Producer Profile: Mark the 45 King (Part 2, 1990-1991)

Mark the 45 King was riding high in the late 80s with production credits for Flavor Unit member Queen Latifah and Gang Starr and continued into the 90s with a series of high profile beats for hip-hop's most forward thinking labels at the time.

In 1990, Flavor Unit emcee Chill Rob G released his album 'Ride the Rhythm', produced almost entirely by the 45 King. On 'Court is Now in Session' samples the fantastic cut 'Soul Power 74' from Maceo and the Macks' 1974 album 'Us!' and the hit single 'The Jam' from Graham Central Station's 'Ain't No Doubt About It' from the same year. For the album's title track, the 45 King samples Baby Huey's 'Hard Times' from the famous posthumous Curtis Mayfield produced album 'The Baby Huey Story'. In the same year, the Flavor Unit released the album 'The 45 King Presents the Flavor Unit' which featured the song 'Flavor Unit Assassination Squad', which cut up James Brown's 'Let a Man Come In and Do The Popcorn' from James' 1970 album 'It's a New Day So Let a Man Come in and Do the Popcorn'.

In 1991, Mark the 45 King produced a number of tracks for Delicious Vinyl artist Def Jef's second album 'Soul Food'. On 'A Poet's Prelude', the 45 King deftly samples Sly and the Family Stone's 'Poet' while on 'Fa Sho Shot', the 45 King samples 'Everytime I Turn Around (Back in Love Again)' by L.T.D. - two sample sources that may as well be light years away.

Check back for more on Mark James, the 45 King.

The Lowdown:
Chill Rob G 'Court is Now in Session' and 'Ride the Rhythm'
from 'Ride the Rhythm' (1990) (MP3/CD)
Maceo and the Macks 'Soul Power 74'
from 'Us!' (1974) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Graham Central Station 'The Jam'
from 'Ain't No Doubt About It' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Baby Huey 'Hard Times'
from 'The Baby Huey Story' (1970) (MP3/CD)
The Flavor Unit 'Flavor Unit Assassination Squad'
from 'The 45 King Presents the Flavor Unit' (1990) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
James Brown 'Let a Man Come In and Do The Popcorn'
from 'It's a New Day So Let a Man Come in and Do the Popcorn' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Def Jef 'A Poet's Prelude' and 'Fa Sho Shot'
from 'Soul Food' (1991) (MP3/Import CD)
Sly and the Family Stone 'Poet'
from 'There's a Riot Goin' On' (1971) (MP3/CD)
L.T.D. 'Everytime I Turn Around (Back in Love Again)'
from 'Something to Love' (1977) (MP3 not available/CD)

Related Posts:
Five On It: January 2009's Essentials (Baby Huey Appearance)
Producer Profile: Mark the 45 King (Part 1, 1988-1989)
Source Material: Sly and the Family Stone 'There's a Riot Goin' On'

Producer Profile: J Dilla (part 6, 2004-2005)

With J Dilla's reputation for heavy beats growing and a series of releases on his own, Dilla was able to place beats on some high profile projects. This post will cover snippets of his 2004-2005 output that include three of his highest profile productions.

In 2004, Blue Note Records enlisted producers to remix tracks from their back catalog. Dilla remixed Brother Jack McDuff's 1969 track 'Oblighetto' for 'Blue Note Revisited'. Jack McDuff's original track appeared on his sought after album 'Moon Rappin''. Also in 2004, Dilla landed a beat on De La Soul's first album in 3 years: 'The Grind Date'. The album contains two beats by J Dilla (three on the international version), 'Much More' (which was famously featured on 'Chapelle's Show') samples parts of Shuggie Otis' 'Strawberry Letter 23' (which would become a hit for the Brothers Johnson, but would never be bested) and L.T.D.'s 'Love Ballad' from 1975's 'Love to the World'. In 2005, Dilla contributed two more beats to Common's latest album 'Be', which was produced entirely by Kanye West with the exception of Dilla's tracks. 'Love Is...' utilizes Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' B-Side cut 'God is Love' to great effect.

During this same time period, reports of J Dilla's illness started to recieve press. By the end of 2005, Dilla was confined to a wheel chair as a symptom of TTP. On February 10, 2006 died - only three days after the release of his opus 'Donuts'. Our next look at Dilla will cover his final and posthumously released production work.

The Lowdown:
Brother Jack McDuff 'Oblighetto' (Dilla Mix)
from 'Blue Note Revisited' (2004) (MP3 not available/CD)
Brother Jack McDuff 'Oblighetto'
from 'Moon Rappin''(1969) (MP3/CD not available)
De La Soul 'Much More'
from 'The Grind Date' (2004) (MP3/CD)
Shuggie Otis 'Strawberry Letter 23'
from 'Freedom Flight' (1971) (MP3/CD)
L.T.D. 'Love Ballad'
from 'Love to the World' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Common 'God Is...'
from 'Be' (2005) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'God Is...'
Marvin Gaye 'God is Love'
from 'What's Going On' (1971) (MP3/CD)

Related Posts:
Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 1, 1995)
Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 2, 1996-1997)
Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 3, 1998-1999)
Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 4, 2000)
Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 5, 2001-2003)