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

First off, the Geto Boys album cover is one of the rawest ever. After a long night of drug abuse, member Bushwick Bill shot himself after his girlfriend refused to do so.  This photo was taken after he was brought to the hospital and was used for the album – insane.  On to the music… The Geto Boys are one of the most influential groups in rap history, and along with groups like UGK, put Southern hip-hop on the map.  The group changed members on more than one occasion, but found their most success with members Bushwick Bill, Willie D and Scarface (the real“King of the South”).  In 1992 they released their single “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” which reached number one on the charts and cemented the Geto Boys place in hip-hop history. Packed with paranoia, violence, and hallucinations, the song features some of the haunting storytelling of which the Geto Boys became known for.

The song features a sample from Isaac Hayes’s “Hung Up On My Baby”, a track where Hayes shows off his arrangement and composing ability which made Black Moses one of the greatest musicians ever. Laced with Hayes’s alluring guitar riffs, the Geto Boys turned his gem into a classic of their own.  The sampled record contains so many ill loops, there is enough material to make 5 dope beats, at least.  The Geto Boys use the loop at 0:10 for the main sections of the verses, and then the loop at 0:29 for the hook, which contains a melody catchy enough to whistle along with.  I mean, who’s fucking with Isaac Hayes when it comes to providing samples for classic hip hop records… no one? (P.Walsh / K.Casey)

Isaac Hayes – Hung Up On My Baby

Geto Boys – Mind Playing Tricks On Me

via KevinCaseyMusic and Et Musique Pour Tous

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…

Before Ice Cube was acting in children’s movies, he was the head lyricist of the most notorious hip-hop group to ever do it, N.W.A.  After Cube split from the legendary crew, he launched a successful, and controversial solo career that has featured 9 albums, and countless guest features with every major player in hip-hop. Cube’s versatility has allowed him to remain relevant as hip-hop has drastically evolved since the 1980s.  On “It Was a Good Day”, Cube exhibits another aspect that has made him a legend in the game; storytelling.  Here he explains why this particular rap story was different from the rest…

“The inspiration was my life at the time … I was at the top of the rap game. It was the summer of ’92 and I was in a hotel room, really in a state of euphoria. I had all the money I had dreamed of. I was in a good frame of mind. And I remember thinking, ‘Okay, there’s been the riots, people know I will deal with that. That’s a given. But I rap all this gangsta stuff – what about all the good days I had?”

The Isley Brothers have been sampled on countless records, but “It Was a Good Day” is certainly one of the flyest of the batch.  The sampled song “Footsteps in The Dark” provides a stellar groove right from the beginning of the record, that left little to be done as far as sample manipulation.  The loop is continuous, and along with a few other obscure chops, it provides the appropriate background for a great story.  The lead guitar riff tells a story on its own, and together the sample and lyrics are the perfect match.  Also, can’t forget the visual for this West Coast classic (P. Walsh/K. Casey).

The Isley Brothers – Footsteps in the Dark

Ice Cube – It Was a Good Day

brought to you by KevinCaseyMusic.com 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 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

Before the South really “came up” and started their domination of the hip-hop charts, Scarface was holding it down for H-Town like a true OG.  There are a few dudes in the industry that command a certain level of respect from their peers that is unanimous, Face being one of them.  My favorite of his albums is his seventh, The Fix, which gave him the most crossover exposure with singles such as “My Block”, “In Between Us” featuring Nas, and “Guess Who’s Back” featuring Hov.  As a southern artist in 2002, only Scarface had the respect from the industry to land such heavyweight guest appearances, especially ones from the East Coast.  Jay-Z talks over the 16 bar intro of the record, as the suspense builds leading into his verse.

“Guess who’s bizzack?  Still smell the crack in my clothes, don’t make me have to relapse on you hoes.”

As far as the production, it was one of Kanye’s first classics, even getting a shoutout from Jay.  Yeezy masterfully used the first four bars of “Sunrise” by The Originals to create a powerful 16 bar sequence with drums reminiscent of Dr. Dre’s “Xxplosive”.  The first bar of the sample is looped for twelve bars, the third looped for the next three, and then finally the fourth bar is sampled to finish up the sequence, accented by Kanye’s snare/clap eighth notes.  Beans and Scarface sound great on the same record, and Jay spits a memorable verse even for his standards.  As a DJ, the record is a good pick for any party as it seems to gain a positive reaction from club goers and hip hop heads alike.

The Originals – Sunsire

Scarface ft. Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel

Sample Saturday is sponsored by Et Musique Pour Tous

As far as Wu-Tang solo albums go, I would have to say that Supreme Clientele is among the top 3.  The beats are crazy throughout, and although RZA only produced 4 tracks, you can hear his overall influence as executive producer.  His hand in the mixing helped the production from lesser known beat-makers achieve the certified Shaolin sound.  Sonically it is a true Wu-Tang album, achieved through a solo project, as was the case with Only Built For Cuban Linx.  Supreme Clientele was released in 2000, but clearly carried over the energy that was 90’s New York hip-hop.

“One” was produced by JuJu, and is simply made up of a loop from the 1:04 point of “You Roam When You Don’t Get it At Home” ending with the one. Using the same sample in a more involved way, one of my partners Dub Sonata created a track for a Double A.B. record based on a true story called “Dedication.”  Dub makes use of some other high potent segments, such as 0:46 which has the title of the song being sung first as a solo, second with harmony (he uses both parts).  Listen for small vocal chops from 0:11 and 0:16 being blended in at various moments, plus the sequence at 0:25 to switch things up arrangement wise.  To top it all off, Dub uses the one sample to end each hook.  Get all that? I’ll refrain from explaining the other ten chops he used.  That’s why he’s one of the illest when it comes to the samples. His full-instrumental album, Nights In Cuba is being released on iTunes this fall.

Sweet Inspirations – You Roam When You Don’t Get it At Home

Ghostface – One

BONUS: Double A.B. – Dedication [prod. Dub Sonata]

Sample Saturday is brought to you by KevinCaseyMusic and Et Musique Pour Tous

Some records are released, gain momentum in the clubs, stay hot for a while, and then fizzle out.  Other records have a timeless quality to them and remain relevant for years, maybe even decades.  Then there are rare cases like “Luchini” which seem to not only stay hot, but somehow gain popularity in surges more than ten years after coming out.  This record is so hot, you can play it at a trendy lounge in manhattan, a hood club spot in Brooklyn, or a house party in the Bronx.  I can’t necessarily speak for the rest of the world, but basically what I’m saying is in New York City, “Luchini” is Hall of Fame status.  The Bronx duo released their debut album Uptown Saturday Night in 1997, which had other quality joints including “Swing”, the B-Side to “Luchini” (another Bronx Music Factory vinyl purchase of mine).  The album had a very cool jazzy vibe to it, with hard hitting drums courtesy of the homey Ski.

Ski, aka Ski Beats, is most known for his work on Reasonable Doubt, including records such as “Dead Presidents” and “Feelin’ It”.  In my opinion, “Luchini” is his most memorable production to date.  He takes a sped up loop from the intro of “Adventues in the Land of Music” and makes the backdrop for an all-time classic.  Over the loop he lays a rocking kick and snare combo, plus a sporadic sampled bell which hops up and down in pitch to match the key of the beat.  Camp Lo hasn’t hit another record like “Luchini” since it’s release, although they can basically travel around performing that one record still for many years to come.

Dynasty – Adventures in the Land of Music

Camp Lo – Luchini

Sample Saturday is brought to you by Kevin Casey Music and EMPT.com