Show Archive

Paris Style: Dee Jack rocks the cut with grimy beats & underground bangers by Pharoahe Monch, Saukrates, BK-One, Dela, Crown City Rockers and many more. Plus: Vancouver's DJ Flipout beefs up "Nautilus" for 2010 with Nas' classic "Live at the BBQ" debut verse, and Professor Groove digs into breakbeat-soul heaven with tracks by the Sons of Slum, Smokey Robinson and Warsaw's Grupa ABC.

The Cheeba Cheeba Kid joins WEFUNK for a special tribute to Willie Mitchell - architect of the classic Al Green Memphis soul sound. Pharcyde takes it back to the old school with "Return of the B-Boy," Mark Wayward puts a boom-bap soul twist on Erykah Badu's "Soldier," and Static hooks up a special blend featuring Bush Babees over Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything".

Brad Slyde returns with more extended-play disco goodness by Forrrce, Lady B, Trouble Funk and more. Australia's Resin Dogs team up with hiphop supergroup Haiku D'Etat (Aceyalone, Abstract Rude & Myka 9). Plus funk/soul slow-burners from Lyn Collins and Sexy Leroy & The Chocolate Lovelitez, and a sneak preview of the upcoming Nas/Damian Marley album "Distant Relatives".

Strong voices: Ruby Jane and Marie-B salute the women of funk, soul & hip hop with selections by Nina Simone, Tina Turner, Betty Davis, Lauryn Hill, MC Lyte, Gladys Knight and many more. Plus a "living tribute" to hiphop icon Guru with heavyweight Gang Starr tracks, solo joints, collabos & guest verses.

Frank BLVD digs up dusty heat for the 80s funk freaks, plus lots of golden age hip hop from the days of drum breaks & funk loops: Glass, Omni, Sun, Biz Markie, The Dismasters, Life-N-Def, Chill Rob G and much more. Del delivers a heavy slice of funk on "Simple Satisfaction," Lou Piensa recounts Nomadic escapades on "Catch Me" with Think Twice & David Rhysphan, and Kool & The Gang's "Funky Granny" pulls on her yellow hot pants & purple boots and shows how it's done.

"Special Ingredients": Scott C gets deep into the raw & grimy beats of Bollywood Freaks, Beggar & Co., Bahamadia, Gene Harris, Jamie Lidell and more. Alongside the blistering posthumous Dilla track "24K Rap" featuring Havoc and Raekwon, hard rhymes from lyrical heavyweights Sean Price & Royce da 5'9" and new breakbeat-based jazz-funk from the Milano Jazz Dance Combo and Burbeats.

Hubcap Jones gets the mix bumpin' with tasty Jay-Z blends, Rustix roughness and funky favorites from Bo Diddley and Lords of the Underground. Plus: bass-bin rattlers from Bumper and Tek Box, 80s synth gems from Cherrelle and Surface, and a spotlight on torchbearers of the Dilla legacy including Finale, Phat Kat & Black Milk.

Ruby Jane returns with a stack of soulful treats by Mtume, Solaris, Sly Stone (remixed by Moby), The Roots, Odyssey, Angie Stone and more. Static selects a retrospective to mark the anniversary of Dilla's passing, highlighting his soulful side and earlier works. And Groove delivers double-strength jazz collabos, from Trishes & Aladin Sani's "Take My Hands" to Indigo Jam Unit & Flexlife's flip of the Jackson Sisters' "I Believe in Miracles".

Blissful Beats: DJ Bliss gets deep into headnod instrumentals and smoked out grooves from DJ Spooky, Kenny Dope, Nightmares on Wax, Prince Paul and more. Soul gold from Mark Capanni ("I Believe in Miracles" dusty original) and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, heavy boogie remixes by Alien Delon, DJ F.U.N.K. and Masters at Work, and an R.I.P. to Apache from Flavor Unit.

Hot new afro-brazilian grooves from Ray Lugo's L.E.S. Express, slinky dancefloor basslines from The Gaturs and Garden of Eden, Slum Village's new heavy hitting track "Dope Man", the original sample behind Jay-Z's "Death of Autotune", and 4 ladies on the mic to watch for: Voice, Nneka, Rita J and Jovi Rockwell.

WEFUNK salutes soul legend Teddy Pendergrass with his classic "Close the Door," we expose the soulful gem behind the Mark Ronson-produced Q-Tip song "Won't Trade" and get down to new generation funk from Gizelle Smith & The Mighty Mocambos. Plus: Black Moon and Main Source put their mark on 9th Creation's "Rule of Mind," and we check out a new DJ posse cut featuring Canadian heavyweights Scratch Bastid, Dopey and more.

DJ Kobal unveils a world of Canadian jazz & funk treasures, dropping selections from Les Lutins, Billy Martin & The Soul Jets, The Ensemble Jazz-Rock and Roger Simard. Plus: Del's space rap meets Q-bert's otherworldy cuts on N.A.S.A.'s "Samba Soul," The Philadelphia Flyers and Brownout throw down psychedelic breakbeats, and we check out a rare version of the Outsidaz's "Keep On" featuring Pacewon, Rah Digga and company.

Rawsoul joins Groove & Static in the mix, gettin' down on some DC go-go heaters by Rare Essence and Trouble Funk, jazzed-out hip hop soul from DJ Mitsu the Beats and Dela, headnod verses from The Roots and Bahamadia, and roughed up disco breaks from Bohannon, Konk and Brand New Funk.

WEFUNK takes a "Journey into Sound" as Oakland's DJ Platurn breaks classics down & reinvents with fresh ingredients... catch a ride and re-experience Eric B & Rakim, Jurassic 5, Talib, Tribe and much more. Plus: Deep dusty grooves from Donald Byrd and Puccio Roelens, inimitable wordplay on MC Abdominal's "The Hit Song," Kev Brown collabos with DMV's Diamond District & Montreal's Metazon, and sunny soul sounds with Shuggie Otis, Donny Hathaway and the Jackson 5's long-lost Stevie Wonder track.

DJ Ilya is back in the WEFUNK studio with a solid 45-only set, featuring soul favorites from Willie Hutch and Pearl Dowell, rough drums from Wilson Pickett and Dyke & The Blazers, and Ken Lazarus' fantastic Jamaican take on a Marvin Gaye classic. And there's more... Two special blends by DJ Static (Grand Puba & Outkast), Phil-Marilyn & Marilyn's wacky disco/cartoon mashup from 1980, and a lost Jackson 5 single from Motown's vaults.

Ottawa's Zattar laces the mix with chilled out beats from Didier's Sound Spectrum and Shoes, nice soul from Pamoja and Willie Wright, and soul-jazz burners from Cleveland Eaton and Donald Byrd. J.J. Brown leans heavy on the funk on his new track "Gender Bender" featuring Eternia, and Jay Electronica's atmospheric "Exhibit A" gets flipped by the Narcicyst on "Exhibit N". Plus: Dynas, Tiye Phoenix & DJ Spinna team up on "Come Along", and Brownout and Arthur Verocai bring the latin flavor.

DJ Bliss drops by WEFUNK with a heavy selection of raw funk and 90s hip hop, including jams from African Music Machine, The Jimmy Castor Bunch, Syl Johnson, The Skatalites, Big Daddy Kane and the UMC's. Groove & Static balance out the mix with 3 brand new Raekwon joints, wild funk breaks from the Simonsound and Gecko Turner, and Afro-Rican's classic Miami bass single "Give It All You Got".

Featuring rare 90s tracks from the Flavor Unit MC's and Legion (with Black Sheep & Chi-Ali), outer-space grooves by Ednah Holt and George Clinton, live bands blessed with vocals from GZA and Grand Puba, and energetic sister-soul by Sugar Pie Desanto and Jackie Moore.

Funding drive 2009 part 2: We're back for a second week of raising the funk as we raise funds for CKUT. Featuring gems from DJ Vadim and Marva Whitney, a Soul II Soul sample moment, James Brown live in Zaire, and a crazy in-studio cypher with freestyle heavyweights Loe Pesci, SamOsa and Organik.

Funding drive 2009 part 1: WEFUNK throws down hip hop & funk favorites from k-os, Antibalas, Black Star, The Emotions, Gang Starr, War and many more as we raise cash to support Montreal community radio station CKUT.

Guest DJ Ruby Jane's back on the mix with red hot selections from Alice Russell, Darondo, Lucy Pearl and Cameo, capped off with the Hot 8 Brass Band's wild brass version of "Sexual Healing." DJ Static pays tribute with a Grandmaster Roc Raida (RIP) retrospective, from tracks with his group the X-ecutioners to cuts on classic 90s tracks and a rare Lord Finesse SWV remix. Plus: laid-back funk from the Three Pieces and Gil Scott-Heron, and an in-studio visit from the Cuban hip hop group Obsesion.

Soulful hip-hop with a twist of R&B, courtesy of Canada's own Masia One and Slakah the Beatchild, as well as the U.K.'s Jon Kennedy. Mos Def brings in Slick Rick "The Ruler" on the Madlib-produced track "Auditorium" from his latest LP. Stevie Wonder takes a psychedelic trip on "Too High", and Edwin Starr and J.J. Barnes throw down exquisite rough soul.

Guest Brad Slyde delivers pure heat from the disco era, including jams by Brainstorm and Locksmith, B-H-Y's "We Funk the Best" and Fatback's rap prototype "King Tim III (Personality Jock)". DeRobert & The Half-Truths show off their wild and peaceful sides on a brand new 45. Star Wars meets raw boombap on Ultramagnetic MC's "Break North". Plus: EPMD's "I'm Mad" flipped over a classic house beat, and another gem from the Wu vault: Pop Da Brown Hornet's "Can You Wu-Wu-Wu?" from 1995.

More or Les and friends bring that "Middle School Vibe" on their hard-hitting new track "Pop n Chips". Sir Ibu and Black by Demand blend conscious lyrics with break-heavy production on two forgotten 90's gems. From the funk side: The Jimmmy Castor Bunch's hilarious "Potential", soul selections from Honey Cone and Leroy Hutson, and dusty breaks & grooves by Andy Bey, Jimmy Lindsay and "Sugar Bear" Johnson.

From the soul: King Curtis, Mayer Hawthorne and Stevie Wonder keep the groove sweet and laid back. Infectious rhymes and jazzy production mark J Rawls & John Robinson's latest collaborative project "Jay ARE". And some new twists for 2009: Consequence & Kid Cudi drop new verses on A Tribe Called Quest's classic "Buggin' Out", while Montreal's Sikh Knowledge and friends re-make Smif-N-Wessun's "Sound Bwoy Bureill".

J.Period and K'naan team up for a groundbreaking remix project in tribute to legends Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, and Bob Dylan. Swiss live hip-hop band Japrazz deliver an exclusive new track infused with their trademark jazz spirit. Plus frenetic new funk & soul by The New Mastersounds and Mayer Hawthorne, another cut from Grand Puba's "Retroactive" (featuring Q-Tip), and bumpin' Hammond soul-jazz from Jimmy McGriff and Bobby Forrester.

Smoothed-out soulful funk from Gwen McCrae and Heatwave, boogie heat by Cherrelle and Skwares, abstract poetry from Q-Tip on "Manwomanboogie", pan-American flavor by Magic Circle Express and Antonio Carlos (as sampled by DJ Nu-Mark), new joints from Grand Puba, Coates/Twice and Notes to Self, plus a RIP tribute set to Slum Village original member Baatin.

Coast 2 Coast: WEFUNK kicks off our Vancouver/Montreal phase with certified bangers from Mos Def's new "The Ecstatic" and Narcicyst's self-titled LP, raw funk fire by Laura Vane & The Vipertones, a nice Kool Keith/Cheryl Lynn mashup, and deliciously nasty 80s gems from Bernard Wright, Wynd Chymes and Terry Burrus & Transe.

"Summer Madness" - Guest DJ Marie B joins Groove for a session of warm laid-back vibes. Jazzy hip hop from The Sound Providers and Edan, soul selections by Marlena Shaw and Shuggie Otis, rough funk from Laura Vane and Manito, Gil Scott Heron's fantastic live version of "The Bottle", classic summertime Kool & The Gang, and Soul Village's fresh take on "Everybody Loves the Sunshine".

Endings & new beginnings: We lay down one last session with DJ Static in the studio, before he heads out to expand WEFUNK in Vancouver. Featuring lots of Wu affiliated tracks, sister soul from the Three Degrees and Sisters Love, fat blazing synths by The Simonsound, space funk by U.F.O. and Cameo, a Del/Meters sample moment, and a little reminiscing!

Keepin' it raw with the new funk generation: Orgone, Breakestra, The Bamboos and Quantic bring the beats and breaks front & center. Dilla pays homage to his beloved "Trucks" with a nod to Gary Numan's "Cars," and MC Lyte is back with her new reggae-flavored cut "Brooklyn". And all the way from Brazil to Shaolin - it's a WEFUNK sample moment featuring Caetano Veloso ("The Bob Dylan of Brazil") back-to-back with Ghostface's "Charlie Brown".

DJ Solespin serves up stone cold funk & soul from the likes of Sly Stone, Bill Doggett, The Meters, Al Green and The Detroit Emeralds. Plus: Blacknoize gives "Funky Worm" a new twist on "In the Trunk," Static plays his favorite cut from Toronto's MC Justis's album "Just Is," and Slum Village gets busy on their rare track "Hustle" featuring Busta Rhymes.

WEFUNK salutes the "King of Pop" - Michael Jackson. Duke Eatmon and Ron Maskell join us in the studio as we pay tribute with rare early tracks, collaborations, demos, classics and behind the scenes stories.

Guest DJ Ruby Jane treats WEFUNK to a mix of female vocals, funky covers, sweet soul, new jack and disco flavors - including tracks from Guy, Dam-Funk, Mayer Hawthorne and Nicole Willis. Plus: Wale's "Chillin" gets a stellar remix from Skratch Bastid, Karma Atchykah shines on "Sufferah" featuring Bank of Mount Real, and jazz samples rule the day on joints from Funky DL, Alphabet Stew, Pseudo Slang and Black Milk.

WEFUNK crisscrosses Europe in this special mix of tracks collected on our latest European tour - from raw funk to dramatic soundtrack joints, crazy drums, underground hip hop and transatlantic collabos. Leave the passport at home and ride with us as we groove through the UK, Austria, France, Germany, Russia, Poland, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, Finland and Croatia.

Vienna Vibes: From warm sun rays into summer twilight, WEFUNK lays down soulful sounds from the last day of our 2009 "Freakin da Funk" European Tour. Featuring Jamie Lidell, Don Blackman, The Jones Girls, DJ Day, Heliocentrics, Q-Tip, Dilla, DJ Vadim and much more....

James Brown lets it all out on "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing", Herbie Hancock & Patrice Rushen fire off scalding jazz-funk selections, and DJ Static cuts up Reflection Eternal's long-awaited new single "Back Again." Plus the hard-edged posse cut "Graveyard" featuring Big L, Lord Finesse, Jay-Z and friends, and classic ol skool selections including Taana Gardner's "Heartbeat" and T-Sky Valley's "Catch the Beat".

Funk styles on lock: WEFUNK drops heavy treats for all poppers, lockers and boogaloo freaks, with nasty grooves from One Way, General Caine, Ray Parker Jr. and Zapp. Cymarshall Law goes off on his "Lark on My Go-Kart" freestyle, Madlib provides his signature beat on NoVA Infinite's "Haters Get Mad," and DJ Vadim drops the dancefloor gem "Hidden Treasures."

Hip hop is worldwide: Swiss producer Ilarius gets "Connected" with MC's from Jurassic 5 and Tha Alkaholiks, and DJ Static selects stand-out Canadian tracks, all the way from early k-os to brand new Sikh Knowledge and Masia One. Plus: funk heavyweights James Brown and Kool & The Gang at their prime, Rufus Thomas doin' the "Push and Pull" live at P.J.'s, and chill jazz perfection from O'Donel Levy and the Roy Hargrove Quintet.

Familiar faces in different places: Mongo Santamaria puts his twist on the Sly standard "Sing a Simple Song", Soul Assassins rework Beastie Boys' "So What'cha Want" and the seminal reggae track "Sleng Teng", Charles Wright reveals take 2 of "Express Yourself", and James Brown re-makes "I Feel Good" into a funk stormer. Plus: Betty Padgett shines on "Sugar Daddy", Ahzz and Carl Marshall get down on the underground disco sound, and Finale and Casual flow over a hyperkinetic 8-bit beat.

"Freakin da Funk!" Static & Groove get the mix banging with funk & hip hop heavy-hitters. From classics to sneak attacks, sample moments and forgotten gems, enjoy this special selection we put together to launch our FREAKIN DA FUNK 2009 European Tour and T-shirt.

Guest DJ Ilya dives deep into the 80s post-disco underground, unearthing crazy vocoders, fat synths and funky basslines. Plus: latin heat from Monguito Santamaria and Jack Costanzo, jazzy storytelling raps from Maspyke and DJ Silent, and a tribute to New Orleans legend Eddie Bo.

"King Asiatic Nobody's Equal": WEFUNK catches up with legend Big Daddy Kane before his 20th anniversary tour swings through Montreal. Nomadic Massive defies genres with highlights off their brand new LP, James Brown lets Bowie's "Fame" go to his head, and Dam Funk fires up smoked-out synthfunk grooves.

Presenting the "Paisley Park" story: Duke Eatmon & Ron Maskell select the funkiest tracks & tales from Prince protégés The Time, Vanity 6, Sheila E, The Family, Mazarati and Tony Lemans as we take a ride through the infamous "Minneapolis sound."

Chicago's golden soul comes alive with the sounds of The Impressions, Barbara Acklin and Young-Holt Unlimited. The Sound Providers and The Upstarts get lyrical over infectious jazz loops. And Jamaica gets in the mix, with soulful reggae vibes from Sound Dimension and Shark Wilson, plus a Somalia/Jamaica connect on K'naan's "I Come Prepared" featuring Damian Marley.

WEFUNK marks the 3rd anniversary of Dilla's departure with choice cuts from his catalogue plus tribute tracks by Q-Tip and Slum Village (feat. Frank Nitti & Illa J). On the funk side: classic boogie from Gwen Guthrie and Sharon Redd, rough drum breaks by The Turtles and Dr. John, and Afrofunk rhythms from Peter King & Femi Kuti.

Special guest DJ Platurn shows love to his hometown (Bay Area) and homeland (Iceland) with a groove voyage from dusty Icelandic breaks to West Coast funk & hip hop favorites.

Jazz alchemy: fiery riffs bless rough drums on joints by Joe Henderson, ssSlick, Roy Ayers and (RIP) Hank Crawford. The Arsonists jump back on the scene with "Major League," Bob Marley shows off his funky side, and Canada's own Anonymous Twist and Stace Prints drop hot new tracks.

WEFUNK celebrates 550 shows with our special 2 hour tribute to "The Art of the Sample": from all-time classic hip hop loops, to the 12 essential funk drumbreaks, to 3+3 of the best chops from the Meters and Bob James' crates. Dig in as we take you back to the roots.