Party Starters: Milwaukee MC Kid Millions picks his 5 can't-miss jams

In Party Starters, The A.V. Club asks a local DJ to share songs that are guaranteed to get people dancing. This week we talk to Kid Millions, a Milwaukee MC who celebrates the release of his new album Recession Proof Rap at the 88Nine Halloween Bash Saturday at Turner Hall. Millions also DJs around town, and there are five of his favorite tracks to spin.

Curtis, “How Can I Tell Her”

This is a 45 that I found on a random dig. It’s an up-tempo disco tune. It will take you to the bar to the dance floor in seconds flat. I’m not exactly sure what city it’s from. It’s probably from around 1978 or so. I listen to a decent amount of disco. I’m more of a rap collector, but I collect a little bit of everything.

Sport G & Mastermind, “Louder”

I met the executive producer that made this track. His name is Harvey Frierson. Back in 1988, he was doing an internship at a label called DNA International. This is a really big collector’s record. It has lots of scratching and really cool vocals on it.

Pamoja, “Oooh Baby”

This is the first release we did on our label for Lotus Land Records. We released it around 2003. Originally I think it came out in ’75, out of Chicago. It’s a mid-tempo disco-soul track, and super catchy. Every time I play it people ask about it. Even people that aren’t into that style of music love this song.

Kaotic Stylin’, “Check It Out”

This is a New York hip-hop record, from around 1992. I came up around that time. I started making music around ’93, ’94, so I can identify with that time. I like sampled records, and just really gritty vocals. This has almost psychedelic, spaced-out vocals. It’s big in the collectors’ world, because there’s not too many made—maybe 500 or so. I ended up finding a few a while back, and I held onto one.

A-tack, “E.P.”

This is a Milwaukee rap record by Todd Thomas from Arrested Development. This was his first record. I think he was a student at Rufus King at the time. It ended up getting picked up by a label out of Detroit. It’s a lot different than Arrested Development. A-tack has more of an electro feel. It’s got a lot of appeal in Germany, because they love electro music over there, and this has a synth sound to it, like something you can breakdance to.