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TALES FROM THE FLIPSIDE – UNLEASHED!

Click on the book to buy now!

… and finally! The debut book from Mark Devlin is now on the streets.
‘Tales From The Flipside’ is good-humoured collection of stories and anecdotes that break down what life is really like at the sharp end of the DJing game! It neatly shatters the common public perception that all DJs live glam superstar lifestyles. Instead of champagne, glamour girls and private jets, it’s more Red Bull, rough old slappers and Ryanair. Subjects dealt with include dodgy promoters, off-key bouncers, random birds, haters, b*tch-ass DJs and the dumb things that people say to DJs in and out of the club.
.The book’s now available to purchase at £9.99 per copy (plus P&P) from www.authorhouse.co.uk or click on the book above to buy!

For further info. on the book, including regular updates on interviews and reviews, be sure to check out the Myspace page – www.myspace.com/talesfromflipside - and hit us up with those friend requests.
.Meanwhile, MD will be dealing with signed copies of the book at various clubs on the Flipside Launch Tour. Check the Club Dates section of the site for details of where this is touching down. Each copy purchased in the club comes with a complimentary ‘Flipside Classics’ mix CD, consisting of some big R&B and hip hop club tunes from through the years. And if you buy one face-to-face you save on the postage costs!
.No DJ has ever done anything like this before. You need this book in your life!

 

JUST BUGGIN’

Mark Devlin gets busy on the radio every Wednesday night wih ‘Just Buggin’ on Oxford’s FM107.9. This is where you get two hours of cool, bugged out R&B, street soul and hip hop to make your head nod and put a beat in your brain.
 As well as a whole world of upfront exclusives, the show also deals with some fondly-remembered throwbacks. So you might hear new sounds from the likes of Amerie, Lloyd, Joe, Nas, Snoop Dogg and Yummy Bingham, fused with the odd classic from Aaliyah, Mary J Blige or A Tribe Called Quest. There’s also interviews with the artists whose music we play, and frequent guest DJ mixes.
 It all happens every Wednesday, from 10.30pm to 12.30am, GMT. If you’re not in the area., the station streams live at www.fm1079.com. Otherwise, the Playlists and Listen Again Download links are posted weekly on this site, and/ or at www.myspace.com/therealmarkdevlin. Be a part of it!

 

HOT JOINTS

The sounds that are working on the dancefloors and radio airwaves for me right now.

THE GAME Featuring KEYSHIA COLE: PAIN (Black Wall Street/ Geffen)
MCs always seem to be on to a winner when they come with a reminisce-style joint, harking back to the past times that have shaped them. It’s why Biggie’s ‘Juicy’ still carries so much resonance, and it’s territory that Game has trodden before. Here’s his strongest treatment of the idea yet, bona-fide single material with some heartfelt soulful wailings from Keyshia Cole, pitched effectively against his quickfire delivery of nostalgic soundbites. To my ears, the chiming beat sounds very similar to the one used on the 1980s soul dance track ‘Why Should I Cry’ by Nona Hendryx – but that could just be me. Either way, this one has instant impact, and emerges as Game’s strongest moment since ‘Hate It Or Love It.’

NINO BLESS: DA LIVEST (Milestone Music)
The blaze of hype and glory surrounding this underground New York MC in recent weeks has been reminiscent of that afforded to The Game, Papoose and Lil Wayne when they first appeared. And Kool G Rap, Joe Budden, Graph and Saigon have all publicly acclaimed his style. It’s not for the fainthearted; Nino is from the Mobb Deep/ MOP school of calling a spade a spade, and minces no words as he spits about the grimier side of street life, over a suitably evil warped beat. By all accounts a big hit with on-line pundits. The track’s taken from his upcoming ‘Untold Scriptures’ mixtape project hosted by Big Mike, Mick Boogie and J-Love.

CHERI DENNIS: DROPPING OUT OF LOVE (Bad Boy)
The effective result of a childishly simple formula. Bad Boy Records’ new first lady drops rich vocal meanderings over the lush, mellow chiming head-nodder of a beat from Biggie’s ‘Sky’s The Limit’. It’s in its straightforwardness that its appeal lies. The track feels no need to over-complicate things with tricky beat patterns, inventive vocal samples or overdubbed backings. It’s cool, laid-back Summery street soul of the type you might have expected from Mary J Blige or Faith Evans in the glory days of the mid 90s. At present, only an album track from Cheri’s ‘In & Out Of Love’  - the first single accolade goes to the equally soulful ‘Portrait Of Love’ – but it can only be a matter of time before this is served as a follow-up.

BUSTA RHYMES Featuring LINKIN PARK: LET’S SEE IF WE MADE IT (Interscope)
Busta’s always been one to spot a quick marketing trick, and this has frequently involved collaborations, calling on everyone from A Tribe Called Quest to The Pussycat Dolls – a very real case of the sublime to the ridiculous. This one comes in the same rap-meets-rock vein as Jay-Z’s ‘Encore’ collaboration with Linkin Park. Their abrasive, caucasian college-rock sound won’t be a hit with many a hardened hip-hopper, which leaves the novelty value of this as its main selling point, given that Busta’s certainly had more celebrated moments on-track. Surprisingly, this turns out to be produced by Miami hit-making duo Cool & Dre, and appears as the first single from Busta’s ‘Back On My BS’ album, for which we have to wait until December.

9TH WONDER & BUCKSHOT: READY (BRAND NU DAY) (Duck Down)
Within ten seconds of the beat kicking in you know you’re in safe hands, as a piece of hip hop that lovingly reinstates your belief that the genre isn’t dead after all, happily penetrates your pores. On paper, it sounds hard to go wrong with a combination of the producer from Little Brother lacing beats for one of the MCs from Black Moon. ‘Ready’ doesn’t disappoint, with each collaborator putting in a restrained and far-from-excessive contribution. The album, ‘The Formula’, offers more of the same goodness and essence, with collaborators including Talib Kweli, Keisha Shontelle and Carlitta Durand (on the single ‘Go All Out’.)

CEE-ROCK/ THE FURY: KILL DA KILLIN’ (Abstract Urban)
Any intelligent, well-observed put-down of the vacuous gangster talk and juvenile negativity in rap lyrics is always welcome, and the latest offering comes from NY wordsmith Cee Rock with the hookline ‘Wanna kill something you haven’t already killed?  Try killing the killing.’ Hailing from Linden Boulevard, Queens, he shares hip hop heritage with such past masters as A Tribe Called Quest, Pharoahe Monch, The Beatnuts and Run DMC, and lacks none of their skills. ‘Killin’ is the first single from his ‘Bringin’ Da Yowzah’ album, which makes for a well-rounded and enlightening overall listen.

STYLAH: THE GIRL IS MINE/ FREE (So Empire)
A very neat little pairing from Londoner Stylah, with both tracks marking a collaboration with Tony D. ‘The Girl Is Mine’ is not, thankfully, a re-make of the Macca and Jacko 80s pop tune. Instead, Stylah and Tony set each other the challenge of successfully lyrics-ing a girl spotted in a bar, each brother’s flow dropped in relaxed and assured fashion over a gentle strings-led loungecore-style beat courtesy of Sivey, that wouldn’t sound out of place on a James Bond soundtrack. ‘Free’, produced by DJ Snips, offers positive lyrics over impassioned vocal wailings to cool, head-nodding effect.

KIDZ IN THE HALL FEAT. PUSHA T, BUN B & THE COOL KIDS:
DRIVIN DOWN THE BLOCK (REMIX) (Duck Down)
The Kidz certainly pulled a stealth move by following up their old school-flavoured ‘Wheels Fall Off’ with the moody, Southern-style roller ‘Drivin’ Down The Block’. Most followers expected more of the same organic-style business. Despite the radical shift in style, ‘Drivin’ still remains miles ahead of most of its contemporary counterparts, with producer DJ Double-O contributing a highly mesmeric beat, and passable lyrical input from MC Naledge. The remix, while the Masta
Ace-sampling beat remains unaltered, adds a few miscellaneous names on guest MC duty to retain interest further. Taken from the forthcoming sophomore album ‘The In Crowd.’

KELLY ROWLAND Featuring TRAVIS McCOY: DAYLIGHT (Sony BMG)
Here’s this month’s blatant popped-out moment. A singalong tune that’s as catchy as you like, and with happy Summertime radio play stamped all over it. Kelly carries it off nicely to the point that the inclusion of Travis McCoy, frontman of the preposterously awful Gym Class Heroes, is neither here nor there – although it may well endear the track to alternative types who don’t normally check for mainstream R&B. On a loosely connected note, has anyone else noticed how hot Kelly’s looking these days? The long straight hair thing is really working. And the basque at her recent 1Xtra live performance in Coventry was definitely a good look. Go on girl!

TRIGGADON: SHOWAAMAN (White)
If you were to make a list of the elements you’d like to hear in the ideal hip hop song, a huge chunk of The Weather Girls’ pink anthem ‘It’s Raining Men’ at the start, and looped throughout would, I’d be inclined to suggest, be fairly low on the list. Its inclusion can just about be forgiven on this bold offering from Bristol MC Triggadon, however, and things get a whole lot better and put into perspective when he starts rhyming in semi-grime style. “I’m the Showaaman, I rain on these beats’, hence the Weather theme. Get it? It certainly makes an impact, which is never a bad thing for a hungry, competitive new artist. Watch out for his ‘Legend’ mixtape for more of the flava.