Bloggin 4 Beatz: Here Comes The Lord Vader
November 29, 2010
The first time I played Star Wars The Force Unleashed I thought, “damn that Emporer’s theme would be a dope beat.” However, the first time I tried to work with Vader’s theme music it I kept it just as is overlaying some drums. I didn’t like it. I just stashed the break in folder and figured inspiration would return.
Last week I reconnected with Lord Have Mercy after several years thanks to King Karnov and the whole “lord” thing was rattling around in my head. When I finally sat down to make a beat Thanksgiving night (first time in a minute) I remembered the Lord Vader sample and decided to try something different. I reversed it, changed the pitch and made it an angry swarm of bees drunk on power.
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Sometimes the sample doesn’t have to SOUND like the sample, but knowing me I’ll be trying something more traditional yet again. I’ll keep you all posted.
StreetRunner Samples Valerie Simpson On Lil Wayne’s “With You”
September 29, 2010
Streetrunner dropped a nickel on Vibe.com about the sample he used for Lil Wayne’s “With You” from his alien celebration, “I Am Not A Human Being.”
“I just was digging one day and found this beautiful Valerie Simpson record, but kept it in the stash for a while,” STREETRUNNER tells VIBE of the sample used on “With You.” “Normally, it takes me a long time to feel like I have a beat just the way I want it. But ‘With You’ came together in about an hour.”
“Our intention was to make sure the sample wasn’t so low and in the cut. Some producers tend to boost up the drums and drown out the sample.” added STREET, who’s first big look came via Terror Squad‘s “Take Me Home” in 2004. “I wanted Valerie’s voice to be right up there with Weezy and Drake’s voices. It was about making everyone mesh together.”
Kanye’s Lord, Lord, Lord Sample: Brian Bennett, “Solstice”
September 18, 2010
I can’t even take credit for this one. That man Dart Adams over Blogger House put Kanye’s latest leak “Lord, Lord Lord” on blast for being more than a little similar to Nas’s “Find Ya Wealth.”
From there it was just a matter of playing search engine sleuth and voila:
Brian Bennet, “Solstice.”
I still give Kanye props for getting Mos and Raekwon on the same record, but I worry that if the stuff he’s giving away is this grimy that the actual album is gonna be all bubble gum pop. Let’s hope I’m wrong.
Brian Bennet, “Solstice”
Nas, “Find Ya Wealth”
Kanye West F/ Mos Def, Raekwon, Swizz Beatz and Charlie Wilson “Lord, Lord, Lord”
Sunday Soul Sample: Dave Grusin’s “Either Way”
September 5, 2010
Faith Evans and Raekwon (who I’m still mad at for that Justin Bieber fuckery) teamed up to re-work Biggie’s “Everyday Struggle.” It’s nice that folks can let bygones be bygones (if you don’t know what I’m talking about ask your older brother or your uncle). At the heart of the tribute was the sample from Dave Grusin’s “Either Way” that was looped and reworked by The Blues Brothers.
Among his many accomplishments Grusin was also the composer of the theme to “Good Times,” “St. Elsewhere” and “One Life To Live.” Check out the original below and if you have any flips using this sample send em to [email protected] or hit us on Twitter @nodfactor.
Dr. Dre Speaks On Influence Of Nottz For Snoop’s “Boss’ Life”
August 8, 2010
It’s no secret amongst hip-hop fans and diggers that Snoop’s Dr. Dre produced “Boss’s Life” shares the same sample as Busta’s Nottz-produced “Everybody Rise.”
However, as the late Guru rhymed, “rap is an art you can’t own no loops” but it didn’t stop fans from raising an eyebrow at the common usage of The Controllers “If Tomorrow Never Comes.”
When I interviewed Nottz last year I asked him if he’d given Dre any help finding the sample and he said “hell naw…Dre is gonna do his homework.”
As it turns out Dre did get some help from Nottz, but not directly. When I spoke to the good Dr. for Vibe magazine I asked him about the “Boss’ Life” track and the sample replay and he was very upfront about Nottz’ influence on the beat.
“We listened to the Busta record to replay the music,” he told me matter-of-factly. “It’s just a track that I loved for a long time. I played it for Snoop and he was like ‘yeah!’”
As for anyone questioning why someone of Dre’s stature would reuse a sample from such a well-known record he said bluntly…
“I understand, but it’s a track that I enjoyed. Do I really need to prove myself anymore? I mean come on. ”
Check and mate.
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Read more of this interview in the next issue of Vibe magazine on stands August 14th!
Mos Def Meets The Jetsons On “Mathematics” Remix
August 7, 2010
A few weeks ago I posted two versions of a beat using the Jetsons theme music as a sample. As I do with most of my beats I test them out with an acapella to see how they sound and I really liked how Mos sounded over this particular flip so I whipped this up real quick.
Crazy thing indeed.
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Dres Tells How Herb Alpert Sample For “Flavor Of The Month” Was Cleared
August 3, 2010
- Image by superk8nyc via Flickr
While kicking it with Dres about his new album From The Black Pool Of Genius, I asked him about the greatest hip-hop album intro ever (“You Mean I’m Not”) and he says it helped get the sample cleared for “Flavor of The Month.”
R.I.P Melvin Bliss
July 26, 2010
According to our fam at Slang Rap Democracy today is a sad day in the world of music and hip-hop production.
Melvin Bliss passed away today. The man is responsible for “Synthetic Substitution,” easily one of the greatest and most prolifically sampled records ever. The list of Hip-Hop songs that straight ganked the “Substitution” break is extensive, so I’ll include only a handful of my favorites (De La Soul, Public Enemy, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killa and Ultramagnetic MC) below.
Worth noting, the great Bernard Purdie is the drummer on the record. A preview of a documentary Earl Holder and Peripheral Enterprises put together on Mr. Bliss after the vids. Rest In Peace.
get more HERE
Marco Polo, Frank Dukes, Rich Kidd & MoSS Flip the Same Sample (Video)
July 25, 2010
Spotted @2dopeboyz
During the Stupendous Adventures of Marco Polo beat showcase in Toronto; Marco Polo, Rich Kidd, Frank Dukes and MoSS were all given the same sample (Steve Davis’ All Because She’s Gone) to flip.
Bloggin 4 Beats: Hey, Hey, Hey!
June 22, 2010
For the next installment of my “2nd Childhood” beat series I present my flip of the Fat Albert Theme song with a little help from the late great Jimmy Hendrix. (Yes, I know those are the “Scenario” drums but I gotta give credit where it’s due.)
It was hard to divorce myself from the previous uses of the Fat Albert sample by Timbaland and others but I think I managed to give it my own style.
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