Source Material: Sly and the Family Stone 'There's a Riot Goin' On'

Collapsing under the pressure of hit albums, number one singles, and rampant drug use, Sly Stone delivered his 1971 album 'There's a Riot Goin' On' to anxious label executives. Though billed as Sly and the Family Stone, the album was produced almost entirely by Sly Stone himself who played many of the instruments on the album himself in overdub sessions and, mythically, recorded some of the album vocals from his bed. The dark sound of 'Riot' matched the gleeful optimism of the late 60s fading into the harsh realities of the early 70s. The lead single, 'Family Affair', would be Sly and the Family Stone's final number one record and the density of 'Riot' surprised fans and critics upon it's release. Through the album's audible turmoil, it has become one of the most highly acclaimed and heavily sampled albums in funk history.

Both 'Brave and Strong' and 'Poet' were used as sample sources for the Dust Brothers produced Beastie Boys sample-laced sophomore album 'Paul's Botique' on '3 Minute Rule'. The drum machine darkness of 'Family Affair' was stripped away for the early Black Eyed Peas party jam single 'Weekends' with Esthero. The ominous sound was added back to Ghostface Killah's 'Fishscale' Pete Rock produced album track 'Dogs of War' featuring, as the sample title would imply, Ghostface's son Sun God. 'Riot''s second single 'Runnin' Away' is famously the source for A Tribe Called Quest's 'Description of a Fool' from their 1990 debut album 'People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm'.

Increasing drug-fueled paranoia, overblown egos, money matters, and a possible murder-for-hire plot broke the band apart in 1972. Although Sly and the Family Stone would ever reach the heights of success beyond 'Riot', they would release six more albums which provide a salvo for samplers worldwide.

The Lowdown:
Sly and the Family Stone 'Poet', 'Family Affair', 'Brave and Strong', and 'Runnin' Away'
from 'There's a Riot Goin' On' (1971) (MP3/CD not available)
Beastie Boys '3 Minute Rule'
from 'Paul's Boutique' (1989) (MP3/CD)
Black Eyed Peas 'Weekends'
from 'Bridging the Gap' (2000) (MP3/CD)
Ghostface Killah 'Dogs of War'
from 'Fishscale' (2006) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Dogs of War'
A Tribe Called Quest 'Description of a Fool'
from 'People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm' (1990) (MP3 unavailable/CD)

BONUS CUT:
Between the recording of the albums 'Stand!' and 'There's a Riot Goin' On', Sly Stone formed the short lived Stone Flower label under the Atlantic umbrella and produced the label's lone four singles. During this time, he produced two top 10 hits for Little Sister, 'Somebody's Watching You' and 'You're the One'. The third and final song by Little Sister (who, maybe not surprisingly, is Sly Stone's actual sister) is the a-side to 'Somebody's Watching You', the not-often heard 'Stanga'.