C.O.D.E. presents Mannie Fresh’s Live Jam Session : Essence Edition

C.O.D.E. presents Fresh’s Live Jam Session : Essence Edition

LIVE performances with: The Speaker Boys (Mannie Fresh & Raj Smoove), Partners-N-Crime and VERY special guests

On the Tables: DJ Shan Li & Raj Smoove

It has long been the case for Lil Wayne collaborators that the time they spend in the MC’s orbit can be some of the most inspired or fruitful of their careers. But imagine for a moment the perspective of someone like Mannie Fresh, accomplished DJ and producer, engine of the late-’90s/early-2000s Cash Money Records hit parade, and the man whose beats helped Wayne realize his potential as an MC. “I always start Wayne projects or songs like it’s my last day on earth,” Fresh tells Apple Music. “Because he is so important to rap, plus he is a real rap-rock star.

Their latest collaboration, Fresh’s Lil Wayne: The Mix Before Tha VI , is an Apple Music-exclusive DJ mix celebrating the impending arrival of Wayne’s Carter VI  album. In true Mannie Fresh fashion, the set features a wealth of Wayne classics artfully arranged alongside the music that inspired some of those songs, spliced with a few curveballs Fresh threw in to keep even diehard Wayne stans engaged. “I try to listen to the records from a DJ point of view as well as a fan, [because] I want to make you feel good about new music,” he says. “I never, ever feel like [I’m] finished, because he always make me want to go harder every project.” 

Mannie Fresh

https://www.nola.com/gambit/music/the-gift-of-mannie-fresh-still-fly-40-years-and-counting/article_1d4cbd28-9f58-11ee-b2d1-5b2f32321533.html

If he isn’t having fun with it, Mannie Fresh doesn’t want to do it. He’s serious about his work, and he stays competitive, but what he’s not doing is wasting his time. “When stuff is not fun for me, it’s time to unplug the drum machine and move on,” he says matter-of-factly. That sense of fun, his warmth and his authenticity are big reasons why Mannie Fresh has had such a long, acclaimed career, from pioneering work in New Orleans hip-hop and bounce to building the sound of Cash Money Records — and influencing hip-hop around the world. Now 54 years old, he’s spent the majority of his life behind turntables and drum machines, and he continues to build on a legacy that’s already placed him as one of hip-hop’s greatest DJs and producers.

Raj Smoove

Raj Smoove is a New Orleans-based DJ and music industry professional with more than 30 years of experience. Currently the Game Day DJ for the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, he is one of the city’s most recognizable, in-demand talents and one of the most successful DJs to emerge from the region. He has appeared on the main stage at the globally renowned ESSENCE Festival of Culture, as well as at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the official ANTI-Tour wrap party for Rihanna, the National Fried Chicken Festival, NBA All-Star Weekend, the HBCU Legacy Bowl, the National Urban League Conference, the National Black Journalists Association Convention, and as a DJ for the New Orleans Pelicans. Consistently recognized by the City of New Orleans for his contributions to local culture, he has received multiple proclamations from the New Orleans City Council. 

Partners-N-Crime

Partners-N-Crime is a New Orleans rap group comprised of two high school friends, Kango Slimm (Walter Williams) and Mr. Meana (Michael Patterson), who offer their unique bounce-driven style with clever, driving raps. From their 1994 debut, “P.N.C.,” Partners N Crime has developed into a mature band with an avid following. They have toured extensively, and recorded with some of the genre’s biggest names. Popular singles include “Let the Good Times Roll,” “Pump Tha Party," and “New Orleans Block Party.”