Rewind: N.W.A. 'Straight Outta Compton' (Part 1)

There are few albums that are both timeless and forever change the trajectory of the music following it; both of these things can be said of the 1988 debut LP from N.W.A.: 'Straight Outta Compton'. This three part post arc will take a look at the sample basis for the songs making up this controversial and legendary album that launched the careers of Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre.

Most of America was introduced to the bombast of gangsta rap by way of the album's polarizing open track and single 'Straight Outta Compton'. For the song, Dr. Dre and DJ Yella sampled most notably the break from the Winstons' 'Amen Brother'. Additionally, the song contains samples of 'Get Me Back on Time, Engine No. 9' by Wilson Pickett, Funkadelic's sampler's delight 'You'll Like it Too' from 1981, Ronnie Hudson and the Street People's 'West Coast Poplock', and Davy DMX's electro pulse 'One for the Treble'. The controversial 'F--- tha Police' contains samples of Marva Whitney's 'It's My Thing' produced by James Brown as well as two more James cuts: 'Funky Drummer' and 'Funky President (People It's Bad)'. Additionally, it samples to slices of funk from 1974: Roy Ayers Ubiquity's 'The Boogie Back' and Fancy's 'Feel Good' from the album 'Wild Thing'. The single 'Gangsta Gangsta' finds Ice Cube and Eazy-E rapping over a combination of the Ohio Players' 'Funky Worm', Kool and the Gang's 'N.T.', The Honey Drippers' 'Impeach the President', William Devaughn's classic 'Be Thankful for What You Got', and Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame's 'Weak at the Knees' from the 1983 album 'Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame Vol. 1'. MC Ren takes a solo shot on the cut 'It Ain't Ruff' which samples the Average White Band's 'A Star in the Ghetto' from their 1977 album 'Benny and Us'.

Check back for two more looks at N.W.A.'s 'Straight Outta Compton'.

The Lowdown:
N.W.A. 'Straight Outta Compton', 'F--- tha Police', 'Gangsta Gangsta', and 'It Ain't Ruff'
from 'Straight Outta Compton' (1988) (MP3/CD)
The Winstons 'Amen Brother'
from 'Color Him Father' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Wilson Pickett 'Get Me Back on Time, Engine No. 9'
from 'Wilson Pickett in Philadelphia' (1969) (MP3/CD)
Funkadelic 'You'll Like it Too'
'Connections and Disconnections' (1981) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Ronnie Hudson and the Street People 'West Coast Poplock'
from 'West Coast Poplock' 12" (1982) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Davy DMX 'One for the Treble'
from 'One for the Treble' 12" (1984) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Marva Whitney 'It's My Thing'
from 'It's My Thing' (1969) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
James Brown 'Funky Drummer'
from 'Funky Drummer' 7" (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
James Brown 'Funky President (People It's Bad)'
from 'Reality' (1975) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity 'The Boogie Back'
from 'Change Up the Groove' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Fancy 'Feel Good'
from 'Wild Thing' (1974) (MP3/Import CD)
Ohio Players 'Funky Worm'
from 'Pleasure' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Kool and the Gang 'N.T.'
from 'Live at PJ's' (1972) (MP3/CD)
The Honey Drippers 'Impeach the President'
from 'Impeach the President' 7" (1973) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
William DeVaughn 'Be Thankful for What You Got'
from 'Be Thankful for What You Got' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD)
Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame 'Weak at the Knees'
from 'Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame Vol. 1' (1983) (MP3/CD not available)
Average White Band 'A Star in the Ghetto'
from 'Benny and Us' (1977) (MP3/CD)

Bonus Cut:
'West Coast Poplock' was sampled for a cut by N.W.A. for 'Straight Outta Compton', but Dr. Dre would later sample the same song for his gigantic hit single 'California Love' with 2Pac and Roger Troutman of Zapp.

Rewind: Del 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here' (Part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of this blog's look at 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here' by Del tha Funkee Homosapien.

On the album track 'Money for Sex', Del's production team uses bits of the James Brown produced 1969 Marva Whitney cut 'It's My Thing' (an answer record to the Isley Brothers' 'It's Your Thing') and Donald Byrd's heavily sampled 'Street Lady' from his 1973 album 'Street Lady'. 'Ahonetwo, Ahonetwo' credits Eddie Harris as a co-writer for the sample from his track 'It's Crazy' from 1968's 'Plug Me In'. It would be impossible to go without mentioning Parliament in any post about this album, the single 'Dr. Bombay' (my personal pick from this album) samples Parliament's 'Rumpofsteelskin' from their album 'Motor Booty Affair'.

Check back for the final part of this three part look at 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here'.

The Lowdown:
Del tha Funkee Homosapien 'Money for Sex', 'Ahonetwo, Ahonetwo', and 'Dr. Bombay'
from 'I Wish My Brother George Was Here' (1991) (MP3/CD)
Marva Whitney 'It's My Thing'
from 'It's My Thing' (1969) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Donald Byrd 'Street Lady'
from 'Street Lady' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Eddie Harris 'It's Crazy'
from 'Plug Me In' (1968) (MP3/CD)
Parliament 'Rumpofsteelskin'
from 'Motor Booty Affair' (1977) (MP3/CD)

Producer Profile: Mark the 45 King (part 1, 1988-1989)

In 1987, Mark James produced the breakout single 'The 900 Number' under the name Mark the 45 King. '900 number' was a smash, famously appearing on Yo! MTV Raps as the background music to the Ed Lover Dance and it eventually becoming the backing for DJ Kool's 1996 smash single 'Let Me Clear My Throat'. '900 Number' famously uses the opening horn riff from the James Brown produced 'Unwind Yourself' by Marva Whitney. 'Let Me Clear My Throat' also incorporates the opening to Kool and the Gang's 'Hollywood Swinging', which is an easy party starter.

In 1989, 45 King produced tracks for 'All Hail the Queen' by Queen Latifah, who had previously been one of the members of 45 King's Flavor Unit. The album's first single was the 45 King produced 'Dance for Me', which samples Alvin Cash's breakbeat monster 'Keep on Dancing' and 80s new wave band The The's 'Sweet Bird of Truth'. In the same year, 45 King provided a beat to Gang Starr's debut album on Wild Pitch titled 'No More Mr. Nice Guy' (it's notable that this is a rare instance where a Gang Starr track is not produced by DJ Premier and/or Guru). 'Gusto' is laced with samples from Curtis Mayfield's 'Superfly' single 'Freddie's Dead' and 'Express' by B.T. Express.

Check back for part 2 of this blog's profile of Mark the 45 King, including his long silence broken by one of Jay-Z most memorable singles.

The Lowdown:
Mark the 45 King 'The 900 Number'
from 'The 900 Number' (1990) (MP3 not available/CD)
DJ Kool 'Let Me Clear My Throat'
from 'Let Me Clear My Throat' (1996) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Marva Whitney 'Unwind Yourself'
from 'It's My Thing' (1969) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Kool and the Gang 'Hollywood Swinging'
from 'Wild and Peaceful' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Queen Latifah 'Dance for Me'
from 'All Hail the Queen' (1989) (MP3/CD)
Alvin Cash 'Keep on Dancing'
The The 'Sweet Bird of Truth'
from 'Infected' (1986) (MP3/CD not available)
Gang Starr 'Gusto'
from 'No More Mr. Nice Guy' (1989) (MP3/CD)
Curtis Mayfield 'Freddie's Dead'
from 'Superfly' (1972) (MP3/CD)
B.T. Express 'Express'
from 'Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)' (1972) (MP3/CD)