Forever To The East - 'Go On & Cry' Sample

Les McCann - 'Go On & Cry'
taken from Another Beginning (Atlantic, 1974)

Lords Of The Underground - 'No Pain' ft. Sah-B
taken from Keepers Of The Funk (Capitol, 1994)

Cella Dwellas - 'Good Dwellas'
taken from Realms 'N Reality (RCA, 1996)

Dream Warriors - 'California Dreamin''
taken from Subliminal Stimulation (Capitol, 1995)

My learning curve over the last six months or so with regards to sample sources has been incredibly steep, and I'm still at the stage where I regularly stumble across artists who I had previously never heard of only to realise that brief moments of their music already fill me with a sense of glowing familiarity. Les McCann is the latest member of this group, and I feel somewhat embarrassed that I've never come across his work before as he has been recording music for nearly 50 years and has at stages achieved significant commercial successes. Although I know very little about him, listening to his 1974 album Another Beginning has inspired me to dig a little deeper into his work, and like so many of his other releases, it has been mined by some of the more discerning hip hop producers in the game since the early '90s. 'Go On & Cry' is a nice little soul/jazz number that is reflective of the album's sound as a whole, and despite a tendency towards the corny, it is a release that I would recommend you familiarise yourself with as a jumping off point into his wider discography: it's been serving me well over the last week or so.

It's the initial eight bars that are the key focus for the sample spotters amongst you, a soothing intro to the song that features a melodic keys track and lilting guitar riff that is scattered with various percussive touches (I particular like the cow bells at the end of the fourth bar) that provide it with a rich musical texture. The introduction of a trumpet at the 0.10 mark simply serves to increase the flava of this section of the song, and its tempo and laid back vibe mean it is literally begging for some beefy snares and displays of lyrical wizardry. Of course, I wasn't the first person to realise this, and the excellent selection of cuts presented are all heavily indebted to McCann's work in the creation of their boom bappin' audio landscapes.

My personal favourite is the K-Def produced 'No Pain' taken from the Lords Of The Underground's sophomore release Keepers Of The Funk. Although the album as a whole is excellent, this has always been one of the clear standouts for me with beats and rhymes complementing each other perfectly. K-Def opts for bars five and six of 'Go On & Cry' which means the trumpet track is a prominent feature of the beat, and as a whole its littered with the kind of subtleties that make him one of the greatest producers to have graced the boards. I've actually laid my thoughts down on metaphorical paper in the past regarding the Cella Dwellas' debut Realms 'N Reality, so there is little need for particular expansion here suffice to reiterate that 'Good Dwellas' remains the pinnacle of their achievements on an album of variable quality that lacks that je ne sais quoi that divides the good and the seriously dope. Finally, the self-produced Dream Warriors' cut 'California Dreamin'' is another example of a highlight from an otherwise mediocre affair that can be found on their Subliminal Stimulation LP from '94, the only song of the three here to incorporate loops from both halves of the eight bar intro. It's solid, but for me it lacks the raw punch of the two aforementioned cuts that makes them so successful.

At the age of 72, McCann is still producing music and taking it on tour, a testament to the idea that music can keep the flames of life burning strongly during the latter stages of our time on the planet (do you think over-analysis of hip hop whilst sat behind a computer screen can have the same effect? I sincerely hope so). Whether you are familiar with his music or not, there is no questioning his contribution to the culture of hip hop over the years, and these three songs demonstrate the ease with which his compositions have been transposed into their newfound contexts. Keep the fire burning Les: it's safe to say that you get props over here.