Producer Profile: Just Blaze (Part 1, 2000-2001)

Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, began his production career in his native New Jersey before becoming one of Roc-A-Fella Records' in house producers (along with Kanye West during the same time period). This post will cover Just Blaze's early production credits from 2000-2001 and his deep crate sample sources.

Just Blaze's first big break came on Jay-Z's 'The Dynasty: Roc La Familia' from 2000. On the album, Just Blaze produced five tracks including 'Soon You'll Understand', which samples Al Kooper's film score track 'Love Theme' from 1971's 'The Landlord'. One of Blaze's fortés is flipping rock samples, and an early example is on 'In My Life' from Memphis Bleek's 2000 album 'The Understanding'. For 'In My Life', Just Blaze uses Foreigner's ultra-cheesy ballad 'I Want to Know What Love Is' (who does that?!). One of my personal favorite tracks from Beanie Sigel's album 'The Reason' is the bombastic 'Get Down' which snips a sample from Quincy Jones' score for 'The Lost Man'.

Check back for part 2 of our look at Just Blaze's production career.

The Lowdown:
Jay-Z 'Soon You'll Understand'
from 'The Dynasty: Roc La Familia' (2000) (MP3/CD)
Clean: 'Soon You'll Understand'
Al Kooper 'Love Theme'
from 'The Landlord' (1971) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Memphis Bleek 'In My Life'
from 'The Understanding' (2000) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'In My Life'
Foreigner 'I Want to Know What Love Is'
from 'Agent Provocateur' (1984) (MP3/CD)
Beanie Sigel 'Get Down'
from 'The Reason' (2001) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Get Down'
Quincy Jones 'Lost Man'
from 'The Lost Man' (1968) (MP3 not available/CD not available)

Rewind: The Pharcyde 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde' (Part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of our look at 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde'.

'On the DL' from 'Bizarre Ride' samples two tracks from Stanley Cowell 1974 album 'Musa - Ancestral Streams': 'Travelin' Man' and 'Equipoise'. The track also takes a clip from the Meters' 'Struttin'' album track 'Hey! Last Minute'. 'Officer' goes back to JB for two samples: James Brown's 'Funky Drummer' and the J.B.'s 'The Grunt' from 1972's 'Food for Thought'. 'Officer' also samples the Charles Stepney produced 1968 track 'The Mighty Quinn' by Ramsey Lewis from his album 'Maiden Voyage'. The J-Swift produced lead single for 'Bizarre Ride' was the hit 'Ya Mama', which samples Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, and Stephen Stills' 'Seasons of the Witch' from 1968's 'Super Session' album, Young Holt Unlimited's 'Yes We Can Can' and the 'Wattstax' live album track 'I Don't Know What This World is Coming To' by the Stax unit the Soul Children.

Check back for part 3 of our look at 'Bizarre Ride to the Pharcyde'.

The Lowdown:
The Pharcyde 'On the DL', 'Officer', and 'Ya Mama'
from 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde' (1992) (MP3/CD)
Stanley Cowell 'Travelin' Man' and 'Equipoise'
from 'Musa - Ancestral Streams' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
The Meters 'Hey Last Minute!'
from 'Struttin'' (1969) (MP3/CD)
James Brown 'Funky Drummer'
from 'Funky Drummer' 7" (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
The J.B.'s 'The Grunt'
from 'Food For Thought' (1972) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Ramsey Lewis 'The Mighty Quinn'
from 'Maiden Voyage' (1968) (MP3/Import CD)
Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, and Stephen Stills 'Seasons of the Witch'
from 'Super Session' (1968) (MP3/CD)
Young Holt Unlimited 'Yes We Can Can'
from 'Oh Girl' (1972) (MP3/CD)
The Soul Children 'I Don't Know What this World is Coming To'
from 'Wattstax' (1971) (MP3/CD)