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!