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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)
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The new Five on It section is a recap of the month's most essential beats for everyone too lazy to sift through a month worth of posts (RE: haters) to find the cream of the crop. Each month, I'll also throw some bonus cuts in there as well. "Six On It" or "Seven On It" really doesn't have the same ring, sorry about the misnomer.
June's five begins with Aretha Franklin's 'Save Me' from Rewind: Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth 'The Creator' (post #1 on this blog). 'Save Me''s driving beat may be an unconventional drum source for hip-hop producers, but it can be deadly on songs in the 120-130 bpm range. Also, slightly fast for conventional hip-hop tracks is 'Superfly' by Curtis from Source Material: Curtis Mayfield 'Superfly', blog post #2. One of my personal favorite rock breaks of all time is the STOMPING organ and drum intro on Graham Nash's 'Chicago' from Producer Profile: Kanye West (Part 1). Never have war protest songs hit so hard (sorry 'Ohio' by Neil Young - I see you).
It may be used to death, but every few years someone flips Bob James' 'Nautilus' (from Rewind: Ghostface Killah 'Ironman') in a new way that makes you forget every Bob James sampling track before it. A note to producers about sample clearance: Bob James will notoriously get his money. He has gone after smaller producers and artists that have sampled his work. Sampler beware. Finally, Zapp's 'More Bounce to the Ounce' was mentioned on post #7's Rewind: Ice Cube 'Jackin' For Beats'. It may not be the most prevalent sample in this Bomb Squad sample massacre, but it's one of the longest living floor fillers and an ongoing sample source for producers.The Lowdown:
Aretha Franklin 'Save Me'
from 'I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You' (1967) (MP3/CD)
Curtis Mayfield 'Superfly'
from 'Superfly' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Graham Nash 'Chicago'
from 'Songs for Beginners' (1970) (MP3/CD unavailable)
Bob James 'Nautilus'
from 'One' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Zapp 'More Bounce to the Ounce'
from 'Zapp' (1979) (MP3/CD)
BONUS CUT:
Aretha's stormer from 'I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love you', 'Save Me', was covered two years later for an equally storming (and samplable) version by Nina Simone. Simone's version of 'Save Me' is one of the funkiest tracks in her catalog, and those who know her songs, this is saying a lot. Check it out.
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In the late 60s, after having split from the Jamaican group the Emotions and failing to follow up with a solid solo career, Max Romeo met Lee Perry and formed a new band called the Hippy Boys, who would later become the Upsetters. After eight years and some ups and downs in the reggae recording industry, Romeo linked back up with Perry and recorded 'I Chase the Devil', a track from his 1976 album 'War Inna Babylon'. 'Babylon' is seen as one of Romeo's best albums and 'I Chase the Devil' is one of reggae's most notable singles as well as material for future producers to sample.
Lee Perry himself released a dub version of 'I Chase the Devil' titled 'Disco Devil' (note: this is not disco in the LEAST, it's very much a crazed Perry rant over the Upsetters backing). In 1992 at the dawn of the rave era, the Prodigy released 'Out of Space' utilizing the breakdowns from 'I Chase the Devil', but doubling the speed of the entire track. 'Out of Space' references the growing drum n' bass music scene and is a precusor to the UK's interest in speed garage. Most recently, Kanye west flipped 'I Chase the Devil' for Jay-Z's 'Lucifer' from his 'Black Album'. Kayne managed to incorporate both vocal samples and instrumentation for an unusually dark beat.
'I Chase the Devil' is a necessary reggae tune for any crate, but running the track alongside these songs can diversify how, when, and in what context the original can be played.The Lowdown:
Max Romeo 'I Chase the Devil'
from 'War Inna Babylon' (1976) (MP3 unavailable/CD)
Lee Perry 'Disco Devil'
The Prodigy 'Out of Space'
from 'Experience' (1992) (MP3/CD)
Jay-Z 'Lucifer'
from 'Black Album' (2003) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Lucifer'
BONUS CUTS:
During the rush to remix Jay-Z's 'Black Album' like Danger Mouse, a series of terrible remix albums were released. From the many homemade mixes, only a few yielded anything of note. One mix by producer Kno yielded this remix of 'Lucifer' (presented here in its instrumental format) which rivals the original. It does a fantastic job flipping 'Ave, Lúcifer' from Brazilian psychadelic rock band Os Mutantes' brilliant third album 'A Divina Comédia ou Ando Meio Desligado'. This 'Lucifer' remix is a well deserved footnote to this post.
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Three 6 Mafia's mainstream success was limited until the release of 'Da Unbreakables' released in 2003, over a decade after the group originally formed. Until 'Unbreakables', only 'Sippin' on Some Sizzurp' from 2000's 'When the Smoke Clears' made a splash outside of the Dirty South. The lone single from 'Da Unbreakables', putting Three 6 Mafia on the map, is 'Ridin' Spinners' with Lil' Flip. 'Spinners' incorporates samples from Eazy-E's 'Eazy-Duz-It' and features an awesome start-and-stop intro.
'Da Unbreakables' may only have one single, but that doesn't mean the rest of the album should be overlooked. 'F--- That S---', part of the one-two-three punch that opens the album in part to fantastic sequencing, samples the bassline from Portishead's 'Wandering Star'. DJ Paul and Juicy J use a sample from 'Make Me Say It Again, Girl' by the Isley Brothers for the mid-album track 'Ghetto Chick'.
Three 6 Mafia would later release the platinum album 'Most Known Unknowns' with the top 20 hit 'Stay Fly'. Additionally, Three 6 Mafia would win an oscar in 2006 for their track 'It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp' from the movie 'Hustle and Flow'. The attention they have finally been starting to receive has been a long time coming for one of rap's most overlooked production teams.The Lowdown:
Three 6 Mafia 'Ridin' Spinners', 'F--- That S---', and 'Ghetto Chick'
from 'Da Unbreakables' (2003) (MP3/CD)
Eazy-E 'Eazy-Duz-It'
from 'Eazy-Duz-It' (1988) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Eazy-Duz-It'
Portishead 'Wandering Star'
from 'Dummy' (1994) (MP3/CD)
The Isley Brothers 'Make Me Say It Again, Girl'
from 'The Heat Is On' (1975) (MP3/CD)
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The Stalag Riddim (covered in the last post) is the basis for one of dancehall's biggest singles: 'Bam Bam' by sister Nancy. Not only was 'Bam Bam' a huge hit for Sister Nancy and for the dancehall genre, but it had (and still has) huge crossover appeal. Nearly a decade after the single first appeared, 'Bam Bam' became a prime source for hip-hop sampling.
In 1990, Large Professor sampled 'Bam Bam' for Main Source's single 'Just Hangin' Out' from the now classic and rare album 'Breaking Atoms' (word is 'Breaking Atoms', along with all of Wild Pitch's vaults, will be rereleased in 2008). 'Just Hangin' Out' is my personal favorite from 'Breaking Atoms', which has several essential hip-hop cuts. The Stalag Riddim provides a mellow groove to 'Hangin' Out' while the turntable cuts of 'Bam Bam' in the center of the track provide a great nod to Sister Nancy. 'Bam Bam' was used again in 1992 by Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth on 'The Basement' from the fantastically produced 'Mecca and the Soul Brother'. Pete Rock and C.L. have, not surprisingly, been a staple of this blog and a producer profile for Pete Rock is slated for a future post.
Dancehall made a strong comeback in the late 90s and early 00s, leading to more hip-hop tracks incorporating Stalag samples. 2004's single for Biggie-soundalike Guerilla Black, 'Compton', was a bit of a flash in the pan, but still had apt production from Carlos Broady.The Lowdown:
Sister Nancy 'Bam Bam'
from 'One, Two' (1982) (MP3/CD not available)
Main Source 'Just Hangin' Out'
from 'Breaking Atoms' (1990) (MP3/CD not available)
Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth 'The Basement'
from 'Mecca and the Soul Brother' (1992) (MP3/CD)
Guerilla Black 'Compton'
from 'Guerilla City' (2004) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Compton'
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For the first post in this blog's section dedicated to dancehall, I chose to devote a two post arc about the Stalag Riddim (concluding next post with Sister Nancy's influence on hip-hop). The Stalag Riddim is, possibly, the most used dancehall riddim with well over a hundred versions over its 30 year lifetime. The origin of the Stalag Riddim is 1973's 'Stalag 17' by the Techniques, produced by Winston Riley.
The bulk of the classic dancehall songs recorded on the Stalag Riddim are from the early 80s, including two of the most recognizable dancehall singles of all time: 'Bam Bam' and 'Ring the Alarm'. 'Bam Bam' from Sister Nancy's 1982 album 'One, Two' (which is full of classics) is a sure-fire party starter and a popular sample source for 90s hip-hop. Similarly, Tenor Saw's immortal 'Ring the Alarm' is one of dancehall's most played singles.
Not as widely known as 'Bam Bam' and 'Ring the Alarm', but a giant hit in Jamaica, is Big Youth's 'All Nations Bow' from 1982's The Chanting Dread Inna Fine Style'. One of my personal favorite versions on the Stalag Riddim is 'Love is the Light' by dancehall veteran and Massive Attack co-conspirator Horace Andy. Andy's vocals are fit for almost any riddim, but they work wonderfully on this track.The Lowdown:
The Techniques 'Stalag 17'
Sister Nancy 'Bam Bam'
from 'One, Two' (1982) (MP3/CD not available)
Tenor Saw 'Ring the Alarm'
Big Youth 'All Nations Bow'
from 'The Chanting Dread Inna Fine Style' (1982) (MP3/CD)
Horace Andy 'Love is the Light'
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This is the first post in the new Street Sounds section of this blog, which will cover influential electronic music from the 80's that has impacted the state of hip-hop today. It'll also act as a great resource for pumping up b-boy sets for anyone looking for more music for breaking. Today, I'm covering the early releases by Juan Atkins, the most notable member of Belleville Three and the godfather of techno.
'Clear' by Cybotron, originally released as a single and on the album 'Enter' (which was later retitled 'Clear' after its biggest hit), was a smash hit (especially in the U.K.) and an essential song for any electro set. Cybotron was the pairing of Atkins and Rick Davis, who would split after the success of 'Clear'. Davis continued Cybotron without Atkins, though would never repeat 'Clear''s success. Atkins moved on to hone the new Detroit Techno sound that would make him famous.
'Clear' was sampled many times in the late 80's and early 90's, notably on Poison Clan's 'Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya'', which still sparks action on dancefloors today. Poison Clan's huge hit led to many knock offs, including Splack Pack's 'Shake That A-- B----' that also incorporates 'Clear''s electro bounce. Recently, 'Clear' was also used for Missy Elliott's club hit 'Lose Control' with Ciara and Fatman Scoop. The multiple revivals of 'Clear' makes it an even more devastating tool for dancefloors and house parties, people know this track even if they don't know exactly what it is.Atkins would cement his legacy as techno royalty in 1985 with two legendary singles: 'Night Drive (Thru-Babylon)' and 'No UFO's. Both songs are foundations for the techno genre, but can easily be thrown into classic electro or breakdance sets. For added impact, consider using the instrumental for 'No UFO's' when playing a classic techno mini-set, it'll throw a knowledgeable crowd into a tizzy.
The Lowdown:
Cybotron 'Clear'
from 'Enter' (1983) (MP3/CD)
Poison Clan 'Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya''
from 'Poisonous Mentality' (1992) (MP3/CD)
Splack Pack 'Shake That A-- B----'
from 'Shake That A-- B----' 12" (1992) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Missy Elliott 'Lose Control'
from 'The Cookbook' (2005) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Lose Control'
Model 500 'Night Drive (Thru-Babylon)'
from 'Night Drive' 12" (1985) (MP3/CD not available)
Model 500 'No UFO's' and 'No UFO's' (Instrumental)
from 'No UFO's' 12" (1985) (MP3/CD not available)
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Within a year of the release of Ice Cube's debut album, 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted', the 'Kill at Will' EP dropped at the end of 1990. The Bomb Squad's production, similar to the out of control sample bombast of Public Enemy's albums, graced 'AmeriKKKA' and was in full gear of Ice Cube's classic cut-and-paste piece 'Jackin' For Beats'. In less than 3 minutes, Cube runs through an MPC full of breaks. There is no way I could cover everything, so I chose three choice samples.
The classic L.A. sound via Roger Troutman and brothers, Zapp's 'More Bounce to the Ounce' is an essential party track and sounds as fresh now as it did over 20 years ago. Troutman's talkbox sound was a staple of mid-90's West Coast hip-hop and is, undoubtedly, a big influence on the autotune vocal sound of T-Pain and others today. Parliament's 'Bop Gun (Endangered Species)' appears briefly on 'Jackin' For Beats', but is notable as it was reused by Ice Cube for his later single 'Bop Gun' from 1993's 'Leathal Injenction'. Also, 'Bop Gun' has a fantastic G-funk sound that is perfect for summer cook outs. The way Ice Cube gives 'The Humpty Dance' that 'gangster touch' in 'Jackin' For Beats' is one of the many great back-handed compliments. The Digital Underground are notably not one of Ice Cube's friends, who he will also jack.
'Jackin' For Beats' is an iconic sample track and is the Bomb Squad at the top of their game. Unfortunately, the Bomb Squad would not return for Ice Cube's sophomore album 'Death Certificate', would only have limited input to Public Enemy's (vastly underrated) 'Apocalypse 91', and would start producing for the Young Black Teenagers (why?). By 1995, they would dissolve altogether. 'Jackin' For Beats' is the swan song of one of the most genre-defining production teams in hip-hop history.
The Lowdown:
Ice Cube 'Jackin' For Beats'
from 'Kill at Will' EP (1990)
Zapp 'More Bounce to the Ounce'
from 'Zapp' (1979) (MP3/CD)
Parliament 'Bop Gun (Endangered Species)'
from 'Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Digital Underground 'The Humpty Dance'
from 'Sex Packets' (1990) (MP3/CD)
ADDENDUM (08.22.08):
Fantastic musician and collegiate Ice Cube archivist Preek hipped me to the 'Kill at Will' EP's final track titled 'I Gotta Say What Up!!!' that praises Digital Underground, countering my opinion that 'Jackin' for Beats' is dissing them ("But I don't party and shake my butt / I leave that to the brothers with the funny haircuts / And it'll drive you nuts / Steal your beat and give it that gangsta touch"). I see both sides and I honestly don't know who is correct, does anyone else want to chime in? The gospel of Ice Cube is, by nature, contradictory (RE: his verse on Public Enemy's 'Burn Hollywood Burn' vs. the last decade of his career).
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In 1992, after early cassette tape noodling and the formation of the rap group Slum Village, James Yancey (better known as J Dilla, though then known as Jay Dee) met veteran Detroit producer Amp Fiddler who let Yancey use his equipment to make beats. Only three years later, Dilla had production credits on over a third of the Pharcyde's sophomore album 'Labcabincalifornia'.
'Labcabincalifornia''s most notable single was the sublimely low-key Dilla produced 'Runnin''. Though it was largely ignored at the time of it's release, 'Runnin'' is one the Pharcyde's undisputed classics, thanks in large part to the way Dilla flipped samples from 'Saudade Vam Correndo' by Stan Getz and Luiz Bonfa. The brazilian samba sample adds a hazy touch that works perfectly with Pharcyde's laid-back West Coast style. Dilla also produced the album's first single, 'Drop', which appears on the b-side of 'Runnin'', making for a double loaded and infinitely necessary vinyl single.
One of the most oddball footnotes in Yancey's career, circulated widely the day after his untimely death in 2006 via email, is his beat for modern rock artist Poe. 'Fingertips' from Poe's 'Hello' features a deep and echoey drum track from Dilla, matched with a distant big band sample.
In 1996, Amp Fiddler would introduce Yancey to Q-Tip, leading to production for A Tribe Called Quest's 'Beats, Rhymes, and Life' and the formation of the Ummah. Keep it locked here as I look at more of Dilla's history in a future installment of his Producer Profile on this blog.
The Lowdown:
The Pharcyde 'Runnin'' and 'Drop'
from 'Labcabincalifornia' (1995) (MP3/CD)
Stan Getz and Luiz Bonfa 'Saudade Vem Correndo'
from 'Jazz Samba Encore!' (1963) (MP3/CD)
Poe 'Fingertips'
from 'Hello' (1995) (MP3/CD)
BONUS CUT:
'Runnin'' by the Pharcyde was remade in 2003 by Mýa and the Pharcyde and retitled
'Fallen', which failed to break the top 40. I hope Dilla got his money for this one.
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As a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan with ex-roommate the RZA and a heavy contributor to Raekwon's now classic 1995 album 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...', it seemed like only a matter of time before Ghostface Killah would record his own solo album. In 1996, 'Ironman' was released, produced entirely by the RZA with the exception of one track produced by True Master (who also produced the single 'Brooklyn Zoo' for Ol Dirty Bastard). Ghostface's use of soul samples is evident on this release, and I'm going to touch on a few.
The album's lead single, whose memorable video featured a heavily edited clips from Speed Racer, was 'Daytona 500' with guest verses from Raekwon and Cappadonna. The sample source for 'Daytona 500''s propulsive beat is Bob James' 'Nautilus', one of hip-hop's most used breaks. The album's opening track, 'Iron Maiden', lifts a soul sample from Al Green's 'Gotta Find a New World' from his 1969 album 'Green is Blues'. 'Gotta Find a New World' has been frequently used in my own sets, it's more uptempo than other Al Green hits, lending a good transition into faster funk tracks. One of the album's most menacing tracks finds it's source in a less than menacing place: the dark 'Camay' comes from Teddy Pendergrass' 1980 R&B single 'Can't We Try', which nearly broke the top 50.
Ghostface's use of soul samples would continue on his future albums and are still prevalent on his latest album 'The Big Doe Rehab'. In future posts on this blog the rest of his discography will definitely be examined.
The Lowdown:
Ghostface Killah 'Camay', 'Daytona 500', and 'Iron Maiden'
from 'Ironman' (1996) (MP3/CD)
Bob James 'Nautilus'
from 'One' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Al Green 'Gotta Find a New World'
from 'Green is Blues' (1969) (MP3/CD)
Terry Pendergrass 'Can't We Try'
from 'T.P.' (1980) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
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Previous to hit records on his own and for others, mega-package tours, and paper cut-out shades; Kanye West was just another hungry beat maker. 2000 saw his breakthrough onto major labels with a few notable productions leading to his break out beat for Jay-z's 'Izzo' in 2001. The first track to put West on the Rocafella map was an album cut for Jay-z's 'The Dynasty: Roc La Familia' titled 'This Can't Be Life' that samples 'I Miss You' by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. This inclusion on Jay-Z's album would lead to production on four tracks for 'The Blueprint' including three of its singles. 'The Blueprint' will be examined in depth in a future post of this blog.
Kanye West also produced for Rocafella rapper Beanie Sigel in 2000, lacing him with a stomping track cut from Graham Nash's protest anthem 'Chicago'. The rolling rock stomp of 'The Truth' foreshadows the beat for Jay-Z's 'Takeover'. Another unusual sample choice from West is Pat Benatar's 70s hit 'Heartbreaker' for Lil Kim's 'Don't Mess with Me' from her 2000 album 'The Notorious K.I.M.'.
The Lowdown:
Jay-Z 'This Can't Be Life'
from 'The Dynasty: Roc La Familia' (2000) (MP3/CD)
Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes 'I Miss You'
from 'Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes' (1972) (MP3 unavailable/CD unavailable)
Beanie Sigel 'The Truth'
from 'The Truth' (2000) (MP3 unavailable/CD)
Graham Nash 'Chicago'
from 'Songs for Beginners' (1970) (MP3/CD unavailable)
Lil Kim 'Don't Mess with Me'
from 'The Notorious K.I.M.' (2000) (MP3/CD)
Pat Benatar 'Heartbreaker'
from 'In the Heat of the Night' (1979) (MP3/CD)
BONUS CUTS:
Kanye West admits to using the drums from Dr. Dre's 'Xxplosive' to beef up 'This Can't Be Life'. For best results in jacking the beat for your own track, check out the instrumental for 'Xxplosive'.
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For the first in a series of posts related to classic hip-hop breaks and drum samples, I chose a rather overlooked break: 'Soul Makossa' by Manu Dibango. I've been on a heavy afrobeat kick in the past few weeks and this one is very recognizable, even among average music fans. There are numerous covers, from the funk heat of Afrique to the Arthur Baker produced electro b-boy cover by Nairobi and the Awesome Foursome. One of the best covers of 'Soul Makossa' is by Lafayette Afro Rock Band from their album titled 'Soul Makossa'. Lafayette Afro Rock Band will definitely show up later in my coverage of classic breaks, 'Hihache' is one of the most widely used drum beats in hip-hop and 'Darkest Light' has one of the most widely used saxophone samples.
One artist to sample directly from Manu Dibango's original is Jermaine Dupri on 'Money Ain't a Thang' with Jay-Z; check out the opening drum break of the original and 'Money' side-by-side. Far and away, the most recognized interpolation of the refrain of 'Soul Makossa' is the end chant from 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' by Michael Jackson, produced by Quincy Jones. Transitions between 'Soul Makossa' and the end of 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'' (or vice versa) are unstoppable floor killers.
The Lowdown:
Manu Dibango 'Soul Makossa'
from 'Soul Makossa'(1972) (MP3 unavailable/CD)
Lafayette Afro Rock Band 'Soul Makossa'
from 'Soul Makossa' (1973) (MP3/CD unavailable)
Jay-Z and Jermaine Dupri 'Money Ain't a Thang'
from 'Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life' (1998) (MP3/CD)
Michael Jackson 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
from 'Thriller' (1982) (MP3/CD)
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June 3rd would've marked the 66th birthday of the late Curtis Mayfield, a legendary soul artist with a wide range of work, from his beginnings with the Impressions to his stark social commentary during the 1970s. Though Mayfield had many achievements, none of his other works are as heavily cited (and sampled) as his soundtrack for the 1972 Gordon Parks, Jr. film 'Super Fly'. Both 'Superfly' and 'Freddie's Dead' were hit songs (#8 and #4 respecitvely) and had an indelible effect on the future of hip-hop; not only in it's sound, but also it's view of the drug trade.
No other song sampling the album makes this link more evident than Ice-T's 1988 single 'I'm Your Pusher / Pusherman' that samples Mayfield's similarly titled and themed 'Pusherman'. In 1989, the Beastie Boys and the Dust Brothers lifted the familiar bassline and opening percussion from 'Superfly' for the odd ball 'Egg Man' on the sample boundary pushing album 'Paul's Boutique'. Four years later, the Digable Planets would lift a sample from 'Give Me Your Love' for the third, overlooked single from their 'Reachin'' album: 'Nickel Bags'.
In 1997, Rhino released a 25th anniversary edition of the album, including a disc of previously unreleased alternate takes and instrumentals from the album - a beat maker's dream. One of the highlights of the disc is an instrumental version of 'Freddie's Dead'.
Without a doubt, more of Mayfield's discography will be analyzed in future posts. Be sure that you sit back with a few tunes from 'Superfly' tomorrow in celebration of his work. If you are Snoop Dogg, you may even take a listen to Mayfield in the bathtub.
The Lowdown:
Curtis Mayfield 'Superfly', 'Freddie's Dead', 'Pusherman', and 'Give Me Your Love'
all from 'Superfly' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Curtis Mayfield 'Freddie's Dead' (Instrumental)
from 'Superfly: Deluxe 25th Anniversay Collection' (MP3/CD out of print)
Ice-T 'I'm Your Pusher / Pusherman'
from 'Power' (1988) (MP3/CD)
Beastie Boys 'Egg Man'
from 'Paul's Boutique' (1989) (MP3/CD)
Digable Planets 'Nickel Bags'
from 'Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)' (1993) (MP3/CD)
BONUS CUT:
Junior Murvin (under the name Junior Soul) was one of the many artists to cover 'Give Me Your Love'. This reggae version is among the best covers of Mayfield's unfadeable love jam.
Junior Murvin 'Give Me Your Love'
