Back with another Dr. Dre Sample Saturday.  According to his words, the man had something major to prove with this project.

“For the last couple of years, there’s been a lot of talk out on the streets about whether or not I can still hold my own, whether or not I’m still good at producing. That was the ultimate motivation for me. Magazines, word of mouth and rap tabloids were saying I didn’t have it any more. What more do I need to do? How many platinum records have I made? O.K., here’s the album — now what do you have to say?” – Dr. Dre on 2001

I never doubted him personally, but those that did better have smartened up after their first listen of 2001. Generally speaking, Dre’s production on this album brought back the West Coast sound and saved the style from perpetual obscurity.  ”Xxplosive” personifies everything a typical West Coast joint should represent; a laid back crisp beat, gangsta lyrics, and of course a Nate Dogg feature. This track always stood out on the album because it’s the only song that doesn’t feature a verse from Dre himself. Instead the underrated trio of Hittman, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg take the reigns and destroy one of the standout records on 2001.

“Xxplosive” features an interesting sample from the Soul Mann and The Brothers song “Bumpy’s Lament”.  This song was originally composed and performed by Isaac Hayes for the Shaft soundtrack. Soul Mann and The Brothers produced a cover album of the soundtrack which contained the version of “Bumpy’s Lament” that Dre decided to use.  In true Doctor fashion he had the sample replayed professionally, giving him the flexibility to make it his own.  The bell melody counters the guitar riffs perfectly… great music. (P.Walsh/K.Casey)

Soul Mann and The Brothers – Bumpy’s Lament

Dr. Dre – Xxplosive

Sample Saturday appears courtesy of KevinCaseyMusic and Et Musique Pour Tous

I’ve never dropped “California Love” at a party and gotten a negative reaction, and I’ve probably played it a few hundred times over the last ten years.  There’s something undeniably special about this record that made it 2Pac’s most well-known of his career.  It was originally recorded with three verses from Dr. Dre, and wasn’t until 2Pac heard the raw session that he asked to be put on the song.  To add to the popularity of the song was the Hype Williams produced video, with a futuristic theme inspired by the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.  The big budget visual for the song pretty much made its way onto every all time Best Rap Video list.

I was surprised to learn that Dr. Dre only produced two tracks on Pac’s double disc All Eyez on Me. When broken down, it is pretty clear that his use of various samples on “California Love” is one of the greatest ever.  The first is Joe Cocker’s “Woman to Woman”, which provides the main groove for the beat; a jumpy piano and horn loop.  The “California, knows how to party…” hook idea is taken from the 1:09 mark of the ultra funky record “West Coast Poplock” by Ronnie Hudson & The Street People.  Lastly, the “shake it, shake it baby” chant is sung by Roger Troutman through a vocoder, where he is actually just interpolating similar riffs that he performed on his band Zapp’s single “Dance Floor.”  How Dr. Dre successfully created a record that seamlessly blended the highlights of all these classics is hard to understand, and in the end just one of the production credits that makes him the legend that he is.

2Pac ft. Dr. Dre – California Love

Joe Cocker – Woman To Woman

Ronnie Hudson & The Street People – West Coast Poplock

Zapp – Dance Floor

via KevinCaseyMusic and Et Musique Pour Tous

EMPT put up my Black Ivory / Raekwon entry this week, so on here I figured I would re-post one of my favorites from the Sample Saturday series.

Dr. Dre’s production used to be more sample heavy in the 90′s compared to his recent work.  Nowadays he is more likely to have studio musicians replay samples, giving him more flexibility for arranging the elements.  Although he may not be known as a “sample” producer, Dre has indeed dug up countless amounts of dusty records and crafted them into hits, dating back to his NWA days.  Unlike a lot of other producers, Dre seems to elevate his samples to a new level … he makes them sound “now” … and big (huge actually).

When I accidentally came across David McCallum’s “The Edge” years ago, my ears went into high alert. Turns out McCallum is better known for his acting as a star in the 1960′s television series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and also as a key character in the current drama NCIS.  Also a classically trained musician, McCallum teamed up with producer David Axelrod and put out a total of four studio albums in the 1960′s on Capitol records.  His best known musical work to date is “The Edge,” this being due to its use by Dr. Dre, who turned it into the smash hit “The Next Episode.”  For the intro to the song, and in between verses, he used a sped up rendition of the opening 2 bars, attached with the 2 bars that come in at 0:21. The main riff for the song is heard at the 0:05 mark, and that makes up the verse.  The result – one of the greatest hip hop party records of all time.

David McCallum – The Edge

Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg – The Next Episode

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 I stated in an earlier post, “Regulate” is my all time favorite record from the left coast.  In 1994 I was just getting started with my hip hop obsession, and the sound my ears were accustomed to at that point was Rza beats and Wu lyrics.  When I heard “Regulate” for the first time (Above The Rim soundtrack) I was captured by how melodic the vocals were and also the different style of production.  Not to mention, it was one of the first times I heard Nate Dogg, whose voice and delivery was unlike any artist I had heard before, especially on a hip hop record.  Even Warren G’s rap parts had tone to them, making the whole song feel like a long catchy hook.  The critics agree; the Grammy nominated record is a certified classic that raised the musical bar for West Coast hip hop.

First of all… that’s Warren G on the beat, so let’s all stop sleeping on him as a producer, especially when he pulled off one of the greatest feats of combining samples in the history of the art form itself. When initially hearing the song, I would have never guessed that the two main melodies in the beat were actually sampled from different records.  When “Regulate” begins we hear the high pitched lead from the 0:02 mark of Bob James’ “Sign Of The Times” combined with some keyboard overdubs.  Then when the beat drops at 0:20, Warren G brings in the 4 bar electric piano loop from “I Keep Forgettin” by Michael McDonald.  It’s not until 1:40 that we get to hear the two elements together, which work seamlessly in tempo and pitch.  This masterful manipulation of these two samples is just one of the special things going on in this all-time classic.  What have we learned?…”Rhythm is Life, and Life is Rhythm.”

Sample Saturday is sponsored by Et Musique Pour Tous

Michael McDonald – I Keep Forgettin’

Bob James – Sign of The Times

Warren G ft. Nate Dogg – Regulate

When Death Row released 2Pac’s Greatest Hits, the double-disc contained four previously unheard records; one of those being “Changes.”  It quickly became one of the most notable and popular records of his career.  Pac discusses a bunch of issues that were related to his era of influence in the game; including racism, poverty, police brutality, and gangs.  Being released posthumously, it’s almost as if he was looking back, and addressing those issues that showed little progress or change during his lifetime. Reasons like this make “Changes” one of the greatest hip hop records of all time (yea I said it).  Before the third verse, Pac takes 8 bars off from rapping to lend a few spoken words, getting right to the point of his message.

“It’s time for us as a people to start making some changes.  Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way live, and let’s change the way we treat each other.  See the old way wasn’t working so it’s on us to do what we gotta do…. to survive.”

The foundation of this classic record is built on the music of another classic record, “The Way It Is” by Bruce Hornsby and The Range.  Beyond just a musical backdrop, the sample is also a song that addresses the civil rights movement, and the disparity between rich and poor in America.  The lyrics suggest that “some things will never change” if we don’t take active steps on our own to facilitate change itself.  The piano was replayed for the 2Pac version, giving the producer more flexibility in arrangement. With a keyboard lead, strings, and layers of male and female vocal riffs, the beat was ready.  They kept the tempo pretty much the same as the Hornsby version, which was very up-tempo as far as rap records went in that time period.  After 2Pac did his part, the end result was a record of legendary status, and a social commentary that will remain relevant for generations to come.

Bruce Hornsby – The Way It Is

2Pac – Changes

So far with Sample Saturday, we have discussed mostly records used from the 60′s and 70′s.  Today for a change, I figured I would uncover a sample from the 90′s. Chronic 2001 is one of my favorite hip hop albums to this day, and the more I learn about the way it was put together, the more I am impressed with the mastermind Dr. Dre.  ”Forgot About Dre” was the second single, and the most successful, earning Dre and Eminem a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.  The record lashes out at Dre’s critics, announces his return to the game, and reminds listeners of his many influences on the culture of rap music.  Who can argue with him?  We also get to hear Eminem in full-fledged Slim Shady mode, describing himself choking out passing pedestrians with candy bars… amongst other things.

My favorite part of the song was always when a cool guitar riff joins in at the 1:54 mark, just as Eminem explains “and when the cops came through, me and Dre stood next to a burnt down house…”  The idea for the guitar, which is a one time occurrence in the record, was taken from the song “The Climb,” off of No Doubt’s 1995 album Tragic Kingdom.  The sample is a small part of the overall sound, but I would not be surprised if it was the piece that Dre originally built the beat around, which would explain the choice of an unusually slow tempo for his production.  No one can mess with the Doctor on the boards, and when he drops Detox this year (fingers crossed), it will be a another reminder to anyone that has forgotten about Dre.

No Doubt – The Climb

Dr. Dre ft. Eminem – Forgot About Dre

When All Eyez on Me came out in 1996, I was in middle school, and was still getting familiar with hip hop as a genre.  For years, all I listened to was the east coast heavy hitters of the time, and it took me a while to really give Pac the proper attention.  I still consider myself underexposed to Pac’s music, which is my own fault.  I guess the growing up in New York thing left me coast-bias deep down.  Although it took me a while, I eventually gave All Eyes on Me the attention it deserves, and I understand why it is so highly acclaimed.  It’s not that other rappers don’t touch on the same subjects as Pac, it’s just that they don’t do it nearly as well.  On “Life Goes On,” the subject is losing a close friend, that friend being his lifetime partner Kato.  I listened to this song regularly after my boy DaVaughn died a few years back.

“Life as a baller, alcohol and booty calls, we used to do them as adolescents do you recall.”

The beat was made by Pac’s long time producer Johnny “J”, who produced a total of ten tracks on the double disc All Eyez on Me. He used various parts and loops of the opening sequence of “Brandy” by The O’Jays to create the basic framework, but elevated the track with live guitar licks and smooth female vocal riffs.  Exactly seven months after the album release, Pac was gunned down.  A few years ago, Johhny “J” died in a Los Angeles prison in an apparent suicide.  With both producer and artist passed away, the music certainly goes on, as this record manages to stand out amongst Pac’s large catalogue of music.

Sample Saturday is sponsored by Et Musique Pour Tous.

The O’Jays – Brandy

2Pac – Life Goes On

“I Ain’t Mad at Cha” is Pac’s tribute to the friends and family that he knew before becoming famous.  He speaks on losing touch with certain people from his past, and also being treated differently after achieving his success… but overall, he ain’t mad.  Daz Dillinger used the melodies from “A Dream” by DeBarge to construct the beat, and Danny Boy provided the soulful vocals for the hook.  2Pac wrote on a deeper level than his peers, this record is a great example of that.

2Pac – I Ain’t Mad at Cha

If songs went to the Hall of Fame then this record would be a first ballot inductee.  It stuck out when I heard it because it had more melody than the New York stuff I was bumping back then… I was hooked. My favorite of all time from the other side.

“G-funk.  Where rhythm is life.  And life is rhythm.”

Warren G ft. Nate Dogg – Regulate