I Need A! I Wanna! - Q-Tip Beat Series Part IV

Monty Alexander - 'Love & Happiness'
taken from Rass! (MPS, 1974)

Lonnie Smith - 'Spinning Wheel'
taken from Drives (Blue Note, 1970)

[Note: Thanks to reader 'jaycee' it is clear that my ears did not deceive me. The drum loop in question is Little Feat's 'Fool Yourself' as made famous by 'Bonita Applebum', although it remains a possibility that the sax sample comes from 'Spinning Wheel'. If you know, I'd appreciate the info.]

Apache - 'Gangsta Bitch'
taken from Apache Ain't Shit (Tommy Boy, 1993)

Lack of inspiration and a heavy workload have kept me admirably occupied over the last week or so: apologies for the lack of activity here at FDB. I've had this post in the vault for a while, but it is the magnificent series of recent drops over at Soul-Sides that has finally lit a fire under my arse and inspired me to roll it out. If you've missed out on the 'Who Flipped It Better?' series that Oliver Wang has been churning out at a rate that puts this here blogspot to shame then make sure you check it out: O-Dub is indisputably one of the kings of the blog scene. Tuesday's installment covered the Monty Alexander break 'Love & Happiness' and contrasted the way in which it had been used by both The Beatnuts and Q-Tip, and with my ongoing analysis of The Abstract's deft production style, it feels fitting to finally get around to his work on the Apache track 'Gangsta Bitch'. Let the proceedings commence...

Originally released as a 7 inch by Tommy Boy in 1992, 'Gangsta Bitch' eventually found its place on Apache's release from '93, the humourously titled Apache Ain't Shit. To be honest with you this particular album has always left me a little cold: all the ingredients seem to be in place for something of quality (decent production roster, Flavor Unit affiliations etc.), but as a whole it lacks something that means it has not received a massive amount of airplay from me. Of course, there are still some treats here to savour, no less so than with the aforementioned cut that features Tip on the boards. I believe that Ego Trip rates this song as one of the best single tracks of the year, and although I feel this is an over-exaggeration, it is without a doubt a solid jam whose success relies on the beat as opposed to Apache's lyrical ode to the fly, street-savvy honeys of the ghetto which for me occupies the realms of the mediocre. It's not that the rhymes are bad by any means, but the chorus hook in particular grates, and the result is a tarnishing of the track in its entirety that I struggle to get over.

Tip turns to Monty Alexander's cover of 'Love & Happiness' for the main groove here, yet another example of an artist and song who I have only very recently stumbled across as a result of virtual digging and who I know very little about (oh, to be a genuine, dusty-fingered crate-digger!). The section of the song to focus on arrives at the 4.06 mark with a stripped-down two bars of percussion, electric piano and guitar tracks, although it is really only the electric piano part that survives Tip's use of filters to draw out the main groove for 'Gangsta Bitch'. The Breaks also notes the use of 'Spinning Wheel' by Lonnie Smith, a sample source that Tribe mined on two separate occasions with both 'Can I Kick It?' and 'Buggin' Out' to great effect, but I can't hear it myself: answers on a postcard folks.

There are other subtleties to the composition that fill the beat out, giving it a plush, melodic feel. The echoing horn stabs (perhaps taken from 'Spinning Wheel'?) that appear intermittently throughout the cut provide an extra layer of sound that works very well nestled in between the other samples, and scratches at the chorus add a necessary interest to what is essentially a simplistic piece of production work. What particularly interests me about this song is that although it contains many trademark Q-Tip production touches, it is by no means instantly recognisable as a piece of his work, thereby serving as yet another demonstration of his ability to modify his production style in subtle ways that really affirms his skill and versatility behind the boards during his most prolific period of beat-making.

I'm going to try and sort my priorities out this week (read: I'm going to ignore the responsibilities of the rest of my life in favour of some committed internet time), so stay tuned this week for an increased frequency of posts (just don't hold me to it). Sunday afternoon lazin' awaits: I'll catch you later.

A Sweet Serenade - 'Lots Of Lovin'' Beat Deconstructions

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - 'Lots Of Lovin'' & 'Lots Of Lovin' (Remix)'
taken from Lots Of Lovin' 12'' (Elektra, 1991)

Ohio Players - 'Players Balling (Players Doin' Their Own Thing)'
taken from Pain (Westbound Records, 1971)

Ohio Players - 'What's Going On'
taken from Climax (Westbound Records, 1974)

Don Covay & the Jefferson Lemon Blues Band - 'If There's A Will There's A Way (Southside)'
taken from Different Strokes For Different Folks (Janus, 1970)

[Got to give a special shout out to my brother Tim on this post who not only loves this track, but who has also just joined the blogging game with a site devoted to his primary passion: Arsenal FC. P-Zone representin' to the fullest!]

Given that I am now precisely 49 hours and 32 minutes away from seeing Pete Rock live in London (but who's counting), it will probably come as little surprise to you that I've spent the best part of the last week revisiting his vast discography with butterflies of excitement taking up full-time residence in my belly. Hyped? The word doesn't even come close. However, in the interests of avoiding another lengthy 'I love Pete Rock' rant, let's get straight into some beat deconstruction: sticking to what you know best is always a winner.

In some ways, 'Lots Of Lovin'' was an anomaly on Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's towering full length debut. In the midst of all the uptempo, neck-snappin' madness, Pete still found time to smooth the groove out a little, and the result was nothing short of extraordinary. A hip hop love song of the highest order, few other artists have been able to pull off a style that verges so dangerously on the corny with such class and finesse: 'Lot's Of Lovin'' is a certified banger.

One of Pete's trademark beat skits precedes the song on the album, a straight jack of about five or six bars from the Ohio Players' track 'Players Balling (Players Doin' Their Own Thing)' from their 1971 LP Pain. A funky little riff with tinkling keys and hand claps is the perfect appetiser for the beat that drops at the 0.22, which incidentally finds its main theme from the same band's cover of Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On'. The two bars in question can be found at the 5.42 mark, and as well as sampling the melody from this glorious four seconds, The Chocolate Boy Wonder keeps the skipping drum track in as well to form the percussive spine of 'Lots Of Lovin''. There's an exceptional glow to the break itself that translates perfectly into its newfound audio environment, generously providing a smooth, sumptuous, soul-enriched pedestal on which C.L. Smooth can deliver his proclamations of love and desire for the lady in his life. I'm not sure where the other layer of samples comes from, but the combination of keys, flute and vocals extends the scope of the song significantly, only to be masterfully stripped away during the verse sections. It's rare that you can state that a hip hop song is beautiful in such a traditional sense, but 'Lots Of Lovin'' is just that.

The remix is a treat as well. With signature remix adlibs firmly in place, the cut has a more traditional Pete Rock vibe about it which, of course, is no bad thing. The break can be found on the song 'If There's A Will There's A Way (Southside)', performed by the equally extensively named Don Covay & the Jefferson Lemon Blues Band. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no knowledge of the artists in question, but the song has encouraged me to dig a little deeper into Covay's back catalogue as the song is excellent. It's the first couple of bars to check for in this case, a silky blend of electric piano, guitar and drums that serves the remix well, although for me, it could never surpass the original. It's interesting to note that C.L.'s lyrics are decidedly more raunchy in the first verse here than at any point on the original: I guess the remix brought the beast out of him.

47 hours and 57 minutes. Yea, I'm still counting.

It Could Happen To You! 'Them That's Not' Beat Deconstruction

J-Live - 'Them That's Not'
taken from The Best Part (Triple Threat, 2001)

Eddie Russ - 'All But Blind'
taken from Fresh Out (Jazz Master, 1974)

Man, the sibling rivalry must have been a bitch in the Philips' household in Mt. Vernon back in the day. Although older brother Pete is by far the more prominent and accomplished beatmaker, it would be a serious fallacy to overlook the work of his younger sibling Gregory (Grap Luva), who despite a considerably quieter and less widely acknowledged career behind the boards has at times demonstrated a proficiency in hip hop production skills that matches even the Olympic heights of his brother. Perhaps more well known for his rhymes than his beats, Grap's most high profile appearance in the annals of hip hop history must surely be on INI's Center Of Attention LP, an album that doesn't seem to me to receive the full credit that it deserves. However, he's also built a career in production, and although its contents are nowhere near as prolific as his sibling's, there are still some serious gems that establish him as an artist of serious quality who has at times been able to step out of the significant shadow cast over him by the Chocolate Boy Wonder.

When I arrived in Bristol in 2000, the hip hop scene was thriving. On an almost weekly basis I was able to catch some incredible live hip hop that sadly doesn't make its way here anymore, indicative of both a change in focus in the local scene as well as on a much wider scale. During one such occasion at a Pharcyde gig their DJ span a tune in the warm-up session that literally blew me away. Increasing in tempo over the course of the first minute, the song then took on a whole new sense of being as a slammin' drum track and bass were introduced: I was sold. After animated discussions with friends I discovered that the song was called 'Them That's Not' by an artist who I had previously not heard of called J-Live. It remains to this day one of my favourite beats of all time.

Grap turns to Eddie Russ's 'All But Blind' track from his Fresh Out LP released in 1974 for his sample fix here, ignoring the lead band member's electric piano contributions to the song in favour of Larry Nozero's sax part found at the 0.13 mark. The six descending notes that eventually rise up to settle into the groove after this initial flurry of activity form the backbone of Grap's composition on 'Them That's Not', a wonderfully constructed beat that is both original and executed with devastating effect. The rising and falling tempo throughout the song matches J-Live's cautionary tale of the pitfalls that lie in wait for the MC who allows success to go to his head too quickly, and it is this coherence of lyrical content and beat that make the song such an undeniable success.

The song is littered with favourite moments for me, but there are subtleties to the beat's construction that particularly stand out. The way the rumbling bassline drops at 0.57 and teases you before the introduction of the neck-snapping initial snare hit at 1.00; the high hats dropping out of the mix at 3.09 as the song begins its gradual descent in tempo only to be reintroduced six seconds later at half the pace; the steadily growing volume of J-Live's scratching as the song builds again from 4.00 until the final drop at 4.16. It is this attention to detail combined with the less-than-fussy final product that has made it a staple in my hip hop canon.

Although Grap will never fully detach himself from his position as younger brother to Pete Rock, this is due to the latter's incredible successes rather than any shortcomings on his own part. Perhaps in another lifetime and with a less high profile sibling it would have been Grap who could have become a true hip hop sensation, but as it stands, he will remain a producer who has little fame beyond the more discerning fans of the genre. Credit where it's due: 'Them That's Not' proves that Gregory Philips can make moves with the best of them.

Represent To The Fullest - Q-Tip Beat Series Part III

Nas - 'One Love (Instrumental)'
taken from Illmatic (Columbia, 1994)

[It seems pointless posting up the song with lyrics so here's the instrumental. Can't remember where I came across it exactly, but thanks to whoever may have posted it up in the past.]

Heath Brothers - 'Smilin' Billy Suite Pt. II'
taken from Marchin' On (Strata East, 1975)

Clyde McPhatter - 'Mixed Up Cup'
originally found on Welcome Home (Decca, 1970)

Despite Tip's 'slept on' producer status, there is no denying that he placed himself amongst a elite group of beatmaking individuals when he made a contribution to Illmatic, a record whose magnitude needs little discussion here. 'One Love' is of course a standout amongst standouts and comparisons with other songs on the album are somewhat arbitrary, but it has always been one of the my personal favourites on the LP. I remember watching a 'Making Of Illmatic' video on YouTube in recent times (now deleted unfortunately) where Tip described his vision for the beat as being on some 'ghetto monk type shit', and although this isn't exactly the most eloquent description of the song imaginable, it certainly captures something about the dark, atmospheric vibe of the track that feels fitting. One of Tip's greatest beats deconstructed: here we go.

What I really dig about the Abstract's production style is that he resists the temptation to chop up samples too heavily, thereby keeping the sound fluid and warm. 'One Love' is a case in point, with Tip jacking the first 23 seconds of the Heath Brothers' 'Smilin' Billy Suite Part II' from their 1975 release Marchin' On and doing very little with it beyond the addition of drums and volume changes as the sample is introduced. This introductory section really is masterful, with Mtume Heath's percussion part from the original source gradually building into the mix before its complete introduction after the initial eight bar sequence which brings with it the unveiling of double bass and piano tracks. From here on in there really are very few changes, the different musical elements of the track creating a mystical and hypnotic platform for Nas's musings that simply doesn't require too much fiddling around with. No extra loop at the chorus, no bridge section, only a handful of breakdowns: it's a veritable lesson in measured, instinctive and thoroughly considered hip hop production techniques.

For the drum track Tip turns to Clyde McPhatter's song 'Mixed Up Cup'. Now I'm gonna revoke the ghetto pass here and admit this is a pure internet find which I know very little about and which actually comes off a compilation made of songs that have at some stage been sampled by Tribe (distinctly un-hip hop I know). As a result this is just an excerpt that features the drum break used by Tip on 'One Love'; unfortunately that's all I have to offer you. From my brief research on McPhatter I can tell you that he was a part of the original line up of The Drifters in the early '50s on Atlantic Records, but broke with the group relatively quickly to pursue solo interests. The sounds of the drink being poured during the 'Mixed Up Cup' intro may have seemed harmless enough at the time, but with the knowledge of McPhatter's demise at the age of 39 due to heart, liver and kidney disease after decades of heavy drinking it carries saddening connotations of an addiction that ultimately took him to his grave. Little did he know that two seconds of his music would resonate so heavily amongst an urban subculture called hip hop nearly 25 years after their original commitment to wax: a legacy indeed.

For me there is little doubt that 'One Love' represents one of Tip's finest moments behind the boards, and just as with his contributions to The Infamous, it demonstrates his ability to switch up his production style when the opportunities presented themselves during the most successful and prolific period in his career. If you're still sleepin' on Q-Tip's production stature then let's strip it down to the bare essentials: the man posted a beat on Illmatic. Still need convincing?

The Praise Rolls Off My Lips - 'Jungle Music' Beat Deconstruction

Isaac Hayes - 'Monologue: Ike's Mood I / You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling'
taken from ...To Be Continued (Stax, 1970)

Jeru Tha Damaja - 'Jungle Music'
taken from The Sun Rises In The East (Payday/ffrr, 1994)

It doesn't take me to tell you that not only is Brooklyn's Jeru Tha Damaja the clear mic champion of the Gangstarr Foundation (that is until he fell out with Guru and DJ Premier), but also one of the most gifted and accomplished wordsmiths to ever grace this here culture called hip hop. Combining content and flow is the Achilles' heel of the majority of MCs, but Jeru glides through this conundrum with such ease that he puts the majority of other lyricists to shame. At his pinnacle, Kendrick Jeru Davis was able to effortlessly combine a top level delivery and distinctive vocal timbre with a wide variety of subject matter, from straight up braggin' rhymes to highly sophisticated urban narratives that dealt with the issues of the world in which he dwelled with such style that he remains for me one of hip hop's most talented and enduring figureheads. As a result I'm putting together a series of posts over the following week that will focus on his work taking in beats, rhymes and a couple of overlooked joints that have always found a place in my listening habits and increased the ferocity of the crick in my neck.

Although Livin' Proof is often held up as the seminal piece of production work from the mighty DJ Premier, I would have to say that beat for beat there really is little distinction to be made between it and The Sun Rises In The East, with the latter boasting a greater number of standouts, most notably 'Come Clean' and 'You Can't Stop The Prophet' (for the sake of this discussion let's not concern ourselves with a redundant comparison of the lyrical prowess, or lack thereof, displayed on each of these albums). One cut that has always seemed criminally underrated to me is 'Jungle Music', a slammin' piece of production work that finds itself nestled into the penultimate spot on the album after 'Come Clean' and before the considerably less aggressive closer 'Statik'.

Preem draws his inspiration from none other than Isaac Hayes in this instance, jacking piano and vibraphone from the somewhat ridiculously titled 'Monologue: Ike's Mood I / You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'' from 1970's ...To Be Continued. Clocking in at just over fifteen minutes, this mini-symphony has been sampled on numerous occasions, but none so artfully as by Premier with 'Jungle Music'. The section of the composition to focus on comes right at the end of the song (just after the fourteen minute mark), where Hayes strips the groove down to piano, vibes and lightly skipping cymbal hits. As with his work on Group Home's 'Suspended In Time', this song really demonstrates Premier's keen ear for samples and masterful chopping ability, his reinterpretation moving far enough away from the original so as to make it barely recognisable.

There are certain touches to 'Jungle Music' itself that make it even more special. I love the opening of the track: the sounds of the jungle set the mood only to be broken by offbeat piano chords, the arrangement of which mean the initial snare hit takes the listener by surprise before the drop into the main groove. No Premier track would be complete without the much revered scratch chorus, and this is another fine example, featuring a line from the Jungle Brothers' classic 'Straight Out The Jungle' that slips into the mix perfectly. To top it all off Jeru comes at you with some of the most eloquent verses to be found anywhere on the album, detailing the transportation of his 'ancestors' drums...from pyramids to the ghetto' and the intrinsic power that they hold. The words 'drop' and 'science' feel particularly relevant here.

'Jungle Music' represents all that is great about The Sun Rises In The East, with a sensational beat and some dope rhymes that complement each other perfectly to create a little nugget of hip hop gold. Hold tight for more in the Jeru series over the coming week where in the next installment I'll be analysing/losing myself in one of the greatest narratives in the history of hip hop... can you guess what it is yet?

There Can Only Be One King - Sting & 'The Message'

Sting - 'Shape Of My Heart'
taken from Ten Summoner's Tales (A & M, 1993)

Nas - 'The Message'
taken from It Was Written (Columbia, 1996)

Engaging with the music of pop artists can be a dangerous game if you're into hip hop production. You only have to look at the David Bowie/Rod Stewart/Lisa Stansfield inspired dross created by Bad Boy towards the end of the '90s to know how awful these endeavors can be when in the wrong hands. Now Sting might seem like an odd source for some of that good ol' NYC rap, whose more obvious fanbase is likely to consist of fathers around the world who wear socks with their sandals and vehemently tuck their t-shirts into their jeans (don't tell anybody, but I'm actually kind of a closet fan), but with 'The Message', Poke & Tone manage to incorporate his work into one of the most outstanding platforms for Nas's street narratives on his sophomore effort It Was Written.

'Shape Of My Heart' is taken from Sting's fourth solo studio effort Ten Summoner's Tales, which incidentally sold over three million copies in the U.S. alone, and was actually one of the first albums that I ever bought with my own money (W H Smith vouchers actually). The album is so ingrained in my psyche that it makes it difficult for me to gain any sense of detachment from it, but I still have a soft spot for 'Shape Of My Heart'. The wistful guitar refrain and clean rim hits create a pensive atmosphere and Sting's vaguely mystical lyrics, which discuss the 'geometry of chance' and meeting men 'with too many faces' contribute effectively to this reflective vibe. Granted, the harmonica and strings get a little cheesy, and this isn't exactly gonna boost the status of my ghetto pass, but I like it. Blame the forces of nostalgia and overblown sentimentality.

I know Poke & Tone come under fire for their more commercial offerings, but they come correct on this song with the first two bars of 'Shape Of My Heart' working exceptionally well in their newfound context. The keys to the success of this beat are simplicity and savvy production skills: beyond the guitar loop, drum track and bassline there really isn't that much to this song, and yet it feels richly textured, full and warm. I believe the other instrument used at the beginning of the track and during the chorus sections are distorted strings which open out towards the end of the cut, and they add a necessary depth to an otherwise stripped down formula: at the chorus, alongside Kid Capri's Nas-sampling scratches, the result is certifiably dope. Despite little variation throughout the course of the groove, there are little touches that make it special, most notably the evenly spaced bass drum kicks and cymbal crashes that precede some of the key beat drops as well as intermittent placements throughout. Paired up with Nas's mafioso persona, with his lyrical references to rolling dice and 'twenty G bets', the resulting composition is for me the clear standout on the album, one of the only points on It Was Written that feels truly homogeneous.

Whatever you may feel about the Trakmasterz in general, there seems to me little ammunition for criticism of this particular song, and it remains one of only three or four cuts on the album that still really light my fire. Sting may be an unlikely musical partner to hip hop, but this song demonstrates that simply relying on a crate of dusty funk and soul 45s for your inspiration isn't always the answer to slammin' hip hop production. Consider yourself learned.

FDB Hits The Big Apple

Sting - 'Englishman In New York'
taken from Nothing Like The Sun (A & M, 1987)

Following on from the Sting theme above, I'm likely to be rocking this song out when myself and my lovely girlfriend head off for our summer holiday in NYC next week. Here's the deal: I know that the majority of my readership comes from the U.S., and that a lot of you reside on the east coast (and no, I haven't been obsessively pouring over my StatCounter data... much), so what I want are a few suggestions for places to go, and I don't mean the Empire State and all the obvious tourist shit like that, but rather hints from those with insider knowledge. So, if you know of any great record shops, clubs, bars, restaurants, trainer (yes, that's sneakers) shops, places of Hip Hopping significance or anything else of interest that would pass your average tourist doing the rounds in Manhattan by, then I would really appreciate a little information. I've actually been to New York a few times before, but always with family, so although I know the city relatively well, I've never really had the chance to take it on under my own steam. I'm particularly interested in any suggestions for Brooklyn, a suburb which I've only scratched the surface of in the past. Any information would be greatly appreciated: thanks in advance.

Diamond D Still Had It In '99 - Internal Affairs Contributions

Pharoahe Monch - The Light, The Truth feat. Common & Talib Kweli & The Ass feat. Apani B
taken from Internal Affairs (Rawkus, 1999)

George Benson - Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams
taken from Bad Benson (CTI, 1974)

Harvey Mandel - Cristo Redentor
taken from Cristo Redentor Plus Selected Sessions Reissue (Raven, 2003)

If you were to ask me to list in quick succession my top producers of all time, I know that Diamond D is a name that would always spring to the forefront of my mind. However, when I stop and try to qualify this position, I find myself struggling a little bit, because in terms of output and truly consistent quality he does fall short of some of the other most prominent beat-makers in the game (see Pete Rock, Premier etc.). Now don't get me wrong, I've got a lot of love for D Squared, not least in the wake of the recent release of the Ultimate Force LP, but there isn't quite as much fodder to argue his case as perhaps my gut instinct feels that there should be in the 'greatest of all time' stakes. Admittedly, I think my feelings here are tainted by his unfortunate demise towards the end of the '90s, and there is little doubt that he has struggled to stay involved in the game in the same way that other long-term contributors to the genre have done. Perhaps an apt point of comparison would be his DITC companion Buckwild who has maintained a presence in contemporary hip hop in a way that Diamond D has not. It also doesn't help that some of the beats on his MySpace page are questionable to say the least.

Having said this, his production work on Pharoahe's seminal debut solo LP proves that in the 1-9-9-9, he could still pull off a beat with serious style. Now for the sake of this argument, I'm actually going to ignore 'The Ass' because it is way short of the mark in comparison to his other two credits in the shape of 'The Light' and 'The Truth' (him and Pharoahe obviously had a mild obsession with the definite article here). I am fully aware of the possible negation of my argument, but I'm going to be daring and focus on the positives in this instance: deal with it.

'The Light' and 'The Truth' show Diamond's skills in two different and yet equally resounding ways. 'The Truth' is a beautifully soulful beat that feels introspective and relatively sophisticated, but in terms of production techniques it is less complicated a composition than 'The Light'. Although there is a slight manipulation of the sample from Harvey Mandel's 'Cristo Redentor', this really is a case of taking a loop and simply adding drums and bass (check the sequence from 1.18 onwards). Of course, this notion of apparent simplicity could be levelled at many a great hip hop track, and as a certified drums and loops man, I am in no way suggesting that this should be seen as something to quibble about: this is a sensational piece of production work that oozes quality. The combination of vocals, heart-wrenching strings and harp is truly beautiful, and it ranks amongst one of Diamond's best works. Interestingly, he thinks so too, stating that this is his personal favourite within his own catalogue in the documentary film 'Deep Crates'. To say that this beat comes highly recommended would be somewhat of an understatement.

'The Light' is a slightly different kettle of fish, and sees Diamond go to work on chopping up George Benson's 'Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams' and delivering a beat that renders the sample unrecognisable. I assume that Diamond lifted his guitar track from Benson's solo near the beginning of the song (0.28 to 0.53) and modified the pitch to give him a spread of notes to play with, but with my limited understanding of production techniques it is difficult to tell. Of course, it is Diamond's chopped up guitar riff that forms the central focus of the beat, and it does so emphatically, drawing the listener in to one of the best joints on 'Internal Affairs'. The case for this cut is aided by the fact that this was an anthem for myself and friends in the summer of '99, and it takes me back to warm summer days that resonate strongly in my memory. Ah, the nostalgia...

Both of these cuts seemed to put forward a more mature and introspective Diamond D, a man who no longer relied on heavy horns and slammin' drums to make an impression (always welcome, mind) and it's a shame that he wasn't able to manage this shift more effectively going into his own solo releases post-millennium, with both 'The Diamond Mine' and 'Grown Man Sport' making very little impact on the scene. Wherever he may go in the future there remains little doubt for me that even as late as '99, Diamond D was still one of the best producers out there, and both 'The Light' and 'The Truth' are testament to this fact. A fading legend he may be, but I doubt there are very many serious heads out there who will forget his contributions to the culture in a hurry. Although he may no longer be the genre's 'best kept secret', these two joints certainly rank amongst his.

Soul Brother Genius? Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Somethin' Like Dis & Code Red
taken from Code Red (Jive, 1993)

With summer now firmly in the air it's no surprise that Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's classic jam 'Summertime' is back in rotation. I don't think it matters how hardcore you think you are and how much you may want to distance yourself from some of the fluffiest rap music ever made, 'Summertime' never fails to put a smile on your face and a bop in your head. Although Will Smith's mic abilities are undoubtedly limited, the bottom line is that I know every word to this song (I know you do too) and like it or not, that means something. Anyway, as a result of me getting back into this track and my continuing quest for everything Pete Rock related I found myself listening to the Philadelphia duo's fifth and final release 'Code Red' this week with the specific goal of seeing whether 'Somethin' Like Dis' and 'Code Red' would offer an always welcome dose of Chocolate Boy Wonder genius. Begrudgingly, I'm not sure if this is exactly what I found.

It's clear that with this release Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince were hoping to access a slightly more street level audience, hence the inclusion of some Pete Rock production and a harder look to the pair on the album artwork (looks like Will's already imagining himself in Hollywood here). This is also reflected in Smith's vocal delivery which attempts to sound a little gruffer than in previous works, but his success is limited despite the odd moments where he displays some slightly more advanced, albeit entirely derivative, technical ability. The upshot of this is that however good the Pete Rock production may be, these two tracks were always going to suffer from a below par vocal performance.

So what about the beats? Well, 'Somethin' Like Dis' is by no means diabolical, but it is probably one of the most lackluster Pete Rock compositions that I have heard. Of course, it is important to remember that this was an album aimed at a commercial market and so there would have been an expectation for work that would be accessible for a mainstream audience, but this track has little bite despite some trademark touches. The guitar loop that runs throughout the track is pleasant enough and you still get some horns but this beat lacks immediacy and is probably something that the Soul Brother rolled out in an evening. It's not terrible, but it's far from Rock's best work. Really far.

'Code Red' is better and is somewhat reminiscent of the certified classic 'The Creator' in terms of tempo and the pattern of the drums. Of course, it's nowhere near as good, but it does have a gratifying uptempo vibe and the bass rumbles just enough to keep you engaged. A testament to the strength of the beat is that Will almost manages to sound alright here, and he does his best to appeal to a hip hop audience by referencing Main Source's 'Looking At The Front Door' and Snoop's famous 'bow wow wow...' refrain. This is definitely the better of the two Pete Rock contributions to this album and although it also suffers from a lack of punch it is an enjoyable, if somewhat uninspiring, addition to his extensive catalogue.

Basically my analysis of these tracks comes down to one simple fact: I want to love everything that Pete Rock has produced. I feel like I've mentioned him loads recently here at FDB, and I am conscious of the risk of this here blog turning into a Pete Rock appreciation society if I'm not careful, but such is my love for all things Soul Brother. If these tracks weren't produced by the man in question then they would probably have passed me by without a bat of an eye, but since they are, they'll receive some rotation from me. If our approach to music was entirely objective then the world would be a pretty dull place, and with 'Code Red' and 'Somethin' Like Dis' my subjectivity steps up and lands a sucker punch square in the face of objectivity, only to then spit on its trembling and pathetic form once it hits the deck: sue me.

The Amen Break

The Winstons - Amen Brother (Metromedia, 1969)

As you will know if you've been tuning in this week I have a newfound obsession with breaks that is actually in danger of taking over my life. Whilst 'digging' on the net I stumbled across this short documentary that covers The Winstons' classic break from '69 that is not only one of the most heavily used in modern music, but also the foundation of a whole genre: the Amen break is the backbone of Drum 'n' Bass. This clip gives a nice overview of its usage as well as discussing the cultural implications of sampling and is well worth a watch despite the narrator's somewhat dull voice and the lack of any visual interest. Check it out and pay homage to one the the most important six seconds in modern music:

Flyin' High - Mos Def & Marvin Gaye

Mos Def - Modern Marvel
taken from The New Danger (Geffen, 2004)

Marvin Gaye - Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky) & What's Going On
taken from What's Going On (Motown, 1971)

[Streaming not active yet: hold tight for next week]

I doubt that there is anyone out there who wasn't disappointed when 'The New Danger' hit the shelves a couple of years ago. 'Black On Both Sides' was such a landmark record for me that I simply couldn't wait to see what the mighty Mos was going to do next, and after five years of waiting, I guess it was no real surprise when the end product fell significantly short of my overblown expectations. The newly infused rock element seemed a strange direction to go in: although we knew that Mos had a bit of a thing about rock 'n' roll and the way in which it had been robbed from the black man only to be repackaged in a more palatable white version for mass consumption ('Elvis Presley ain't got no soul' don't cha know), something about this record simply did not work. Who exactly was the intended audience here? I can't imagine that many people who had loved his debut were particularly taken with it, and it didn't seem likely that it would draw a new audience in a saturated scene of rock/rap/pop nonsense spearheaded by groups such as Limp Bizkit. The sophomore slump was evidently still in full effect long after hip hop's heyday in the early '90s.

One diamond in the rough saved this release for me: the epic ode to Marvin Gaye entitled 'Modern Marvel'. I can remember angrily skipping through the album when I first copped it, holding my head and muttering to myself something to the effect of 'what's happened?', only to be rejuvenated by the soft sounds of Marvin floating behind Mos' initial adlibs as the album was coming to a close. Clocking in at just over nine minutes, 'Modern Marvel' is not only the standout cut on an extremely mediocre album, but also one of the best pieces of work that Mos Def has ever produced: a high acclaim given the strength of releases in his earlier years.

The track is broken into three distinct sections of around three minutes a piece, each utilising a variety of samples from Marvin's 'Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky)' (also referenced on Pete Rock's quality remix of Blackstar's 'Respiration') and 'What's Going On', the lead single from his classic album of the same name. The beat is produced by Minnesota, who I hadn't realised had posted production credits on several well known joints from the likes of Naughty By Nature, Big Pun and Sadat X amongst a host of others during the mid to late '90s. The production here is deep, simple, incredibly soulful and wonderfully paced, with each transition raising the hairs on the back of your neck as you are propelled forwards into each section of the track. My favourite moment is undoubtedly at the 5.53 mark when Marvin's vocals fade out with a healthy dose of reverb only to make way for a bangin' drum kick and your entrance into the adrenalin fueled final third of the song: genius.

Mos Def's vocal delivery is highly enjoyable as well. Although he is by no means a match for Marvin's voice, his delicate singing in the opening third of the song is charming, and as the beat opens up so too does Mos, culminating in a couple of the finest verses that he has ever committed to wax in the song's closing section. Calling for the 'ghetto people of the world today [to] get up', Mos begins by drawing direct inspiration from Marvin himself, utilising lyrics from 'What's Going On' as a jumping off point to discuss the ills of contemporary society. However, the crowning moment of Mos' performance lies in the second verse, where he muses on how Marvin might react to the world today given his hopes for peace and unity all the way back in the early '70s:

If Marvin was alive now, wow,
What would I say to him?
Where could I start?
How could I explain to him?
I know the minor world would probably look strange to him,
Would he feel like today had a place for him?
Global imprisonment, sickness, indifference,
When he said, "Save the babies," was we listenin'?
When he said, "Mercy, mercy," did he really know,
That decades later we'd still be killin' folks?
Or did he hope that we would realize,
That we the first, the son of earth,
The moon and stars, the great beyond,
We black and proud, we brave and strong,
We raise it up, we quiet storm, forever fresh,
And keepin on...

I love the way that this imagined dialogue between Mos and Marvin unfolds, ending with references to hip hop songs and lingo that effectively tie the struggles of the past and present together, bridging the time elapsed between Marvin's original words of protest and Mos' own with eloquence, power and style.

Unfortunately, this song alone cannot make up for the shortcomings of the album elsewhere, but it is so epic in its scope that I can almost forgive Mos for his explorations down other musical avenues on the majority of 'The New Danger'. This is soulful, richly textured hip hop at its finest, and although this song may not quite be a 'What's Going On' for the hip hop generation, it is a demonstration of the depth and musical power of the genre. Kick back and immerse yourself in one of Mos Def's finest hours: with his move into Hollywood and an increasing distance musically from his earlier works, we are unlikely to see him ever produce something this good again.

(Thanks for the help Dad - totally!)

Keep It Simple Stupid - Diamond D Sample Flip

After compiling my 'Top 25' list, I've been compelled to get back into some of the albums that featured that I haven't listened to for a while including 'Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop', Diamond D's masterful debut. Although I am not generally that up on sample sources, I did 'borrow' a record from my Dad several years ago that is used on 'K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)' and thought it would be interesting to discuss the way in which Diamond D utilises the break (to his credit, this is co-produced by Q-Tip). Interestingly, this was one of the songs on the album that passed me by when I first got it, sucked in by the brilliance of more obvious standouts to the detriment of some of the other cuts on the album. I remember playing 'Tiger Woods 2003' with my friend Al when we first fully appreciated this particular song, and it has subsequently become one of my favourite joints on this fabulous record.

I'm not going to pretend that I know an awful lot about Weather Report other than the fact they are a relatively well-known group in the jazz/rock/fusion era of the late '70s, so check out this link for a more detailed round-up. The part of the song to focus on begins at 1.35, with a breakdown from the relatively hectic soundscape that precedes it into a more stripped down break that leads into the saxophone section that floats in at around 1.54. The break, before the introduction of the sax, is comprised of three key layers: drums, bass, and although I can't be sure of the final element (much to my frustration), I assume it is the second bass guitar with some kind of filter applied. For those of you who may be interested, the instrumentation and musicians featured on the track breaks down like this:

Wayne Shorter: Tenor and soprano saxophone
Auger James Adderley: Vocal
Josef Zawinul: Rhodes piano and synthesizer
Miroslav Vitous: Bass
Alphonso Johnson: Bass
Ishmael Wilburn: Drums
Dom Um Romão: Percussion

What I appreciate about 'K.I.S.S.' is that it does exactly that: keep it simple. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that this is the one and only sample source for this cut apart from the two half bar vocal samples used in the chorus section. The warmth of the bass and the complexity of the percussion work incredibly well together, and I particularly like the double cymbal crash that completes each bar. I like to imagine D Squared c. '91 in front of his SP 1200 chopping this break up with Q-Tip by his side and rearranging it to suit their purpose: pure and unadulterated hip hop from a time now sadly passed.

It seems amazing to me that in the liner notes to the album this sample isn't even credited, as it forms such a core component of the subsequent song. Whether this is simply the result of a more relaxed approach to the legal side of the industry at the beginning of the '90s I don't know, although I thought that sample clearance issues were rife at this stage in the genre's development. Whatever the reason, 'K.I.S.S.' and 'American Tango' are both dope: hit the link and enjoy.

'American Tango' & 'K.I.S.S' - Diamond D/Q Tip sample flip

[Note: For all you sample freaks out there you will notice that 'American Tango' was also used by DJ Ogee on O.C.'s ''Can't Go Wrong'... check the science!]

Chocolate Boy Wonder - Pete's Jazz

Although the one-track blogs of old are now in the minority, I'd thought I'd tip my hat to the old school this evening and hit you with just one joint. The reasons for this are numerous. Partly, 'Petestrumentals' is still in print and easily accessible (pick it up here) and so I do have some qualms about posting the album in its entirety (although I am aware that this has not been a consistent feature of the albums that I have posted). More importantly, this is my favourite Pete Rock beat of all time, and as such, it deserves its own post.

For most die-hard music fans, there will be a large number of songs that have the capability to transport them to another time and place. It may not be your favourite track of all time, but for whatever reason it reeks of a certain moment in your life. 'Ms Fat Booty' transports me to a summer spent with mates whilst my parents were on holiday, whereas Rahzel's 'If Your Mother Only Knew' will always take me back to my first year in university: the list goes on... What's extraordinary about 'Pete's Jazz' for me personally is that it reminds me of innumerable moments over the last five years: it has brought me so much pleasure, so often, that it is impossible to distinguish one single moment in time that it encapsulates beyond all others.

In all honesty, I probably listen to the intro section, first 'verse' and chorus more often than I do the song in its entirety before I find myself reaching for the rewind button. There is something incredibly captivating about this first 32 bars or so that gets me every time. The initial drop into drums and bass, the subtle sax loop, the breakdown and then onwards into a stripped down percussion section before all of the samples weave in and out of the beat collectively on their way to the chorus. When it drops, the song opens out into a spacious sonic landscape that raises the hairs on the back of my neck every single time.

There is a remarkable complexity to this tune and it would be nothing short of criminal to have someone spit over the top of it. Although I generally try to mime various instruments when I am listening to songs that I really love (much to the potential disdain of those around me), the bass kick on 'Pete's Jazz' is beyond my amateur mime act. And yet at the same time, it by no means dominates the music, and instead slips in perfectly alongside the other layers involved in the composition. This 'complex simplicity' is indicative of the track as a whole: the subtlety with which it is constructed is staggering.

Bottom line, I'm never disappointed when I listen to 'Pete's Jazz'. In a discography that has such consistency and quality, favourites will always come down to personal preference, with each head able to argue the case for their particular choice. Whichever Pete Rock track is yours, I hope that it brings you as much joy as 'Pete's Jazz' does for me: this song is one of the reasons that I love hip hop.

Pete's Jazz