When Pimp C and Bun B started pushing their music around the bottom of the map, Southern hip hop was barely being heard in the rest of the country.  UGK not only contributed to the eventual growth of the South, but they put Texas rap on the radar of the mainstream with the Jay-Z collabo “Big Pimpin”.  One Day is a slept-on record off of their album Ridin’ Dirty built off of a super-soulful Isley Brothers sample. You know the rest — Rest In Peace Pimp C. UGK 4 Life.

UGK- One Day

In 2002, Nas found inspiration in his feud with Hova and his own mother’s passing to drop his most personal album to date, God’s Son. The album covers themes such as religion, violence, and his own emotional experiences during that time.  In a period where most artists were going the safe route when picking beats for their albums, Nas went the other way and used non-mainstream hip-hop producers like Alchemist and Salaam Remi. The result was one of Nas’ most revealing work, and was generally well received amongst fans and critics.

“Now let’s get it all in perspective, for all yall enjoyment made a song yall could step with.”

“Made You Look” was the first single off of God’s Son and brought forth a very classic hip hop vibe.  The song was produced by one of my personal favorites Salaam Remi, who also did 5 other cuts on the album, and is most recently responsible for the modern-day classic “All I Want Is You”.  In a very interesting video interview that inspired this post, Remi speaks on the making of “Made You Look” and how the Incredible Bong Band’s “Apache” sample he was chopping was intended for…. Ricky Martin, of course.  In a technique he says he picked up from Large Professor, he slowed down the sample to make sure his chops were perfect, and in doing so heard the loop as it is on the Nas record.  I will always remember the day I first heard this bump because it was unlike any other singles coming out at that time.  It was a risk, it was a statement, and it worked.

Incredible Bongo Band – Apache

Nas- Made You Look

via KevinCaseyMusic and Et Musique Pour Tous

So here comes Wiz Khalifa with something supposedly off his album, music by Norwegian production team Stargate (hit records with Ne-Yo, Trey Songz, Rihanna, ect…).  If you don’t know about this kid, then start with the information that he likes to roll up, he and his Taylor Gang have independently navigated their way to the main stage, and that he is from Pittsburgh but to me sounds like he grew up on Too Short’s block.  This record goes hard plain and simple.  ”Everything I do, I doo-it biiig!”

Wiz Khalifa – Black and Yellow

My good friend and inspiring peer DJ Wristpect put me onto the talents of Rich Kidd a few years back. This kid is from Toronto, he makes some of the best beats I’ve heard, and he is a dynamic MC.  He recently put out Volume 4 of his We On Some Rich Kidd Shit series.  You can also download the previous volumes here to give you the whole collection.  With superior talent and a great vision for his own sound, Rich Kidd will continue to come up on all of us.  So, listen to what the song says.

Rich Kidd – Don’t Sleep On Me

And September begins… Before autotune invaded hip-hop, rappers would actually sing on tracks without the help of technology. Bone Thugs have one of the most unique styles we’ve heard from any group, in that they both harmonize and rap on the same record… exceptionally well.  Their rapid flow was aggressive and smooth at the same time, a style that has influenced countless artists.  And after all, it is the…

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony- 1st Of The Month

After being the only other MC on Nas’s classic Illmatic, it seemed that AZ was destined to become one of the faces of hip-hop music. Even after releasing classic album after classic album, he never reached the commercial success that once seemed inevitable. Despite the lack of mainstream notoriety, AZ never leaves his fans disappointed and is one of the most consistent MCs in the game. Whether it be a solo album, a collaboration project, or a freestyle, AZ always brings his best to the table which is why he is so respected amongst his peers and fans alike. Many call AZ underrated, however, all hip-hop heads know that he is one of the illest to ever do it.

“Problems” is a track off of AZ’s 2001 effort, 9 Lives. The song was produced by C.H.O.P. Diesel and features a crazy sample from the El Debarge song “All This Love“. The hook is built off the eight bars starting at 0:11, and layered with some banging drums to bring it into the hip-hop realm.  The verses and also the intro of “Problems” is constructed very skillfully using small chops from 0:09 and also snippets from the downbeat of certain bars during the hook.  One of AZ’s most well-known tracks, and a timeless record at that.  Also track 6 off of a great mixtape by the name of Live From New York. (K.Casey / P.Walsh)

El DeBarge – All This Love

AZ – Problems

via KevinCaseyMusic and Et Musique Pour Tous…

As Sample Saturday proceeds to give you what you need… By 1995, Hip-hop music had infiltrated American mainstream media and was dominating airwaves and selling out arenas acround the globe. Albums like The Chronic, Doggystyle, Illmatic and Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers were tearing up the charts and selling out record stores. Despite overwhleming success and wealth, battle lines were drawn, and with the help of media hype, the “East Coast vs. West Coast” beef was in full effect. The top MCs from both coasts were creating songs aimed at dissing their counterparts, with each track packing extremely violent and threatening undertones.  During the feud Bad Boy released the now classic record “Who Shot Ya”, with Biggie seemingly mocking 2Pac’s shooting and only adding fuel to the fire of the coastal battle. Despite Puff consistently denying that the song was aimed at ‘Pac, the damage was already done, and “Who Shot Ya” is now heralded as one of the greatest diss records of all time.

Production wise, no one was touching Bad Boy Records during the early to mid nineties. Puff Daddy assembled an all-star cast of beatmakers who created an endless list of hits during the golden years of Hip-Hop, and in the process defining the Bad Boy sound. “Who Shot Ya” was produced by Nasheim Myrick, who is one half of the superproducing team “The Hitmen”.  To catch the break used from David Porter’s “The Masquerade Is Over” you have to fast forward all the way to the 4:45 mark, where you will hear the instantly recognizable drums and piano.  A lot of the best chops are found deep into records, which shows you that the producer was really digging.  ”Who Shot Ya” is a piece of Hip Hop history… and like alot of the other pieces, it started with a great sample. (P. Walsh/K. Casey)

David Porter – The Masquerade Is Over

Notorious B.I.G. – Who Shot Ya

brought to you by KevinCaseyMusic and Et Musique Pour Tous

The Surf Club is riding a huge wave of momentum these days, and it is much deserved.  Chase N’ Cashe’s LOVEnd instrumental album has been a big inspiration to me for the last few months when I need to get my mind in beat-making mode.  Surf Club artist Kent Money dropped his free EP Becoming this week to a huge positive reception.  With Hit-Boy, Boi-1da, and Chase N’ Cashe on the production end, musically the project is set up for success.  A high quality download that I support very much.  Oh yea, and the lil’ princess HustleGRL on the artwork.

Kent Money – Truth [prod. Chase N Cashe]

The same day New York City witnessed the fall of the Twin Towers, Jay-Z released his masterpiece The Blueprint. Facing two criminal charges, one for gun possession, the other for assault, as well as beefs with Nas, Prodigy, and Jadakiss, the odds were certainly stacked against Hov. However, as he is known to do, Jay triumphed with his back against the wall and set a new bar for any rapper dropping an album for the next decade. The Blueprint sold 426,000 copies in one of the most chaotic weeks in American history, eventually went double platinum, received an “XXL” rating in XXL Magazine, and a “5 Mic” review in The Source. A certified success.

“One of the greatest poets ever to pick up a mic released his magnum opus in 2001. One retirement and one un-retirement later, it’s still his finest hour.” -Entertainment Weekly

Production wise, The Blueprint is a pure gem, and one of the most perfectly constructed hip-hop albums of all time. During the late 90’s, producers shied away from using samples in their music due to copyright issues and the popularity of synth heavy beats grew.  The Blueprint brought back the sampling sound and established Kanye West and Just Blaze as two of the best producers in the game. On “Momma Loves Me”, the lesser known Bink goes in with a classic Al Green sample and some brilliant drum programming.  I really like how the first eight bars of the record are laid out. First we get to hear the drums on their own, made up of a banging kick and rimshot combo plus a deep 808 every other bar to rattle the system.  Echoes of Al Green chops come in to play on the fifth bar, and then on the seventh we hear the chop that really defines the feel of the beat.  On the vocal end, Hov recalls how he got to where he is and thanks everybody that has helped him along the way, a fitting ending to an epic song-by-song journey through the mind of Jay-Z.

By: Kevin Casey and Pete Walsh.

Al Green – Free At Last

Jay-Z – Momma Loves Me

Brought to you by KevinCaseyMusic.com and Et Musique Pour Tous

Since I left you guys hanging last weekend, I figured I would throw in an extra Sample Saturday Day for you to enjoy.  This comes courtesy of myself and my writing partner in crime, Pete Walsh.  (I see you Roy)

Melvin Bliss, who passed this week, was a relatively obscure and unknown singer during the 1970’s. However, his throwaway B-side, “Synthetic Substitution” became one of the most important records in hip-hop history. The impact of this record on hip-hop is unparalleled. Equipped with an instantly recognizable drum break, the song has been used for over ninety tracks (yes ninety), including popular joints such as Naughty By Nature’s “O.P.P.” and Public Enemy’s “Don’t Believe the Hype”.  Bliss never found great success during the time of his career, and it wasn’t until roughly 20 years later that, to quote the song, “Synthetic Substitution has taken over this land.”

When it came to the “chopping” of this record, there was really not much science to it except to lift the infectious drum break and loop it up to the desired tempo. Among the ninety plus tracks that sampled this break were two classic joints from two classic groups.  First we have the Premo produced “DWYCK”, which is a beat created entirely of these drums and Premier’s signature scratches.  Our second choice to post is the opening track off the almighty 36 Chambers. As you would expect, RZA brings in the break in an unorthodox way, cutting certain kicks out of the sequence to give it his own groove.  No matter how the break was flipped, it always provided for banging drums every time it was used. Melvin Bliss may fade into obscurity in the wide scope, but will remain forever relevant in the hip-hop community.

Melvin Bliss – Synthetic Substitution

Gang Starr – DWYCK

Wu-Tang Clan – Bring Da Ruckus