THREE KINGS posted by O.W.

Charles Bradley: The World (Is Going Up In Flames)
From 7" (Dunham, 2007)

Anthony Hamilton: Do You Feel Me
From American Gangster Soundtrack (Def Jam, 2007)

Jay-Z: 99 Problems (Royal Edit)
From Armed Snobbery (2007)

Look...I know that it already seems like I'm on Daptone's payroll or something but frankly they're just in an amazingly productive period right now and alas, most of it is great so the more good sh-- they put out, the more likely I will be to write about it. And look at it this way: this post is Crackhouse free!

The Charles Bradley is one of the new 45s on the Dunham subsidiary (you'll recall that excellent Menahan Street Band single was another one) and this copy of the 45 was given to me at the Sharon Jones show in L.A. by the guy who wrote it. Maybe that biases my opinion but *whistle* this single is easily one the best things I've heard from the Daptone's camp yet. Just a beautiful, powerful song and personally, I like Bradley better on his ballads than doing the uptempo funk swang.

A Soul Sides reader put me up on the Anthony Hamilton - the Dap-Kings are backing him here on this cut off the American Gangster soundtrack (the Jay-Z free version, dig me?). Definitely a Memphis vibe on this one, especially infusing the song with a Hi Records flavor. I like that slow thump and Sunday organ sermonizing. (It's also a better tune than the more JB-esque Hamilton song off the soundtrack).

Ok - Jay-Z IS back on this last cut; it's a remix by the "Prince of Ballard" who runs the Armed Snobbery blog. After hearing the 50 Cent meets Sharon Jones mash-up, he sent me a few tracks in a similar fashion. You can peep the whole spread of his "Royal Edits" here. Out of the batch, I dug this and the Eazy E the best but his "99 Problems" edit is the better produced between the two: he fits Jay's verses with the Dap-Kings instrumental track impressively well. Peep how those horns drop in when Jay-Z asks for the "hit".