Take This How You Have To Or Don't Take It At All...

"Im Sad About It"---Lee Moses
It may seem a bit overstated to refer to Lee Moses as one of my absolute favorite soul vocalists considering that he only released one full-length LP and a handful of singles during his entire career. However, Time And Place is an album of such magnitude that it offers more exceptional material than most artists could manage to produce in a prolific lifetime of recording.

For many years, Time And Place (originally released on Maple Records) was such an obscurity that even the most industrious crate diggers had a difficult time securing a copy. Because I felt so strongly that the record should be heard by soul fans worldwide, I've previously shared a couple of my favorite tracks from the LP. Many people wrote to me about how much they enjoyed those songs, and inquired as to how they might go about finding a copy of their own. Well, soul children---your day has finally come. A few months ago, Castle Records in the UK finally re-issued the album and included the material from his elusive 45s as well.

Moses wrote some of his own material, and "Sad About It" is one such example. While his coverage of other artists' material is stellar (see "Hey Joe" and "California Dreaming"), there is something particularly affecting about hearing him wail and moan over tunes that are biographical in nature. His emotional and gut-wrenching vocal delivery has come to epitomize the very sound of Southern soul---at least for myself and Moses' dedicated cult following. Your initiation begins now...

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To really persuade you of the necessity of purchasing this LP, watch the record spin on the turntable while you listen to one of Lee's best tracks---"Bad Girl (Part 1)":



"Rumble In The Jungle (Arythematic 411 Remix)"---The Fugees/A Tribe Called Quest/Busta Rhymes/John Forte
The original version of this track was released on the soundtrack to the film When We Were Kings, a documentary about the famous "Rumble In The Jungle" heavyweight championship between Muhammed Ali and George Foreman in 1974. The song was also released as a maxi-single in 1996, and as a 12" that included a radio edit and some snippets from the film. Personally, I was checkin' for a remix, but no such luck until I scored this one by a basement DJ a few years ago.

Why bother, you ask? I always thought the lyrics were kinda dope, and you have to appreciate this line-up---especially since most of the players have since gone missing or insane. The original beat was a bit of a turn-off for me, but hell...it was doomed from the start with the lacing of that shitty ABBA sample. Sorry dancing queens, but "Name Of The Game" sucks. Arythematic's take on the track is still not sonic perfection, but like it or not, you gotta admit that his choice of sample is most agreeable in comparison.

The video for the original joint:



"Some Kind Of Wonderful"---Soul Brothers Six
We were having a discussion about music at work the other day, and someone asked who sang the classic jam "Some Kind Of Wonderful". The Drifters had a song by that name, but when the person started singing the tune, it was obvious that she was talking about the other "Some Kind Of Wonderful". I proclaimed that it was Soul Brothers Six, and a few of my co-geniuses started snickering, because they were positive that couldn't be the correct answer. Finally, someone googled the track, and announced that the credit belonged to Grand Funk Railroad.

Both answers are correct, depending on whether you're a soul junkie or a classic rock radio drone. The fact that I'm the former rather than the latter helped me prove to be just a little bit righter in my response. In fact, the song was originally recorded by Soul Brothers Six in 1967, although admittedly the more popular version (reaching #3 on the US charts) was covered by Grand Funk on their 1975 LP, All The Girls In The World Beware.

Don't worry---I'm not posting this track because I'm still bitter about our little debate. We had a good laugh after this, and I merely warned them to proceed with caution before they try to fucks wit da Scholar again. The whole thing just got me thinking that '70s and '80s babies unknowingly attribute this song to Grand Funk, and the even more misguided Generation Y, Z, or whatever we're up to now, might not realize that its roots go any deeper in music history than Joss Stone. Just setting the record straight kids, because the original is far too exceptional to be casually overlooked.

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"Soul Power '74"---Maceo & The Macks
If you've ever been listening to a James Brown record and heard The Godfather shout "Maceo! Blow Your Horn!", then you have an idea what a vital figure Maceo Parker is in the history of funk and soul music. Playing alto, tenor, and baritone sax, Maceo was indisputably a major influence on the trademark JB sound.

In 1971, James Brown released one of his most popular tracks---the monumental tune known as "Soul Power". Not long afterwards, an instrumental version of the classic jam was created when Parker and trombonist Fred Wesley added some overdubbed horn parts to the rhythm track from the original recording. The original horn track had bled into the rhythm in certain parts, so sound engineer Bob Both added various sound effects to disguise this and perfect the quality of the recreation. Subsequently, the track was named "Soul Power '74", and was credited to Maceo & The Macks. The song was initially released as a 7" on People Records (1973) and reached #20 on the R&B charts, and later appeared on Maceo's Us! LP (1974). The song has also been popular with hip-hop producers and DJs, having been sampled on tracks by Redman, MC Shan, Eric B & Rakim, Schoolly D, 3rd Bass, Stetsasonic, Salt-N-Pepa, Doug E Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, and more.

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"Newniss"--- DJ 2Tall/Dudley Perkins/Georgia Anne Muldrow
As a longtime fan of Otis Jackson, Jr., I was introduced to Dudley Perkins (aka Declaime) primarily through his affiliation and collaborations with the Supreme Being, Madlib. Dudley's always been somewhat of a leftfield hip-hop personality, never quite tailoring his eccentricities to afford much acceptance from mainstream hip-hop enthusiasts. His latest venture, Beautiful Mindz, with DJ 2Tall and the stunning Georgia Anne Muldrow will likely not provide any realistic exception to this rule. Those who've appreciated his style from day one are likely to continue doing so after hearing this LP, while his detractors will find fault along the same lines that they usually do.

I can usually appreciate where Dudley's coming from and Muldrow's influence is more than welcome, although she does little in the way of altering his unorthodox hip-hop style. This is a pretty damn beautiful record, if you tend to like this sort of thing. However, there are a few elements that may be less than desirable to the masses. Perkins gets a bit repetitive at times, utilizing certain catch phrases through the LP that have the potential to grow rather wearisome by the end of the recording. Furthermore, the whole effort seems a bit a disjointed and improvisational, as if the entire LP was thrown together during a single recording session. I have friends who get intoxicated and enjoy freestyling such ramblings over some of their favorite beats, but to be fair, none of them are as skilled at pulling this off and making it work as Perkins obviously is.

Depending on your personal preferences, "Newniss" may or may not be one of the better tracks from the LP, but it should give you a pretty good taste of what you're in store for if you decide to cop the record (Amalgam/Eclectic Breaks, 2007).

The first video from the LP---the title track "Beautiful Mind"


"I Can Stand A Little Rain"---Esther Phillips w/ (Joe) Beck
The story of Esther Phillips has always struck me as a tragic one. She was born Esther Mae Jones in Texas on 12/23/35. She grew up singing in the church, bot got her first big break while living in Los Angeles when bluesman Johnny Otis discovered her through a talent show she won at his nightclub. She began her recording legacy as part of Otis' revue while still a teenager, aptly dubbed as Little Esther. While under his wing, she cut a successful record with The Robins (an early version of The Coasters), leading to a string of other popular singles bearing her name.

She eventually had a falling out with Otis, which marked the beginning of many of her personal and professional instabilities. She frequently switched labels around this time and began experimenting with drugs, culminating in a serious addiction to heroin. As a result, she frequently had to be hospitalized and the scope of her career was sizably reduced to the smaller circuit of the Southern nightclub scene. Finally, future country star Kenny Rogers rediscovered her in 1962 and she was signed to the Lenox label that his brother owned. At this point, Esther decided to drop the "Little" from her moniker, and allegedly selected her last name from a nearby Phillips gasoline station.

Phillips started recording country-soul tunes that also found popularity with a pop and R&B audience, but her fortunes changed again when Lenox went bankrupt in 1963. Atlantic picked her up, but guided her into performing a variety of different genres---jazz, pop, the blues, R&B, etc. Although the proposed idea was to find her niche, this lack of consistency may have ultimately led to a marked decrease in her commercial viability. Atlantic eventually dropped her from their roster in 1967, primarily due to a lack of sales.

Phillips' addiction continued to worsen and she ended up in a rehabilitation facility in 1969. While still in treatment, she cut some sides for Roulette. Once released, she again signed with Atlantic, who confounded her career ambitions a second time by imploring her to lose her gritty edge and and try performing more pop-oriented tunes. Those ventures failed to make the grade, and the company dropped her again in 1971.

Kudu Records then picked her up, and she recorded one of her most celebrated LPs to date, From A Whisper To A Scream (1972). In fact, the several albums she recorded for Kudu would mark the most stable and successful run of her rocky career. In 1975, she released What A Diff'rence A Day Makes, which became one of her greatest selling LPs of all time. The soulful blues of "I Can Stand A Little Rain" was one of the best tracks from the album, arranged by guitarist Joe Beck and featuring David Sanborn, Randy Brecker, Steve Khan and Don Grolnick.

In 1977, she left Kudu to pursue an opportunity with Mercury, presumably because she was offered a greater modicum of creative control. After releasing some relatively unsuccessful records for the label, she again found herself without a deal in the early '80s. Her last chart single was for the small Winning label in 1983.

The following year Esther's health began to fail, and she had complications resulting from years of drug abuse and a more recent penchant for alcohol. She died in Los Angeles on August 7, 1984 of liver and kidney failure.

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Stay tuned for more pending updates from yours truly and more exciting guest contributions from members of the Souled On army...

Word From Yor Moms:
"The sincere, sensitive artist, willing to go beneath the cliches of popular belief to get at an underlying reality, will be wary of confining a race's entire characters to a half-dozen narrow grooves."--- Sterling Brown

DJ Blueprint's Amazing 30 Minute Funk Workout

Ladies and gentleman, today's guest blogger of distinction is DJ Blueprint, also known as Mike from this is tomorrow. Mike has an extensive record collection that sometimes makes me more than a little jealous, so I can almost guarantee that you'll be diggin' his site like a fat soul child loves cake. He's currently celebrating his first anniversary in the blogosphere, so make sure you drop by his spot and wish him a happy birthday. I also just submitted a mix for his blog party, so keep an eye out for that in the next few days---Scholar

Souled on music was one of the first blogs i discovered and visited on a regular basis so when scholar asked me to do a guest post, i didn't know what to do. After hundreds of ideas i decided to bring you a very special guest mix. This is an all 45 mix i did on the beach in vilanova/barcelona at the new cheese records party. It was a special night because we played at a xiringuito (sort of a bar where people can relax at daytime) just 50 meters away from the sea. To let you know what i'm talking about i included a picture of the place:



dj blueprint - 30
min funk workout 3

1. the stereo's - stereo freeze (cadet)
2. m & s band - egg roll (funk 45)
3. bobby rush - wake up (salem)
4. the new process - freedom (tramp)
5. funk shone - purification pt2 (skyline)
6. nicole willis & the soul investigators - feeling free (timmion)
7. martha reeves & the vandellas - dancing in the street (tamla motown)
8. edwin starr - agent double-o-soul (ric-tic)
9. the interpretations - soul affection (bell)
10. oghene kologbo & afrobeat academy - afro confusion (rabbi)
11. marvin gaye & kim weston - it takes two (reggae version) (motown)

I just wanted to say thanks to scholar for the invite and also thanks to all the people who visit and support my little blog.
mike

Word From Your Moms (Courtesy of DJ Blueprint):

"I can't listen to that much Wagner. I start getting the urge to conquer
Poland."
by Woody Allen (1935 - )

Said The Joker To The Thief

In case any of you are wondering why I find Satchmo so damned amusing, let's just say that I jacked this classic photo from his Blogger profile. Dude can make me laugh no matter what the hell I think I'm pissed about at the moment. Y'all better recognize...this kid is the realness.

It's been a few days since my last post (in pothead years anyway), so let's hurry up and do this damn thing, soul children...

"I Can't Take It"---Otis Clay
Otis Clay's deeply soulful sound is firmly rooted in the gospel tradition, followed by a gradual progression into secular music that truly accelerated when he signed on with Chicago's One-derful Records in 1965. He would later go on to cut some excellent records in Muscle Shoals, Alabama for Atlantic's Cotillion subsidiary. The last 45 he released on Cotillion was produced by the legendary Willie Mitchell, which ultimately led to Clay's celebrated tenure at Hi Records in Memphis, Tennessee.

Although I find great value in Clay's recordings from every phase of his career, there was something particularly magical about his collaborations with Mitchell. This intense ballad (from the I Can't Take It LP, 1977) is but one piece of evidence to support that grandiose claim. If I had to describe this track in a single word, I'd have to call it stunning.

If you thought there was only one phenomenal Otis in the history of soul music, seek to educate yourself by any means necessary. This all-too-brief overview can't even begin to tell the story of a man with this prodigious of a career.

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"Black Hollywood"---Camp Lo
Since I'm one of those pessimistic types who thinks that most post-millenium rap releases have been less than stellar, I kind of had to brace myself before listening to the new Camp Lo record. Uptown Saturday Night (1997) was one of my favorite hip-hop LPs of all time; Let's Do It Again (2002) was not. It made sense that I should prepare myself for the inevitable letdown that was bound to ensue.

Actually, the Black Hollywood LP didn't turn out to be as compromised as I'd expected---although there's quite a bit of distance between that and great. If I wrote reviews for The Source I'd probably give it three mics. Four if I put it up against most of the genre's other releases this year---dopeness, after all, is somewhat relative. The only way I'd give it even half a mic higher than that is if the record company offered me enough payola to lie like a dirty old rug.

I know---it's like taking candy from a baby to hate on hip-hop in '07. If I'm being honest, there are a few joints on the album that have significant replay value, the title track being the most obvious candidate. Yes, Scheme beat me to this at least a month ago, but what the fuck do you want from me? We all know it usually takes me at least 30 years to start appreciating a good record...

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Just for the sake of reminiscin'---the almighty "Luchini" video...



"Soul Popcorn Parts 1 & 2"---Doc Oliver
This Doc Oliver tune is another gem from Tobias Kirmayer's Movements: 14 Deep Funk Pearls compilation (2005). Kirmayer is a German DJ/producer/collector who has an amazing collection of funk 45s and rare grooves that most crate diggas would kill to possess. Whenever he decides to share some of these choice selections, you cough up the asking price without a moment of hesitation.

Admittedly, I don't know a great deal about Doc Oliver, so I'll put all pretentiousness aside where that's concerned. Regardless, unless you are completely without rhythm, this song has the power to make you invalids shake whatever Moms gave ya. In my experience, "popcorn" tunes tend to get pretty damn funky. Here's a good article by Doug Wolk about the whole popcorn phenomenon.

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"I Get My Groove From You"---Bobby Patterson
Despite the fact that Bobby Patterson never saw the commercial success of many of his Southern soul contemporaries, you shouldn't be fooled into believing that he was slighted due to a lack of talent or genuine artistry. On the contrary, this Dallas, TX native was an exceptionally gifted vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer.

"I Get My Groove From You" is a sweet, infectious soul gem that was originally released on Paula in 1973. The track has since been re-issued on a compilation of the same name, including 20 noteworthy offerings from his recordings in the '70s (Charly, 1999).

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"Triple Threat (Beirut Remix)"---Nature ft. Nas and Noreaga
Nature was born Jermaine Baxter in Long Island, NY. He later found himself in the enviable position of going to school with Nasir "Nas" Jones. As legend would have it, Nas saw potential in Nature's rhyming skills, a fact that means a lot or a little, depending on whether or not you've ever listened to the Bravehearts (smirk).

At any rate, having a famous rapper friend helped Nature skip the whole demo tape circuit, and he got bit parts on a few records before landing a spot in The Firm with Nas, Foxy Brown, and AZ. Regardless of whose reasons you believe, Nature ultimately replaced Nas' one-time friend Cormega in the "supergroup". Although Nas dedicated part of "One Love" to 'Mega when he went to prison and recorded The Firm's "Affirmative Action" single with him, Nature was brought in instead when it came time to record the full-length LP. Although Nas has blamed Steve Stout for this (and the album was essentially a commercial flop anyway), Cormega still felt pissed and dissed enough to drop "Fuck Nas and Nature". Nature survived being fucked by Cormega, but after all that, most people don't give a shit about either one of them. Damn...

This is definitely the stuff of fairy tales---you gotta love hip-hop beef.

As for Beirut, I've been checking out his mixes for quite some time now, and a few of them are pretty dope. I was reminded of this fact again recently, when Missingtoof pimped some of his music for the masses.

"Summertime"---Bobby Womack/ The Roots
I hope that Womack and the legendary Roots crew go without introduction for the average Souled On reader. This deserves as much acknowledgement as anything else I've posted, but I'm sick to death of typing...ugh. At any rate, this is one of my favorite takes on the Gershwin classic. Wanted to make sure I delivered this before it became unseasonal.

Supplemental materials:

"Unforgiven"---Cormega
Compare and contrast, kids---which one of Nas' homies had better skills? It's a stupid question---don't bother answering it.

By the way, Nas made nice with 'Mega and brought him onstage in December of '06 for an "Affirmative Action" reunion. Any further developments are more than I care to burden my brain with at the moment.

"All Along The Watchtower"---Bobby Womack
Duel of the Bobs---Womack covers Dylan...

"Burnin' And Lootin'"---Bob Marley/ The Roots
From Chant Down Babylon, 1999; one of the more positive results of Marley masters being mixed with contemporary artists.

Word From Your Moms:

"One good thing about music, when it hits- you feel no pain."

"You ain't gonna miss your water until your well runs dry."

Both quotes courtesy of the great Bob Marley

Who Bringin’ The Ruckus? FDB Primo Beat Deconstructions

Soul peoples in the place to be---it's with great pride that I introduce the first guest writer since Vik came through with "Slang Meets Soul". Call this the beginning of a series if you'd like, but my approach to collaborating with other bloggers is essentially lawless and without boundary. My hope is to periodically break the monotony a bit by surrendering complete creative control to some of the greatest minds on the interweb. The content and theme will be entirely to the guests' discretion, and if this submission is any indication, I think this will be a great way to keep things fresh and entertaining around here.

Now that I've gotten that lengthy introduction out of the way, I'm turning things over to the man of the hour---the one and only Dan Love. Dan is the mastermind behind one of my favorite spots in the blogosphere, From Da Bricks. My respect for this guy is immense, primarily because he's exceptionally knowledgeable and enthusiastic about music. He's also got an excellent sense of community, readily displaying his willingness to network and lend encouragement to fellow writers and music lovers around the globe. This is family we're talking about here, so be sure to give him some props for taking the time to bless us with his knowledge---Scholar

There has been a spate of guest posts kicking about in blogworld recently, and I think that it has been a refreshing development that clearly cements a sense of community between our disparate corners of the internet. Devoid of all of the normal nuances of human interaction such as voice and facial expressions, it is sometimes hard to know who exactly constitutes your ‘community’ as a blogger, and it has taken me over six months to build a clear sense of those that I would consider to be ‘fam’.

Given that I have long considered Scholar to be a part of my net-based crew, it was a pleasure to be contacted by him and offered a guest spot here at the mighty Souled On Music. Without getting too sycophantic about it, this blog has been an inspiration to me since joining the online hip hop community, and much of my recent digressions into sample sources have been a result of checkin’ into sites like Scholar’s. As this is the case, I felt I had to come with some sample-based goodness for this post, and who better to discuss than the one and only DJ Premier, one of the genre’s most highly revered crate diggers. Two Primo bangers and the two songs that inspired them: let’s get it on.

You Know My Steez Beat Deconstruction

Joe Simon - Drowning In The Sea Of Love (Spring, 1972)
Gangstarr - You Know My Steez (Virgin, 1998)

Believe it or not, ‘You Know My Steez’ was the first Gangstarr song that I ever heard. I can remember seeing the video on MTV when it was released in ’98, and running out almost immediately to cop ‘Moment Of Truth’ such was my enthusiasm for the song. For me, it remains one of the clear standouts from the crew’s fifth and last great LP, and ranks amongst one of the best single songs in their extensive and astonishingly brilliant catalogue.

Primo’s skills behind the boards really shine here, chopping up the initial couple of bars from Joe Simon’s ‘Drowning In The Sea Of Love’. The way in which the sample is flipped here is truly sensational, an attestation of Premier’s ability to transform the music of old into something distinctly modern and unique. Like all great Primo beats, it is instantly recognisable as a product of the man, with rugged drums (the snares on ‘You Know My Steez’ are ridiculous) and that infectious head nodding quality that threatens to leave you looking like someone rocking themselves to sleep in the corner of a padded cell. Trademark chorus hook scratches and Guru’s inimitable monotone round the cut off perfectly, making ‘You Know My Steez’ a staple of the Gangstarr canon.

Suspended In Time Beat Deconstruction

The Incredible Bongo Band - Pipeline (Pride, 1973)
Group Home - Suspended In Time (Payday/ffrr, 1995)

Despite the somewhat exhausted commentary on the shortcomings of Lil’ Dap and Melachi’s mic abilities, ‘Suspended In Time’ goes down as one of my favourite cuts on the group’s debut ‘Livin’ Proof’, with both MCs putting in some of the more listenable vocal performances on the album over one of Preem’s most outstanding compositions. Whereas ‘You Know My Steez’ demonstrates his astute ability at chopping up a break, ‘Suspended In Time’ instead highlights his incredible ear for interesting samples that would pass the average producer by.

The Incredible Bongo Band’s ‘Pipeline’ is a far cry from their uptempo b-boy anthem ‘Apache’; instead this is a song that begins with a lilting pace and dreamlike atmosphere, building steadily to a climax of horns and percussion. Primo focuses in on the opening of the track, transposing the sounds of gulls and lulling instrumentation into their new hip hop context for the Group Home joint. Whereas some old funk and soul songs seem to cry out to be torn up by an SP-1200, you would be forgiven for this particular sample passing you by altogether, and therein lies the crate digging genius of DJ Premier. Teamed up with another heavy drum track, this beat feels spacious and beautiful, again carrying the usual hallmarks of his production style with another sublime scratched chorus hook (has anyone ever done this more effectively?) and subtle beat manipulations such as the pounding bass kicks of the song’s opening bar. Just imagine what this would have sounded like with Jeru riding the groove…

Whilst I’m on the Premier tip, make sure you check into Floodwatch Music immediately, as Flood has just put together a brilliant 62 minute mix of pure Premier goodness that is one of the best things I’ve seen come out of the ever-expanding blog game. If you liked what you read here then make sure you come and check out my spot at From Da Bricks for writing and topics along a similar lines: you’ll be most welcome. Props to Scholar for giving me the opportunity to spread my wings a little, a return invitation has been extended: the gauntlet has been categorically thrown down. Hold tight y’all…

Ill Street Blues

"Four Walls"---Eddie Holman
Eddie Holman often gets lost in one-hit-wonderland, due in large part to the fact that "Hey There Lonely Girl" was his only commercially successful single. While the rest of his discography is often overlooked, Eddie's smooth-flowing style made a distinct impression on me in the very earliest days of my soul diggin' career. "Four Walls" is an incredible tune from his I Love You LP (1970) that speaks volumes as to why I still consider him an absolute master of soul balladry. If you're a bit on the romantically challenged side, spinning one of Eddie's records could easily turn things around in your favor, too, by the way...

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"Writing The Silver"---Opgave
Opgave's sound is perhaps best described by mentioning some of the artists that producer Saboteur cites as influences: DJ Krush, RJD2, Diplo, Portishead, DJ Shadow, Blockhead, Amon Tobin, etc. I came across this moody little track by way of Suspicious Records' Broken Nightlights compilation, which apparently entered my aural pathways for the sole purpose of uncovering this solitary gem. This has become the perfect soundtrack for nights when I'm battling insomnia, dragging on one last cigarette before I haul my tired ass to bed.

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"The Mexican"---Babe Ruth
It's possible that I should have saved this song for an episode of Souled On Samples, because this joint would easily qualify for an opening session of The Breaks 101. This is a brilliantly funky anthem from a relatively obscure '70s progressive rock outfit from Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The song has been rehashed and covered numerous times, as well as having been sampled by the likes of Afrika Bambaataa, Organized Konfusion, Grandmaster Flash, Doug E Fresh, Funky 4 + 1, Jungle Brothers, and more. For what's it's worth, this track can teach you how to play one hell of a mean air guitar.

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"Liberation Conversation"---Marlena Shaw
Marlena Shaw's name should be familiar to you whether you listen to soul, funk, jazz, the blues, R&B, disco---hell, pretty much any kind of music except for heavy metal and polka. Loop diggas are fond of her material as well, considering that her records have been borrowed by artists such as DJ Shadow, No I.D., Lyrics Born, Madlib, Automator, People Under The Stairs, and DJ Premier. "California Soul" is easily her most sought-after tune, but I thought I'd deviate from the norm a bit and slap you in the chops with this sliver of funk that packs a lot more punch than most songs ten times its size.

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"What's In A Name?"---Jay-Z
Some of you may be wondering whether or not I'm pissed at Hov for making a mockery of my allegiance with the complete and utter fiasco known as the Kingdom Come LP. As I suspected, the CD does in fact make for a great coaster, although I don't usually spend $13.99 for one of those. The hologram on the cover didn't exactly make up for the lack of quality content either, so what's a Jigga fan to do to save face in light of this disaster? I haven't come up with anything other than falling back on his classic material, when dude was tryin' to eat---not mired in defeat. This is an unreleased throwback from The Early Tapes (1989-1994) that certainly is a prouder moment than "Beach Chair" could ever hope to be. Sorry about the bootleg hiss in the background, but I'll take that over slickly produced garbage any day of the week.

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Another monumental moment in hip-hop history---Jay and Biggie live in '96:


"Smokin' Cheeba Cheeba"---Harlem Underground Band
I suppose this track might have been better suited to the post I did last week with Grandma chiefin' on that chubby, but what the hell---this is a worthwhile song to throw into the mix at any given point in time. The Harlem Underground Band were the studio group for Winley Records, but they released two albums under their own name as well. This fine contribution to the pantheon of stellar pot songs was released on their self-titled debut LP in 1976.

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"To Know Him Is To Love Him"---Amy Winehouse
Despite the fact that many soul enthusiasts seem to struggle with Amy Winehouse's "authenticity" (not to mention her ethnicity), I bear no shame in saying that I'm rather engaged by her. Let he or she who is without guilty pleasures cast the first stone...

Back to Black has been hyped to the fullest and most nauseating extent, so I thought it might be refreshing to post a more obscure track---a live acoustic cover of a Phil Spector tune that she released on the UK version of the "You Know I'm No Good" single. I'm not a huge fan of the song itself, but Amy's vocal abilities are displayed here in such a raw and unpretentious manner that I find this track somewhat difficult to resist. Hopefully you'll agree, but if not---let the haterism begin...

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Bonus mp3:

"Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Ghislain Poirier remix)"---Jay-Z
I know---if you hear one more Black Album remix before you die it will be light years too soon. Can't blame you there, but damn, cousin---tell me this beat ain't CHUNKY...

Word From Your Moms:

"I been in the blues all my life. I'm still delivering 'cause I got a long memory."---Muddy Waters

In A Low Down Groove

What's goin' down, soul children? I've been agonizing more than usual about what to post today, so I thought it might be the perfect time to stop by some of my favorite spots in the cyberhood. Here's what's good...

First and foremost, rest in peace to Bill Pinkney, the last surviving member of The Drifters (8/15/25-7/4/07). Soul Brutha Dave B. and Brown Eyed Handsome Man were amongst those who paid this legendary artist some well-deserved respect.

My pal Vincent recently posted the first and second parts of Sharon Jones' "Damn, It's Hot" over at the ever-delicious Fufu Stew.

Dan Love did an excellent write-up at From Da Bricks about George Benson's "Face It Boy, It's Over", including several hip-hop joints that feature a sample of the song.

Visit Missingtoof to download a shitload (as if this is a scientific unit of measurement) of Beirut remixes. Includes reduxes of tracks by Jay-Z, Clipse, Biggie, M.O.P., and more.

O-Dub is currently offering a couple of stellar B-sides by Ann Sexton and Clarence Reid.

Internet radio has suffered yet another devastating blow. If you haven't already, please holla at some of the congressional jackasses who claim to represent you...

A couple of funktastic Don Covay songs are currently available by way of the almighty ear fuzz.

RZA recently spoke with Billboard.com to discuss Wu-Tang's pending release, 8 Diagrams. More info by way of Hip Hop DX.

If you haven't already noticed, JT is killin' it with the summer song selections over at Feed Me Good Tunes. These are a couple of his most recent posts, featuring the likes of Skull Snaps, The Roots, Grant Green, Kool & The Gang, Chuck Berry, and more.

Download "Why Can't There Be Love" by Dee Edwards, courtesy of Colin at In Dangerous Rhythm.

Featured artist of the day is Gordon Parks, an amazing photographer who was also a musician, film director, journalist, novelist, activist, and poet. He is perhaps best known for his photo essays in Life magazine and as the director of the 1971 film Shaft. He was once quoted as saying that photography was his choice of weapons, giving you just a hint at what a powerful figure he truly was.

Cornel West's upcoming LP, Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations, features an outstanding guest list with appearances by Prince, Andre 3000, Gerald Levert, Black Thought, KRS-One, Killer Mike, Lenny Williams, and more. Visit Nah Right to scoop up "Bushonomics", featuring Talib Kweli.

Download a veritable classic, "Bus Stop" by Oliver Sain, by way of Flea Market Funk.

More sample goodness is available via Martini & Jopparelli's Music Selections---d/l Stanley Turrentine's "The Man With the Sad Face", the original song sampled on "Dead Serious" by Das EFX.

A recent Intel report indicates that Al Qaeda is currently "better positioned to strike the West" than ever. Learn more at Crooks and Liars.

Darcy recently posted a couple of versions of "I'm Back for More" by Al Johnson & Jean Carn and Leo's Sunshipp over at Feel It.

Visit hahamusic to get your chubby fingers on a nice selection of Al Green covers.

Metal Lungies waxes nostalgic about DJ Premier, and offers tonz of mp3s to illustrate why there can never really be another Primo.

After a reasonably long hiatus, 2 minutes of bliss 2 steps back into the arena with some exceptional footage of Fontella Bass performing her version of "Rescue Me".

Soul junkies in the house will definitely want to check out A Deeper Shade Of Soul, a pretty phenomenal blog that I've been sleeping on for way too long. (Thanks for the tip Nicole---and well...for just being you).

Before I go, a final thought. I hope you know that I would never shamelessly pimp any LPs that I didn't think were quality material---at least not until I get a fuckin' check or something. That said, I am really diggin' the promo copy of Billie Holiday: Remixed and Reimagined that I got in the mail a couple of weeks ago. Unlike the Nina Simone remix project, I can listen to this CD from beginning to end and enjoy every single moment. I'll probably end up in jail if I give you one of these tracks, but you can and should read more about the album here.

And just because I really love you, here's a classic Billie song that remains a favorite of mine to this very day:

"Solitude"---Billie Holiday (mp3)

Word From Your Moms:

"Define your own voice rather than imitating others. Cut against the forces of conformity. The forces of conformity are market-driven, driven by titillation and temptation, as opposed to decency and dignity."

"Hip-hop came from the killing fields of chocolate cities. Hip-hop artists constituted tremendous power, before they were ripped off by the record industry, and it all became about money. We went from MLK's 'let freedom ring' to the bling-bling."

"The world listens to jazz, to Luther, to Aretha, to Stevie, to get a taste of what freedom should be like."

All above quotations from the mind of Cornel West

Souled On Samples Part IX

This cat just knows that his shit is cooler than all the iPods on his block put together. With any luck, my peoples will be equally enthused with the classic vibe of today's musical selections...

"The Grunt (Part 1)"---The J.B.'s
(Sampled on "Rebel Without A Pause", "Night of the Living Baseheads", and "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic" by Public Enemy, "Soul Brother #1" by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)" by Wu-Tang Clan (1993 version), "The Final Chapter" by Compton's Most Wanted, "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B & Rakim, "The One" by Chubb Rock, "Hustler Mac" by Steady B, "Ease Back" and "Give the Drummer Some" by Ultramagnetic MCs, "Officer" by The Pharcyde, "Drop the Bomb" by 2 Live Crew, "The Payback II" by Erick Sermon, "Who Stole My Car?" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, "U Wanna Sweat?" by Jungle Brothers, "Break of Dawn" by Salt-N-Pepa, "Beat Dis" by Bomb the Bass, and "Juice Crew Law" by MC Shan.

Dig deeper...

Video for "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)" (1993)


"Soul Girl"---Judy Foster
(Sampled on "Get on the Mic" by Pete Rock & CL Smooth)

Dig deeper... (Not much available info about Judy---link leads to further info about the legendary Pete Rock; if anyone has some knowledge on Ms. Foster, please school the stoopid)

"The Breakdown (Part 1)---Rufus Thomas

"The Breakdown (Part 2)"---Rufus Thomas

"The Breakdown (Parts I & II)" have been sampled on "The Grain" by Ghostface Killah, "Uncut, Pure" by Big Daddy Kane, "I'm Gettin' Ready" by Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, "Live!!! From Acknickulous Land" and "Do U Wanna C It" by Three Times Dope, "Illegal Search" by LL Cool J, "Kamurshol" by NWA, "Eazy-Er Said Than Dunn" by Eazy-E, "The Phuncky Feel One" by Cypress Hill, "Feel This" by Agallah, and "WRMS's Dedication to the Bitty" by De La Soul.

Dig deeper...

Rufus breaks it down...ain't he clean?



"Oh, Pretty Woman"---Albert King
(Sampled on "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)" by Wu-Tang Clan--- 2000 version)

Dig deeper...

Video for "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)" (2000)


"Mixed Up Moods and Attitudes"---Fantastic Four
(Sampled on "Take It in Blood" by Nas)

Dig deeper...

"I'm Talkin' 'Bout Freedom"---Syl Johnson
(Sampled on "The Truth" by AZ)

Dig deeper...

"The Trap"---Jerry Goldsmith
(Sampled on "No Mercy" by Pharoahe Monch/ M.O.P.)

Dig deeper...

"Children Don't Get Weary"---Booker T & The MGs w/ Judy Clay
(Sampled on "Glaciers of Ice" by Raekwon)

Dig deeper...

"Blacula Strikes!" ---Gene Page
(Sampled on "New York Shit" by Prodigy)

Dig deeper...

Word From Your Moms:

"Soul is like electricity. We don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light up a room..."---Ray Charles

Gettin' High On My Own Supply

"It's Too Late"---Willie Hightower
Not to be confused with the Chicago jazz great who shares his name, this Willie Hightower is a forgotten Southern soul artist who possesses the sort of vocal instrument that will rattle your bones and shake your hips. Hip-hop enthusiasts are bound to scratch their heads in collective wonder as to why RZA has never mined this particular gem.

Dig deeper...

"Ten Crack Commandments (Kwame's Stimulated Mix)"---Notorious B.I.G.
This is one of those highly sacred hip-hop joints that should probably never be blended, remixed, or otherwise fucked with for any reason. DJ Premier's original beat is a classic, laced exquisitely with a sample of the tune "Valantra" by Les McCann. That said, this little redux is still pretty damn dope if I do say so myself...

Footage from Biggie's last freestyle...



Dig deeper...

"James Brown"---Nancy Dupree
Nancy Dupree sang and composed the entire Ghetto Reality LP (1969) with a chorale ensemble of inner-city youth from Rochester, NY. The magnificence of this album can't be overstated, despite it's relatively unassuming facade. There's a brilliant innocence to these recordings that can't be properly described with words, so the whole LP is definitely worth a listen. "James Brown" is perhaps the most beloved song from the album---and good God, y'all---it's one of the coolest tributes to the Godfather of Soul that was ever laid on wax.

Dig deeper...

"Change the Beat (PZ Wicked Child Remix)"---MF Doom
Most people don't know this about me, but I'm a pretty big fan of Radiohead. I can freely admit to this because you won't be able to beat me up or steal my lunch money, even if you think that makes me a punk. Anyway, a couple of years ago, DJ Panzah Zandahz proved I wasn't the only freak who liked hip-hop and Radiohead when he released his Me & This Army mixtape. Some of the blends were an illogical fit as far as my ears were concerned, but Radiohead and MF Doom are like peanut butter and lots of grape jelly, son...

Dig deeper...

"Farewell To the Welfare Pt 1"---Wendell Harrison
Wendell has been a staple on the Detroit jazz scene for several decades, but if you've never heard of him, chances are you'll be familiar with some of the artists he's worked with---Eddie Harris, Sun Ra, Grant Green, Hank Crawford, Leon Thomas, and more. "Farewell" is an incredibly funky tune---it sounds like at least a dozen blaxploitation theme songs blended into a jam so fantastic that even Shaft could dig it.

Dig deeper...

"Let's Go Away For A While"---Bullion
Bullion was kind enough to drop a copy of Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee in my inbox a couple of weeks ago. Since then, I've seen a few of the tracks posted here and there, but I wanted to make sure that this kid got some well-deserved shine right here...at this very spot. If I tell you that the main components of this mix are J Dilla and The Beach Boys, you may make the grave error of deciding not to even give this track a listen. That combination may sound like spaghetti and fried eggs, soul children, but I assure you it's not. I consider myself to be somewhat discerning when it comes to music, and therefore, I can tell you with some certainty that this shit is nice. Much more creative, skillful and unique than your typical bootleg remix/refix/mash stuff, this track actually deserves to be all up in your headphones.

Dig deeper...

"Do What You Gotta Do"---Roberta Flack
Those of you who've been hangin' around here for a minute will remember that I've also posted a version of this track by the goddess Nina Simone. Roberta's take on the song is so completely different as to make comparing the two an apples vs. oranges proposition. Outside of her work with Donny Hathaway, I was never particularly fond of Flack's material. Despite some reluctance on my part, I've come to realize that I sincerely enjoy her first couple of albums---First Take and Chapter Two. "Do What You Gotta Do" is from the latter platter, and I'll say nothing except to offer a warning that it might just break your little heart if you let it. The internet thugs are really gonna want to steal my lunch money after this one...

Bonus mp3s:

"Diamonds (Lushlife Remix)"---Kanye West
Just in case that Bullion joint wasn't enough to satisfy your underlying desires to hear hip-hop infused with The Beach Boys, I thought you might want to check out this Lushlife mix as well---pretty interesting stuff.

"Class of 3000 Theme Song"---Andre 3000
This track has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the post, but I promised David at Sony that I'd up this link to Dre's latest track for anyone who hasn't gotten to hear it yet. I'm still trying to figure out what to make of it---it has some truly worthwhile elements, but I think I'd get into it even more if Andre would only share some of those good drugs with me ;)

Word From Your Moms:

“After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say ''I want to see the manager.''”---William S. Burroughs

Souled On Samples Part VIII

"Shaft's Mama"----Charlie Whitehead
(Sampled on "Move Somethin" by Reflection Eternal---Talib Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek)

Dig deeper...

"I Want To Be In the Land of Milk and Honey"---Vicki Anderson
(Sampled on "Live At the Barbeque" by Main Source ft. Nas)

Dig deeper...

"Alfomega"---Caetano Veloso
(Sampled on "Charlie Brown" by Ghostface Killah; produced by MF Doom)

Dig deeper...

"What Can You Bring Me?"---Charles Wright
(Sampled on "Rock Rock Y'all" by A Tribe Called Quest and "Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down" by Brand Nubian)

Dig deeper...

"I'm Not To Blame"---Bobby Byrd
(Sampled on "You Don't Know" by Jay-Z)

Dig deeper...

"Colonial Mentality"---Fela Kuti
(Sampled on "Whatcha Gon' Do" by Missy Elliott ft. Timbaland)

Dig deeper...

"All Your Goodies Are Gone"----Parliament
(Sampled on "Follow Me" by Buckshot, "Everybody Get Up" by Salt-N-Pepa, "Afraid of the Flavor" by Poison Clan, "Born Gangsta" by Boss)

Dig deeper...

"Too Blind To See"---Dorothy Moore
(Sampled on "Purple Haze" by The Diplomats)

Dig deeper...

"The Madness Subsides" (aka "Sekoilu Seestyy")---Pekka Pohjola
(Sampled on "Midnight in a Perfect World" by DJ Shadow)

Dig deeper...

Supplemental Materials:

The exceptional video for "Midnight in a Perfect World":



Bonus mp3s:

"Charlie Brown"---Ghostface Killah
I've read differing accounts as to why, but this track was an early leak from Fishscale that never actually made it onto the final version of the LP. Most sources agree that the omission was due to sample clearance issues, but the rest of the story remains somewhat of a mystery to me. This is a full version of the track, just in case ya ain't heard...

"All Your Goodies Are Gone (The Loser's Seat)" Instrumental version---The Parliaments
George Clinton fanatics probably already know this, but he was in a doo-wop quintet called The Parliaments prior to his legendary work with Parliament/Funkadelic. This is a funky little instrumental take on the original version of "All Your Goodies Are Gone", released on the Revilot label in 1967. The later rendition with Parliament was released in 1974, on the Up For The Down Stroke LP. If anyone's interested in the original vocal version, give me a holler via e-mail.

Please use the links after each track to "dig deeper" into the history and/or discography of each original artist, and as always, show your support by actually buying the records.

Word From Your Moms:

DJ Shadow describes the Tao of crate diggin':

We Are Family

This is long overdue, so I wanted to take some time out today to initiate some of the newest members of the ever-growing Souled On family...

Attorney Street: Souled On and Palms Out Sounds have been good friends since day one. Attorney Street is a splinter site launched by a few of their contributors, and it promises to be every bit as fundamental to the masses. Don't be the last to know.

Give Me Aural: This is a newer site that is off to quite an impressive start. Some of the artists recently featured are Nina Simone, Kashmere Stage Band, Ursula Rucker, and Gil Scott-Heron. Remixes, covers, and lots of other funktastic stuff...

The Memphis Sound: There's no way to overestimate the importance of this blog as a resource on the rich history and legacy of the music scene in Memphis. Many forgotten artists and landmarks are rediscovered here, making this site a must for anyone who's even remotely interested in the people, places, and things behind the music.

DJ Audio 1: Nothing is more fitting to explain what this blog's all about than Audio 1's own description: "If you are looking for hyphy, crunk, hip-hop, refixes, mash-ups, Bmore club, dubstep, drum & bass and just about everything else, this is your site".

AM, Then FM: This blog offers an eclectic variety of classic tunes, as well as a healthy dose of pleasantly amusing commentary. Soul fans will appreciate recent posts on Curtis Mayfield and The Staples Singers, but Jeff offers a little something for just about everyone.

The Fly Life: I love this title---the self-proclaimed "home of the couch stuffers". Once again, the scope of this site reaches beyond a single genre, but hip-hop enthusiasts will find lots of dope joints here by the likes of Black Milk, Trae, David Banner, DJ Quik, and more.

Internettal L's: Satchmo is just getting things started, but I can't help but be entertained by this dude already. He's a pretty amusing guy, and he's posted some truly worthwhile stuff so far---rare Dilla joints, a Lil' Wayne mixtape, some samples, remixes, and more. All hail Young Satch...

Galactic Fractures: This is the blog for an outstanding radio show on WMFO. They've got shows as far back as 2000 available for download, featuring some of the absolute finest soul, funk, reggae, jazz, and blues gems ever recorded. Some of their highest rated shows include sets by well-known favorites, such as Cosmo Baker and DJ Ayres.

No Trivia: Brandon Soderberg's musings on music and popular culture are cynical, witty, intelligent, cranky, humorous, and sarcastic---all at the same time. Needless to say, I'm fiendishly hooked.

Blogger's Delite: This is an album-based spot that offers lots of great LPs to choose from on a relatively consistent basis. A wide variety of recordings are available here, but I'm especially prone to visit when I want to scoop up some old school reggae joints that are still missing from my collection.

Sly: Sly is a DJ hailing from Chicago who blesses his readers with a plethora of dope mash-ups, bootlegs, remixes, and videos. Additionally, his blogroll is a veritable who's who of the best music/audio blogs on the net.

Fifteen Minutes To Live: This site has been holding things down on the interweb for quite a while, so it was about damn time I made the blogroll! Fifteen Minutes is one of the spots I visit to stay informed about all the freshest/latest in contemporary music---an occasional necessity for someone with a record collection as dusty as mine.

The JackBoyz: Devotees of hip-hop music and culture will definitely want to make a pilgrimage to this musical mecca. Tons of videos and full album downloads by commercial and underground/independent artists.

Soul Brutha's "Put The Needle On The Record": This is one of those sites I should have checked out much sooner. Featuring a stunning selection of soul and funk mp3s. It's immediately apparent that Dave's my kinda people---so if you like me, chances are you'll like him, too.

Missingtoof.com: This is another highly eclectic site with lots of great content, specializing in indie, hip-hop, and electronica music. Be sure to tune in for my favorite feature---Old Rap Wednesdays. Trust me---it's uncommonly fresh...

Further gratitude is extended to Rebel Mag and WFMU for recently including Souled On in their round-ups.

Well---that's all for now, soul children. Please don't get your feelings hurt if I somehow excluded your site from this list. I've been smokin' greens for so long that short term memory loss is somewhat of a given. Doesn't mean I ain't got love for ya...

I'll be out of town for a couple of days this week, but I should be able to post a few tunes for the road before I make my departure.

Remember, kids---keep your friends close...but your enemies closer...

Word From Your Moms:

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."---Jane Howard

Souled On Samples Part VII

For this edition of Souled On Samples, I decided to put a slightly different spin on things. I love the way these original songs have been flipped by their borrowers, so I decided to include the hip-hop joints in this post as well.

My operating theory for today is this: “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” Enjoy...

"Ghost Of Myself"---Doris Duke

Sampled on: "Smart Went Crazy"---Atmosphere


"Let's Make A Record"----Sister Gertrude Morgan

Sampled on: "Let's Make A Record"---King Britt


"Stockyard"---Galt MacDermot

Sampled on: "Fo'eva Blunted"---Nine


"Back To You"---Jean Plum

Sampled on: "Street Corner"---Masta Killa


"Stormy"---The Meters

Sampled on: "Clear Blue Skies" ---Juggaknots

Word From Your Moms:

Mixmaster Mike shows you how to do that, son...in 43 seconds or less...

Sistas Are Doin' It For Themselves...

"Here I Am (Take Me)"---The Sweet Inspirations

"It's Mighty Hard"---Laura Lee

"This Girl"---Jean Grae

"Give Me Your Love"---The Sisters Love

"Pam's Song"---The Coup



"Walking Through the Darkness"---Tekitha

"Anyone Who Knows What Love Is Will Understand"---Irma Thomas

"Shortee's Return"---DJ Shortee

"Get Ready"---Ursula Rucker

"Try To Leave Me If You Can (I Bet You Can't Do It)"---Bessie Banks

I think the pictures say it all, but if anyone is still confused, the working formula for today's post is estrogen=excellence.

Chicks Who Kick Ass Appreciation Day is now an official holiday at Souled On. May blessings behold all three of my female readers ;)

Word From Your Moms:

Souled On Samples Part VI: The Iconz

"Nautilus"---Bob James
(Sampled on "Live At The BBQ" by Main Source, "Stray Bullet" by Organized Konfusion, "Daytona 500" by Ghostface Killah, "Take You There", "What's Next on the Menu?", and "The Sun Won't Come Out" by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, "Just Mary" by Mary J Blige, "Groove To the Sound" and "Beats to the Rhyme" by Run-DMC, "The Rhyme" by Keith Murray, "Children's Story" by Slick Rick, "Follow the Leader" and "Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em" by Eric B & Rakim, "Black Nostaljack" by Camp Lo, "Daaam" by Alkaholiks, "Jazzy's Groove" by Dj Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, "Keep It Secret" by Chubb Rock, "Clap Your Hands" by ATCQ, "Throw Ya Gunz" by Onyx, "Double Trouble" by The Roots/Mos Def, "Raise It Up", "Moe Love on the One & Two", and "Ced Gee (Delta Force One)" by Ultramagnetic MCs, "Show Me a Hero" by Leaders of the New School, "The Rap World" by Large Professor/ Pete Rock, "Victory" by Puff Daddy/Notorious B.I.G./Busta Rhymes, "No Delayin" by Nice & Smooth, "Job Song" by Consequence, "Brothers On My Jock" by EPMD, "Book of Rhyme Pages" by Jungle Brothers, "Snitches" by The Geto Boys, "Word Is Bond" by Poor Righteous Teachers, etc...

Shoot me if I'm lyin'---that's still not even close to being an exhaustive list of all the sampling artists who've mined this fundamental recording. Feel free to drop some more examples in the comment box, but I think I've stated a pretty good case for this track's relevance either way.

"Blind Man Can See It"---James Brown
(Sampled on "They Want EFX" by Das EFX, "Funky Technician" by Lord Finesse, "I Will Always Love H.E.R." by Peanut Butter Wolf, "The Vapors" by Snoop Dogg, "Use Me Again" by Steady B, "No Diggity" by Blackstreet, "Sticky Fingaz" by Coolio, and "Hypest from Cypress" by Mellow Man Ace)

James Brown is the most frequently sampled artist in music history, so it's always a no-brainer to throw one of his tracks into the mix. He has tracks like "Funky Drummer" and "The Payback" that have been sampled more times, but "Blind Man Can See It" isn't often given the props it deserves for providing a solid foundation for many hip-hop joints. Two things that I especially appreciate about it are its timelessness and flexibility. This exceptional recording has been flipped by DJs/producers of both the old and new school, and has been borrowed by a diverse array of underground and commercial artists.

"Wish You Were Here"---Al Green
(Sampled on "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" by Kanye West/Consequence, "Wanna Test" by Lootpack, and "Shootouts" by Nas)

Kanye isn't exactly the deepest crate digger when it comes to finding material to sample, but I do give him credit for choosing some ultra-fine, sweet soul records to lay the foundation for his tracks.

"Superman Lover"---Johnny "Guitar" Watson
(Sampled on "Crackpot" by KMD, "A Day of Sooperman Lover" and "Sooperman Luva II" by Redman, "The Predator" by Ice Cube, "What's the 411?" by Mary J Blige, "Ya Wish Ya Could" by Special Ed, "Funk Soul Sensation" by Jemini The Gifted One, "U Don't Work, U Don't Eat" by WC & The Maad Circle, "Compton's Lynchin" by Compton's Most Wanted, "Afro Puffs" by Rage, and "The Desolate One" by Just Ice)

Johnny is cooler than a fan, children. 'Nuff said...

"Our Day Will Come"---Isaac Hayes
(Sampled on "Operation: Greenbacks" by MF Doom and "Exchange" by Massive Attack)

Isaac Hayes is another artist who's frequently sampled. While other songs from his repertoire have been utilized to a greater extent (see "The Look Of Love", "Shaft", "Ike's Mood"and "Walk On By"), I remember hearing the Doomsday LP for the first time, and being relieved that someone finally mined a unique gem from his collection.

"In All My Wildest Dreams"---Joe Sample
(Sampled on "Dear Mama" by Tupac, "Africa's Inside Me" by Arrested Development, and "WRMS' Dedication To The Bitty" by De La Soul)

Although I'm not as enamored with Tupac as your average hip-hop enthusiast, I'm still a sucka for a good "mama" song any day of the week.

"If You Think It (You May As Well Do It)"---The Emotions
(Sampled on "Verbal Intercourse" by Raekwon/Ghostface Killah/Nas)

"Blind Alley" gets mentioned all the time as a sample source, but I like this track just as well. RZA took the very beginning of this Emotions song and created one of the dopest songs on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. He simultaneously provided a perfect backdrop for one of Nas' nicest verses, some impressive bars from back when he was still bein' Nasty.

"Give Me Your Love"---Curtis Mayfield
(Sampled on "Shine On Me" by Pete Rock/CL Smooth, "Git Bizzy" by Big Daddy Kane, "Trouble Man" by Inspectah Deck, "Nickel Bags" by Digable Planets, "It's Whatever" by Aaliyah, "Bathtub" by Snoop Dogg, "Can't Hear Nothing but the Music" by EPMD, and "I'm the Only Woman" by Mary J Blige)

Although the title comes across as a bit pushy, "Give Me Your Love" is actually a gorgeous Mayfield song that's been put to immeasurably good use on several hip-hop classics.

"Harlem Medley"---Galt MacDermot
(Sampled on "Who U Jackin' ?" by Masta Ace and "Discipline '99" by Quasimoto/Madlib)

I've discussed Galt's invaluable contribution to hip-hop numerous times. The fact that most fans of the genre don't even know his name continues to frustrate and perplex me...

"It's A New Day"---Skull Snaps
(Sampled on "Passin' Me By" by Pharcyde, "Watch Yo' Nuggets" by Redman, "Hippa To Da Hoppa" by ODB, "Who You Think I Am?" by MF Doom, "Who Got Da Props?" by Black Moon, "Step Back" by Eric B & Rakim, "Take It Personal" by Gang Starr, "Mommy, What's A Gravedigga?" by Gravediggaz, "Cooley High" by Camp Lo, "East Coast" and "Mic Checka" by Das EFX, "Sally Got A One Track Mind" by Diamond D, "Silence of the Lambs" by Showbiz & AG, "How To Kill A Radio Consultant" by Public Enemy, "It's A New Day" by Heavy D, "I'll Wax Anybody" by Tim Dog, "Crack Da Weazel (Dat Other Shit)" by Da King & I, "All Things" by Hieroglyphics, "For Corners" by Digable Planets, "Funky Child" by Lords Of The Underground, "The Ill Shit" by Erick Sermon, and many, many more...

Well damn...there you go. Collect all 10!

I'm hoping that no one is wondering why I didn't post "Apache". This list is not intended to detail the most popular or best original songs of all time. These tracks are just larger-than-life to me when it comes to their influence on hip-hop, and that's pretty damn B.I.G.

Word From Your Moms:

"I remixed a remix. It was back to normal."---Mitch Hedberg

The Back Burner

It's not so much that I'm planning to post any Tupac joints today---this image just seemed to succinctly summarize my attitude towards (thug) life at this particular moment in time. I'm having the sort of really bad day that makes one wish to consume a plenitudinous quantity of alcohol...or use a thesaurus very awkwardly, whichever comes first.

Despite my real or imagined misery, what kind of person would I be if I completely neglected the soul children for another day? Fortunately you won't have to find out, because my heightened sense of immoral responsibility just won't let it be.

Consequently, I'm offering a handful of mighty tunes that have been doing their part to lift the weight of the world from my shoulders. Hopefully their importance in your (thug) life will be equally substantial...

"You Didn't Really Mean It"---Carolyn Franklin
(Amazing tune from Aretha's most underappreciated sibling; appears on Sister Soul: The Best Of The RCA Years 1969-1976)

"Bright As the Stars"---Black Star
(Dope Kweli/ Mos Def joint that I've been meaning to post for the longest; appears on Black Star: B-Sides & Rarities)

"Killin' Time"----Natural Essence
(A slower jam that appears on In Search Of Happiness, 1973; dig for this LP if you love soul, jazz, and/or funk)

"Groovin'"---Marvin Gaye
(Cover version of a popular track by The Rascals; appears on That's The Way Love Is, 1970)

"Resurrection (Large Professor Remix)"---Common
(Extra P's take on a joint from when Common still had some Sense; that may sound dismissive, but bloggers are shitty like that sometimes)

"Ponytail"---Corduroy

(Stunningly funky basslines and jazzy beats; appears on Dad Man Cat, 1997)

Word From Your Moms:

Souled On Samples V

"In My Heart"---Barbara & The Browns
(Sampled on "Y'all Been Warned" by Wu-Tang Clan)

"Love Is Missing From Our Lives"---Dells vs. The Dramatics
(Sampled on "Live It Up" by John Legend)

"Killer's Lullaby"---Love Unlimited Orchestra
(Sampled on "My World" by OC, produced by DJ Premier)

"Harlem Hindoo"---Al Hirt
(Sampled on "Ego Trippin' (Part 2)" by De La Soul)

"And This Is Love"---Gladys Knight & The Pips
(Sampled on "In Cold Blood" by Scarface (produced by Kanye West) and "Nehanda and Cream" by Masta Killa)

"We Made It"---Black Ivory
(Sampled on "Revolutionary Warfare" by Nas)

"Love Sounds"---Intimate Strangers
(Sampled on "Legends" by Prodigy of Mobb Deep and "Feels So Good" by Remy Ma ft. Ne-Yo)

"The Beggar's Song"---Wet Willie
(Sampled on "Like That" by Kid Capri ft. Jay-Z and "Fallen Soldiers" by Cormega)

"Remember Who You Are"---Sly & The Family Stone
(Sampled on "Each One Teach One" by Poor Righteous Teachers and "After Hours" by A Tribe Called Quest)

Word From Your Moms:

“The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely.”---Lorraine Hansberry