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Welcome to the second part of our look at Scarface's 1991 debut album 'Mr. Scarface is Back'.
Scarface's 'Diary of a Madman' borrows licks from George Clinton's often sampled 'Atomic Dog'. 'Good Girl Gone Bad' samples more Clinton by way of Funkadelic's 'Good Ole Music' from their 1970 debut album. The track also samples Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' later-career song 'Do Like I Do'. The album's second single, 'A Minute to Pray and a Second to Die', is built on a double shot of Motown classics: 'What's Going On' and 'Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)' both from Marvin Gaye's 1971 magnum opus 'What's Going On'. 'A Minute to Pray...' also samples 'Kissin' My Love' from Bill Withers' hit album 'Still Bill'. The album's final track titled 'I'm Dead' samples its break from the forever funk Meters, using the track 'Thinking' from their 1970 album 'Look-ka Py Py'.
Within two years, 'Mr. Scarface is Back' sold over 500,000 units in the United States and has since been lauded as one of the most important hip-hop albums, not to mention one of the essential releases from Texas' hip-hop scene. In the years after 'Mr. Scarface', his solo career outshined the Geto Boys leading to a series of well recieved albums throughout the 90s and the 00s.The Lowdown:
Scarface 'Diary of a Madman', 'Good Girl Gone Bad', 'A Minute to Pray and a Second to Die', and 'I'm Dead'
from 'Mr. Scarface is Back' (1991) (MP3/CD)
George Clinton 'Atomic Dog'
from 'Computer Games' (1982) (MP3 not available/CD)
Funkadelic 'Good Ole Music'
from 'Funkadelic' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD)
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles 'Do Like I Do'
from 'Smokey's Family Robinson' (1976) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Marvin Gaye 'What's Goin' On?' and 'Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)'
from 'What's Going On' (1971) (MP3/CD)
Bill Withers 'Kissin' My Love'
from 'Still Bill' (1971) (MP3/CD)
The Meters 'Thinking'
from 'Look-ka Py Py' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD)
Related Posts:
Producer Profile: Kanye West (Part 2, 2001-2002) (Scarface Appearance)
Source Material: Marvin Gaye 'Trouble Man'
Following success with Houston's Geto Boys in the late 80s, Scarface recorded his debut solo album in 1991. This two arc post will cover the samples sources for Scarface's album 'Mr. Scarface is Back'.
The album's opening track and first single is 'Mr. Scarface' which samples the b-side of Tony Alvon and the Belairs single titled 'Sexy Coffee Pot' which has since become a notable hip-hop break. On 'The Pimp', Scarface samples James Brown's 'The Sporting Life' from the 'Black Caesar' soundtrack. The album cut 'Born Killer' samples 'Buck and the Preacher' by the Nite-Liters from their 1972 album 'Different Strokes' as well as James Brown's often sampled breakbeat 'Funky Drummer' and the Commodores' 'Assembly Line'. Finally, 'Your A-- Got Took' samples Sly and the Family Stone's 'Sing a Simple Song', War's 'Four Corner Room', and 'Down on the Avenue' by Fat Larry's Band.
Check back for the second half of our look at 'Mr. Scarface is Back'.The Lowdown:
Scarface 'Mr. Scarface', 'The Pimp', 'Born Killer', and 'Your A-- Got Took'
from 'Mr. Scarface is Back' (1991) (MP3/CD)
Tony Alvon and the Belairs 'Sexy Coffee Pot'
from 'Boom-Boom-Boom' 7" (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
James Brown 'The Sporting Place'
from 'Black Caesar' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Nite-Liters 'Buck and the Preacher'
from 'Different Strokes' (1972) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
James Brown 'Funky Drummer'
from 'Funky Drummer' 7" (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Commodores 'Assembly Line'
from 'Machine Gun' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Sly and the Family Stone 'Sing a Simple Song'
from 'Stand!' (1969) (MP3/CD)
War 'Four Corner Room'
from 'The World is a Ghetto' (1972) (MP3 not available/CD)
Fat Larry's Band 'Down on the Avenue'
from 'Feel It' (1977) (MP3 not available/CD)
Related Posts:
Rewind: Geto Boys 'We Can't Be Stopped'
Welcome to our second look at UGK's 2007 album 'Underground Kingz'.
'Real Women' with Talib Kweli and Raheem DeVaughn find UGK rapping over Earth, Wind and Fire's 'Can't Hide Love' courtesy of a mellow beat programmed by N.O. Joe and Pimp C. One of Texas' finest, Scarface is credited for production for 'Candy' which nicks Lonnie Liston Smith's 'Bridge Thru Time' from his 1980 album 'Love is the Answer'. The Pimp C produced track 'Shattered Dreams' looks back to Raydio's 1979 album 'Rock On' for the track 'Goin' Thru School and Love'. Finally, N.O. Joe and Joe Scorsese produced the beat for UGK's 'Living this Life' which takes a sample from Al Green's 'Livin' for You' album track 'Free at Last'.
Although Pimp C, one half of UGK, died only six months after the release of 'Underground Kingz', Bun B has said that there was enough material recorded for an eighth and final UGK album, tentatively titled 'UGK 4 Life' and slated for a 2009 release date.The Lowdown:
UGK 'Real Women', 'Candy', 'Shattered Dreams', and 'Living this Life'
from 'Underground Kingz' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Real Women', 'Candy', 'Shattered Dreams', and 'Living this Life'
Earth, Wind and Fire 'Can't Hide Love'
from 'Gratitude' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Lonnie Liston Smith 'Bridge Thru Time'
from 'Love is the Answer' (1980) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Raydio 'Goin' Thru School and Love'
from 'Rock On' (1979) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Al Green 'Free at Last'
from 'Livin' for You' (1973) (MP3/CD)
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Kanye West's commercial breakthrough as a producer came in 2001 when he contributed a number of tracks and charting singles to Jay-Z's 'The Blueprint', often cited a sea change in Jay-Z's career thanks, in part, to the sound of West and Just Blaze. 'The Blueprint' will be covered in depth in a future post of this blog, so I will only cover one of Kanye's beats: the excellent 'Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)' which samples generously from Bobby Bland's 'Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City' from his 1973 album 'Dreamer'. Although he produced stellar singles for Jay-Z, his stock was set to rise even more in 2002.
Talib Kweli's 'Get By' was inescapable in 2002, thanks to Kanye's swift edit of Nina Simone's 'Sinnerman' from her album 'Pastel Blues'. The single, laced with then newcomer / future Kanye collaborator John Legend's background vocals, was a new high water mark for both West and Kweli and the track is arguably Talib Kweli's career defining moment to date. 2002 also saw the release of some of his production work for Scarface for his 2002 album 'The Fix'. Kanye samples 'Sunrise' by the Originals for Scarface's single 'Guess Who's Back' with guest appearances from Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel. In 2002, Nas' 'The Lost Tapes' album saw release, which included one of Kanye West's ghost productions for Deric 'D-Dot' Angelettie. 'Poppa Was a Playa' from 'The Lost Tapes' contains a sample of 'The Newness is Gone' by Eddie Kendricks from his album 'Goin' Up in Smoke'.
Check back for the next look at Kanye's production output and also be on the lookout for future posts covering his albums.The Lowdown:
Jay-Z 'Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)'
from 'The Blueprint' (2001) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit:'Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)'
Bobby Bland 'Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City'
from 'Dreamer' (1973) (MP3/Import CD)
Talib Kweli 'Get By'
from 'Quality' (2002) (MP3 not available/CD)
Nina Simone 'Sinnerman'
from 'Pastel Blues' (1965) (MP3/CD)
Scarface 'Guess Who's Back'
from 'The Fix' (2002) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit:'Guess Who's Back'
The Originals 'Sunrise'
from 'Down to Love Town' (1977) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Nas 'Poppa Was a Playa'
from 'The Lost Tapes' (2002) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit:'Poppa Was a Playa'
Eddie Kendricks 'The Newness is Gone'
from 'Goin' Up in Smoke' (1976) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
BONUS CUTS:
Nina Simone's 'Sinnerman' was a popular track to cover by reggae artists (like many soul singles from the United States). Peter Tosh delivers a classic cover with the slightly rewritten 'Downpressor Man' while Tosh's one time collaborators Bob Marley and the Wailers delivered their own 'Sinner Man'.
