly working against each other for selfish means, we understand that what’s good for the city is good for everyone. Everyone involved with #DETChevySXSW understands that community involvement is essential to accomplishing our goals. When South-by-Southwest is over, the revolution will continue. There will be Future Midwest 2010, TEDxDetroit #2, Ignite Detroit #2, Brand Camp U, Startup Weekend, Tweetea, Social Media Club, etc. etc. etc. and we will continue to work together until this city is back on top again.

There will always be naysayers, and there will always be a negative force working against the progress that is being made. But the progress we are making won’t be invisible forever. Our motivation and our perseverance will spread like an infection through the entire city, until the negative Nancy’s have no other choice but to get motivated, or get left behind in our dust.

I am so proud of the #DETChevySXSW team and Detroit’s online community. There is no doubt that we are making a difference, and we are having a lot of fun in the process. When you see the goofy pictures, crazy videos, karaoke madness and the whispers going around about a group of clinically insane social media geeks that appear to be on drugs, you should now know what’s going on. We are the future of this city, and we’re going to have a good time.

Please follow all of the team Detroit SXSW contestants on Twitter and remember to support the #DETChevySXSW hashtag.

Brandon Chesnutt – http://www.twitter.com/bchesnutt

Audrey Walker – http://wwwtwitter.com/walkerau

Henry Balanon – http://www.twitter.com/balanon

Dave Murr – http://www.twitter.com/davemurr

I am proud to be a part of the inaugural Ignite Detroit! event taking place at the Magic Stick on February 25th. I first attended Ignite Lansing! last summer, and a few of the Detroit-based attendees and I decided we should bring the event to Detroit.

Ignite Detroit is a night of presentations with a twist. Presenting on a subject of their choice, speakers have exactly five minutes to enlighten and inspire their community using twenty slides that auto advance every fifteen seconds. Ignite is quick, fun, and smart.

We have officially launched the Ignite Detroit! web site and we are now taking submissions for presentations as well as looking for sponsors. Tickets are free and will be available after January 29th. Brandon Chesnutt will be the emcee for the event, and my band, Lune Noir, will be providing entertainment for the evening. I hope you will come out to support your community and stimulate the flow of innovative ideas that will one day save our city.

This next album, ‘64-’95 by Lemon Jelly, is a such a privilege for me to talk about. This is my first post in “DJ Meph’s Favorite Albums of the Decade” where I can actually talk about how the album influenced me as a musician, producer and DJ. I started spinning records in 2005 after I met some cats in the Detroit EDM scene that were all experienced DJs. I had heard of this group before from their previous album, Lost Horizons, and remember enjoying the album greatly.

When I heard that they released a new album in 2005, there was no doubt in my mind that I would check it out. When I picked up the record, the sticker on the label said, “This is our new album. It’s not like our old album.” I listened to the album without expectations, and it would forever change the way I approach music.

Each song on the album features a single sample from 1964-1995. Here is a listing of the samples from each track, which I pulled from Wikipedia.

1. “It Was…”
2. “‘88 – Come Down on Me” (samples “The Blue Garden” by Masters of Reality)
3. “‘68 – Only Time” (samples “If I Only Had Time” by John Rowles)
4. “‘93 – Don’t Stop Now” (samples “Waterfall” by Atlantic Ocean)
5. “‘95 – Make Things Right” (samples “Before You Walk out of My Life” by Monica)
6. “‘79 – The Shouty Track” (samples “Horrorshow” by The Scars)
7. “‘75 – Stay With You” (samples “I Wanna Stay With You” by Gallagher and Lyle)
8. “‘76 – The Slow Train” (samples “Slow Train” and “I’m a Train”, both by The King’s Singers)
9. “‘90 – A Man Like Me” (samples “Sensitivity” by Ralph Tresvant)
10. “‘64 – Go” (inspired by “Ringo” by Lorne Green, no evidence of actual sampling. Includes William Shatner)

This album really changed my perspective on musical production and was the start of my new relationship with sampling. I have always been a big fan of hip hop since I was a little kid, but I never really understood how DJs sampled records to make beats. This album opened my mind up to the world of sampling, and paved the way for me to become a record collector and eventually delve into hip hop and turntablism. Today I am obsessed with collecting old vinyl and finding samples to use in new tracks. This album truly helped me find my calling.

The first thing I did after listening to this album was to hunt down all of these samples in MP3 format. Since then I have also begun to search for these samples on vinyl to add to my collection. I also started to look into samples used by other artists like Daft Punk and J Dilla. Today I strive to listen to as  many original samples of music as I can. It helps me to know what to look for when I’m digging for samples on my own.

I used the track ‘93 AKA Don’t Stop Me Now as part of an intro to one of my very first mixtapes, which was a chillout mix I made with various breakbeats, disco and house tracks.

On the track ‘95 AKA Make Things Right they used a sample from Monica’s Before You Walk Out Of My Life, one of my favorite samples on the album. On the last track, titled Go, they sample vocals from William Shatner, who they worked with previously on his album Has Been.

This album didn’t just have a big impact on me. Due to the band using a sample from The Scars, a new interest was ignited over the band. They used their newfound popularity to reunite and make another album

A subsequent DVD was released, featuring 2D and 3D animations that go along with each song.

I started out as, and will always be, a breakbeat DJ, one of the few breakbeat DJs in Detroit. This album will always hold a place in my heart, a place where I can say, this is where it all started.

Purchase from Amazon MP3

It is my pleasure to introduce you to my absolute favorite live album of the decade. Elvis Costello really brings the house down with the Metropole Orkest in his 2005 live album release, My Flame Burns Blue. It consists of Costello’s recordings from the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2004.

The first song, Hora Decubitis, really sets the mood with the repeated addage, “I say it once, and I’ll say it again. Life is a beautiful thing.” If you make it through this album and you don’t feel the same way, you have no soul.

I am not personally much of a jazz connoisseur. I listen to jazz and enjoy it, but I’m not well educated on the craft. However, something about mixing Costello’s vocals with a full jazz orchestra is the most amazing combination in the world since peanut butter and jelly. Costello also shows that he has the chops to sing vocal jazz, and adds a swing to many of his famous and favorite songs.

My favorite song on the album is Almost Ideal Eyes. “You find liberal is an insult now and care is what you pay for, be sure of what you wish for now be careful what you pray for, when you look into those almost ideal eyes.” I remember listening to this song for the first time and instantly thinking about all of the women I’ve met that fall in this category. To this day the words stay in my mind as I meet new women and enter new relationships. I love when you can relate to a song on such a personal level as this one.

Not much else to say about this album except that it’s very beautiful, emotional and it rocks. If you haven’t heard this one yet, you’re really missing out. Check it out and download it on Amazon.

Just like the movie Human Traffic, the album Discosis by Bran Van 3000 is one of the most influential albums in my life that completely shaped the better half of my twenties. Bran Van 3000 was a collective of artists and DJs formed in the late nineties by DJ James Di Salvio and E.P. Bergen. Many remember their 1998 hit “Drinking in L.A.”, the autobiographical song about a Hollywood movie producer that got out of the business and started making music. Bran Van 3000 was a phenomenon that was way ahead of their time, and will never be replicated nor defined.

Discosis starts out with “Astounded” featuring vocals from Curtis Mayfield, recorded just before his death. The music video for this song features a couple making out as they move through the city, oblivious to everything around them and completely encapsulated in each other’s embrace. This video I think is a metaphor for the entire album, which is laced with themes of sex, love, inebriation and fantasy.

This album cannot be defined to any particular genre or musical style. They cover everything from soul to hip hop, dance to funk, and pop to rock. This album really captures the modern Bohemian spirit, and makes you want to live free. It dives into your deepest and darkest emotions, tearing you down and lifting you up at the same time.

Collaboraters on this album include hip hop legend Big Daddy Kane and Canadian rockstar Jean LeLoup, as well as Stéphane Moraille, Sara Johnston, Steve “Liquid” Hawley, Jayne Hill, Curtis Mayfield, Youssou N’Dour and reggae artist Eek-a-Mouse.

This is certainly one of my favorite albums of the decade (released in 2000) and of all time. The album was released on Crown Royal records, made famous by The Beastie Boys. Unfortunately, the Bran Van 3000 project fell apart after the Beastie Boys dropped Crown Royal and the company went under.

There will never be another group like Bran Van 3000. Check out the album on iTunes and keep it in your library forever.

About a month ago I came up with the idea that I would do something special in the month of December to highlight and talk about some of my favorite albums of the decade. After a lot of careful deliberation I have finally narrowed my list down to about 50 albums, and I’m ready to begin. I think what I am most excited about is going back and listening to a lot of these albums that I haven’t listened to in a while. I also hope that I am able to remind all of you of some albums you may have forgotten about, or some you might not have ever heard. I am going to try my best to include a music video from the album with every post, whenever possible. Even though I have a set list of albums, I plan to continue to tweak the list, and move albums in and out as I go, so keep in mind there is no rhyme or reason to the selections I have made. The only criteria is that they will all be albums I enjoy and I would recommend to others. As always, feedback will be encouraged, as well as suggestions. Get ready to hear some good music! I post the first album tomorrow.

Peace, Meph.

I will be DJing two shows this weekend in Flint, Michigan. For my homeys in Detroit, make sure to catch the Hex Murda benefit at St. Andrews Hall Saturday night. I’ll be sending a check.

Friday night I will be at the loft spinning 80s hip hop at Rock N Retro, an 80s themed party.

Saturday night I’ll be spinning at a fashion show, to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

My google voice phone number is 313-473-WORD. Call or text me if you have any questions.

I hate MTV. I hate everything they stand for, and I hate everything they have become. I hate that once a year, some of the biggest douchebags on the planet all gather in one place to jerk themselves off and receive awards that don’t matter. I hate that 364 days of the year, MTV plays nothing but garbage reality TV shows and shallow, meaningless gossip shows. Then on one day of the year, they give away awards to people who make bullshit music videos that you can’t even watch unless you’re a devout fan of one of MTV’s other 900 channels.

“Oooh, that was a good video but they only played it once on MTV67. I wish they would play it more often on MTV43.” – Probably something some knucklehead said

MTV is a disgrace to music. To me, it stands for “Moron Television.” If you watch MTV and you like it, you’re probably a moron. The last good show on MTV was Beavis and Butthead. Even that was a fluke, because the only reason MTV picked up the show was to be controversial. They could have cared less about the sociological impact and the generational importance of the show. It’s all about making money to them, and they will sell your daughters into sex slavery every damned day to make that green.

Needless to say I don’t watch the VMAs. Last night, I was kinda disappointed at the attention that it was getting on Twitter, if for no other reason than that’s how I had to find out that Kanye once again proved himself to be the most egotistical bitch in the entire world. I might actually give Kanye a high five for making a mockery of the awards, but I know that he wasn’t trying to be ironic. He probably cares more about the VMAs than anyone else there, and that makes him the biggest loser of the bunch.

One of the reasons why I stopped watching the VMAs is because I got so sick of watching MTV purposely stir the pot. For example, just after the shooting went down at the Source Awards, MTV tried to stir up the same kind of drama on the VMAs hoping for another conflict to arise. They exploited a very dangerous situation, and they did it for ratings. Luckily no one took them seriously enough. Every year they put people together in scenarios that are for no other intention than to start some shit. I’m tired of it, music is so much more than what is going on in artists lives. Why do people care so little about the music and get so wrapped up in the lives of their favorite artists?

Taylor Swift is a talented person. I’ve heard some of her music. Beyonce is also very talented, but her music is too assembly line pop music for me. How can we sit here and feel sorry for Taylor Swift? She’s 17 years old, I’m sure she’s seen the VMAs before. Everyone knows what happens at this awards show. We’re all going to cry about it because Kanye stole her moment? WHAT MOMENT? They’re not even awarding her for her music, they’re awarding her for a music video. Why do people care so much more about the video than the song? We sit here and support media outlets like Sony Music, Viacom and Clear Channel who perpetuate this disgusting parade of fuckery, then we turn around the next day and write on our blogs about how bad pop music is. The reason why pop music is so bad is because of the people that support it. My hands are clean.

Fuck MTV. Fuck a VMA. Fuck a music video. Fuck Taylor Swift Fuck Kanye West and most importantly, FUCK YOU for making it all a success. Maybe one day you’ll learn.

P.S. Also remember, whatever Lady GaGa is or isn’t wearing, she’s got a weiner under there. Just sayin.

The art of DJing is a craft unlike any other. There are many people that call themselves DJs, but very few of them actually are. Once a highly-respected, challenging venture has now been handed over to the likes of request-taking mainstream radio DJs who don’t know when to shut their mouth, and the iPod jockeys playing Lady GaGa at your local club. There are a lot of factors that have contributed to the downfall of the modern DJ, but I believe that a lot of that blame can be placed on the music industry as a whole. We need direction and we need good music to play, but all we get is T-Pain and Lil’ John and 20 screaming idiots requesting that we play The Ying Yang Twins for the entire four hours of their club night experience.

Alas, the cure to the world’s DJing woes has been found, and his name is Mayer Hawthorne. An Ann Arbor native, formerly known as DJ Haircut from the A-Side Worldwide hip hop crew, Mayer left Michigan like many good artists from this state do when they want to use their talent to make a living. While in LA, he picked up some DJ gigs and decided to make a solo album. The rest is musical history in the making.

Here are a few songs that come to mind as I listen to Mayer Hawthorne:

Starting to see a pattern? Mayer Hawthorne is funk, soul, Motown, rock n roll and a little bit of hip hop all rolled into one, but most importantly, he’s all Detroit. Let’s face it, right now is no better time than ever for an artist to “stand up and tell em your from Detroit.” There is a stigma that goes along with this city, and it’s well-deserved. Detroit is still putting out some of the most talented musicians and artists this world has ever seen.

“I’m a DJ… What does this mean for me?” Grab Mayer Hawthorne’s heart-shaped and soon-to-be-collectible 10″ single, play it at your next gig and come back to me with that answer. I played that song at a gig I had in Flint last month and I had five people come up to me and ask me who it was. It’s not just about it being good music, it’s both catchy and (for now) obscure enough to really get people dancing and asking questions. Unlike most modern music, however, it’s timeless. It has staying power and has the potential to be played for years and years to come.

Mayer Hawthorne’s music is a collection of future hits that are bound to make teenagers fall in love, and increase the spread of STDs at nursing homes all across the country. It’ll put the funk back into your boring sex life too. Then, when you become a big superstar DJ from playing these tracks, and all the girlies want some of that action, you can let ‘em down easily with this song:

Justin Timberlake and John Mayer agree, Mayer Hawthorne’s new album, A Strange Arrangement, is a must-buy. (CDs and digital media available at Stones Throw Records for all you non-audiophiles) The 2-disc LP also comes with a limited edition 4″ single. This is yet another benefit to us DJs, and a sign that Mayer Hawthorne honors the art of record collecting by adding value and giving us a reason to buy. Hawthorne and the good folks at Stonesthrow Records are obviously well-versed in the Trent Reznor case study, which puts them light-years ahead of the recording industry.

So do yourself a favor and buy this album. Also, don’t be afraid to sing these songs in the shower, or dance around naked to them in your house. And be sure to tell a friend.

Excuse the poor blog title. I wanted to make it twitter friendly. That’s how lazy I’m becoming. A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of getting my first radio interview at a college radio station by a good friend of mine. I helped Robo Robb setup his blog, and I also booked him at my Obama Inauguration show. Him and I have become good friends and I hope to work with him a lot in the future. The other DJ is an old friend of mine who is a Reaggae DJ that goes by SAC. Keep in mind that we all went to the same high school, even though I didn’t meet Robb until last year.