More NJC Mixtapes to Soundtrack Your Life

If you haven't checked out our Mixcloud lately, we've got a couple fresh mixtapes up in the rotation. Press play, sit back and rewind.

 

NEW JACK CITY MIXTAPE #4 by New Jack City on Mixcloud

NEW JACK CITY MIXTAPE #3 by New Jack City on Mixcloud

New Jack City Mixtape #2

NEW JACK CITY MIXTAPE #2 by New Jack City on Mixcloud

Here it is, the second installment in our NJC mixtape series. This one features all jamz I picked up during my recent crate-digging expedition in Philadelphia. A few deeper cuts in this mix and some exciting new tracks to add to the rotation.

All hail! NJC takes 'em to Church

Exciting news! After a bit of a summer hiatus, New Jack City is back in full swing. You can find us on the first Friday of every month at Church Bar PDX. Church is a great new bar located at 2600 NE Sandy, PDX. It's the perfect place to confess your love for New Jack and enjoy some delicious drinks and a bowl of shrimp n' grits while you're at it. Check out our events page for upcoming dates and we hope to see you next First Friday!

New Jack City Mixtape #1

NEW JACK CITY MIXTAPE #1 by New Jack City on Mixcloud

We're pleased to present the first installment in our New Jack City mixtape series. All songs culled from our ever-growing vinyl archives. This little journey travels from steamy slow jamz to jazzy hip-hop and back again. Draw the blinds and enjoy!

I Can't Wait Another Minute

Just got word that DJ Cool It Now scored Hi-Five's debut full-length on white hot petroleum wax. This is one of those groups like the Beatles where you just can't imagine them making a bad song. Be on the lookout for some sweet Hi-Five jamz like this one at the next New Jack City...



Well, if that isn't the greatest chorus of all time I'm not sure what is.

Trippin Out

One of the most exciting things about being a professional disc jockey is the hunt for that perfect slab of petroleum vinyul. In between our monthly New Jack City gigs at Langano Lounge, DJ Cool It Now and I work around the clock searching for new jamz to expand the NJC playlist. Our endless search leads us to record shoppes all over Portland, like Mississippi Records, where a few months ago I unearthed the 12" single for Prince Markie Dee's "Trippin Out."

This is one of those albums I picked up based solely on the album cover. Let's just say the Prince knows how to rock a pair of overalls in the customary single-strap style of the early 90's.

Of course last Thursday when I finally got around to playing this track at New Jack City, my mind was blown. Take a look and listen.



OH SH*T!

If that flow sounds familiar it's because Prince Markie Dee is from the Fat Boys. Yeah, it's all coming back to me now. And that's Billy Lawrence blowin' in the background. Wow! I can't get enough of this song.

New Jack City! Holiday Edition

Join us this Thursday for a very special New Jack City. Not only will we be dropping our latest New Jack finds (and believe me, we uncovered some tasty stuff in the past month), but we'll also be sprinkling in some sweet holiday jams to get you in the yuletide spirit. I've been scouring the .NET over the last few days seeing what kind of New Jack Holiday goodness I can find. Here's a small sampling...

New Edition rocking some sweet seasonal jackets:



Boyz II Men sing to an audience of God, and Kenny Rogers:



Nothing says Christmas like the sweet croon of R Kelly as you're sitting around the tree:



SWV lament a Christmas spent alone:



OH SNAP! Now Kenny Rogers is caroling WITH Boyz II Men!



I don't know if Kenny's presence hurts or helps this song's chances of being played at our Holiday edition of New Jack City. You'll have to stop by to find out!

New Jack City! Holiday Edition - Thursday Dec. 9
Featuring DJ Cool It Now & DJ Human Highlight Film
Langano Lounge (1435 SE Hawthorne Blvd)
9pm FREE

Countdown to New Jack City

The debut of New Jack City is just around the corner! Sunday September 19 we'll be throwing down at Langano Lounge in SE Portland. Things kick off at 9pm pst. Expect a heaping helping of New Jack, as we transport you back to a simpler time when flat top fades were chiseled with precision, and clothes were sometimes worn backwards.

Last night me and Cool It Now made a little trip to Langano to prepare ourselves mentally and physically for the grand event. We spent hours pouring over a color-coded Excel spreadsheet as we worked to pinpoint the perfect selection of New Jack joints to deliver Sunday night. There were formulas involved, and something about Macros. Here's a sneak peek at what we came up with:


As you can see it's going to be a great night. Please join us, won't you?

New Jack City - Sunday Sept 19
Featuring DJ Cool It Now & DJ Human Highlight Film
Langano Lounge (1435 SE Hawthorne Blvd)
9pm FREE

Celebrate the debut of New Jack City - September 19!

We are pleased to announce that on Sunday September 19, the wall between you and New Jack City will officially come crumbling to the ground. It promises to be quite the party, and it's all going down at Langono Lounge in SE Portland. We hope you'll be able to join us for our big debut. What can you expect during your first trip to New Jack City? Anything could happen, maybe even a visit from these guys...



New Jack City - Grand Opening Party & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Featuring DJ Cool It Now & DJ Human Highlight Film
Sunday September 19
Langano Lounge (1435 SE Hawthorne Blvd)
9pm FREE

A Force to be reckoned with

Last weekend me and my boy DJ Cool It Now did a little crate digging. As always we were on the hunt for hidden gems of the New Jack era. One group that kept popping out of the dusty bins was Full Force. I remembered the name but couldn’t quite put a sound to it. Cool It Now rolled the dice and picked up one of their albums while I decided to do some research first, using the internet. It’s pretty solid stuff, but I’m not sure how I feel about their outfits. Usually I’m of the opinion that anything goes when we’re discussing the fashion of the late 80’s and early 90’s, but in the following video Full Force is clearly tiptoeing the line between right and wrong.

Interesting side note: Wikipedia tells me Full Force actually provided backing vocals for two songs on Bob Dylan’s “Infidels” album. While those Bob Dylan songs won’t be played at a New Jack City event, I think it’s safe to say we haven’t heard the last of Full Force.

Just a little taste

...of things to come.