Rewind: Reflection Eternal 'Train of Thought' (Part 2)

Welcome to our second look at Reflection Eternal's 2000 album 'Train of Thought'.

Talib Kweli rides solo on Hi-Tek's beat for 'Memories Live', which features a sample of Ann Peeble's minimalistic hit single 'I Can't Stand the Rain' from her 1974 album of the same title as well as a sample from Soft Machine's 1974 album cut 'Carol Ann'. Les Nubians and Talib Kweli team up on 'Love Language', which samples Norman Connors' 'Welcome'. De La Soul assists Kweli and Hi-Tek on 'Soul Rebels' which has the four emcees rhyming over the Commodores' 'Patch it Up' from the 1977 album 'Commodores'. Finally, the B-Side track 'Good Mourning' samples Hugo Montenegro's unstoppably funky track 'Dizzy' from his synth filled 1969 album 'Moog Power'.

Both Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek managed to build on the success of 'Train of Thought': Kweli has made a series of solo albums and Hi-Tek has produced albums on his own as well as produced tracks for 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, and G-Unit among others. Later this year, the duo's second album 'Revolutions Per Minute' is set to be released.

The Lowdown:
Reflection Eternal 'Memories Live', 'Love Language', 'Soul Rebels', and 'Good Mourning'
from 'Train of Thought' (2000) (MP3/CD)
Ann Peebles 'I Can't Stand the Rain'
from 'I Can't Stand the Rain' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD)
Soft Machine 'Carol Ann'
from 'Seven' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Norman Connors 'Welcome'
from 'Slewfoot' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
The Commodores 'Patch it Up'
from 'Commodores' (1977) (MP3/CD)
Hugo Montenegro 'Dizzy'
from 'Moog Power' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD)

Related Posts:
Prodcuer Profile: Kanye West (Part 2, 2001-2002) (Talib Kweli appearance)

Rewind: Reflection Eternal 'Train of Thought' (Part 1)

Until this year, 'Train of Thought' was the lone album by Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek's Reflection Eternal project. Over the next two posts, we'll investigate the sample sources used by DJ Hi-Tek for the beats on this album.

The album's lead single, 'Move Somethin'', Kweli rhymes over Charlie Whitehead's 'Shaft's Mama' from his 1973 album 'Charlie Whitehead and the Swamp Dogg Band'. Black Star is reunited on the cut 'This Means You' where Mos Def and Talib Kweli trade quips over 'Cloud in My Sunshine' from Redbone's 1973 rock album 'Wavoka'. For 'Too Late', which features Res along side Talib Kweli, finds Hi-Tek sampling two cuts from Tomita's 'Snowflakes are Dancing' album: 'Reverie' and 'Passepied'.

Check back for part two of our two part look at 'Train of Thought'.

The Lowdown:
Reflection Eternal 'Move Somethin'', 'This Means You', and 'Too Late'
from 'Train of Thought' (2000) (MP3/CD)
Charlie Whitehead 'Shaft's Mama'
from 'Charlie Whitehead and the Swamp Dogg Band' (1973) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Redbone 'Cloud in My Sunshine'
from 'Wavoka' (1973) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Isao Tomita 'Reverie' and 'Passepied'
from 'Snowflakes are Dancing' (1973) (MP3/CD)

Related Posts:
Rewind: Mos Def 'Black on Both Sides' (Part 1)
Rewind: Mos Def 'Black on Both Sides' (Part 2)
Rewind: Mos Def 'The Ecstatic' (Part 1)
Rewind: Mos Def 'The Ecstatic' (Part 2)

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 'Black on Both Sides' (Part 2)

Welcome to our second look at Mos Def's 'Black on Both Sides'.

Ayatollah produced the beat for the Talib Kweli and Mos Def team up 'Know That'. The track samples 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' from Dionne Warwick's Burt Bacharach and Hal David produced 1963 album of the same name. Mos Def's excellent track 'Brooklyn' uses a sample from Roy Ayers' Ubiquity project's 'We Live in Brooklyn, Baby' in addition to David Porter's 'I'm Afraid the Masquerade is Over'. Marley Marl's 'The Symphony' posse cut is the source for DJ Etch-A-Sketch's beat for Mos Def's 'Habitat'. Finally, Mos' track with Q-Tip 'Mr. N----', produced by D-Prosper and Mos Def, samples Ramsey Lewis' 'Sun Goddess' and Gil Scott-Heron's 'A Legend in His Own Mind'.

The album received high reviews, respect from the underground, and modest chart success. Mos Def would not record another solo effort until 2004's 'The New Danger', which signaled a dramatic change in his music. Check back for more coverage of Mos Def as well as Black Star in future posts on this blog.

The Lowdown:
Mos Def 'Know That', 'Brooklyn', 'Habitat', and 'Mr. N----'
from 'Black on Both Sides' (1999) (MP3/CD)
Dionne Warwick 'Anyone Who Had a Heart'
from 'Anyone Who Had a Heart' (1963) (MP3/CD)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity' 'We Live in Brooklyn, Baby'
from 'He's Coming' (1972) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
David Porter 'I'm Afraid the Masquerade is Over'
from 'Victim of the Joke?' (1971) (MP3 not available/CD)
Marley Marl 'The Symphony'
from 'In Control, Vol. 1' (1987) (MP3/CD not available)
Ramsey Lewis 'Sun Goddess'
from 'Sun Goddess' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Gil Scott-Heron 'A Legend in His Own Mind'
from 'Real Eyes' (1980) (MP3 not available/CD not available)

Rewind: UGK 'Underground Kingz' (Part 2)

Welcome to our second look at UGK's 2007 album 'Underground Kingz'.

'Real Women' with Talib Kweli and Raheem DeVaughn find UGK rapping over Earth, Wind and Fire's 'Can't Hide Love' courtesy of a mellow beat programmed by N.O. Joe and Pimp C. One of Texas' finest, Scarface is credited for production for 'Candy' which nicks Lonnie Liston Smith's 'Bridge Thru Time' from his 1980 album 'Love is the Answer'. The Pimp C produced track 'Shattered Dreams' looks back to Raydio's 1979 album 'Rock On' for the track 'Goin' Thru School and Love'. Finally, N.O. Joe and Joe Scorsese produced the beat for UGK's 'Living this Life' which takes a sample from Al Green's 'Livin' for You' album track 'Free at Last'.

Although Pimp C, one half of UGK, died only six months after the release of 'Underground Kingz', Bun B has said that there was enough material recorded for an eighth and final UGK album, tentatively titled 'UGK 4 Life' and slated for a 2009 release date.

The Lowdown:
UGK 'Real Women', 'Candy', 'Shattered Dreams', and 'Living this Life'
from 'Underground Kingz' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Real Women', 'Candy', 'Shattered Dreams', and 'Living this Life'
Earth, Wind and Fire 'Can't Hide Love'
from 'Gratitude' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Lonnie Liston Smith 'Bridge Thru Time'
from 'Love is the Answer' (1980) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Raydio 'Goin' Thru School and Love'
from 'Rock On' (1979) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Al Green 'Free at Last'
from 'Livin' for You' (1973) (MP3/CD)

Producer Profile: Kanye West (Part 2, 2001-2002)

Kanye West's commercial breakthrough as a producer came in 2001 when he contributed a number of tracks and charting singles to Jay-Z's 'The Blueprint', often cited a sea change in Jay-Z's career thanks, in part, to the sound of West and Just Blaze. 'The Blueprint' will be covered in depth in a future post of this blog, so I will only cover one of Kanye's beats: the excellent 'Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)' which samples generously from Bobby Bland's 'Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City' from his 1973 album 'Dreamer'. Although he produced stellar singles for Jay-Z, his stock was set to rise even more in 2002.

Talib Kweli's 'Get By' was inescapable in 2002, thanks to Kanye's swift edit of Nina Simone's 'Sinnerman' from her album 'Pastel Blues'. The single, laced with then newcomer / future Kanye collaborator John Legend's background vocals, was a new high water mark for both West and Kweli and the track is arguably Talib Kweli's career defining moment to date. 2002 also saw the release of some of his production work for Scarface for his 2002 album 'The Fix'. Kanye samples 'Sunrise' by the Originals for Scarface's single 'Guess Who's Back' with guest appearances from Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel. In 2002, Nas' 'The Lost Tapes' album saw release, which included one of Kanye West's ghost productions for Deric 'D-Dot' Angelettie. 'Poppa Was a Playa' from 'The Lost Tapes' contains a sample of 'The Newness is Gone' by Eddie Kendricks from his album 'Goin' Up in Smoke'.

Check back for the next look at Kanye's production output and also be on the lookout for future posts covering his albums.

The Lowdown:
Jay-Z 'Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)'
from 'The Blueprint' (2001) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit:'Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)'
Bobby Bland 'Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City'
from 'Dreamer' (1973) (MP3/Import CD)
Talib Kweli 'Get By'
from 'Quality' (2002) (MP3 not available/CD)
Nina Simone 'Sinnerman'
from 'Pastel Blues' (1965) (MP3/CD)
Scarface 'Guess Who's Back'
from 'The Fix' (2002) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit:'Guess Who's Back'
The Originals 'Sunrise'
from 'Down to Love Town' (1977) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Nas 'Poppa Was a Playa'
from 'The Lost Tapes' (2002) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit:'Poppa Was a Playa'
Eddie Kendricks 'The Newness is Gone'
from 'Goin' Up in Smoke' (1976) (MP3 not available/CD not available)

BONUS CUTS:
Nina Simone's 'Sinnerman' was a popular track to cover by reggae artists (like many soul singles from the United States). Peter Tosh delivers a classic cover with the slightly rewritten 'Downpressor Man' while Tosh's one time collaborators Bob Marley and the Wailers delivered their own 'Sinner Man'.