[above: a DaVaughn Blakney profile picture] Ok, here we go… First of all welcome to any new visitors, but this post is for everyone that checks up on the site regularly, and has been left song-less as of late. I want to be one to make music, and not blog about it… and honestly that thought sometimes resonates in my head.  I see now that I am just lucky to have a platform to share great songs with people, and actually have them listen.  At the end of the day, being a fan of music is what made me want to make my own… so, “I’m Back” -Eddie Kendrick.

Yesterday, I got the pleasure of being with a bunch of old friends at the Marina in Yonkers for the annual Diddy Day.  It’s been 3 years since we lost him.  Diddy was too big of a personality to ever be forgotten, and that’s why we miss him like we do.  Lucky for you guys he had a good ear for classic street records, and “Dope Money” was one that got several hundred plays in his Maxima.  To be honest, I actually feel the closest to Diddy when listening to The Lox. Certain bars more than others.

“Pull over where the hustlers be : And why’s that? : Cuz I get chills, when you talk of hustling keys”

The Lox – Dope Money

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

Couple days ago my dad had an important surgery, with an important positive outcome.  Like all else, he faced the situation bravely, and was able to come out of it a winner.  I always talk about how I grind hard, because I want to win, and when I say this I am generally referring to my music.  When I think about how far my dad has come, the years of work he has put in to build for his future, and the type of life and family he now has, it is clear that there is a greater meaning to winning – and that the real measure is happiness.  My dad has achieved that, and as he always says, all that matters to him is that me and my two sisters are happy and doing what we love.  Again, he wins.  Lastly, whatever I am able to accomplish in music I owe to my dad, who always had a record playing in the house while I was growing up. Those records will forever remind me of being a kid.  (Especially all the classic MJ).  Anything I do musically and in life… is dedicated to my dad.

Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal

I remember walking into Buckwild’s studio one night late last year just to bullshit with the master himself and talk music, and I asked as I always do “Anything been coming out that you’re feeling?”  He asked “You heard that new Jay Electronica?”  I had not – so he put me on.  Just Blaze flipped the sample into something that sounded classic yet brand new, and the lyrics had me stuck on each word.  I hear a lot of new records on a day to day, but there was no doubt that this one stood out.  In an unorthodox release strategy it was put on iTunes in December of ‘09 as an EP with clean and explicit versions plus the instrumental.  That instrumental eventually would be rapped on by half the industry, until the point of exhaustion if you ask me.  Nonetheless, the single set a very high standard for Jay Electronica to maintain.  For the New Orleans born rapper with a New York delivery, it will not be an easy feat.

The first part of the Billy Stewart sample that is used is taken from the 1:52 mark, and those 4 bars are then repeated with some type of flanger effect added to the whole intro.  Then the sample from the beginning of the record (0:02) starting with “Cross my heart that I’m…” is brought in, which leads into the drums.  The majority of the beat is then based of that same sample being looped and chopped in a few different ways.  Every 16 bars or so, Just Blaze freaks the Billy Stewart record even more, as he uses smaller chops to construct what we hear at the 1:17 mark of “Exhibit C.”  That extra little part to me, is what takes the beat and the entire record to a different level.

Billy Stewart – Cross My Heart

Jay Electronica – Exhibit C (prod. Just Blaze)

“Victory” is as epic as it gets when it comes to rap records, and this larger than life feel all started with the sample, and the genius mind of composer Bill Conti.  Studying at the Juilliard School of Music, Conti mastered his craft, and was more than prepared when hired in 1976 to compose the music for a relatively small budget film called Rocky.  As we all know, Rocky became a mega-hit, grossing more money than any other film that year, winning 3 Oscars (including Best Picture), and eventually becoming one of the most iconic motion pictures in American history.  The producers made back the budget a few hundred times over and the theme song “Gonna Fly Now” hit number one on the Billboard charts…Conti had done his job.  As you might expect he went on to compose the music for Rocky II (’79), Rocky III (’82), Rocky V (’90), and even Rocky Balboa (’06).  Conti achieved great success in creating music for several other films and television shows, but his fame will always be attached to what he accomplished with the unforgettable soundtrack and score to the original Rocky.

“Victory” starts out the same way as “Going The Distance” until we hear Puffy’s adlibs.  Before the drums drop, musically both records are very similar, with the exception of the “Victory” beat looping a few bar and 2 bar sequences to draw out the progression.  Biggie’s verse comes in with the kick and snare, and is comprised mostly of the 2 bar loop taken from the 0:32 mark of the sample.  No discredit to the producers, but minus a flurry of hi-hats and some other drums, the power of the “Victory” beat comes almost entirely from the work done by Bill Conti (I recommend listening to the whole piece).  The work of Christopher Wallace is what makes the record itself a classic.

Bill Conti – Going The Distance

Puff Daddy & The Family – Victory

This is a repost from October, just felt the need to put it up again.  You and me.

“At the dark end of the street… That’s where we always meet.  Hiding in shadows where we don’t belong…Living in darkness to hide our wrong”

Aretha Franklin – Dark End of the Street

Here’s a track off of Quincy Jones’ Big Band Bossa Nova album. Very fitting album title. This man has come as close as one can to perfecting the art of sound.  Smooth music.

Quincy Jones – Maho De Carneval

I have mentioned Et Musiqe Pour Tous before on here, but I’d like to revisit the fact that this site is one of the best on the web.  Listen to the radio to learn the songs everyone knows, go to EMPT to learn the songs everyone should know.  Its a good look for your musical taste, so get re-familiar.

Merry Christmas to all my viewers, I appreciate your support and hope you continue to enjoy the music on this site.  I have been able to take the last few days away from the computer, without my usual “I should be working” anxiety that I experience often in social situations.  This time of year always reminds me of how blessed I am to have great family and friends – they are my inspiration.

Stevie Wonder – A Warm Little Home on a Hill

I am lucky to have a great father, who has supported me since day one, and has been the single largest influence on who I am as a person today.  My earliest memories of my dad involve him constantly playing music in the house, and one record that sticks out in my mind (amongst many) is West Side Story.  From a very young age I heard these songs over and over again … unaware that I was actually starting to familiarize myself with the genius of Leonard Bernstein.  Twenty-some odd years later I have learned many of his compositions, and am able to further appreciate his work.

“…one of the most prodigally talented and successful musicians in American history.” – New York Times

There are numerous songs from West Side Story that are very widely known, but I figured I would make more of an unpredictable choice.  The “Dance at the Gym” is where the Jets and Sharks, accompanied by their lady friends, meet up and actually at one point dance battle. It is made up of four different pieces of music (reminder, Bernstein is on another level).  If you enjoy impressive musical arrangements, this should blow you away.

Dance at the Gym