Gang Starr: Full Clip
From: Full Clip (Virgin, 1999)
and Royalty
From: Moment of Truth (Virgin, 1998)
Over the weekend Guru of Gang Starr and Jazzmatazz suffered a heart attack. He’s currently in the hospital and here’s to hoping he pulls through. Along with DJ Premier, as part of Gang Starr they were responsible for some of the best hip hop albums to come out of the 90s.
I remember borrowing a friends copy of Full Clip. It was one of the rare times I could listen up and down and album and not pull a favorite. Everything was solid from top to bottom. To be fair it was a greatest hits collection but it was 2 discs deep. Their other albums were just as consistent and along with Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth, each group created a solid sound that’s hard to find now.
I still remember getting my copy of Gang Starr’s last album The Ownerz right before a road trip almost 7 years ago and listening to that album back and forth pretty much the whole trip. Guru also put out over 4 albums of his Jazzmatazz series working with live jazz musicians. Here’s hoping Guru pulls through.
3rd Bass: Steppin’ to the A.M.
From: The Cactus Album [Def Jam, 1989]
Banbarra: Shack Up
From: Shack Up single [Atco, 1976]
James Brown: Stoned to the Bone
From: The Payback [Polydor, 1974]
Gary Wright: Can’t Find the Judge
From: The Dreamweaver [Warner Bros, 1975]
Pink Floyd: Time
From: The Dark Side of the Moon [EMI, 1973]
Kool and the Gang: Mother Earth
From: Spirit of the Boogie [De-Lite, 1975]
Spoonie Gee: Spoonin’ Rap
From: Single [Sugar Hill, 1980]
Beastie Boys: Time to Get Ill
From: Licensed to Ill [Def Jam, 1986]
I know that I promised you all that another Anatomy of a Sample post was right around the corner about two months ago, but good things always come to those who wait. Today’s Anatomy of a Sample focuses on the standout track from one of the best rap albums to come out of the Def Jam stable in the late 80’s. The act, song and album in question are 3rd Bass with “Steppin’ to the A.M.” from The Cactus Album. With the Bomb Squad’s versatile samples and exemplary production alone, this record was destined to be one for the ages. But these two Mc’s had the skills to pay the bills and then some, with a witty repartee and hard-hitting rhymes that would go on to influence the next generation of independent hip-hop.
However, due to a lackluster second effort called Derilects of Dialect, the group would fade into obscurity, only to reappear on the scene as solo artists in the coming years. Even though they never achieved the same level of recognition that other white hip-hop acts such as the Beastie Boys, and House of Pain were given on a regular basis, The Cactus Album would prove to stand the test of time. In fact, as I reached for my cassette tape of The Cactus Album the other day, a sense of nostalgia rushed over me that took me right back to the day that I first heard this album.
Today, I will be analyzing the samples that were used to create the slamming track “Steppin’ To the A.M” on the pioneering first record from 3rd Bass. This one gets started immediately with a horn stab taken from the two second mark of James Brown’s “Stone to the Bone”. This sample has been slowed down and the tone has been changed to disguise it’s origin, but it appears several times in the track. There is a sample of woman’s voice at the one second mark that says “At the sound of the tone the time will be 12 a.m.”. I was at a loss when trying to locate the sample for this one, but I’m thinking that it could be a person who provided a voiceover for the track, instead of an actual sample. At the six second mark, a melange of bells and chimes are taken from the twenty second mark of Pink Floyd’s “Time”.
Then, at the ten second mark, the first sign of a drum beat and bassline enter the picture as the ten second mark of Banbarra’s “Shack Up” is sampled to great effect. It appears that this has been slowed down considerably, as the pace of the original track is much more uptempo than the beat on “Steppin’ to the A.M.” It took repeated listens to figure this one out, as the Bomb Squad have expertly crafted this sample to mask its identity. Coming in at the same time as the Banbarra sample are the high hats from the opening bars of Slick Rick’s “Lick the Balls”.
Next, as MC Serch begins to deliver his first verse on the track, the twenty second mark of Gary Wright’s “Can’t Find the Judge is sampled to add more complexity to the bassline. After the first verse, the horns from the five second mark of Kool and the Gang’s “Mother Earth” are sampled at the fifty-seven second point of the track. This horn sample will also appear at the 2:02 and 2:58 point of the track. Directly after the horn sample is a montage of samples taken from Hip hop tracks that feature the word “time”. First, is the Beastie Boys “What’s the time” mantra taken from “Time to Get Ill”. Then, it samples the lines “Time to Get Stupid” from Public Enemy’s Raise the Roof, followed by the lines “Kickin’ till the A.M. from Big Daddy Kane’s “Raw”. One of the samples that is not present in the first group of “time” samples is the :07 mark of Spoonie Gee’s “Two for the time” lyric taken from Spoonin’ Rap. This makes it’s first appearance at the 2:06 part of the track, and then later appears at the 4:26 mark of the track. There is a spacey synthesizer sample that plays in the background of these montages, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what it is.
At the 3:17 point of the song, the high hats from the Slick Rick sample are the only thing left in the mix. But after a few more seconds, the bassline from “Can’t Find the Judge” enters, and it is much easier to identify it with everything else absent from the mix. The song closes out with numerous horn stabs from the “Stoned to the Bone” sample juxtaposed with the time-themed samples from Beastie Boys, Big Daddy Kane, Public Enemy and Spoonie Gee.
I hope you have enjoyed this edition of Anatomy of a Sample, and I look forward to bringing you more of these in the future.
Please send me any requests for hip-hop songs that you would like to see featured on Anatomy of a Sample, and I will do my best to make it happen.
Get ‘Em Mamis: Alpines Kickin’, Cold Summer, Soul Talk
From: Terawesome [Darkroom Productions, 2009]
Ok. Finally got a break and some time to get into what I started in January – ladies throwing down on the mic… thanks 2Shaney and E.Powers for the excellent suggestions; I’ve been digging on all the artists you mentioned. Let’s kick it off with a selection from 2Shaney’s list, something happening right now – Baltimore’s Get ‘Em Mamis. Their ‘Terawesome’ mixtape is a free and easy download and it is indeed a pleasing blend of terrific and awesome. The beats don’t skimp on booty and the ladies show no mercy on the mic.
From what I can glean from the internets, Roxzi and Symphony are a long time coming: rap fanatics since childhood, they honed their craft for many years; writing, performing, and working together in different groups before streamlining to their current winning chemistry as a duo. With a pivotal career break in 2008, earning inclusion on HBO’s The Wire’s Beyond Hamsterdam soundtrack, they caught the ear of local Baltimore production crew Darkroom Productions. Recently, I’ve seen a few 2010 tour dates popping up (though mostly in MD… come to NYC!).
Throughout Terawesome, Get ‘Em Mamis prove themselves gifted vocalists with plenty of personality, versatility, and quality rhymes. Of the three tracks posted above, though, I’ll say ‘Soul Talk’ is my favorite as the song holds some of Roxzi and Symphony’s most expressive lines:
while the whole world is sleeping or fucking
I’m up thinking of nothing but how I’m gonna give myself to the public
to make ‘em say that they want it, but I need it
Hip Hop will never be dead if I’m breathing
… and the hook hits it home. Sounds like they love what they’re doing. Look forward to hearing more.
DMG: Psycho and I Ain’t Bullshitting
From: Rigormortiz
Overloaded from the songs for lovers in the build up to and realisation of Valentine’s day over the last week, I desperately turned to something, anything, that would successfully clean the sweet aftertaste from my mouth. In moments like this the best cure for the sugar overload is always either angry rap or rock and, since this is a blog interested in the beats that bang, the winner had to be the hip hop and, specifically, DMG.
The DetriMental Ganxta, or DMG to his friends, started up in classic fashion by getting his tapes out there and into the ears of rappers he admired. In this case that rapper was Scarface which makes perfect sense when you hear DMG on the mic. A combination of Scarface deep tones and Kool G Rap at his angriest, DMG comes hard hard hard on his debut release, the underground classic Rigormortiz. An album almost solely interested in gangsta activity, the album’s production also stands up to the test of time, thanks to the involvement of N.O. Joe, the producer behind tracks for UGK, Devin and, of course, Scarface.
There seems to be a lack of other information about DMG so I’d be particularly grateful to anyone who can explain why there was a ten year gap between the release of such a great debut album and his follow up, Black Roulette. So instead, focus on the raw anger on offer as all images of cupids and the like are blasted away.
I know it’s a cliché these days but it was a real struggle picking just two tracks and I can’t help but feel you miss the real power of this album without playing the whole thing through. Did I mention that this comes hard?
Psycho is a perfect example of why many people at the time probably assumed this was a Scarface track rather than another rapper. It’s a classic early nineties southern track as DMG absolutely oozes menace over the crisp boom/bap (sorry) of the beats.
I Ain’t Bullshitting is about as mellow as DMG gets on the album, as he shows exemplary flow over a more laid back beat. Absolutely adore the organs that come in and out of the mix on this one, adding a slightly dreamy feeling to the track that contrasts to DMG’s every militant lyrical attack. My personal stand out from the album, this deserves to be loved by a far wider audience.
God damn, how did this album get overlooked? Oh yeah, a reissue wouldn’t go amiss you know?
Derek B 15 January 1965 – 16 November 2009
RIP to an artist who despite breaking boundaries within the UK music industry never really got the respect he deserved.
Kaos: Crank Up The Bass and What Have You Done Lately
From: Court’s In Session [Bad Boy Records, 1987]
Hello there. Been a while since I checked in so apologies for my tardiness and thanks again to the rest of the crew for keeping things on track with some great posts. You may also have noticed that we’ve been having some issues with our index page resetting to August posts. This is thanks to some awesomely welcome hackers continuously inserting very useful links to hentai in our directories. Hopefully this has now been cured so fingers crossed things should be more plain sailing from now on.
So what have I been up to? Well, apart from real world moves leaving less time than I’d like for digging I’ve also been putting together some non commercial compilations which I may load up soonish depending on how much I feel like putting myself out there. Oh yeah I also finally came across a copy of Kaos Court’s In Session – a long time want and an outstanding album.
In my experience, album’s tend to be sold for big money if they’re (in order of importance) rare, good music, and if they feature lesser known work by a well known musician. Funnily enough Court’s In Session ticks all three boxes as not only is it hard to find and damn good but production on the record is shared between a certain Kenny Gonzalez, displaying an early flair for big beats before he became the House legend he is today and “The Human Beat Machine” Todd Terry who you might have heard has released a few dance records over the years.
So, quite a line up then but what’s the music like? Well it’s more than likely that the first thing that will hit you is the beats. These hit hard.
Crank Up The Bass kicks off with the kind of chopped up scratching and drums combination that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Kid Koala record before settling into a boom baptastic beat. It’s worth noting that, while the intense scratching on offer from Gonzalez on this track is undoubtedly the star, MC King Grand is by no means the weak link in this group, always doing a fine job to keep up with the manic production behind him. This track is just fantastic and worth the price of the album alone.
What Have You Done Lately is a more straightforward upbeat old school rap track but is another dancerfloor winner. The relentless samples and programmed drums keep the track rolling at full speed as Grand delivers his lines. A slimmed down and raw track of beats and rhymes, it’s a great example of the kind of music that was out there just before the new school took over. It’s a real shame that the group didn’t ever release a follow up as they blend perfectly through the playing time.
As luck would have it, after popping in I’m now off again for two weeks of lounging in a far off place away from the records and the internet but I’ll leave you in the capable hands of the guys and look forward to getting back rested and relaxed and ready to drop killer tracks…
Break ‘N Spin: Break ‘N Spin [Singh Records, 1984]
This track is definitely hitting the spot in the midst of busy muggy summer; enough bounce to get you up, and, enough chill to keep you steady. 1984… who knew it could be this good?… apparently RealFreshBlog (thanks for posting!).
[[Does anyone else find the intro similar to the intro for the ubiquitous Jamie Foxx/T-Pain jam Blame It?]]
From what I can find on the web, “Break ‘N Spin” appears to be a one-off pseudonym for the very interesting funky and prolific Edwin Birdsong. Having just researched Edwin Birdsong, I’m somewhat surprised that this track was my introduction to the man. Long established since the 70’s, he’s worked and collaborated with the likes of Roy Ayers and Stevie Wonder. And, he’s still out there (as seen on his MySpace).
However, if you’re like me and this is the first time you’ve heard the name Edwin Birdsong, it’s very likely this is not the first time you’ve heard his work:
- Cola Bottle Baby, the lead track from his 1979 S/T album was sampled by Daft Punk in Harder Better Faster Stronger
- Rapper Dapper Snapper, his 1980 12″ release was sampled by De La Soul in Me Myself and I
Two classics both underpinned with Birdsong funk.
And, just to keep the party going, here is a slightly less old-school jam from ‘92.
Jump: Funkatarium [Dark Records, 1992]
Despite the recession and prudent financial sense, I picked both up on vinyl. So, if you are in the NYC area and looking for a public forum to share your favorite records, I invite you to join myself and friends at our monthly (next meeting: 8/10) Monday Night Vinyl Club “bring your own vinyl” collaborative DJ party. 2nd mondays monthly at The Bell House in Gowanus, Brooklyn. FREE
The Kid Daytona: Air Born and The Groove
From: Come Fly With Me [2009]
I’ve pretty much been on hiatus from this site the last month or two, partly due to real world moves, partly down to posting exhaustion brought on from nearly five years of doing this and partly down to getting lost in mammoth hip hop compilations.
To cut a long story short, a friend of mine who used to DJ fell out of love with the rapped word around the mid nineties. In discussion a few months back I was once again arguing the merits of modern hip hop to no avail. Seeing an opportunity to reacquaint the man with the music he used to love, I took on the task of compiling a series of 30-40 track “mixtapes” which featured the cream of the crop from recent years, the only (self-imposed) rule being that I couldn’t feature the same artist twice.
While gamely taking this on, halfway through the second compilation I slowly began to realise that if I wanted to do the form justice I needed to cast the net wider than my normal listening experience as, while my love for all things Texas and the Bay knows no bounds, I knew that his particular tastes would require more of a balance.
I therefore started checking out more random releases floating about, clicking on any free mixtape, street album and the like that popped up. It was with this have-a-go attitude that I came across The Kid Daytona’s free to download album Come Fly With Me. Not particularly familiar with any of the producers involved and entirely unfamiliar with The Kid’s previous output it’s an album I probably would have skipped over previously but out of curiosity gave it a listen and I’m mighty pleased I did.Offering up a hit rate higher than most pay for albums I’ve picked up recently Come Fly With Me hits a fine balance of decent production and an impressive flow from Daytona.
Air Born, the last track on the album, is probably my stand out track. Featuring a stripped down hypnotic steel drum loop and guitar the track has The Kid showcasing a smooth flow over the beats to create a sense of menace and as a bonus an understated guest spot from Bun B.
The Groove has Datyona in proper throwback mode as he delivers the goods over a bass driven beat straight out of the nineties that is skilful enough to avoid falling anywhere near pastiche. I’m aware that having just written in depth about convincing my chum to engage with modern sounds posting a throwback track is somewhat ironic but such is life.
It’s undoubtedly true that the production on this won’t be for everyone (for me personally there were a few too many tracks featuring a sort of muted guitar and drum combination) but for free how can it hurt to try it out?
A lesson learned that if I’m ever to fully convince my friend to embrace what’s happening now rather than then I need to keep my ears open to all possibilities. I’m now on comp three so any recommendations on people I may be sleeping on will be gratefully received……
Oh yeah, just to remind you as well, we are embracing web 2.0 with our own Facebook page. Don’t be shy, be our friend.
Main Source: Just Hangin’ Out
From: Breaking Atoms [Capitol, 1991]
Gwen McCrae: 90% of Me Is You
From: Rockin’ Chair [Cat, 1975]
Sister Nancy: Bam Bam
From: One, Two [Techniques, 1982]
Skull Snaps: I Turn My Back On Love
From: Skull Snaps [GSF, 1973]
Ike and Tina Turner: Bold Soul Sister
From: Hunter [Blue Thumb, 1969]
Mike Bloomfield/Al Kooper/Steven Stills: Season of the Witch
From: Super Session [Columbia, 1968]
While the blistering sun is warming the asphalt in Portland today, I thought I would take the opportunity to bless your ears with a sample breakdown from Main Source’s Breaking Atoms.
This record first dropped in the summer of 1991, right about the time when real hip-hop was being replaced by braggadocio and bling. The rhyming and production skills on this record are practically unparalleled in the history of hip-hop, with the dense, layered production enhancing the creative rhymes of Producer/MC Large Professor. Main Source went on to make one last attempt at stardom with the ill-fated Fuck What You Think in 1994, but Breaking Atoms is the one that sticks in my mind as a true classic.
The opening drum break is skillfully lifted from the 1:44 mark of Skull Snaps’ gritty “I Turn My Back on Love”. Shortly after this intro break, the main groove of the track is spliced from the seven second mark of Gwen McCrae’s soulful “90 % of Me Is You.” While the groove is flowing, the laid-back horns taken from the three second mark of Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” create a relaxing vibe that is perfect for summer evenings. At around the 1:21 mark of “Just Hangin Out”, a playful vocal part from the thirty-nine second mark of “Bam Bam” acts as a bridge from the main groove. Ike and Tina Turner’s “Bold Soul Sister” and Mike Bloomfield’s “Season of the Witch were also sampled on this track, but I can’t for the life of me figure out which parts of these songs were sampled. If any of you crate-diggers and vinyl enthusiasts have any thoughts about where these samples came from, please enlighten me.
This concludes the Anatomy of a Sample for Main Source’s “Just Hangin Out”. I hope you guys have enjoyed this episode, and I would love to hear about the summer joints you were bumpin’ in 1991.
Convicts: Free World
From: Convicts
Big Mike: Made Men
From: Hard to Hit
Blac Monks: Getos In The Mind
From: Secrets of the Hidden Temple
I’ve touched on my worship of Big Mike before when I posted about the classic Somethin’ Serious and have been holding off writing more about him as there’s a reasonable amount floating about the blogging atmosphere already. However I recently got my hands on his third album, Hard To Hit, and it seemed as good an excuse as any to return to the subject.
For those unaware, Big Mike first hit the scene with rapper 3-2 as part of the duo The Convicts and Free World off their seminal self titled album is just one of the best starts to any rap album I can think off. The track kicks straight in with the loop and Big Mike’s not far behind with all vocal guns blazing as he and 3-2 put down their unique take on parole pleas. Sounding as fresh today as it did 18 years ago I’m still waiting for the proper rerelease.
Next up, as mentioned, a track of the recently acquired Hard To Hit. While not as consistent as Somethin Serious this is a welcome return to form from Big Mike after the disappointing Still Serious. Made Men is one of the best tracks on the album combining a quality beat with Mike’s distinctive and still sharp as ever delivery. I’m yet to get a hold of his releases after this but it will no doubt come around someday. Oh yeah, if you want more info definitely check out Noz’s interview with Big Mike here.
For a bonus I though I’d throw in a track off of Blac Monks debut album as I only relatively recently discovered that one of this rap trio was none other than 3-2 from the Convicts (I know, it’s amazing what you can discover when you actually bother to get past staring at the Rap A Lot cover art). A relatively slept on release it’s an album I still get pleasure out of, Ghetos In The Mind is strangely reminiscent of Souls Of Mischeif without the irritation factor (something to do with the bass line and varying vocal pitchs I reckon) and a great mid nineties track.
Enjoy and have a good weekend.
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