Rewind: Notorious B.I.G. 'Life After Death' (Part 3)

Welcome to part 3 of our three-part look at the Notorious B.I.G.'s album 'Life After Death'.

Puff Daddy, Steven Jordan, and the Hitmen sample the late Delfonics single 'Hey! Love' from their fourth album 'Tell Me This is a Dream' for Biggie's album track 'Playa Hater'. The same production team sampled Liquid Liquid's NYC breakbeat anthem 'Cavern' (previously covered in depth on this blog) for the hit single 'Nasty Boy', complete with one of hip-hop's nastiest intros. Biggie's 'The World is Filled...' with Too Short and Carl Thomas features the use of one of my favorite, unusual breaks: Asha Puthli's 'Space Talk' (not so easy to find, so I'm surprised you can download it from Amazon) from her 1978 album 'The Devil is Loose'. The track's production is credited to D-Dot and Puff Daddy. The Wu's RZA makes a late album production appearance on the track 'Long Kiss Goodnight' and samples Wu-stand by Al Green's excellent 'Green is Blues'-era cover of 'The Letter'.

Released only a few weeks after the Notorious B.I.G.'s murder, the double album debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts and amassed a string of hits. Some verses from Biggie would appear later that year on Puff Daddy's solo outing 'No Way Out' and in the decade proceeding Biggie's death, no less than two terrible cash-in projects were released with unearthed verses and guest vocalists (1999's 'Born Again' and 2005's 'Duets: The Final Chapter'... lets hope it's the final chapter). Despite additional albums produced after his death, the Notorious B.I.G.'s legacy is complete with his two studio albums - two of hip-hop's most endearing works.

The Lowdown:
The Notorious B.I.G. 'Playa Hater', 'Nasty Boy', 'The World is Filled...', and 'Long Kiss Goodnight'
from 'Life After Death' (1997) (MP3/CD)
The Delfonics 'Hey! Love'
from 'Tell Me This is a Dream' (1971) (MP3 not available/CD)
Liquid Liquid 'Cavern'
from 'Optimo' (1982) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Asha Puthli 'Space Talk'
from 'The Devil is Loose' (1978) (MP3/CD not available)
Al Green 'The Letter'
from 'Green is Blues' (1972) (MP3/CD)

Rewind: Notorious B.I.G. 'Life After Death' (Part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of 3 of our dissection of 'Life After Death' by the Notorious B.I.G.

Another #1 single from 'Life After Death' is the Biggie / Puffy and the Family hit 'Mo Money Mo Problems' produced by Steven Jordan, Puff Daddy, and the Hitmen. Aside from being a great, energetic sample, the question will always remain: why did Puffy choose to sample Diana Ross' 'I'm Coming Out'? The vocal sample used prominently throughout the song has, seemingly, nothing to do with the theme. Leave thoughts in the comment. The first disc of 'Life After Death' ends with the Buckwild produced 'I Got a Story to Tell', which makes good use of the ever-samplable drums from Al Green's 'I'm Glad You're Mine' from 1972's 'I'm Still in Love with You'. Stevie J, Puffy and the Hitmen provide the beat to disc two's 'Another' with guest verse from Junior M.A.F.I.A. alumnus Lil' Kim. The team samples Barbara Mason's single 'Another Man' from her album of the same title. Easy Mo Bee adds some West Coast funk to the album by sampling Zapp's 'More Bounce to the Ounce' for the Biggie single 'Going Back to Cali'.

Check back for the final part of our look at 'Life After Death'.

The Lowdown:
The Notorious B.I.G. 'Mo Money Mo Problems', 'I Got a Story to Tell', 'Another', and 'Going Back to Cali'
from 'Life After Death' (1997) (MP3/CD)
Diana Ross 'I'm Coming Out'
from 'Diana' (1980) (MP3/CD)
Al Green 'I'm Glad You're Mine'
from 'I'm Still In Love With You' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Barbara Mason 'Another Man'
from 'Another Man' (1984) (MP3/CD)
Zapp 'More Bounce to the Ounce'
from 'Zapp' (1979) (MP3/CD)

BONUS CUT:
The 12" instrumental for 'Another Man' by Barbara Mason. Karaoke time.

Rewind: Notorious B.I.G. 'Life After Death' (Part 1)

It's hard to believe, but the Notorious B.I.G. released only one solo album during his lifetime, 1994's 'Ready to Die' (previously covered in depth on this blog here, here, and here). Biggie's follow up album was finished before his untimely murder in 1997 - his second, prophetically named studio album 'Life After Death' was released less than a month after his death. This three part post arc will cover the music of 'Life After Death', the producers, and the sample sources.

The Dramatics' excellent single 'In the Rain' is the basis for the Carlos Broady, Nashiem Myrick, and Puff Daddy produced album track 'Somebody's Gotta Die'. The album's smash hit is the unstoppable 'Hypnotize'; a decade later it is still nitro on the dancefloor. The production team of D-Dot, Ron Lawrence, Puffy and the Hitmen sampled the breakdown of Herb Alpert's 'Rise' and heavily interpolates the lyrics from Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh's 'La Di Da Di'. One of my favorite Biggie cuts is the DJ Premier produced B-side 'Kick in the Door' that makes remarkable use of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' 1950s voodoo freakout 'I Put a Spell on You'. Truly awesome work by Primo. Easy Mo Bee, returning from his work on 'Ready to Die', laces B.I.G. with the beat to 'I Love the Dough'. The track features a guest spot from Jay-Z and Angela Winbush from René and Angela on the hook, who happens to be the source of the track's sample: 'I Love You More' by René and Angela.

Check back for part 2 of our look at 'Life After Death'.

The Lowdown:
The Notorious B.I.G. 'Somebody's Gotta Die', 'Hypnotize', 'Kick in the Door', and 'I Love the Dough'
from 'Life After Death' (1997) (MP3/CD)
The Dramatics 'In the Rain'
from 'Whatcha See is Whatcha Get' (1971) (MP3/CD)
Herb Alpert 'Rise'
from 'Rise' (1979) (MP3/CD)
Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh 'La Di Da Di'
from 'The Show' (1985) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Screamin' Jay Hawkins 'I Put a Spell on You'
from 'I Put a Spell on You' (1956) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
René and Angela 'I Love you More'
from 'Wall to Wall' (1981) (MP3 not available/CD not available)

BONUS CUTS:
'I Put a Spell on You' is a classic cut and has been covered (not to mention sampled) many times. Two notable covers of the song are Nina Simone's take on 'I Put a Spell on You' from 1964 and Creedence Clearwater Revival's cover from 1968.

Five On It: November 2008's Essentials

This one is a killer, we covered some serious beats this past month and I've whitled them down to the best of the best for November's edition of Five On It.

We start with a cross-generation party starter: George Clinton's bugged out canine anthem 'Atomic Dog' (which originally appeared on our Halloween post covering 'We Can't Be Stopped' by the Geto Boys). In our second look at Large Professor's production work, we covered Grand Funk Railroad's rock funk break track 'Nothings the Same' from their album 'Closer to Home'. Grand Funk have a bad rep, but they have some serious beats in their back catalog. 'Apache' by the Incredible Bongo Band was covered in an in depth two part post on this blog. 'Apache' is as essential as it gets, you have to get this one if its not part of your DJing arsenal. The J.B.'s 'Pass the Peas' is just one of the J.B.'s breakbeat necessities produced under the Godfather of Soul, James Brown (this break was mentioned on the first part of our look at 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde). In the third part of 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde', we first mentioned Skull Snaps' huge 'It's a New Day', another absolutely critical beat for producers.

The Lowdown:
George Clinton 'Atomic Dog'
from 'Computer Games' (1982) (MP3 not available/CD)
Grand Funk Railroad 'Nothings the Same'
from 'Closer to Home' (1969) (MP3/CD)
Incredible Bongo Band 'Apache'
from 'Bongo Rock' (1973) (MP3/CD)
The J.B.'s 'Pass the Peas'
from 'Food For Thought' (1972) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Skull Snaps 'It's a New Day'
from 'Skull Snaps' (1973) (MP3 not available/Import CD)

BONUS CUTS:
Skull Snaps' self-titled, hard to find album is not limited to 'It's a New Day', it's full of quality samples. A young Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po as Organized Konfusion (with a guest spot from O.C.) rap over Skull Snaps' 'Tresspassin'' on 'Fudge Pudge'.

Producer Profile: Kanye West (Part 3, 2003)

After placing beats on Jay-Z's 'The Blueprint', Kanye West became a sought after producer even before the release of 2004's 'The College Dropout'. Part one of this three part post will cover the beats and samples from Kanye West's 2003 production credits.

West had two beats on Jay-Z's 'Black Album' from 2003, Jay's short-lived retirement farewell address. Kanye's production for 'Encore' samples John Holt's 'I Will' from his album '2000 Volts of Holt'. Another reggae sample appears on Jay-Z's 'Lucifer' via Max Romeo's classic Lee Perry produced 'I Chase the Devil' (covered in depth on a previous post on this blog). West's work with Rocafella was not limited to Jay-Z in 2003, West also had a beat on Freeway's under-appreciated debut album 'Philadelphia Freeway'. The track 'Hear the Song' samples Chic's 'Will You Cry (When You Hear This Song)'.

One of Kanye's biggest production credits in 2003 was for Alicia Key's hit single 'You Don't Know My Name' peaking at #3 on the Billboard 100. The track is cleverly crafted from Main Ingredient's 'Let Me Prove My Love to You' from their 1975 album 'Shame on the World'.

Check back for the second part of our look at Kanye West's production credits of 2003.

The Lowdown:
Jay-Z 'Encore' and 'Lucifer'
from 'Black Album' (2003) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Encore' and 'Lucifer'
John Holt 'I Will'
from '2000 Volts of Holt' (1976) (MP3/CD not available)
Max Romeo 'I Chase the Devil'
from 'War Ina Babylon' (1976) (MP3 not available/CD)
Freeway 'Hear the Song'
from 'Philadelphia Freeway' (2003) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Hear the Song'
Chic 'Will You Cry (When You Hear This Song)'
from 'Risqué' (1979) (MP3/CD)
Alicia Keys 'You Don't Know My Name'
from 'The Diary of Alicia Keys' (2003) (MP3/CD)
Main Ingredient 'Let Me Prove My Love to You'
from 'Shame on the World' (1975) (MP3 not available/Import CD)

BONUS CUT:
The original Jamaican mix of 'I Will' by John Holt'.

Rewind: The Pharcyde 'Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde' (Part 3)

Welcome to the final part of our 3 part arc look at the sample sources of the Pharcyde's 1992 breakthrough album 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde', released on this day in 1992.

The Pharcyde's most memorable single is the classic 'Passin' Me By' which samples the melody of Quincy Jones' cover of 'Summer in the City'. The track also samples 'It's a New Day' by Skull Snaps (breaks don't get more essential than this one, it's unbelievable that over 70 posts into this blog, this is the first mention of 'It's a New Day' - whoa), 'Are You Experienced?' by Jimi Hendrix, Weather Report's '125th Street Congress', and 'The Third Eye' by Roy Ayers from 1976's 'Everyone Loves the Sunshine'. The only track from 'Bizarre Ride' not produced by J-Swift is the single 'Otha Fish', produced by L.A. Jay and SlimKid 3. The track samples Herbie Mann's 'Today' and Marvin Gaye's 'I Want You'-era album track 'Since I had You'. Herbie Mann is sampled again on the Pharcyde's cult favorite 'Pack the Pipe' which uses 'Bijou' from his 'Latin Mann' album. Two other jazz joints lend samples to the track: John Coltrane's 'Autumn Serenade' and the Cannonball Adderley Quintet's 'Exquisition' from the David Axelrod produced album 'The Price You Got to Pay to Be Free' from 1970.

Following the success of their debut album, the Pharcyde began to fall apart. Before the album's completion, J-Swift quarreled with members of the group over production credits and compensation. By their second and final album with their classic lineup, the Pharcyde split with J-Swift altogether opting to work with new producers. After drug problems, Fatlip left the Pharcyde, although they went on to release two more albums in the 2000s without him. In 2008, the group reunited for the Rock the Bells tour.

The Lowdown:
The Pharcyde 'Passin' Me By', 'Otha Fish', and 'Pack the Pipe'
from 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde' (1992) (MP3/CD)
Quincy Jones 'Summer in the City'
from 'You Got it Bad Girl' (1973) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Skull Snaps 'It's a New Day'
from 'Skull Snaps' (1973) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Jimi Hendrix 'Are You Experienced?'
from 'Are You Experienced' (1967) (MP3/CD)
Weather Report '125th Street Congress'
from 'Sweetnighter' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Roy Ayers 'The Third Eye'
'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Herbie Mann 'Today'
from 'Today!' (1966) (MP3/CD)
Marvin Gaye 'Since I Had You'
from 'I Want You' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Herbie Mann 'Bijou'
from 'Latin Mann' (1966) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
John Coltrane 'Autumn Serenade'
from 'John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman' (1963) (MP3/CD)
Cannonball Adderley Quintet 'Exquisition'
from 'The Price You Got to Pay to Be Free' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)

BONUS CUTS:
Sorry that I don't have a download for Quincy Jones' excellent cover of 'Summer in the City' (very different than 'Summer in the City' by the Lovin' Spoonful, also a floor killer), but I can offer Nightmares on Wax's excellent 'Summer' sampling track 'Nights Interlude'. Get your blend on!

Rewind: The Pharcyde 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde' (Part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of our look at 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde'.

'On the DL' from 'Bizarre Ride' samples two tracks from Stanley Cowell 1974 album 'Musa - Ancestral Streams': 'Travelin' Man' and 'Equipoise'. The track also takes a clip from the Meters' 'Struttin'' album track 'Hey! Last Minute'. 'Officer' goes back to JB for two samples: James Brown's 'Funky Drummer' and the J.B.'s 'The Grunt' from 1972's 'Food for Thought'. 'Officer' also samples the Charles Stepney produced 1968 track 'The Mighty Quinn' by Ramsey Lewis from his album 'Maiden Voyage'. The J-Swift produced lead single for 'Bizarre Ride' was the hit 'Ya Mama', which samples Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, and Stephen Stills' 'Seasons of the Witch' from 1968's 'Super Session' album, Young Holt Unlimited's 'Yes We Can Can' and the 'Wattstax' live album track 'I Don't Know What This World is Coming To' by the Stax unit the Soul Children.

Check back for part 3 of our look at 'Bizarre Ride to the Pharcyde'.

The Lowdown:
The Pharcyde 'On the DL', 'Officer', and 'Ya Mama'
from 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde' (1992) (MP3/CD)
Stanley Cowell 'Travelin' Man' and 'Equipoise'
from 'Musa - Ancestral Streams' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
The Meters 'Hey Last Minute!'
from 'Struttin'' (1969) (MP3/CD)
James Brown 'Funky Drummer'
from 'Funky Drummer' 7" (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
The J.B.'s 'The Grunt'
from 'Food For Thought' (1972) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Ramsey Lewis 'The Mighty Quinn'
from 'Maiden Voyage' (1968) (MP3/Import CD)
Mike Bloomfield, Al Kooper, and Stephen Stills 'Seasons of the Witch'
from 'Super Session' (1968) (MP3/CD)
Young Holt Unlimited 'Yes We Can Can'
from 'Oh Girl' (1972) (MP3/CD)
The Soul Children 'I Don't Know What this World is Coming To'
from 'Wattstax' (1971) (MP3/CD)

Rewind: The Pharcyde 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde' (Part 1)

In 1992, after only one preceding single, the Pharcyde dropped their highly acclaimed and platinum selling debut album 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde'. This three part arc will review the sample sources used on this landmark album, produced virtually entirely by J-Swift.

The vocal version of '4 Better or 4 Worse' samples a trifecta of excellent breaks: Lou Donaldson's 'Pot Belly' from his 1970 album 'Pretty Things', the Emotion's 'Blind Alley' (a previous break of the month from October 2008's Five on It) and Fred Wesley and the J.B.'s awesome 'Rockin' Funky Watergate' from 1974's 'Breakin' Bread'. The Pharcyde's 'I'm That Type of N----' uses a grip of James Brown classics: 'Maybe the Last Time' (b-side to James' 'Out of Sight' single) and the timeless 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag' plus the J.B.'s 'Pass the Peas' and 'Givin' Up Food for Funk'. The track also samples Sly and the Family Stone's 'Sing a Simple Song' from their breakthrough album 'Stand!'. The Pharcyde's 'Soul Flower' (remix) (a version of their track with labelmates the Brand New Heavies) cuts a sample from the Fatback Band's hit 'Put Your Love (In My Tender Care)'.

Check back for parts 2 and 3 of our look at 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde'.

The Lowdown:
The Pharcyde '4 Better of 4 Worse', 'I'm That Type of N----', and 'Soul Flower' (remix)
from 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde' (1992) (MP3/CD)
Lou Donaldson 'Pot Belly'
from 'Pretty Things' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
The Emotions 'Blind Alley'
from 'Untouched' (1971) (MP3/CD)
Fred Wesley and the J.B.'s 'Rockin' Funky Watergate'
from 'Breakin' Bread' (1974) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
James Brown 'Maybe the Last Time'
from 'Out of Sight' 7" (1964) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
James Brown 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag'
from 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag' (1965) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
The J.B.'s 'Pass the Peas'
from 'Food For Thought' (1972) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
The J.B.'s 'Givin' Up Food for Funk'
from 'Givin' Up Food for Funk' (1972) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Sly and the Family Stone 'Sing a Simple Song'
from 'Stand!' (1969) (MP3/CD)
The Fatback Band 'Put Your Love (in My Tender Care)'
from 'Raising Hell' (1974) (MP3/CD)

The Breaks: Incredible Bongo Band 'Apache' (Part 2)

Welcome to the second of our two part look at the Incredible Bongo Band's 'Apache'.

By the early 90s, 'Apache' was adapted into the genre of drum n' bass. Two landmark uses of the 'Apache' break in drum n' bass tracks is the 20-minute title track of Goldie's 1995 debut album 'Timeless' and the Metalheadz single 'Your Sound' by J Majik. 'Apache' became a widely used sample in the late 90s big beat style that became popular on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1997, Mantronix producer Kurtis Mantronik remixed Future Sound of London's single 'We Have Explosive' using the 'Apache' with devastating results.

In 2002, Salaam Remi flipped 'Apache' for Nas' single 'Made You Look', making the beat sound radically different than previous hip-hop tracks. Three years later, Missy Elliott used the sample on her single 'We Run This' from 'The Cookbook'.

Despite its potential for oversaturation, 'Apache' still sounds as fresh today as it did over three decades ago. The sample will no doubt be the basis for many outstanding hip-hop and dance songs to come.

The Lowdown:
Incredible Bongo Band 'Apache'
from 'Bongo Rock' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Goldie 'Timeless'
from 'Timeless' (1995) (MP3/CD)
J Majik 'Your Sound'
from 'Your Sound 12"' (1995) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Future Sound of London 'We Have Explosive' (Mantronik Remix #1)
from 'We Have Explosive' (1997) (MP3/CD not available)
Nas 'Made You Look'
from 'God's Son' (2002) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Made You Look'
Missy Elliott 'We Run This'
from 'The Cookbook' (2005) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'We Run This'

The Breaks: Incredible Bongo Band 'Apache' (Part 1)

'Apache' by the Incredible Bongo Band is arguably the most important break in hip-hop music and beyond. In this two post arc, we'll cover the history of 'Apache', it's use in early hip-hop singles, it's reinvention in electronic music, and it's resurgence in hip-hop.

'Apache''s history begins over a decade before the Incredible Bongo Band's version. The song was written by Jerry Lordan and was originally recorded by Bert Weedon, which initially remained shelved. The first notable version of the song is the Shadows' recording of 'Apache', which utilized a new echo chamber and tremolo technique that gave it a distinct sound. As the version by the Shadows gained recognition, Weedon's was released to cash in, but both would be trumped by Jørgen Ingmann's version of 'Apache', which broke the American top 10.



A decade later, Michael Viner began work on a project to score music for the low budget B movie 'The Thing with Two Heads'. The music, billed as Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band, became an unlikely hit and Viner quickly went into the studio to record a full length album. The band, consisting of Viner and studio musicians, created one of the most sampled breaks of all time, not to mention a handful of other amazing tracks on the album 'Bongo Rock'. The long instrumental break in 'Apache' made it a sensation on dance floors and was adopted by early hip-hop DJs like Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa. When hip-hop broke into the mainstream, so did the 'Apache' break.

Perhaps the most notable early use of 'Apache' is the Sugarhill Gang's track 'Apache' from 1981's '8th Wonder'. The track was used again two years later by the West Street Mob, also on the Sugarhill label, for their classic b-boy track 'Break Dance - Electric Boogie'. As the use of samplers increased by the late 80s, so did the use of 'Apache' in hip-hop. Jazzy Jay's 1988 production 'Old School' by Busy Bee used the 'Apache' break, as did the Dust Brothers produced 1988 single 'Know How' by Young MC.

Check back for part 2 of the history of 'Apache', including its adaptation in electronic music and its rebirth in the 2000s.

The Lowdown:
Incredible Bongo Band 'Apache'
from 'Bongo Rock' (1973) (MP3/CD)
The Shadows 'Apache'
from 'Apache' (1960) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Jørgen Ingmann 'Apache'
from 'Apache' (1961) (MP3/CD)
Sugarhill Gang 'Apache'
from '8th Wonder' (1981) (MP3 not available/CD)
West Street Mob 'Break Dance - Electric Boogie'
from 'Break Dance - Electric Boogie' (1983) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Busy Bee 'Old School'
from 'Running Thangs' (1988) (MP3/CD)
Young MC 'Know How'
from 'Stone Cold Rhymin'' (1988) (MP3/CD)

Rewind: Jay-Z 'American Gangster' (Part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of our look at the samples used in the making of 'American Gangster'.

Dirty south extraordinaire DJ Toomp lends his production skills for Jay-Z's 'Say Hello', using samples of Tom Brock's 'The Love We Share is the Greatest of Them All' from 1974's 'I Love You More and More'. Chicago's No I.D. (producer for Common and ghost producer for Jermaine Dupri) works alongside Jermaine Dupri on the beat for Jay-Z's 'Success', which samples an rare funk track called 'Funky Thing' (Part 1) by Larry Ellis and the Black Hammer. Dupri and No I.D. sample the Dramatics' 'Fell for You' from 1972's 'A Dramatic Experience' for the 'American Gangster' album track 'Fallin''. The album's first and most successful single (which, still, failed to break the through the top 50 on the Billboard singles chart) is the Neptunes produced 'Blue Magic', which samples En Vogue's 1990 hit single 'Hold On'. Just Blaze closes the album with the album's title track, sampling 'Short Eyes' by Curtis Mayfield from the soundtrack to the movie 'Short Eyes'.

'American Gangster' was highly acclaimed upon its release, especially compared to Jay-Z's shrugworthy return from retirement album 'Kingdom Come'. If internet rumors are to be believed, Jay-Z will drop another album before year's end titled 'Blueprint 3', which will undoubtedly be reviewed once it is out.

The Lowdown:
Jay-Z 'Say Hello', 'Success', 'Fallin'', 'Blue Magic', and 'American Gangster'
from 'American Gangster' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Tom Brock 'The Love We Share is the Greatest of Them All'
from 'I Love You More and More' (1974) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Larry Ellis and the Black Hammer 'Funky Thing' (Part 1)
The Dramatics 'Fell for You'
from 'A Dramatic Experience' (1972) (MP3/CD)
En Vogue 'Hold On'
from 'Born to Sing' (1990) (MP3 not available/CD)
Curtis Mayfield 'Short Eyes'
from 'Short Eyes' (1977) (MP3/CD not available)