Rewind: Jay-Z 'Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life'

Released on September 29th of 1998, Jay-Z's third full length, 'Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life' dropped following the breakout hit of its lead single. This post will look at the producers and the artists sampled for Jay-Z's hit album.

'Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)' was the polarizing lead single from the album, featuring Mark the 45 King flipping the song 'It's a Hard Knock Life' from Peter Gennaro's 1977 version of the broadway musical 'Annie'. No one could have foreseen the impact of sampling such a strange song, or the terrible knockoffs it would produce (I'm looking at you 'Anything'). On the J-Runnah produced 'A Week Ago', Jigga and Too Short rhyme over the Isley Brothers deep album cut 'Ballad for the Fallen Soldier' from their own hit album 'Between the Sheets' from 1983. The Erick Sermon produced 'Reservoir Dogs' features Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, and innexplicably the Lox on the rhythm of Isaac Hayes' 'Theme from Shaft'. The song also features a sample of '24 Carat Black (Theme)' from 24 Carat Black's lone Stax album 'Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth' from 1973, which has since been a highly coveted beat tool by producers. Jay-Z's 'It's Like That' finds Kid Capri sampling the rock song 'Beggar's Song' from Wet Willie's eponymous 1971 album. Finally, Jermaine Dupri and Jay-Z team up for the bonus track 'Money Ain't a Thing' which has Dupri sampling Steve Arrington's hit 'Weak at the Knees' and has the stuttered drum shuffle of Manu Dibango's African crossover hit 'Soul Makossa' from his 1972 album of the same title.

The Lowdown:
Jay-Z 'Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)', 'A Week Ago', 'Reservoir Dogs', 'It's Like That', and 'Money Ain't a Thing'
from 'Vol. 2' (1998) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)', 'A Week Ago', 'Reservoir Dogs', 'It's Like That', and 'Money Ain't a Thing'
Peter Gennaro 'It's a Hard Knock Life'
from 'Annie' (1977) (MP3 not available/CD)
The Isley Brothers 'Ballad for the Fallen Soldier'
from 'Between the Sheets' (1983) (MP3/CD)
Isaac Hayes 'Theme from Shaft'
from 'Shaft' (1971) (MP3/CD)
24 Carat Black '24 Carat Black (Theme)'
from 'Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth' (1973) (MP3 not available/CD)
Wet Willie 'Beggar's Song'
from 'Wet Willie' (1971) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Steve Arrington 'Weak at the Knees'
from 'Steve Arrington Hall of Fame I' (1983) (MP3/CD not available)
Manu Dibango 'Soul Makossa'
from 'Soul Makossa' (1972) (MP3 not available/Import CD)

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)