The Breaks: Otis Redding 'Hard to Handle'

'Hard to Handle' is a monumental break track and the source for many of hip-hop's most notable beats. 'Hard to Handle' was released after Otis Redding's tragic 1967 death on the album 'The Immortal Otis Redding'. It was a modestly successful single, but gained more notoriety and attention as time went on via covers and sample usage.

'Hard to Handle' appears in Marley Marl's posse cut 'The Symphony' with verses from Masta Ace, Kool G Rap, and Big Daddy Kane. Five years later, the sample would be used again by Grand Puba's self-produced 'Reel to Reel' cut titled 'Ya Know How it Goes'. 'Reel to Reel' is an often overlooked solid album and will be covered in full in a later post on this blog. The Trackmasters used 'Hard to Handle' as the basis for Nas' own posse cut with future members on the Firm on 'Affirmative Action' on his sophomore album 'It Was Written'.

The Lowdown:
Otis Redding 'Hard to Handle'
from 'The Immortal Otis Redding' (1968) (MP3/CD)
Marley Marl 'The Symphony'
from 'In Control Vol. 1' (1987) (MP3/CD not available)
Grand Puba 'Ya Know How it Goes'
from 'Reel to Reel' (1992) (MP3/CD)
Nas 'Affirmative Action'
from 'It Was Written' (1996) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Affirmative Action'

BONUS CUTS:
The most well known cover of 'Hard to Handle' is likely the version by the Black Crowes from 1990. I'm not going to front - the opening drums on their version are equally useful for producers, I wonder who the first producer who uses this break on a hit record will be. An absolutely killer, relatively unknown version of 'Hard to Handle' comes from Patti Drew. Check out the drums on that cut, it's a bombast!

Rewind: Nas 'It Was Written' (Part 2)

Continued from out last post, this is the second half of my examination of Nas' 'It Was Written'.

The Firm's first official appearance landed on 'It Was Written''s mid-album track 'Affirmative Action'. Although the ill-fated team-up of Nas, AZ, Cormega, and Foxy Brown was one of hip-hop's most talent squandering fiascos, the beat jacked from Otis Redding's 'Hard to Handle' courtesy of the Trackmasters and Dave Atkinson is a killer. 'Life's a B----' producer L.E.S. joins the Trackmasters for 'Black Girl Lost', which plunders 'Starlight' by Stephanie Mills. L.E.S. also produced 'Suspect', using a sample from Chuck Mangione's 'El Gato Triste' from his album 'Land of Make Believe'.

The shining star on 'It Was Written' appears at the very end. Nas and Lauryn Hill scored a major hit with 'If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)', produced by the Trackmasters and Rashad Smith. Lauryn's chorus takes cues from 'If I Ruled the World' by Kurtis Blow and 'Walk Right Up to the Sun' by the Delfonics. The best is jacked from Whodini's electro single 'Friends'. When all of these sources came together, 'If I Ruled the World' sounded both dated and brand new. The track still stands the test of time as one of Nas' finest mainstream moments.

The Lowdown:

Nas 'Affirmative Action', 'Black Girl Lost', 'Suspect', and 'If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)'
from 'It Was Written' (1996) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Affirmative Action', 'Black Girl Lost', 'Suspect', and 'If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)'
Otis Redding 'Hard to Handle'
from 'The Immortal Otis Redding' (1968) (MP3/CD)
Stephanie Mills 'Starlight'
from 'Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin'' (1979)(MP3 unavailable/CD unavailable)
Chuck Mangione 'El Gato Triste'
from 'Land of Make Believe' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Kurtis Blow 'If I Ruled the World'
from 'America' (1985) (MP3 unavailable/CD unavailable)
The Delfonics 'Walk Right Up to the Sun'
from 'Tell Me This is a Dream' (1971) (MP3 unavailable/CD unavailable)
Whodini 'Friends'
from 'Escape' (1984) (MP3 unavailable/CD unavailable)

Rewind: Nas 'It Was Written' (Part 1)

On July 2, 1996, Nas's sophomore album 'It Was Written' was released. Though not as revered as his debut album 'Illmatic', 'It Was Written' is still Nas' biggest selling album and debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts upon its release, thanks in large part to the single 'If I Ruled the World' (which will be examined in the second part of this two part post).

The Trackmasters produced the bulk of the album, including the 'Album Intro' that samples 'A Change is Gonna Come' by Sam Cooke from his album 'Ain't That Good News'. Additionally, the 'Album Intro' taps the Lost Generation's 'The Sly, the Slick, and the Wicked'. One of the album's odder sample sources is Sting's 1993 album track 'Shape of My Heart' on 'The Message'. The second single for 'It Was Written' is the slick 'Street Dreams' that features a chorus interpolated from the Eurythmics' 80s synth-pop hit 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)'. Nas and Foxy Brown appear on the Trackmasters produced 'Watch Dem N----s' that mines Bob James and Earl Klugh's 'Sponge' from their 1992 smooth jazz album 'Cool' (note to the Trackmasters: I guarantee my dad owns this album, thanks for bridging the generational gap). It's not one of the beefiest Bob James samples, but its perfect for a low-key interior album track.

Check back in for part two of this 'It Was Written' rewind.

The Lowdown:
Nas 'Album Intro', 'The Message, 'Street Dreams', and 'Watch Dem N----s'
from 'It Was Written' (1996) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Album Intro', 'The Message', 'Street Dreams', and 'Watch Dem N----s'
Sam Cooke 'A Change is Gonna Come'
from 'Ain't That Good News'(1963) (MP3/CD)
The Lost Generation 'The Sly, the Slick, and the Wicked'
from 'The Sly, the Slick, and the Wicked' (1970) (MP3 unavailable/CD unavailable)
Sting 'Shape of My Heart
from 'Ten Summoner's Tales' (1993) (MP3/CD)
Eurythmics 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)'
from 'Sweet Dreams' (1982) (MP3/CD)
Bob James and Earl Klugh 'Sponge'
from 'Cool' (1992) (MP3/CD)