Rewind: Cypress Hill 'Black Sunday' (Part 1)

Without parallel commercially speaking, Cypress Hill's 1993 album 'Black Sunday' is still the release the rap unit is most recognized for. The album charted at #1 on the Billboard album charts and contains their most enduring hit single. This two part post will cover the sample material used by Cypress Hill and their producer DJ Muggs to make this album.

The album's opening track sets the mood for the album and much of Cypress Hill's career: 'I Wanna Get High'. Muggs samples the drums from Lee Dorsey's famous 'Get Out of My Life Woman' along with Junior Parker's 'Taxman' and Rita Marley's 1981 cut 'One Draw'. The only track on the album not produced by DJ Muggs is the single 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That', produced by T-Ray. The song samples two cuts from Black Sabbath's 1970 self titled debut album: 'Wicked World' and 'The Wizard'. The first single from the album is still Cypress Hill's most recognizable song: 'Insane in the Brain'. The song samples Sly and the Family Stone's title track from the 1968 album 'Life', James Brown's title track from the 1969 album 'Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud', Mel and Tim's title track from the 1969 album 'Good Guys Only Win in the Movies', and a song from the Youngbloods titled 'All Over the World'. Finally 'When the S--- Goes Down' makes good use of 'Deep Gully' by the Outlaw Blues Band and the massive bassline and breaks from Billy Cobham's 'Stratus'.

Check back for our second look at 'Black Sunday'.

The Lowdown:
Cypress Hill 'I Wanna Get High', 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That', 'Insane in the Brain', and 'When the S--- Goes Down'
from 'Black Sunday' (1993) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'I Wanna Get High', 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That', 'Insane in the Brain', and 'When the S--- Goes Down'
Lee Dorsey 'Get Out of My Life Woman'
from 'The New Lee Dorsey' (1966) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Junior Parker 'Taxman'
from 'The Outside Man' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Rita Marley 'One Draw'
from 'Who Feels It Knows It' (1981) (MP3/CD)
Black Sabbath 'Wicked World' and 'The Wizard'
from 'Black Sabbath' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD)
Sly and the Family Stone 'Life'
from 'Life' (1968) (MP3/CD)
James Brown 'Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud'
from 'Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud' (1969) (MP3/Import CD)
Mel and Tim 'Good Guys Only Win in the Movies'
from 'Good Guys Only Win in the Movies' (1969) (MP3/CD)
The Youngbloods 'All Over the World'
from 'Get Together' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Outlaw Blues Band 'Deep Gully'
from 'Breakin' In' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Billy Cobham 'Stratus'
from 'Spectrum' (1973) (MP3/CD)

Rewind: Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth 'The Main Ingredient' (Part 1)

Following the success of their debut album and the eternal hip-hop classic 'They Reminisce Over You', Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth returned in 1994 with their second and final album as a duo. This three part arc will cover the many tracks and many samples used by Pete Rock for the creation of 'The Main Ingredient'.

On the opening track, 'In the House', Pete Rock cropped samples from the Power of Zeus' 'The Sorcerer of Isis'. Deodato's excellent drum break track 'September 13', and the David Axelrod produced 'Capricorn' by Cannonball Adderley. On the song's outro, Rock uses Roy Ayers' 'Ain't Got Time' from the Ubiquity album 'He's Coming' from 1974. Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth's 'Carmel City' features samples from Hugo Montenegro's synth filled 'Dizzy' from his 1969 album 'Moog Power' and Milt Jackson's 'Enchanted Lady' from his 1970 album 'Memphis Jackson'. On 'I Get Physical', C.L. rhymes over George Benson's 'Face It Boy, It's Over' from his 1968 album 'Shape of Things to Come'. 'Sun Won't Come Out' features a classic octopus break beat by sampling Bob James' 'Nautilus' while the outro samples another essential Bob James cut, 'Take Me to the Mardi Gras' from 1975's 'Two' and Billy Joel's smaltzy hit 'Just the Way You Are' from 1977's 'The Stranger'. On the album's lead single, 'I Got a Love', Pete Rock samples the Ambassadors' soul single 'Ain't Got the Love (of One Girl on My Mind)' and Mel and Tim's 'Groovy Situation' from their album 'Good Guys Only Win in the Movies'.

Check back for part 2 of our look at 'The Main Ingredient'.

The Lowdown:
Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth 'In the House', 'Carmel City', 'I Get Physical', 'Sun Won't Come Out', and 'I Got a Love'
from 'The Main Ingredient' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Power of Zeus 'The Sorcerer of Isis'
from 'The Gospel According to Zeus' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Deodato 'September 13'
from 'Prelude' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Cannonball Adderley 'Capricorn'
from 'Music, You All' (1976) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity 'Ain't Got Time'
from 'He's Coming' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Hugo Montenegro 'Dizzy'
from 'Moog Power' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD)
Milt Jackson 'Enchanted Lady'
from 'Memphis Jackson' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
George Benson 'Face It Boy, It's Over'
from 'Shape of Things to Come' (1968) (MP3/CD)
Bob James 'Nautilus'
from 'One' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Bob James 'Take Me to the Mardi Gras'
from 'Two' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Billy Joel 'Just the Way You Are'
from 'The Stranger' (1977) (MP3/CD)
The Ambassadors 'Ain't Got the Love (of One Girl on My Mind)'
from 'Soul Summit' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD)
Mel and Tim 'Groovy Situation'
from 'Good Guys Only Win in the Movies' (1969) (MP3/CD)

Related Posts:
Rewind: Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth 'The Creator'
Producer Profile: David Axelrod (Part 4, 1972-1977) (Cannonball Adderley)