In 1996 I was fiercely committed to East Coast Hip Hop and discovering the breaks used to create it. I had a friend who worked at a local music shop at a strip mall perpendicular to my job, and during my scheduled break I would visit, kick the Willie BoBo and in turn be laced with whatever I could carry out. I remember one evening, while staging the purchasing of a large amount of Hip Hop and Breaks, seeing a white cardboard display at the checkout for an artist I’d never heard of with unique, attractive packaging and a really cheap price point, like .99 or so. I picked up the CD single, mulled over adding it to the pile, decided I would never have the opportunity to listen to it with the large amount of music I was amassing and set it down.
Months later when Urban Hang Suite was released, I realized the error of my decision. UHS signaled not only the introduction of Maxwell, it was also a harbinger of the Neo Soul Movement. In addition, the Ascension maxi-single I passed up, ironically included a remix by Hip Hop’s most respected producer, Dilla. Over the next 2 years, Maxwell continued to drop maxi singles from UHS with alternate versions and remixes of its beloved tunes much like the Hip Hop 12”s of that time.
As time went on and I became immersed in music overall I discovered there were others touched by Maxwell’s music who decided to share their spin on his music. It’s a combination of these remixes, covers, and edits I have mixed and share with you today. Enjoy!