Rewind: Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth 'The Main Ingredient' (Part 3)

Welcome to our third and final look at Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth's second and final album 'The Main Ingredient'.

On 'Searching', Pete Rock sampled the Roy Ayers Ubiquity track 'Searching' from 1976's 'Vibrations'. The track 'Check it Out' finds C.L. rhyming on Young-Holt Unlimited's 'Bumpin' on Young Street' from 1972'2 'Oh Girl'. 'In the Flesh' features a sample from 1966's 'Ralph's New Blues' by the Modern Jazz Quartet as well as a sample from Steve Miller Band's 1976 hit 'Fly Like an Eagle' from the album of the same name. The outro of 'In the Flesh' features two very samplable funk joints: Kool and the Gang's 'Duji' from the 1974 album 'Kool Jazz' and Average White Band's breakbeat 'School Boy Crush' from the 1975 album 'Cut the Cake'. Pete Rock returns to Tom Scott's 'The Honeysuckle Breeze' on 'It's on You' by sampling 'Never My Love'. The song also samples Ahmad Jamal's 'The Awakening' from his 1970 album of the same name. On the closing track 'Get on the Mic', Pete Rock samples the Stax single 'Soul Girl' by Jeanne and the Darlings. On the album's final outro, he samples another cut from Ahmad Jamal's 'The Awakening': 'You're My Everything'.

Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth parted ways in 1995, following some commercial success with 'The Main Ingredient''s singles. Pete Rock followed up with a series of well received solo albums while C.L. Smooth appeared sporadically on other albums as cameos before his 2006 debut solo album 'American Me' (featuring one track produced by Pete Rock).

The Lowdown:
Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth 'Searching', 'Check it Out', 'In the Flesh', 'It's on You', and 'Get on the Mic'
from 'The Main Ingredient' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity 'Searching'
from 'Vibrations' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Young-Holt Unlimited 'Bumpin' on Young Street'
from 'Oh Girl' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Modern Jazz Quartet 'Ralph's New Blues'
from 'Blues at Carnegie Hall' (1966) (MP3/CD not available)
Steve Miller Band 'Fly Like an Eagle'
from 'Fly Like an Eagle' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Kool and the Gang 'Duji'
from 'Kool Jazz' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Average White Band 'School Boy Crush'
from 'Cut the Cake' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Tom Scott 'Never My Love'
from 'The Honeysuckle Breeze' (1968) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Ahmad Jamal 'The Awakening' and 'You are My Everything'
from 'The Awakening' (1970) (MP3/CD)
Jeanne and the Darlings 'Soul Girl'
from 'Soul Girl' 7" (1968) (MP3 not available/CD not available)

Rewind: Ice Cube 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted' (Part 1)

After splitting with N.W.A., one of hip-hop's hottest properties of the late 80s linked up with Public Enemy's production unit the Bomb Squad for one of rap's most commanding and controversial debut albums, Ice Cube's 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'. This three part arc will cover the sample sources of Ice Cube's dense first album.

The Bomb Squad, Cube, and Sir Jinx all lend a hand in production to 'The N---- Ya Love to Hate'h which draws a sample from a familiar source in West Coast rap going forward George Clinton's 'Atomic Dog'. The track also samples 'Weak at the Knees' by ex-Slave member Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame from the 1983 boastfully titled album 'Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame Vol. 1' (note the absence of a volume 2). The title track to 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted' uses a slew of breaks: Sly and the Family Stone's 'Advice', the early Kool and the Gang joint 'Let the Music Take Your Mind', Bar-Kays' 'Humpin'', and the title track to James Brown's 1972 burner 'There it is'. The short 'What They Hittin' Foe?' manages to incorporate 'Sister Sanctified' from Stanley Turrentine's 1972 album 'Cherry' and 'The Jugglers' from the Average White Band's 1973 album 'Show Your Hands'. 'You Can't Fade Me' knicks another early Kool and the Gang track: 'Pneumonia' as well as Parliament's 'Rumpofsteelskin' from 1977's 'Motor-Booty Affair'.

Check back for part 2 of our look at 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'.

The Lowdown:
Ice Cube 'The N---- Ya Love to Hate', 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted', 'What They Hittin' Foe?', and 'You Can't Fade Me'
from 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted' (1990) (MP3/CD)
George Clinton 'Atomic Dog'
from 'Computer Games' (1982) (MP3 not available/CD)
Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame 'Weak at the Knees'
from 'Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame Vol. 1' (1983) (MP3/CD not available)
Sly and the Family Stone 'Advice'
from 'A Whole New Thing' (1967) (MP3/CD)
Kool and the Gang 'Let the Music Take Your Mind'
from 'Kool and the Gang' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Bar-Kays 'Humpin''
from 'Gotta Groove' (1969) (MP3/CD)
James Brown 'There it is'
from 'There it is' (1972) (MP3/CD not available)
Stanley Turrentine 'Sister Sanctified'
from 'Cherry' (1972) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Average White Band 'The Jugglers'
from 'Show Your Hands' (1973) (MP3 not available/CD)
Kool and the Gang 'Pneumonia'
from 'Pneumonia' 7" (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Parliament 'Rumpofsteelskin'
from 'Motor-Booty' Affair' (1977) (MP3/CD)

Related Posts:
Rewind: Ice Cube 'Jackin' For Beats'
Rewind: Del 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here' (Part 1)
Rewind: Del 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here' (Part 2)
Rewind: Del 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here' (Part 3)

Rewind: Geto Boys 'We Can't Be Stopped'

This will mark this blog's first Halloween and I plan to celebrate it with a Halloween themed post each year (if it, in fact, runs longer than a year). What better way to celebrate Halloween than with the Geto Boys and their Halloween themed biggest hit?

'We Can't Be Stopped' was the album that put the Geto Boys on the map (though, remarkably, three of their later four albums charted better than 'Stopped') and as much as it's full of shocking imagery, it's also full of outstanding beats. The title track 'We Can't Be Stopped' samples the mid 70s Average White Band cut 'Love Your Life'. The album cut 'Homie Don't Play That' uses a number of classic West Coast cuts including Funkadelic's '(Not Just) Knee Deep', Zapp's 'More Bounce to the Ounce', Ronnie Hudson's 'West Coast Poplock', George Clinton's party starter 'Atomic Dog', and 'Pumpin' It Up' by the P-Funk All Stars. That list of sampled material itself is a peak hour house party soundtrack.

The Geto Boys' biggest single and the focus of this post is, of course, 'Mind Playing Tricks On Me', a #1 rap single in 1991 and an often referenced hip-hop milestone. The song's bassline is cut from Isaac Hayes' 'Tough Guys' album track 'Hung Up on My Baby'. The song also samples Graham Central Station's popular break 'The Jam'. There are many quotable moments on 'Playing Tricks', but I think it is safe to say that no one in the past or the future will be able to rhyme 'sword' and 'paranoid' together as well as here. Finally, November 4th approaches and it's necessary to say 'F--- a War'. The Geto Boys' deep album cut 'F--- a War' clips Sound Experience's 'Devil with the Bust', a huge drum break for you producers out there (I'm actually amazed Amazon has this one).

The success of the Geto Boys would continue despite a slight line-up change and solo projects from Bushwick Bill and Scarface.

The Lowdown:
Geto Boys 'We Can't Be Stopped', 'Homie Don't Play That', 'Mind Playing Tricks on Me', and 'F--- a War'
from 'We Can't Be Stopped' (1991) (MP3 not available/CD)
Average White Band 'Love Your Life'
from 'Soul Searching' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Funkadelic '(Not Just) Knee Deep'
from 'Uncle Jam Wants You' (1979) (MP3 not available/CD)
Zapp 'More Bounce to the Ounce'
from 'Zapp' (1979) (MP3/CD)
Ronnie Hudson 'West Coast Poplock'
from 'West Coast Poplock'(1982) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
George Clinton 'Atomic Dog'
from 'Computer Games' (1982) (MP3 not available/CD)
P-Funk All Stars 'Pumpin' it Up'
from 'Urban Dancefloor Guerillas' (1983) (MP3/CD not available)
Isaac Hayes 'Hung Up on My Baby'
from 'Tough Guys' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Graham Central Station 'The Jam'
from 'Ain't No Bout-a-Doubt It' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Sound Experience 'Devil with the Bust'
from 'Don't Fight the Feeling' (1974) (MP3/CD not available)

Rewind: Del 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here' (Part 3)

Welcome to the final post in our look at 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here' by Del tha Funkee Homosapien.

Del's 'Sunny Meadowz' puts two of Parliament's biggest hits in one track. 'Mothership Connection''s 'P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)' and 'Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome''s 'Flashlight' are used on this album track, which also samples another big hit: Hot Chocolate's 'You Sexy Thing'. Imagine clearing that list of samples in this day! 'Hoodz Come in Dozens' samples the Dramatics' 'Get Up and Get Down' (I can't talk enough about how good the album 'Whatcha See is Whatcha Get' is, vastly underrated and full of jams) and the Average White Band's 'Your Love is a Miracle'. Del's 'Same Ol' Thing' puts a grip of Meters 45's into the sampler; the track samples 'Cissy Strut', 'Rigor Mortis', 'Same Old Thing' (of course), and 'Handclapping Song' - all by the Meters. That list is beats for days, any aspiring beat makers need everyone one of their tracks in their arsenal.

Although Del's debut was successful, he felt stifled by the scope of the album and opted to produce his next album, 1993's 'No Need for Alarm', on his own (to date, 'No Need for Alarm' has sold about twice as many copies as 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here').

The Lowdown:
Del tha Funkee Homosapien 'Sunny Meadowz', 'Hoodz Come in Dozens', and 'Same Ol' Thing'
from 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here' (1991) (MP3/CD)
Parliament 'P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)'
from 'Mothership Connection' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Parliament 'Flashlight'
from 'Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Hot Chocolate 'You Sexy Thing'
from 'Hot Chocolate' (1975) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
The Dramatics 'Get Up and Get Down'
from 'Whatcha See is Whatcha Get' (1971) (MP3/CD)
Average White Band 'Your Love is a Miracle'
from 'Warmer Communications' (1978) (MP3/CD)
The Meters 'Cissy Strut'
from 'The Meters' (1969) (MP3/CD)
The Meters 'Rigor Mortis'
from 'Look-Ka Py Py' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD)
The Meters 'Same Old Thing' and 'Handclapping Song'
from 'Struttin'' (1969) (MP3/CD)

Five On It: August 2008's Essentials

Five on It #3 - another month, another five essential breaks you need to have in your collection.

This month's top five begins with the Philly soul stomper 'Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)' by the Delfonics which appeared in part 1 of our look at 'The Score' by Fugees. On this blog's first post covering the tracks produced by Large Professor, Average White Band's drum heavy 'School Boy Crush' was mentioned (and it will undoubtedly show up in the future). Marlena Shaw's 'California Soul' and David Axelrod's 'Holy Thursday' were both featured in the coverage of Quasimoto's 'The Unseen' album (in parts 2 and parts 3 respectively). Finally this month, the baddest of all bad mutha tracks - James Brown's 'The Payback' as used by Pete Rock. One unbelievable part of the mythology of 'The Payback' is it was turned down for inclusion in the movie 'Hell Up in Harlem' for not being funky enough. What could be funkier?

The Lowdown:
The Delfonics 'Ready or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide from Love)'
from 'The Sound of Sexy Soul' (1968) (MP3/CD)
Average White Band 'School Boy Crush'
from 'Cut the Cake' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Marlena Shaw 'California Soul'
from 'The Spice of Life' (1968) (MP3/CD)
David Axelrod 'Holy Thursday'
from 'Songs of Innocence' (1968) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
James Brown 'The Payback'
from 'The Payback' (1974) (MP3/CD)

BONUS CUT:
'Ready or Not Here I Come' is interpolated by the Fugees on their hit 'Ready or Not', but the opening of the song is actually sampled by Timbaland on Missy Elliott and Da Brat's 1997 hit 'Sock it 2 Me'.

Producer Profile: Large Professor (part 1, 1990-1992)

In 1990, under the tutelage of producer Paul C, Harlem-born Large Professor programmed beats behind the scenes for Eric B. and Rakim's album 'Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em' at the age of 17. In the following years, Large Professor would lend production to two of hip-hop's most influential albums of all time: 'Breaking Atoms' and 'Illmatic'.

Large Professor produced two tracks for Cold Chillin' rap unit Kool G Rap and DJ Polo's album 'Wanted: Dead or Alive'. The album's opening track, 'Streets of New York' contains a sample of the Fatback Band's 'Gotta Learn How to Dance'. Large Pro's stock hit the stratosphere in 1991 when 'Breaking Atoms' by Main Source was released (the album was covered extensively in two past posts in this blog here and here). One of 'Breaking Atoms''s biggest tracks is 'Live at the Barbeque'; built on a crushing sample of Bob James' 'Nautilus', it also introduces the world to Nas. Though 'Illmatic' was not released until 1994, Nas' first single 'Halftime' (originally released under the name Nasty Nas) was released in 1992. 'Halftime' contains drum samples from Average White Band's 'School Boy Crush. I'm personally not the biggest fan of AWB, but 'School Boy Crush' is an absolutely essential open drum track.

Check back to this blog for part 2 of the Large Professor Producer Profile for coverage of Nas and ATCQ.

The Lowdown:
Kool G Rap and DJ Polo 'Streets of New York'
from 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' (1990) (MP3/CD not available)
The Fatback Band 'Gotta Learn How to Dance'
from 'Yum Yum' (1975) (MP3 not available/CD)
Main Source 'Live at the Barbeque'
from 'Breaking Atoms' (1991) (MP3/CD)
Bob James 'Nautilus'
from 'One' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Nas 'Halftime'
from 'Illmatic' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Halftime'
Average White Band 'School Boy Crush'
from 'Cut the Cake' (1975) (MP3/CD)