Producer Profile: The Dust Brothers (part 1, 1988)

The content and choice of samples in the early work by the Dust Brothers may be questionable, but what cannot be argued was how far they were ahead of conventional sampling in the late 80s and how much effect their work would have on the future of hip-hop. Love them or hate them, they are an important link between then and now. This post will look at the early production credits of the Dust Brothers, including their first batch of pop hits.

The first hit produced by the Dust Brothers, Young MC's 1988 single 'Know How' contains some of hip-hop's most hallowed breaks: Isaac Hayes' 'Theme from Shaft' and the Incredible Bongo Band's 'Apache'. The song also samples the hit 'Skin Tight' by the Ohio Players from 1973's album of the same title. Their success with Young MC would be followed by two gigantic hits for Tone Loc from his 1988 album 'Loc-ed After Dark'. 'Funky Cold Medina' famously samples Free's MOR rock hit 'All Right Now' and Kiss's 'Christine Sixteen', but also samples Funkadelic's 1979 sample-classic 'Knot Just (Knee Deep)' from the album 'Uncle Jam Wants You'. When most people think of the Dust Brother's early brash style of sampling, they think of Tone Loc's other hit 'Wild Thing' which features rapid fire blips of Van Halen's hit 'Jamie's Cryin'' from their self titled 1978 album.

Check back for further looks into the crates of the Dust Brothers and other producers in the future of this blog.

The Lowdown:
Young MC 'Know How'
from 'Know How' 12" (1988) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Isaac Hayes 'Theme from Shaft'
from 'Shaft' (1971) (MP3/CD)
Incredible Bongo Band 'Apache'
from 'Bongo Rock' (1973) (MP3/Import CD)
The Ohio Players 'Skin Tight'
from 'Skin Tight' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Tone Loc 'Funky Cold Medina' and 'Wild Thing'
from 'Loc-ed After Dark' (1988) (MP3/CD)
Free 'All Right Now'
from 'Fire and Water' (1970) (MP3/CD)
Kiss 'Christine Sixteen'
from 'Love Gun' (1977) (MP3/CD)
Funkadelic 'Knot Just (Knee Deep)'
from 'Uncle Jam Wants You' (1979) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Van Halen 'Jamie's Cryin''
from 'Van Halen' (1978) (MP3/CD)

Source Material: Edwin Starr 'Easin' In'

This post is a sequel, of sorts, when you consider the movie Edwin Starr's 'Easin' In' was originally a part of. 'Black Caesar', the 1973 Fred Williamson film with a soundtrack produced by James Brown (which was covered in depth here and here), had a lesser known sequel titled 'Hell Up in Harlem'. James Brown was originally set to produce the soundtrack for the film, but the film makers opted for Motown artist Edwin Starr who had previously scored a series of anti-war protest hits. Joined with production team Fonce Mizell and Freddie Perren, the soundtrack to 'Hell Up in Harlem' yeilded the single 'Easin' In', which has been used frequently by hip-hop producers.

On his landmark 1988 album 'Power', Ice-T used 'Easin' In' on his hit single 'High Rollers'. In the same year, Michael Ross and Matt Dike (half of the production superduo the Dust Brothers) produced the beat for Tone Loc's 'Loc'ed After Dark' from the album of the same title. Five year later, the Digable Planets would sample 'Easin' In' for 'Reachin'''s excellent single 'Nickel Bags'. On their debut single in 1997, Evidence of the Dilated Peoples used 'Easin' In' on their B-side track 'Global Dynamics' from the 'Third Degree' 12" single. Finally, in 1998, Irv Gotti and Lil' Rob sampled Edwin Starr for DMX's album cut 'Crime Story' from his hit release 'It's Dark and Hell is Hot'.

The Lowdown:
Edwin Starr 'Easin' In'
from 'Hell Up in Harlem' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Ice-T 'High Rollers'
from 'Power' (1988) (MP3/CD)
Tone Loc 'Loc'ed After Dark'
from 'Loc'ed After Dark' (1988) (MP3/CD)
Digable Planets 'Nickel Bags'
from 'Reachin'' (1993) (MP3/CD)
Dilated Peoples 'Global Dynamics'
from 'Third Degree' 12" (1997) (MP3/CD not available)
DMX 'Crime Story'
from 'It's Dark and Hell is Hot' (1998) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Crime Story'

Bonus Cut:
Dilated Peoples 'Global Dynamics' (Instrumental).

Related Posts:
Source Material: James Brown 'Black Caesar' (Part 1)
Source Material: James Brown 'Black Caesar' (Part 2)