Monday Sampling Madness

I Got My Mind Made Up - Instant Funk
Welcome To The Terrordome - Public Enemy

Two Sisters Of Mystery - Mandrill
By The Time I Get To Arizona - Public Enemy

Sing A Simple Song - Sly & The Family Stone
Brothers Gonna Work It Out - Public Enemy

Every once in a while, we here at The Funk will explore the great and ever dissappearing art of sampling. I know that sampling isn't a dead artform per se (underground cats still do it), but as we are all aware, today's popular rap music doesn't sample anything, well except for other rappers styles but that's another discussion.

So today we'd like to dive into some of the original compositions that were sampled by that seminal Hip Hop wondergroup, Public Enemy. Here is an excerpt from the history (not His Story) of PE:

"Musically, Public Enemy were just as revolutionary, as their production team, the Bomb Squad, created dense soundscapes that relied on avant-garde cut-and-paste techniques, unrecognizable samples, piercing sirens, relentless beats, and deep funk. It was chaotic and invigorating music, made all the more intoxicating by Chuck D's forceful vocals and the absurdist raps of his comic foil Flavor Flav."

So today we'd like to pick out a few thangs for you to funk to. Enjoy.

First up, we have "I Got My Mind Made Up" by Instant Funk. I had heard this track on the radio station (Majic 102.3) before but never had a copy of it to actually listen to. It is a pretty funky song (they were after all Instant Funk), but in that funky disco sort of way. But it's still good. The lyrics, well are not really important cause the purpose of this track is to get as many scantily clad women on the dance floor to shake their money makers. But seriously, this album could go down as having one of the most "interesting" covers. Way to go boys. As far as the PE track goes, "Terrordome" is one of those hype songs that deserve to be played before every home basketball game to let the opponents know that it ain't gwan happen in this here gym. We used that back in my day. Bangin'.

Secondly, we have Mandrill's "Two Sisters of Mystery". From the get go, you can hear the sample, which from my humble opinion is one of the coolest tracks that PE ever did. The ferocity of the track mixed with the message behind it make for a powerful socially relevant track. Here is a sample of the lyrics:

I'm countin' down to the day deservin'
Fittin' for a king
I'm waitin' for the time when I can
Get to Arizona
'Cause my money's spent on
The goddamn rent
Neither party is mine not the
Jackass or the elephant
20.000 nig niggy nigas in the corner
Of the cell block but they come
From California
Population none in the desert and sun
Wit' a gun cracker
Runnin' things under his thumb

A pretty powerful track from a powerful group sampled by yet another powerful group for a powerful song.

Finally, we have Sly Stone's "Sing A Simple Song". Man I loved this track. The upbeat rhythm, the "Yeah Yeah Yeah", just everything about it screams out funk. I would have loved to be in the studio for this recording. The familiar break is towards the middle. Can you name the other songs that used it? Anyhow, PE hit a note with "Brothers Gonna Work It Out". I seem to remember an incident in the late 80's down in Virginia Beach involving some black youth and the VA Beach Po-lice. Anybody remember that? Or was that for "Terrordome"? Here is a pretty insightful and dope review of PE's "Fear of A Black Planet" album that hits on this track's maestro fresh wes-ness (old slang alert!)

Side Note: There are soooooooo many different records that PE (i.e. The Bomb Squad) used in their sampling endeavors that it would prolly take up a month or so to get through them all. The Bomb Squad's mantra I guess was, "The More Shit, The Better". I was (still am) a fan of their production style, even if they were responsible for Young Black Teenagers. Where is Hank Shocklee these days anyhow?

RANT WARNING!:

So this morning, Keith Boogs, Mohammad and myself decided to go into the District to grab a bite of breakfast with our visiting BAN brother Jamar. He's in town as a "guest" of the Duke Basketball program and had some tickets to the final in the ACC tourney. He was staying downtown at the Mariott off of Constitution Ave and L streets. So anyhow, we meet up at Springfield Mall to catch a ride with Keith so that we didn't have to park 3 cars. We get going on 395 N to get off on 12th street to get to the hotel. Well apparently if it's a holiday in the Nation's Capital, all roads that lead into the central part of the city are closed to oncoming traffic. That's cool and all, but seriously all of the main roads to get to where we had to go were blocked with DC's finest. So we had to call Jammer James and tell him to have a nice time at the game and we'd holler later on. But here is my beef with the DCDSS (Department of Stupid Shit), it's St. Patrick's Day. That's not a real holiday. We don't get a day off (forget for a moment that this year it fell on Sunday) of work for it. In fact, there are certain requirements if you are to go outside of your house on St. Patty's day to avoid being physically assaulted. And for this, you close down half the DC roads? Jackassedness (new slang alert!). God help us when they have a Baseball game downtown. The only time when St. Patrick's Day is cool is when you are in another city (Savannah, Chicago, etc.) and you can actually get around the town. But of course, St. Patrick's day has turned into an excuse for barkeeps to play House of Pain's "Jump Around" all dag gum day.

Anyhow, that'll bout do it for Monday's Sample Madness. Hope it was as good for you as it was for me. Shout out to The RMC women's basketball squad for making the NCAA D3 final four, and to Hurt/Beth/Jamie/Francel/Marcus/Renee/Chad/et. al for being some cool peoples. I'll get back up with yawl soon.

Side Note Two: Look for sometime this week for a post or two by Keith Boogs aka TiVo on the musings of a Corporate Worker/New Husband & Dad/Hip Hoppa. Should be some good stuff.

Never Sleepin'
Brother B.