The Package

The year was 1995.... Me & Erik Rico had been performing cover songs for about 2-3 years doing shows up & down the East Coast and around Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill & surrounded areas. I we also had a contract to perform at one of the top venues in Myrtle Beach & opened up for major artist. Erik went by the name of Ease back then & I was known as DJ Mach-1. People were always asking us if we were an actual group and if we had any music out or had product to sell at our shows. So, we actually decided to officially form the group, "The Soul Brothers" and recorded an album/songs to shop for labels. Luckily, for us, Erik's cousin John Mitchell (he also wrote Stacy Q's Two of Hearts), known to us as Jay, worked with Randy Jackson over at Sony. We wrote, produced &recorded the songs here in a matter of two weeks so Erik could rush & send them to Jay to get to Randy. Long story short, Jay got the tape to Randy & Randy wanted to sign us on the spot. Randy reached out to Michael Mauldin (Jermaine Dupri's father) over at Columbia & had him take a listen to the tape & Michael was also onboard to sign us. So, the songs here is our demo that we recorded for Sony/Columbia Records in '95, but it never came out. Unfortunately, Erik passed away a few months ago & I decided to go ahead & drop these dope ass songs we did as my tribute to my soul brother!! RIP my dude....Soul Brothers & Audio Phonic forever, love you my dude!!!

Free To Be Me

Keep On Keeping On

Happy

Other Kinda Stuff

Your Love

Diggin' On You

Shake Your Tambourine

Stay With Me

Without My Music

Of course I had to do one more Real Hip Hop Mix before the end of the year!! Mostly classic/old school hip hop with a couple new joints snuck in like the latest single "Shine" by E Reece with yours truly, DJ Mark-1 on the cuts/scratches. Thanks for listening & I hope you enjoy! Tracklist listed below.

Tracklist:
1. De La Soul - Dinninit
2. Common - In My Own World (Check The Method)
3. Jeru The Damaja - Tha Bullshit
4. DJ Premier, Roc Marciano - RocMarkable
5. Group Home - Suspended In Time
6. Gang Starr - Next Time
7. Pete Rock - Soul Survivor (Feat. Ms Jones)
8. Smif-N-Wessun - Bucktown
9. Lord Finesse - Gameplan
10. Mobb Deep - Temperatures Rising (Remix)
11. Sweet Tee - It's My Beat
12. Jay Dee Aka J Dilla - Featuring Phat Kat
13. DOOM - Ballskin
14. Jaylib - The Heist
15. Bumpy Knuckles - Who Knows Why?
16. Ten Thieves - It Don't Matter
17. Mobb Deep - When U Hear The
18. Double XX Posse - The Headcracker
19. Sir Menelik ft Grand Puba and Sadat X - 7XL
20. E Reece - Shine (cuts by DJ Mark-1)
21. O.C. - Time’s Up
22. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Ill Street Blues
23. Jungle Brothers - I'm Gonna Do You
24. Just-Ice - Going Way Back
25. O.C. - Your Life

DJ Mark-1 "It's The Real...Hip-Hop" Vol. 12 12/7/25

DJ Mark-1 Booking & Contact Info:
dj.mark.1ne@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@djmark-1ne
facebook.com/markus.johnson1
IG: https://www.instagram.com/thatvegandj/
Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/mark-1/

On a mission to become your favorite dj's favorite dj!!

Official in-house DJ for HipNott Records back in the early 2010's , Cypher Lounge Radio DJ, DJ'd for Sareem Poems of LA Symphony, DJ'd for E Reece, DJ'd for Hassahn Phenomenon, Official DJ for Status Network Events, One of the HipHop Cafe DJ's

Major Mixtape Releases for HipNott Records:
Dasha - Back 2 the Future Mixtape
HipNott Records 2010 Takeover Mixtape Vol. 1 & 2
Spectac and Amiri - Keys to the Vault
K. Sparks – A Day in the Life (Album Sampler)
E Reece: The RE:Introduction (Mixtape)
DEMOS Mixtape Volumes 1 & 2