Welcome to the first installment in a new guest Amoeblog series by Dave Paul called How I Got Here featuring an interview with Robbie Kowal of SunsetSF promotions company. This seven part guest series, which will run about once a week, will profile various folks in the entertainment industry "from doormen, DJ’s and promoters to venue owners, managers, and booking agents" and will, said Paul, "In their own words find out how they got where they are, and where they are going." Paul noted that upcoming How I Got Here profiles will include DJ Z-Trip (Los Angeles), Traci P of R.A.W. Entertainment (Las Vegas), Anthony Sanchez of Runaway Productions (Portland), Mike Maietta of CEG Presents (New York) Gabe Gurrola of Kons Photography + Design (Portland), and Michael Krouse of Madrone Art Bar (San Francisco).

Dave Paul, who has been profiled & interviewed himself here on the Amoeblog, began his music career back in 1984 when he started out as a mobile DJ. This wise career move would lead to Dave getting on the radio as college spinning hip-hop in its formative years. In 1991 Paul launched the long defunct but still revered Bomb Hip-Hop Magazine and in 1996 he morphed the magazine into Bomb Hip-Hop Records label which got named  "one of the fifteen independent labels that matter" by Rolling Stone magazine. As a club DJ Dave Paul has played in clubs throughout the US, and Europe. As a club promotor he's been producing his Prince and Michael Jackson themed parties for close to a decade now.  You can contact Dave Paul at - bombhiphop@gmail.com Guest Amoeblogger Dave Paul: You’re originally from Boston and lived in New Orleans for five years. How did you end up in San Francisco?

Now in its tenth year the annual SF Funk Fest (SFFF) is already underway from November 4th - 26th with Dam Funk & Master Blazter having played over the weekend at this three-week, various-venue festival. This year has an excellent line-up that includes Morris Day & The Time along with DJ Dave Paul opening at the Mezzanine Friday November 11th, The California Honeydrops at The Brick & Mortar Music Hall in SF on Saturday, Afrolicious feat Nappy Riddem plus Motion Potion at the Elbo Room in SF on Thursday November 17th, the Budos Band with Afrolicious at Mezzanine on Sat, November 19, DJ Platurn's 45 Sessions on Nov 18th at Disco Volente in Oakland (the only non SF show), the S.O.S. Band at Yoshi's SF on Friday, November 25.  For a complete listing on all 2011 SFFF shows for the month of November visit the Sunset Promotions website.

Based on the academic work of UC Berkeley and KPFA’s “funky professor” Dr Rickey Vincent and author of the landmark book Funk: The Music, the People and the Rhythym of the One (read Rickey Vincent's Amoeblog interview) the SFFF was founded by Robbie Kowal and John Miles of Sunset Promotions back in late 2001. The first SFFF that year featured Mandrill and a reunion of many of the original members of Sly & the Family Stone (listed as SF Funk All Stars) and over the years performers have included George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Rebirth Brass Band, DJ QBert, Z-Trip and many others. The festival has also featured a cool retro Funk on Film series that included such films as Wattstax. For full details on all shows click  2011 SFFF and  for general information here.

1) Madlib No.12-Raw Medicine-Madlib Remixes (Stones Throw)

2) J. Cole Cole World: The Sideline Story (Roc Nation)

3) Das Racist Relax (Greedhead Music)

4) Evidence Cats & Dogs (Rhymesayers)

5) Blu Open (Nature Sounds)

6) Lil Wayne  The Carter IV (Cash Money/Universal)

Thanks to Luis at the Amoeba Music San Francisco store for the latest Top 5 Hip-Hop chart which features tons of nice brand new stuff including the latest from Madlib No.12-Raw Medicine-Madlib Remixes. Below is an audio snippet from the Stones Throw release featuring both Doom and Dilla. Also below is an album snippet sampler of J-Cole's new Cole World album plus an audio track from the unstoppable Blu's latest release Open; the track "Part Time Suckers" with Chop and Fresh Daily. Also featured below are videos from Das Racist's Relax and also from another new Amoeba chart entrant Evidence - the DJ Premier produced track "You" off his recommended new Rhymesayers release Cats & Dogs.


New album from J.Cole on Roc Nation featuring snippets of all tracks including: 1) Intro 2) Dollar and a Dream III 3) Can't Get Enough ft. Trey Songz 4) Lights Please 5) Interlude 6) Sideline Story 7) Mr. Nice Watch ft. Jay-Z 8) Cold World 9) In The Morning ft. Drake 10) Lost Ones 11) Nobody's Perfect ft. Missy Elliott 12) Never Told 13) Rise and Shine 14) God's Gift 15) Breakdown 16) Work Out

DJ, broadcaster, club promoter, concert producer, journalist, publicist, magazine publisher, music producer, record label owner, webmaster, and iPhone app designer are just a few of the titles that have applied to Dave Paul over the years. But the San Francisco born and bred Paul is probably best known for both his respected Bomb Hip-Hop Magazine, that began 20 years ago (hence the Bomb 20 Year Anniversary party tomorrow night at Madrone Bar in San Francisco) and his pioneering Bomb Hip-Hop record label that came a few years later, and would be instrumental in helping propel the global turntablist movement thanks to his influential Return of the DJ series.

I first met Dave back in the late 80's when he was at KCSF out of City College of San Francisco  doing a weekly hip-hop radio show called Beat Box Fridays (he'd already been DJing for a good five years at that point) and was immediately impressed with what an ambitious, hard-working, self-driven, and focused individual he was - but never in an overbearing or unpleasant way. Dave is just a genuinely nice guy: someone you want to be around and someone who is always upfront and always passionate about his work. He is also never one to rest on his laurels. 

Since I've known him he has been a hustler; up at the crack of dawn working hard on whatever project he has going on at the time. Key to his success is that he doesn't wait for things to have to be done - he projects ahead and initiates change in the present: like how one day he developed an iPhone app for Bomb Hip-Hop. And as times change (especially in the ever fickle music industry) Dave always seems prepared; constantly evolving and expanding his skill base.

It has been almost two full weeks since Michael Jackson passed, but in that time the sudden and tragic death of the King of Pop has dominated the news worldwide. Even Sarah Palin's resignation as governer of Alaska last week -- a week after MJ's death -- was upstaged by Jackson news. 

And today, the day after the heavily publicized Michael Jackson funeral/memorial in LA, which drew a reported 31 million viewers in real time, stopping by the Amoeba Music San Francisco store further proved that the intense public absorption with all things Michael (especially his music) will likely last a good while longer.

Luis at the San Francisco Amoeba took time out to show me the MJ CDs that have been hot sellers at the store, including Thriller, Bad, Michael Jackson Number Ones, Vol. 1-Greatest Hits History, and Off The Wall. See below a video clip of Luis at Amoeba SF earlier this afternoon. Also this afternoon in San Francisco I caught up (by phone) with Dave Paul, who for the past few years has been throwing the popular Prince vs. Michael parties in SF and other West Coast cities where both he and fellow DJ Jeff Harris spin regularly. Paul has a pretty extensive Michael Jackson collection so I asked him to draw up for the Amoeblog a list of his party's Top Five Michael Jackson dance floor burners -- MJ songs that always get the dance floor going. His list, including a brief description of each song, is below, along with info on the next SF Prince vs Michael party, which should be pretty wild since it will be the first since MJ's passing. The video for "Don't Stop TIl You Get Enough" is also below.