12 October 2005

rocking the bells



yeah, we argued about music back in the day. I got tired of listening to you blast run dmc and you loved to make fun of the violent femmes and the cure. fragments of our fights occasionally come back to me and I'm sorry but I have to laugh when I think about you and your frustrated rebuttals: "I'm shaking like milk? what does that even mean?" lyrics were often the subject of our heated debates and I believe you were referring to a line in a song by the cure here, but brother, you won me over. you won me over with eric b. and rakim's seven minutes of madness and boogie down productions and KRSone and public enemy. then came a tribe called quest and de la soul and that was it for me, hooked for life. as a fan of underground hip hop, I'm not going to lie-- I'm incredibly proud to have a brother who is a DJ/turntablist. instant street cred (what more could a white girl/lover of hip hop want?) and witness to your artistic process have been just a few of the perks you have provided me with throughout the years. really, I'm thrilled when you play your latest tracks for me and then ask me what I think. I'm fascinated by your skills, your ability to layer sounds and samples and rhythms that produce songs with such original style and feeling. I'm blown away by your tenacity, your perserverance and vision. I remember when you begged mom and dad for your first piece of equipment. fifteen years later, you are still doing it, still loving it-- you are an established and respected artist and producer. you're all growed up, DJ dust. I know I've said it a thousand times, but I want to say it again: you inspire me. I'm busting at the seams with pride, brother.

all my people out there-- check out the new marsILL website. you can listen to clips of the music, look at photos (taken mostly by the fantastic photographer zack, who also is responsible for the beautiful above shot of nate aka dust), read the impressive articles and even watch the 'breathe slow' video as well as rare clips of dust in the mosh pit. fun for the entire family! do I really need to use the applicable and appropriate vernacular here? must I use words such as dopeness? freshness? shizzness? check it out already.

9 comments:

  1. I've had the great priviledge of working with Dust on all three full-length Mars ILL albums, and I couldn't have asked for a better collaborator. He's got a great knack for finding a great vision and sticking with it -- he knows what will work or not. A good quality for an art director, let alone dj/turntablist.

    Great guy, and great dad. Keep it up, Nate. Hope to work with you again very soon.

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  2. First off I LOVE THE CURE AND THE FEMMES. Some of the best concerts I have ever been too. And because Robert Smith said "shaking like milk" (he did) it must be okay! But I also think mars ill is great! You have every right in the world to be proud of Dust! I hope my kids have a great relationship with each other like you and your siblings do!

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  3. utter goodness.... great words, great tribute, great love.... sometimes it all works!

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  4. i am HUGE mars ill fan...and not just because of gotee family and all that jazz...i am a REAL fan and i think i practically wore out 'backbreakanomics' i listened to it so many times. i have to agree your brother is super cool. the last time i saw him at a show he was super kind to listen to me ramble about finding old records and pretend to know what i am talking about. you have such a great family.
    p.s. i love the cure too but i was a little late on that train....zabs taught me to appreciate them long after the rest of the world knew the greatness of robert smith.
    p.s.s. i said it once, maybe even twice but i will say it again......i love having a friend who is a girl that loves real hip hop!!!!

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  5. great tribute to a great DJ/producer, husband, father, brother, son, and friend. Im so proud of him and love him dearly. glad others do too!

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  6. I wish I could write that I am cool and dig hip-hop, but that would be a lie. I do currently listen to the new T-Bone record, if that counts. I will go online and check out Mars Ill so I can be down like the rest of you.

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  7. I am constantly having to re-buy my Mars Ill cds cause I bring them where ever I go and somehow they go missing. I have a sneaking suspicion that my friends are all Mars Ill thieves- but what can you say cause they are so good... Big ups to Dj Dust.

    Jackie
    http://vozclothingandart.com

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  8. new fan! (and i'm not just saying that!) that a-t-lanta song is mashing up my ghettoblaster!!!! love the retro horns mixed into the hip-hop background - it so works! there's so much going on but in a way that bends my ear in a refreshing way - subtleties and great lyrics too. so fun and so cool to have a brother doing this - and i can tell you guys have a hip happening relationship! love the website too! (the wood samples!) even though i'm from the violent femmes side of things i do love blackalicious and i think i'm going to have to get myself some mars ill now too! thanks for opening up my ears hula!

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  9. I think my favorite rebuttal to your music selection was the random title I gave it, "Cornbread music". dont ask me why I was only a 8th grader. I was a pretty narrow minded 8th grader to say the least, but I have come to appreciate all types of music. Thanks for not telling about the "hamburger incident".

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