July 1st, 2009
While he may be English, Dan Love drops nothing but science and mathematics at From Da Bricks.
My Granddad passed away when I was in my final year of primary school, so now he only exists in a state of half memory where I can’t separate real events from imagined realities informed by photographs, stories my Mum told me, or fleeting recollections re-organised into something more coherent and tangible. But there are certain things I’m sure of. I remember him being proud of me when I got the answer to a crossword puzzle clue in my living room (it was ‘netball’.) I remember him holding my hand as we crossed the road to the Tescos at the top of our street. I remember him fixing up an abandoned bike we found and turning it into something sparkly and amazing. I remember the two-piece tracksuit he bought me that made me feel untouchably fresh. And I remember him giving me Dangerous on tape.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Dan Love | 1 Comment »
May 28th, 2009
Kool & The Gang’s, “Summer Madness,” is one of the most gratifying seasonally themed records of all time and the inspiration for a plethora of songs that could lay claim to the same title. Recorded in 1973 (incidentally, the year credited as hip hop’s official birth date) and released on the group’s seventh studio album, Light Of Worlds, “Summer Madness” endures as a song perfectly suited to hazy, sun-drenched evenings with the buzz of the season hanging in the air.
Each of the selected songs incorporate “Summer Madness” in some way, although it’s worth noting Khalis Bayyan’s distinctive mellotron and synthesiser parts–the most heavily utilised element of the sample source. This compilation provides a relatively comprehensive, chronological overview of the Kool & The Gang original and its journey through the course of hip hop history, with tracks dating from 1988 through to 2009. Crack open a cold one and enjoy: this really is a new definition of “Summer Madness.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Dan Love, Summer Jamz | 3 Comments »
April 29th, 2009
All Reasonable Doubt samples in one zip: here. All posts rolled into one: here. Dan Love runs this fiefdom: here.
‘Ain’t No Nigga’
The Whole Darn Family – ‘Seven Minutes Of Funk’
From Has Arrived (Soul International, 1976)
Unavailable.
Four Tops – ‘Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I Got)’
From Keeper Of The Castle (ABC, 1972)
The relationship between Jay-Z and Big Jaz extends well beyond this contribution on Reasonable Doubt. The mentor to a young Sean Carter in the late ‘80s, Jaz released the classic, “The Originators” in 1989, providing Jay with his first taste of the spotlight seven years prior to seeing a full-length release.
Featuring Foxy Brown and earning prominent product placement on the surprisingly solid, Nutty Professor SDTK, “Ain’t No Nigga’ was the most commercially successful single from RD, charting at 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales. Thanks to a shared sample source from The Whole Darn Family’s “Seven Minutes of Funk,” comparisons with EPMD’s ‘It’s My Thing’ are obvious. Incorporating two distinct two-bar sequences from the source material, Big Jaz’s manipulations are limited, but given the song’s stripped down aesthetic, too much fiddling would have destroyed the addictively funky groove. With an interpolation of the Four Tops’ “Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I Got)” inspiring the hook, “Ain’t No Nigga,” attests to the clean and simple aesthetic that threads much of Reasonable Doubt.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Beat Deconstruction, Dan Love | 10 Comments »
April 28th, 2009
If you’re kind enough to link, parts II and III will be added to the original post as soon as they’re published. Thanks.
“Feelin’ It” feat. Mecca
Ahmad Jamal – ‘Pastures’
From Jamal Plays Jamal (20th Century, 1974)
Think of “Feelin’ It” as an analogue to “Dead Presidents,” with both Ski-laced gems incorporating brooding piano samples into a classic hip hop production aesthetic. Originally cropping up on a Camp Lo demo, when Jay and Dame Dash heard the beat they were understandably enamored, and demanded that “Feelin’ It” find its way onto Reasonable Doubt.
Of the pair, “Feelin’ It” employs more overt simplicity, jacking an unadorned loop from Ahmad Jamal’s, ‘”Pastures,” for Jay to wax philosophic about Cristal keeping him wet like “Baywatch.” Though the piano is the sample’s chief instrumental component, both the rattling percussion and Jamil Nasser’s bass find their way into Ski’s slope, providing a crucial additional layer of texture. His trademark punchy drums and filtered bass groove finish off the fourth and final single. Though it only achieved moderate success on the Billboard Hot 100, “Feelin’ It” stands as firm evidence for Ski’s inclusion on any list of era-defining, mid-90s, NYC producers.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Dan Love | 1 Comment »
April 27th, 2009
Dan Love, the man behind Oh Word’s epic de-construction of Illmatic, returns with a sequel worthy of hoverboards and Gray’s Sports Alamanac. A tip of the tilted brim to Hip-Hop is Read, for aiding and abetting the sample collection. For a full Zip of samples, click here.
Despite a plethora of highly acclaimed and commercially successful albums over a nearly two-decade career, there’s little doubt that for fans of that New York boom-bap, Jay-Z’s solo debut, Reasonable Doubt, remains his creative zenith. With his newly constructed Mafioso persona devastatingly realised throughout, Jay-Z’s lyrical prowess requires little elaboration–but what about the beats? With a stellar line-up including DJ Premier, Ski, Clark Kent, and others, the music warrants as much attention as Jigga’s rhymes, and yet continues to lurk in the hefty shadow of his lyrical genius.
To rectify this imbalance, here lies a detailed analysis of all fourteen cuts found on Reasonable Doubt, with an explicit focus on sample sources and production techniques. For the diggers out there, all necessary information is included to find the known original breaks, so prepare to get those fingers dusty. My advice? Throw on your copy of the LP, kick back, and appreciate some of the finest slabs of mid-‘90s production ever committed to wax. Like you needed an excuse…
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Dan Love | 13 Comments »
November 19th, 2008
In addition to teaching the children of England the meaning of dope, Dan Love blogs at From Da Bricks.
Stretch Armstrong should need no introduction around these parts. As one half of New York’s most legendary hip hop radio team, the unlikely looking Adrian Bartos’ pseudonym will be indelibly associated with establishing the careers of most of your favourite rappers. However, what few people realise is that Stretch built up a modest yet well-executed catalogue of beats towards the tail end of hip hop’s infinitely lauded golden era, including work with Lil’ Kim on her full length debut and Shawn J. Period’s original crew Down South that you’d be remiss to overlook.
My hands down favourite Stretch production comes in the shape of his mix of Big Noyd’s ‘Usual Suspect,’ lifted from his ’96 solo drop Episodes Of A Hustla, an album that suffers from brevity, mediocrity and the towering shadow of the infinitely superior material put out by close affiliates Mobb Deep. Nice try, Mr Perry. Put these issues to one side though and there are a handful of enjoyable moments to savour for those who miss that gritty New York aesthetic and tangible Queen’s cadence on the mic. That’s everyone, right?
Sample fodder comes care of the late, great Mr Hayes and the third installment from his ‘Ike’s Rap’ series that like the majority of his work has been heavily dug (does the colloquial term for hunting down records even work in the past tense? Who knows). It’s a beautifully simple act of production on Stretch’s part, jacking the first couple of bars and pitching them up with absolutely nothing left out of the mix. You’d be forgiven for writing off Stretch’s innovation behind the boards in this instance if the end product wasn’t so uncontrollably bangin’, but since it is you can officially take your hatin’ elsewhere. Sucka. Crispy drums and occasional sample manipulations complete the picture and give Noyd the space he deserves to get busy. Who ever said this shit needed to get complicated?
Try listening to this without aggravating that pesky crick in your neck: consider that a dare of the double dog variety. Just be aware that any successful attempts touted in the comment section will be immediately discounted on the basis that you’re lying.
Download:
MP3:Big Noyd-”Usual Suspect (Stretch Armstrong Mix)”
MP3:Isaac Hayes-”Medley: Ike’s Rap III/Your Love is So Doggone Good”
Posted in Beat of the Week, Dan Love | 2 Comments »
