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Welcome to part 4 of our look at Kanye west's production discography, covering some of his production credits from 2003.
On fellow Roc-a-fella artist Memphis Bleek's album 'M.A.D.E.', Kanye contributes the beats to 'I Wanna Love U' which samples Michael Jackson's hit 'P.Y.T.' (those taking notes may remember that West also used 'P.Y.T.' on his album 'Graduation', reviewed in depth here). West produced the track 'Knock Knock' for Monica using an excellent sample: 'It's a Terrible Thing to Waste Your Love' by the Masqueraders from their 1977 album 'Love Anonymous'.
Kanye produced two tracks for T.I.'s sophomore album 'Trap Musik' released in 2003. The amazing album track 'Doin' My Job' utilizes a sample of Bloodstone's 'I'm Just Doin My Job' to great effect. T.I.'s 'Let Me Tell You Something' gets is robotic bounce from a sample of Roger's 'I Want to Be Your Man' from his album 'Unlimited!'.
Keep an eye on this blog for one more post about Kanye West's 2003 productions.The Lowdown:
Memphis Bleek 'I Wanna Love U'
from 'M.A.D.E.' (2003) (MP3/CD)
Michael Jackson 'P.Y.T.'
from 'Thriller' (1981) (MP3/CD)
Monica 'Knock Knock'
from 'After the Storm' (2003) (MP3/CD)
The Masqueraders 'It's a Terrible Thing to Waste Your Love'
'Love Anonymous' (1977) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
T.I. 'Doin' My Job' and 'Let Me Tell You Something'
from 'Trap Muzik' (2003) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Doin' My Job' and 'Let Me Tell You Something'
Bloodstone 'I'm Just Doin My Job'
'Don't Stop' (1979) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Roger 'I Want to Be Your Man'
from 'Unlimited!' (1987) (MP3/CD)
Following the success of Main Source's debut album 'Breaking Atoms', Large Professor's production work became sought after and, although there would be long breaks in his work, he'd go on to produce some stunning tracks.
In 1993, he contributed the beat for 'Keep it Rollin'' on A Tribe Called Quest's album 'Midnight Marauders'. The beat is pinned by a sample of Roy Ayer's Ubiquity era track 'Feel Like Making Love' from his 1974 album 'Change Up the Groove'. Large Professor's next high profile work would come on the debut of Nas, who made his debut appearance on 'Breaking Atoms'. Large Professor produced three of 'Illmatic''s tracks including the single 'It Ain't Hard to Tell'. The track contains a drum sample from Kool and the Gang's 'N.T.' and also contains a clever sample of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' album cut 'Human Nature'.Through 1995 and 1996, Large Pro worked on his solo album titled 'The LP', but it was shelved in 1996 (it was later released as a promo in 2002). This major label limbo led to a brief dead spot in his career with scant production for Common, Organized Konfusion, and a handful of underground acts until the turn of the century. One of those production credits is for X-Ecutioners DJ Rob Swift who tapped Large Professor for his 1999 single 'Dope on Plastic'. 'Dope on Plastic' incorporates samples from Quincy Jones' 'Ironside' and a huge beat from Grand Funk Railroad's surprisingly huge 'Nothings the Same' from 1969's 'Closer to Home'.
Check back for part 3 of Large Professor's producer profile where we'll cover his production credits from after the year 2000.The Lowdown:
A Tribe Called Quest 'Keep it Rollin''
from 'Midnight Marauders' (1993) (MP3/CD)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity 'Feel Like Making Love'
from 'Change Up the Groove' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD)
Nas 'It Ain't Hard to Tell'
from 'Illmatic' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'It Ain't Hard to Tell'
Kool and the Gang 'N.T.'
from 'Live at PJ's' (1971) (MP3/CD not available)
Michael Jackson 'Human Nature'
from 'Thriller' (1982) (MP3/CD)
Rob Swift 'Dope on Plastic'
from 'Dope on Plastic' (1999) (MP3/CD not available)
Quincy Jones 'Ironside'
from 'Smackwater Jack' (1970) (MP3/Import CD)
Grand Funk Railroad 'Nothings the Same'
from 'Closer to Home' (1969) (MP3/CD)BONUS CUTS:
Get your remix on: Rob Swift's 'Dope on Plastic' (Instrumental) and 'Dope on Plastic' (Acapella).
In September 2007, Kanye West released his third album, titled 'Graduation', to great fanfare in the midst of a Kanye vs. 50 Cent sales beef / publicity stunt. Like Kanye's previous albums (which will both be covered in depth in future posts on this blog), 'Graduation' is full of bizarre samples flipped with radio single perfection.
The opening track on 'Graduation', 'Good Morning', samples Elton John's 'Somone Save My Life Tonight', a strange pick but one of the least odd from this album. Unlike his previous two albums (with the exception of one Just Blaze production), Kanye receives substantial help from his super producer peers. Brian Miller lends production help on Kanye's current single 'Champion', which lifts riffs from Steely Dan's 'Royal Scam'-era single 'Kid Charlemagne' (note to my man T. Nitro - the first mention of Steely Dan was not related to 'Aja'. Crazy!). |
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Timbaland and Kanye collaborate on the beat for the giant single 'Stronger' which famously samples 'Harder Better Faster Stronger' by Daft Punk (who originally sampled Edwin Birdsong's 'Cola Bottle Baby'). Daft Punk also appeared with Kanye in the video for 'Stronger' as well as the live Grammy performance of the song (was anyone else weirded out by the far-too-long shot of the outside of the unopened pyramid during the show?). Kayne, dirty dirty producer DJ Toomp, Timbaland, and Mike Dean all collaborated on the Michael Jackson sampling 'Good Life'. That sped-up sample buried under the synthesizers and drum machines is somehow 'P.Y.T.' from MJ's 'Thriller'. I typically have an ear for samples, but I'll trust the liner notes on this one - I can't hear it.
Check back for the second half of our look at 'Graduation', with even stranger sample sources including German experimental rock group Can and folk artist Laura Nyro.The Lowdown:
Kanye West 'Good Morning', 'Champion', 'Stronger', and 'Good Life'
from 'Graduation' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Good Morning', 'Champion', 'Stronger', and 'Good Life'
Elton John 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight'
from 'Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Steely Dan 'Kid Charlemagne'
from 'The Royal Scam' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Daft Punk 'Harder Better Faster Stronger'
from 'Discovery' (2002) (MP3/CD)
Edwin Birdsong 'Cola Bottle Baby'
from 'Edwin Birdsong' (1978) (MP3/CD not available)
Michael Jackson 'P.Y.T.'
from 'Thriller' (1981) (MP3/CD)
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For the first in a series of posts related to classic hip-hop breaks and drum samples, I chose a rather overlooked break: 'Soul Makossa' by Manu Dibango. I've been on a heavy afrobeat kick in the past few weeks and this one is very recognizable, even among average music fans. There are numerous covers, from the funk heat of Afrique to the Arthur Baker produced electro b-boy cover by Nairobi and the Awesome Foursome. One of the best covers of 'Soul Makossa' is by Lafayette Afro Rock Band from their album titled 'Soul Makossa'. Lafayette Afro Rock Band will definitely show up later in my coverage of classic breaks, 'Hihache' is one of the most widely used drum beats in hip-hop and 'Darkest Light' has one of the most widely used saxophone samples.
One artist to sample directly from Manu Dibango's original is Jermaine Dupri on 'Money Ain't a Thang' with Jay-Z; check out the opening drum break of the original and 'Money' side-by-side. Far and away, the most recognized interpolation of the refrain of 'Soul Makossa' is the end chant from 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' by Michael Jackson, produced by Quincy Jones. Transitions between 'Soul Makossa' and the end of 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'' (or vice versa) are unstoppable floor killers.
The Lowdown:
Manu Dibango 'Soul Makossa'
from 'Soul Makossa'(1972) (MP3 unavailable/CD)
Lafayette Afro Rock Band 'Soul Makossa'
from 'Soul Makossa' (1973) (MP3/CD unavailable)
Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri 'Money Ain't a Thang'
from 'Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life' (1998) (MP3/CD)
Michael Jackson 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
from 'Thriller' (1982) (MP3/CD)
