Boom Bap Circa '81 - 'UFO' & The Chocolate Boy Wonder

ESG - 'UFO'
taken from A South Bronx Story (Universal, 2000)

ESG - 'UFO' @ 33rpm

My recent journeys through sample sources have opened my ears to a wide variety of incredible music from the past that I feel excited to have discovered, but no break that I have come across has intrigued me as much as ESG's 'UFO' taken from their self-titled debut EP from 1981. Made up of three South Bronx dwelling sisters and a close personal friend, Wikipedia cites the band as an 'art-funk ensemble' that could also be considered 'post-punk' or 'post-disco'. To be honest with you, I'm not even sure what these terms are meant to mean, and I don't know enough about the band themselves or music of that period in more general terms to fully gauge where they would fit into the wide spectrum of music of that era. However, from a hip hop enthusiast's perspective there is an element to their song 'UFO' that is nothing short of mind-blowing, pre-empting a sound that would dominate hip hop during its most creatively productive and downright bangin' period. Boom bap in 1981? You betcha.

The song's allegiance with this particular sound actually came about by accident. In its original form the track is a high tempo instrumental number permeated by distorted guitars and prominent drums, but the simple act of selecting 33rpm on your 1200s instead of the intended 45rpm changes the nature of the song and heralds its transformation into a very different beast. Sampled heavily over the course of hip hop history, the whirring guitar track that opens the song becomes more like a siren with the change in the song's speed, a noise that you will find remarkably familiar through its incorporation into banger after banger over the years. At 33rpm, you could be forgiven for mistaking 'UFO' as something Buckwild put together in his heyday such is its similarity to the sparse, gritty soundscapes that define the era in which he was at his most prolific. A musical accident it may be, but it is a delightful one that will leave you aghast at the fact that something produced in 1981 could have such a close proximity in sound to a phase in hip hop that would not come about until almost a decade later.

A Taste Of NY's Finest - '914'






















Pete Rock - '914' ft. Styles P & Sheek Louch
taken from 914 12'' (Nature Sounds, 2007)

The 'UFO' break leads me conveniently on to some of Pete Rock's latest material, the only piece of vinyl I copped whilst over in NYC whose a-side uses the sample to great effect. I realise that I'm a little late on this one as the single has been out for a while, but it surprises me that it hasn't received more exposure on the blog circuit given both Pete Rock's legendary status and the quality of the 12'' as a whole. Both sides of the wax are highly enjoyable affairs that adhere closely to Pete Rock's signature production style, and if these songs are an indication of the quality that will be found on the upcoming album, NY's Finest promises to be killer.

'914' is a bouncy, hard-hitting number that relies on its simplicity and sense of momentum to succeed. The use of the 'UFO' sample is a bold statement that almost seems like a message to those less established in the game, Pete's way of affirming that he really is the finest that New York has to offer. In eschewing the tendency to avoid often used breaks Pete successfully attests that quality hip hop needn't be contrived or overly complicated and '914' is his proof: it's simple, it's clean and it's bangin'. The verses from former LOX members Styles P and Sheek Louch are nothing to write home about, but the rhymes are decent enough to ride the beat and inoffensive enough so as not to detract from the slammin' instrumental track below.

I don't think there is an official release date for NY's Finest yet, but believe me, when I know, you'll know. Although there have been some quality album releases this year, none of them have roused anywhere near the sense of excitement and anticipation that I have felt by the thought of a new Pete Rock album. Maybe it's just a case of being an over-excited fanatic, but I hold a confidence that NY's Finest could be something special: let's hope this sentiment isn't misplaced. Bring it on... I'm ready Pete!