Five On It: July 2009's Essentials

Welcome to another installment of Five on It, the essential cuts covered in the last month. This month was brimming with excellent breaks, so it was hard to narrow it down to only five cuts; but all five of these tracks are sureshots that need to be in the arsenal of any good producer or DJ.

On our look at Nightmares on Wax's 'A Word of Science', we mentioned two classic breakbeats: Bob James' classic 'Take Me to the Mardi Gras' and Quincy Jones' 'Summer in the City'. Take a look at the original post for more info on Quincy Jones' song and the people who've sampled it throughout history. On the first part of our post about Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth's 'Main Ingredient', they used the breakbeat from Deodato's 'September 13' as a sample. Look below for more on samples from Deodatos' 1972 album 'Prelude'. On our first look at 'Black Sunday' by Cypress Hill, we mentioned Lee Dorsey's monumental open break intro to 'Get Out of My Life Woman'. Look for a two-part post next month on the people who've sampled this track - there were too many for only one post. Finally, in the same post, Billy Cobham's jazz-funk drum blast 'Stratus' was mentioned - check out the several minute intro of open drum sounds before the track falls into a bass and drum groove sampled by Massive Attack among others.

The Lowdown:
Bob James 'Take Me to the Mardi Gras'
from 'Two' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Quincy Jones 'Summer in the City'
from 'You Got it Bad Girl' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Deodato 'September 13'
from 'Prelude' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Lee Dorsey 'Get Out of My Life Woman'
from 'The New Lee Dorsey' (1966) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Billy Cobham 'Stratus'
from 'Spectrum' (1973) (MP3/CD)

Bonus Cuts:
Dedoato's 'Prelude' album contains the break 'September 13', but this isn't the only song sampled from this album. Check out the cut 'Spirit of Summer' sampled by the Dilated Peoples for their early non-album track 'The Ruggedness' in 1997 and sampled again three years later by fellow West Coast rapper Nobody on 'For Those Who Never Dream'.

Related Posts:
Rewind: Massive Attack 'Blue Lines' (Part 1) (Billy Cobham appearance)

Rewind: Mos Def 'The Ecstatic' (Part 2)

Welcome to our second and final look at the sample source material of Mos Def's fourth solo album, 2009's 'The Ecstatic'.

Madlib's brother and label mate Oh No racks up another production credit on the album with his production on 'Pistola'. The track samples a song earlier re-released by the Stones Throw label: 'In the Rain' by the Wooden Glass from the compilation 'Funky 16 Corners'. Mr. Flash provides another production credit as well for Mos Def's 'Workers Comp' which samples 'If this World Were Mine' from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrel's first duet album 'United'. A posthumous J Dilla beat appears on 'History', which finds Mos Def and Talib Kweli on another Motown based beat, this time sampling Mary Wells' single 'Two Lovers' History'. Finally, Mos Def and Andre Lyon share production duties on the closing track 'Casa Bey' which samples 'Casa Forte' by legendary Brazilian funk act Banda Black Rio's debut album 'Maria Fumaça'.

'The Ecstatic' has been the first Mos Def album to be both critically lauded and commercially accepted since his 1999 debut. The album, debuting on June 9th, 2009, placed in the top 10 on the Billboard album charts in its first week of release.

The Lowdown:
Mos Def 'Pistola', 'Workers Comp', 'History', and 'Casa Bey'
from 'The Ecstatic' (2009) (MP3/CD)
The Wooden Glass 'In the Rain'
from 'Funky 16 Corners' (2001) (MP3/CD)
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrel 'If this World Were Mine'
from 'United' (1967) (MP3 not available/CD)
Mary Wells 'Two Lovers' History'
from 'Servin' Up Some Soul' (1968) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Banda Black Rio 'Casa Forte'
from 'Maria Fumaça' (1977) (MP3 not available/Import CD)

Related Posts:
The Breaks: Marlena Shaw 'California Soul' (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrel appearance)
Producer Profile: Kanye West (Part 2, 2001-2002) (Talib Kweli appearance)

Rewind: Mos Def 'The Ecstatic' (Part 1)

Following two disappointing LPs for Geffen, Mos Def rocketed himself back into underground hip-hop's radar with 2009's 'The Ecstatic'. With this album, he returned to form backed with some of hip-hop's best beatmakers. This two part post will demystify 'The Ecstatic''s sample sources.

'The Ecstatic''s opening track and first video single is the Oh No produced 'Supermagic'. Mos Def rhymes over a beat formerly used by Oh No on his own track 'Heavy' from 2007's 'Dr. No's Oxperiment'. The beat samples obscure Turkish singer Selda Bagcan (or just Selda)'s song 'Ince Ince' from her 1976 album 'Selda'. One of the album's standout tracks is 'Auditorium' where Mos trades verses with the ruler Slick Rick. The two ride Madlib's previously released instrumental 'Movie Finale' from his India themed album 'Beat Konducta 3 and 4: In India' from 2007. Madlib also provides the beat for Mos Def's 'Wahid' by sampling Bobby Hebb's 1970 track 'Flower'. Mos Def selected a beat from French producer Mr. Flash for 'Life in Marvelous Times'. The same backing track was previously used on Mr. Flash's own single 'Champions' which included a vocal cut with French rapper TTC and an instrumental version.

Check back for our second look at Mos Def's 'The Ecstatic'.

The Lowdown:
Mos Def 'Supermagic', 'Auditorium', 'Wahid', and 'Life in Marvelous Times'
from 'The Ecstatic' (2009) (MP3/CD)
Oh No 'Heavy'
from 'Dr. No's Oxperiment' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Selda 'Ince Ince'
from 'Selda' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Madlib 'Movie Finale'
from 'Beat Konducta 3 and 4: In India' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Bobby Hebb 'Flower'
from 'Love Games' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Mr. Flash 'Champions' and 'Champions' (Instrumental)
from 'Champions' (2006) (MP3/CD not available)

Related Posts:
Rewind: Mos Def 'Black on Both sides' (Part 1)
Rewind: Mos Def 'Black on Both sides' (Part 2)

Pull Up: Fever Pitch Riddim

Here is a sure shot riddim for the summer: Fever Pitch, one that is sure to make sweaty clubs go nuts. On this post, we'll explore some of the top cuts on the Fever Pitch Riddims for your summertime riddim running fun.

One of the first cuts on Fever Pitch is Bunny General's 'Full Up a Class' first appearing on 12" in 1992. This pivotal cut is overshadowed by a huge hit on the Fever Pitch in 1993: 'Limb by Limb' by Cutty Ranks, one of the biggest dancehall cuts from the 90s altogether. On his album 'Wickedness Increase', General Levy also rode the riddim in 1993 on his track 'Champagne Body' (a hit on its own). In 1994, the Fever Pitch was heavily adopted for "girl tracks". Among them is Janet Lee Davis' 'I Will Always Love You', Sweet Tea's 'Breathe Again', and Louchie Lou and Michie One's gigantic hit single 'If I was a Rich Girl'. 'If I was a Rich Girl' was loosely based on the 'Fiddler on the Roof' showtune 'If I Were a Rich Man' and was resurrected by Dr. Dre in 2004 for Gwen Stefani and Eve's single 'Rich Girl.

The Lowdown:
Bunny General 'Full Up a Class'
from 'Full Up a Class' 12" (1992) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Cutty Ranks 'Limb By Limb'
from 'Limb By Limb' (1993) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
General Levy 'Champagne Body'
from 'Wickedness Increase' (1993) (MP3/CD not available)
Janet Lee Davis 'I Will Always Love You'
from 'V/A - Fever Pitch' (1994) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Sweet Tea 'Breathe Again'
from 'Breathe Again' 12" (1994) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Louchie Lou and Michie One 'If I was a Rich Girl'
from 'II Be Free' (1994) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Topol 'If I Was a Rich Man'
from 'Fiddler on the Roof' (1962) (MP3/CD)
Gwen Stefani and Eve 'Rich Girl'
from 'Love Angel Music Baby' (2004) (MP3/CD)

Related Posts:
Pull Up: Stalag Riddim
Pull Up: Two Sevens Clash Riddim
Pull Up: Darker Shade of Black Riddm
Pull Up: Sleng Teng Riddim
Pull Up: I'm Still in Love with You Riddim
Pull Up: Drum Song Riddim

The Future: Benga

I thought when I wrote a post last month about Skream, I figured I would have to write one too for Croydon's other dubstep phenomenon: Benga.

Benga, along with Skream, is one of the genre's originators beginning with 'Skank / Dose' for Big Apple in 2002, followed by singles for his own Benga Beats starting in 2004. In 2007, Benga appeared on the Planet µ compilation '200' with the track 'Broken Dubstep'. During the same year, he released what has become one of dubstep's most enduring singles: 'Night' with Coki. In 2008, he released his debut full length album 'Diary of an Afro Warrior', which includes heavy cuts like 'Crunked Up' and the single 'Pleasure'. Most recently, Benga has released his 'Buzzin' / One Million' single with the chunky A-side track 'Buzzin'' and the Fatboy Slim sampling cut 'One Million' that nabs some of the vocals from 'Star 69'.

For Seattleites: Benga will be appearing at this year's Decibel Festival, be sure to check him out.

The Lowdown:
Benga 'Skank'
from 'Skank / Dose' (2002) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Benga 'Broken Dubstep'
from '200' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Benga and Coki 'Night'
from 'Night' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Benga 'Crunked Up' and 'Pleasure'
from 'Diary of an Afro Warrior' (2008) (MP3/Import CD)
Benga 'Buzzin'' and 'One Million'
from 'Buzzin' / One Million' (2009) (MP3/CD not available)
Fatboy Slim 'Star 69'
from 'Halfway Between the Gutter and the Star' (2000) (MP3/CD)

Related Posts:
The Future: Flying Lotus
The Future: Skream

Rewind: Cypress Hill 'Black Sunday' (Part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of our two part look at Cypress Hill's album 'Black Sunday', released on this day in 1993.

On the track '3 Lil' Putos', DJ Muggs digs into jazz and brings back 'Ode to Billy Joe' from Lou Donaldson's 1968 album 'Mr. Shing a Ling'. On 'Hits from the Bong', Muggs again uses the break from Lee Dorsey's 'Get Out of My Life Woman', but this time laces it with Dusty Springfield's smash hit single 'Son of a Preacher Man' from 1969's 'Dusty in Memphis' and Junior Mance's 'Don't Cha Hear Me Calling to Ya' from the 1970 album 'With a Lotta Help from My Friends'. 'Get Out of My Life Woman' appears yet again, this time a cover by Grassella Oliphant for Cypress Hill's 'What Go Around Come Around, Kid'. Finally, on 'Break 'em Off Some', Muggs samples the title cut from Joe Zawinul's 1966 album 'Money in the Pocket'.

'Black Sunday' eclipsed Cypress Hill's debut (to be reviewed soon) in terms of success and laid the groundwork for another decade plus of releases.

The Lowdown:
Cypress Hill '3 Lil' Putos', 'Hits from the Bong', 'What Go Around Come Around, Kid', and 'Break 'em Off Some'
from 'Black Sunday' (1993) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: '3 Lil' Putos', 'Hits from the Bong', 'What Go Around Come Around, Kid', and 'Break 'em Off Some'
Lou Donaldson 'Ode to Billy Joe'
from 'Mr. Shing a Ling' (1968) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Lee Dorsey 'Get Out of My Life Woman'
from 'The New Lee Dorsey' (1966) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Dusty Springfield 'Son of a Preacher Man'
from 'Dusty in Memphis' (1969) (MP3/CD)
Junior Mance 'Don't Cha Hear Me Calling to Ya'
from 'With a Lotta Help from My Friends' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD)
Grassella Oliphant 'Get Out of My Life Woman'
from 'The Grass is Greener' (1968) (MP3 not available/CD)
Joe Zawinul 'Money in the Pocket'
from 'Money in the Pocket' (1966) (MP3/CD not available)

Rewind: Cypress Hill 'Black Sunday' (Part 1)

Without parallel commercially speaking, Cypress Hill's 1993 album 'Black Sunday' is still the release the rap unit is most recognized for. The album charted at #1 on the Billboard album charts and contains their most enduring hit single. This two part post will cover the sample material used by Cypress Hill and their producer DJ Muggs to make this album.

The album's opening track sets the mood for the album and much of Cypress Hill's career: 'I Wanna Get High'. Muggs samples the drums from Lee Dorsey's famous 'Get Out of My Life Woman' along with Junior Parker's 'Taxman' and Rita Marley's 1981 cut 'One Draw'. The only track on the album not produced by DJ Muggs is the single 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That', produced by T-Ray. The song samples two cuts from Black Sabbath's 1970 self titled debut album: 'Wicked World' and 'The Wizard'. The first single from the album is still Cypress Hill's most recognizable song: 'Insane in the Brain'. The song samples Sly and the Family Stone's title track from the 1968 album 'Life', James Brown's title track from the 1969 album 'Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud', Mel and Tim's title track from the 1969 album 'Good Guys Only Win in the Movies', and a song from the Youngbloods titled 'All Over the World'. Finally 'When the S--- Goes Down' makes good use of 'Deep Gully' by the Outlaw Blues Band and the massive bassline and breaks from Billy Cobham's 'Stratus'.

Check back for our second look at 'Black Sunday'.

The Lowdown:
Cypress Hill 'I Wanna Get High', 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That', 'Insane in the Brain', and 'When the S--- Goes Down'
from 'Black Sunday' (1993) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'I Wanna Get High', 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That', 'Insane in the Brain', and 'When the S--- Goes Down'
Lee Dorsey 'Get Out of My Life Woman'
from 'The New Lee Dorsey' (1966) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Junior Parker 'Taxman'
from 'The Outside Man' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Rita Marley 'One Draw'
from 'Who Feels It Knows It' (1981) (MP3/CD)
Black Sabbath 'Wicked World' and 'The Wizard'
from 'Black Sabbath' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD)
Sly and the Family Stone 'Life'
from 'Life' (1968) (MP3/CD)
James Brown 'Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud'
from 'Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud' (1969) (MP3/Import CD)
Mel and Tim 'Good Guys Only Win in the Movies'
from 'Good Guys Only Win in the Movies' (1969) (MP3/CD)
The Youngbloods 'All Over the World'
from 'Get Together' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Outlaw Blues Band 'Deep Gully'
from 'Breakin' In' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Billy Cobham 'Stratus'
from 'Spectrum' (1973) (MP3/CD)

Producer Profile: DJ Premier (Part 5, 1997)

After a successful string of production credits and Gang Starr albums, DJ Premier was high profile in 1997, but there was still room to achieve more success. 1997 yielded two of Primo's most unstoppable beats, which will be covered in this post looking at his production credits from that year.

One of Jay-Z's most underrated cuts is the DJ Premier produced 'Intro/A Million and One Questions', the intro to his second full length album 'In My Lifetime, Vol. 1'. This banging track samples its share of unusual sources: Dorothy Ashby's 'Cause I Need It', Latimore's 'Let Me Go', and the Main Ingredient's 'Car of Love' (sorry, no download links for any of these tracks). Primo produced the beat for O.C.'s 'My World' by sampling 'Killer's Lullaby' by Love Unlimited Orchestra on Barry White's 1974 soundtrack 'Together Brothers'. On Rakim's solo album, Premier provides the beat to 'New York (Ya Out There)' which samples the excellent James Brown cut 'Down and Out in New York City' from the soundtrack to 'Black Caesar' as well as the huge drum break from Mountain's 'Long Red'. Finally, one of Primo's oddest yet most banging beats wallops behind Notorious B.I.G. on 'Kick in the Door' on his posthumous album 'Life After Death'. The track samples Screamin' Jay Hawkins 1956 hit 'I Put a Spell on You' to great effect.

The Lowdown:
Jay-Z 'Intro/A Million and One Questions'
from 'In My Lifetime, Vol. 1' (1997) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Intro/A Million and One Questions'
Dorothy Ashby 'Cause I Need It'
from 'Dorothy's Harp' (1969) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Latimore 'Let Me Go'
from 'It Ain't Where You Been... It's Where Your Goin'' (1976) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Main Ingredient 'Car of Love'
from 'Music Maximus' (1976) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
O.C. 'My World'
from 'Jewelz' (1997) (MP3 not available/CD)
Love Unlimited Orchestra 'Killer's Lullaby'
from 'Together Brothers' (1974) (MP3/CD not available)
Rakim 'New York (Ya Out There)'
from 'The 18th Letter' (1997) (MP3/CD)
James Brown 'Down and Out in New York City'
from 'Black Caesar' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Mountain 'Long Red'
from 'Mountain Live' (1972) (MP3 not available/CD)
The Notorious B.I.G. 'Kick in the Door'
from 'Life After Death' (1997) (MP3/CD)
Screamin' Jay Hawkins 'I Put a Spell on You'
from 'I Put a Spell on You' (1956) (MP3 not available/CD not available)

Related Posts:
Producer Profile: Dj Premier (Part 1, 1989-1990)
Producer Profile: Dj Premier (Part 2, 1991-1993)
Producer Profile: Dj Premier (Part 3, 1994)
Producer Profile: Dj Premier (Part 4, 1995-1996)
Rewind: The Notorious B.I.G. 'Life After Death' (Part 1)
Rewind: The Notorious B.I.G. 'Life After Death' (Part 2)
Rewind: The Notorious B.I.G. 'Life After Death' (Part 3)

Source Material: Roy Ayers Ubiquity 'Change Up the Groove'

Over ten years into his recording career, Roy Ayers released his Ubiquity album 'Change Up the Groove' in 1974. This post will examine the producers and artists that sampled Roy Ayers's 1974 album for their own works.

Among many of the tracks sampled by Madlib for his Quasimoto album 'The Unseen' is Ubiquity's 'Sensitize' sampled on 'Come on Feet'. Large Professor produced the hit single 'Keep on Rollin'' in 1993 for A Tribe Called Quest by sampling Ubiquity's 'Feel Like Making Love' from 'Change Up the Groove'.

The most sampled track on the album however is the album's closing cut 'The Boogie Back'. The song was sampled by Ced Gee for the Ultramagnetic MCs song 'Funky' from the classic 1988 album 'Critical Beatdown'. In the same year on the West Coast, the song was sampled for another classic hip-hop album: N.W.A.'s 'Straight Outta Compton'. A sample of 'The Boogie Back' appears on the caustic cut 'F--- Tha Police' produced by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella. Six year later, 'The Boogie Back' would back the West Coast sound again when it appeared as a sample on Coolio's 1994 album 'It Takes a Thief' on the Dobbs the Wino produced single 'County Line'.

Look for more posts outlining Roy Ayers' career. For people lucky enough to be in or around Seattle this summer, catch Roy Ayers at the annual Bumbershoot Festival.

The Lowdown:
Roy Ayers Ubiquity 'Sensitize', 'Feel Like Making Love', and 'The Boogie Back'
from 'Change Up the Groove' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Quasimoto 'Come On Feet'
from 'The Unseen' (2000) (MP3/CD)
A Tribe Called Quest 'Keep it Rollin''
from 'Midnight Marauders' (1993) (MP3/CD)
Ultramagnetic MCs 'Funky'
from 'Critical Beatdown' (1988) (MP3/CD)
N.W.A. 'F--- Tha Police'
from 'Straight Outta Compton' (1988) (MP3/CD)
Coolio 'County Line'
from 'It Takes a Thief' (1994) (MP3/CD not available)

Related Posts:
Five On It: February 2009 (Roy Ayers Ubiquity Appearance)
Rewind: Quasimoto 'The Unseen' (Part 1)
Rewind: Quasimoto 'The Unseen' (Part 2)
Rewind: Quasimoto 'The Unseen' (Part 3)

Rewind: Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth 'The Main Ingredient' (Part 3)

Welcome to our third and final look at Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth's second and final album 'The Main Ingredient'.

On 'Searching', Pete Rock sampled the Roy Ayers Ubiquity track 'Searching' from 1976's 'Vibrations'. The track 'Check it Out' finds C.L. rhyming on Young-Holt Unlimited's 'Bumpin' on Young Street' from 1972'2 'Oh Girl'. 'In the Flesh' features a sample from 1966's 'Ralph's New Blues' by the Modern Jazz Quartet as well as a sample from Steve Miller Band's 1976 hit 'Fly Like an Eagle' from the album of the same name. The outro of 'In the Flesh' features two very samplable funk joints: Kool and the Gang's 'Duji' from the 1974 album 'Kool Jazz' and Average White Band's breakbeat 'School Boy Crush' from the 1975 album 'Cut the Cake'. Pete Rock returns to Tom Scott's 'The Honeysuckle Breeze' on 'It's on You' by sampling 'Never My Love'. The song also samples Ahmad Jamal's 'The Awakening' from his 1970 album of the same name. On the closing track 'Get on the Mic', Pete Rock samples the Stax single 'Soul Girl' by Jeanne and the Darlings. On the album's final outro, he samples another cut from Ahmad Jamal's 'The Awakening': 'You're My Everything'.

Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth parted ways in 1995, following some commercial success with 'The Main Ingredient''s singles. Pete Rock followed up with a series of well received solo albums while C.L. Smooth appeared sporadically on other albums as cameos before his 2006 debut solo album 'American Me' (featuring one track produced by Pete Rock).

The Lowdown:
Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth 'Searching', 'Check it Out', 'In the Flesh', 'It's on You', and 'Get on the Mic'
from 'The Main Ingredient' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity 'Searching'
from 'Vibrations' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Young-Holt Unlimited 'Bumpin' on Young Street'
from 'Oh Girl' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Modern Jazz Quartet 'Ralph's New Blues'
from 'Blues at Carnegie Hall' (1966) (MP3/CD not available)
Steve Miller Band 'Fly Like an Eagle'
from 'Fly Like an Eagle' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Kool and the Gang 'Duji'
from 'Kool Jazz' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Average White Band 'School Boy Crush'
from 'Cut the Cake' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Tom Scott 'Never My Love'
from 'The Honeysuckle Breeze' (1968) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Ahmad Jamal 'The Awakening' and 'You are My Everything'
from 'The Awakening' (1970) (MP3/CD)
Jeanne and the Darlings 'Soul Girl'
from 'Soul Girl' 7" (1968) (MP3 not available/CD not available)

Rewind: Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth 'The Main Ingredient' (Part 2)

Welcome to our second look at 'The Main Ingredient', Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth's sophomore album.

What is a hip-hop classic without a James Brown beat? Pete Rock samples James Brown's 'Escape-ism' (as well as Ramsey Lewis' 'Sun Goddess' from Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth's track 'Escapism'. On 'Escape''s outro, Rock samples the Pointer Sisters' killer take on 'Yes We Can Can', originally a Lee Dorsey cut written by Allen Toussaint. On 'The Main Ingredient''s title track, Pete Rock samples 'Psychadelic Shack' by Albino Gorilla, 'Submission' by Tyrone Washington, and Les McCann's 'Harlem Buck Dance Strut' from his 1973 album 'Layers'. 'All the Places' samples two more J.B. cuts: 'Mind Power' and 'Take Some - Leave Some', both from James Brown's 1974 album 'The Payback', as well as the title track from Donald Byrd's 1975 album 'Places and Spaces' produced by Fonce and Larry Mizell. On 'Tell Me', Pete Rock samples the drums from the Detroit Emeralds' breakbeat cut 'You're Getting a Little Too Smart', J.B.'s 'Funky President (People It's Bad)' and 'Don't Tell It', and Stan Getz's 'Keep Dreamin'' from 1977's 'Another World'. During the outro, Pete Rock plays a bit of 'On the Hill' by Oliver Sain. 'Take You There' features samples from Joe Farrell's 'Upon This Rock', the Black Heat cut 'Zimba Ku' from 'Keep on Runnin', and 'Risin' to the Top' from Ken Burke's 'Changes'. Pete Rock samples one of rock's major breakbeats on the outro: Mountain's live version of 'Long Red' from 1972's full length 'Mountain Live'.

Check back for the final part of our look at Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth's 'The Main Ingredient'.

The Lowdown:
Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth 'Escapism', 'The Main Ingredient', 'All the Places', 'Tell Me', and 'Take You There'
from 'The Main Ingredient' (1994) (MP3/CD)
James Brown 'Escape-ism'
from 'Hot Pants' (1971) (MP3/CD not available)
Ramsey Lewis 'Sun Goddess'
from 'Sun Goddess' (1974) (MP3/CD)
The Pointer Sisters 'Yes We Can Can'
from 'The Pointer Sisters' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Albino Gorilla 'Psychadelic Shack'
from 'Detroit 1984' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Tyrone Washington 'Submission'
'Roots' (1971) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Les McCann 'Harlem Buck Dance Strut'
from 'Layers' (1973) (MP3/CD)
James Brown 'Mind Power' (edit) and 'Take Some - Leave Some'
from 'The Payback' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Donald Byrd 'Places and Spaces'
from 'Places and Spaces' (1976) (MP3/CD)
The Detroit Emeralds 'You're Getting a Little Too Smart'
from 'Detroit Emeralds' (1973) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
James Brown 'Funky President (People It's Bad)'
from 'Reality' (1975) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
James Brown 'Don't Tell It'
from 'Bodyheat' (1976) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Stan Getz 'Keep Dreamin''
from 'Another World' (1977) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Oliver Sain 'On the Hill'
from 'The Main Man' (1972) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Joe Farrell 'Upon This Rock'
from 'Upon This Rock' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Black Heat 'Zimba Ku'
from 'Keep on Runnin'' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Keni Burke 'Risin' to the Top'
from 'Changes' (1982) (MP3/Import CD)
Mountain 'Long Red'
from 'Mountain Live' (1972) (MP3 not available/CD)

Related Posts:
Producer Profile: Pete Rock (Part 1, 1991-1993)
Producer Profile: Pete Rock (Part 2, 1994)