Adam Yauch (1964-2012)

MCA was and will always be my favorite beastie boy. His voice was unique and his flow always on point. His words and music will live on forever;)

Record Store Day, http://www.recordstoreday.com, is one of my favorite days of the year! For me, however, EVERY DAY is Record Store Day. I'm quite sure it is obvious that music is important to me, but a huge amount of my time has been and will continue to be spent in record stores.

If you are in Philly, go support AKA music in Old City. If you are in the ATL, go support Moods Music and Criminal Records. If you are in NYC, go support Other Music and Academy Records. If you are in Chicago, go support Dusty Groove. If you are in Cali, go support Amoeba Records. Did I miss any?

Because I'm STILL obsessed with My Soul, My Spirit (Mr. G's Freedom Reprise) and I am still in need of a bit of uplifting, this mix's theme will be FREEDOM.

In celebration of Easter and the poem, Still I Rise by Maya Angelou, the theme is RISE.

Van Hunt is the Curtis Mayfied of our generation. As Curtis did, Van Hunt knows how to write a song. I don't know why he continues to go unsung, but he is a quadruple threat: singer, songwriter, musician, and producer. There are many people who can sing. There are many people who can play, but rare is the really good songwriter.

Van Hunt has released two very stellar studio albums, Van Hunt and On The Jungle Floor. There is not one filler song on either of these releases. He was all set to release a third studio album, Popular, when it was shelved by Blue Note. Why, oh why did they do that? It is such a brilliant album.

Last year, he independently released technically his fourth album, What Were You Looking For?

The quality of songwriting that Van Hunt continues to conjure is mindboggling. Songwriting is such a dying craft. It is important that we hold on to it, and as a result we should celebrate Van Hunt.

Van Hunt is currently on tour. To see tour dates, visit http://www.vanhunt.com/news. If he comes to a city near you, support this soul soldier who is holding it down like no other. He is truly a national treasure and no one seems to know this. Hopefully, by the end of this mix, YOU will, and as a result I hope you will purchase his albums and go see him live so that Van Hunt can continue to do what he does better than most: make music.

Grown Folks Music Blog conducted a wonderful interview with Van Hunt last year. I'd definitely check it: http://soundcloud.com/grownfolksmusic/van-hunt-interview