Saafir - Can-U-Feel-Me? (1994) sampled Donald Byrd - I Love The Girl (1975)

Artist:  Saafir
Song:  Can-U-Feel-Me?
Year:  1994
Album:  Boxcar Sessions

I was Just Riden' around the city with my friends and these two guys, Dennis and Tim.  Tim pulls out a cassette by Saafir.  I had heard Light Sleeper the previous summer but this song hooked me.  Anybody remember the name of Saafir's producer and DJ?  Jay-Z.

Artist:  Donald Byrd
Song:  I Love The Girl
Year:  1975
Album:  Stepping Into Tomorrow

Donald Byrd, word.  Still sounds great 36 years later.  The music for Saafir's song is the loop that starts at 0:25.  The sample was slowed down and mixed with some nice drums.

Casual - Be Thousand (1994) sampled Jimmy Smith - 2nd Movement: Ritual (1973)

Artist:  Casual
Song:  Be Thousand
Year:  1994
Album:  Fear Itself

I used to be a rampant Hieroglyphics fan, I even liked Extra Prolific's 2nd album, 2 For 15.  But when I think back, the most classic album put out by the crew was Casual's "Fear Itself".  One of my favourite moments in history was the Casual vs. Saafir battle in 1994 on KMEL's The Wake Up Show with Sway and King Tech.  This month I will celebrate these two emcees.

Artist:  Jimmy Smith
Song:  2nd Movement: Ritual
Year:  1973
Album:  Portuguese Soul

The sample appears at the 0:06 mark.  The song is in a 5/4 time signature.  Casual used the first 4 beats of the loop to convert it into 4/4 time.  I also like when 3/4 loops repeat a beat to convert to 4/4.  Emcees rhyming in 5/4 or 3/4 would be even better.

Gang Starr - The Illest Brother (1992) sampled Bill Cosby - Get Out Of My Life, Woman (1968)

Artist:  Gang Starr
Song:  The Illest Brother
Year:  1992
Album:  Daily Operation

There used to be a time when I was finding DJ Premier samples all the time.  Since the change of the Millennium, that hasn't been the case.  Guru, rest in peace.  Gang Starr has played an instrumental role in my love for jazz music.

Artist:  Bill Cosby
Song:  Get Out Of My Life, Woman
Year:  1968
Album:  Bill Cosby Sings Hooray for the Salvation Army Band!

Bill Cosby is an icon and I wish he was better recognized for his barrier-breaking achievements while he is still alive.  I've always liked how DJ Premier found this loop for the verses in The Illest Brother, it appears at 2:28.  I should also note there is a famous drum break at the beginning of this song.  Out of the many songs that have used it, the ones that come to mind are:  Chubb Rock "The Big Man", Cypress Hill "Stoned Is The Way of The Walk" and Jemini The Gifted One "Brooklyn Kids".

Black Moon - Slave (1993) sampled The 9th Creation - Rule Of Mind (1975)

Artist:  Black Moon
Song:  Slave
Year:  1993
Album:  Enta Da Stage

Black Moon's album wasn't a classic because the samples were rare.  One of the reasons I like it is because they took well known samples and did interesting things to them.  Slave is a great track because the bass was filtered well and then drums from the same source were added.  Simple works.

Artist:  3rd Bass
Song:  Derelicts of Dialect
Year:  1991
Album:  Derelicts of Dialect

The samples were well known to me a few years before Black Moon when 3rd Bass used them for Derelicts of Dialect.  This was the first time I heard these samples.

Artist:  The 9th Creation
Song:  Rule Of Mind
Year:  1975
Album:  Falling In Love (Re-released later as Bubble Gum)

The Black Moon track loops the bassline from the 0:05 mark for the whole track, occasionally allowing the high frequencies to be heard during the chorus and some other moments. The drums are those from the 0:00 mark. 3rd Bass made their track interesting by sampling more pieces. They also used the drums from the 0:00 mark but added more drums as well. Pete Nice rhymes over the same loop as Black Moon (0:05 mark) but the loop at 0:03 is occasionally used as well. The chorus takes a sample from the 0:15 mark and even keeps the singing "You rule my mind". It should be noted that there is another sample in Derelicts of Dialect that 3rd Bass sampled from a The 9th Creation song called "Bubble Gum" (it appears at 1:09 of the 3rd Bass song and Artifacts also used it for "Wrong Side Of Da Tracks").

L. The Head Toucha - Too Complex (1997) sampled Don Blackman - Holding You, Loving You (1982)

Artist:  L. The Head Toucha (L. Da Head Toucha)
Song:  Too Complex
Year:  1997
Album:  Too Complex 12-inch Single (also later released on the Destined For Greatness LP)

All I ever knew about L. The Head Toucha was this song.  It was released on his album 6 years later.  Great loop.

Artist:  Slum Village
Song:  Go Ladies
Year:  2000
Album:  Fantastic, Vol. 2

Slum Village also utilized the sample but in a different way.  One thing I always liked about J Dilla was his ability to take a sample that was well-known and do something interesting to it. 5 Ela Remix was a good example of this and so is Go Ladies.  J Dilla was brilliant.

Artist:  Don Blackman
Song:  Holding You, Loving You
Year:  1982
Album:  Don Blackman

I wish there was much more 80's music like this.  L. The Head Toucha used the loop starting at 1:36 directly.  Slum Village used the same loop except all the low end was removed and the bass was played in a similar manner but with fewer notes.  Slum Village also used the sample starting at 0:00 for their intro.

3rd Bass - Triple Stage Darkness (1989) sampled B.T. Express - This House Is Smokin' (1974)

Artist:  3rd Bass
Song:  Triple Stage Darkness
Year:  1989
Album:  The Cactus Album

In my "3rd" of "3" dedications to my buddies, I thank JOS for putting me on to 3rd Bass and radically altering the trajectory of my childhood.  When I hear this song, I still think of the video with the graveyard and tombstones.  I really like the Rakim and Chuck D combination for the chorus.  Of course, 3rd Bass took 3 samples from B.T. Express for this song.

Artist:  B.T. Express
Song:  This House Is Smokin'
Year:  1974
Album:  Do It 'Til You're Satisfied

This album is full of well-known samples, highly recommended.  For the Triple Stage Darkness verses, the sample is right at the 0:00 mark.  A little trickier is the the chorus sample that starts at 1:17.  Finally, 3rd Bass ends their song with another loop, located at 1:26.

Show and A.G. - Got Ya Back (1995) sampled Herbie Hancock - You'll Know When You Get There (1971)

Artist:  Show and A.G.
Song:  Got Ya Back
Year:  1995
Album:  Goodfellas

Hey, CPW, remember all the Show and AG we used to listen to?  Thanks for being the first to buy this album even though I think it got stolen.  What I remember most about this record is that I was really impressed with their growth after thinking Runaway Slave couldn't be improved upon.  The samples moved away from the uptempo jazzy sound that first made them popular and towards darker moods and heavy drums.  I also remember there was a murder accusation that affected the promotion of the LP.

Artist:  Slum Village
Song:  Fantastic
Year:  1996
Album:  Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1

Slum Village took a different snippet from the same Herbie Hancock song.  It's the same musical phrase but found elsewhere and played differently.  Classic material.  Toronto loves Detroit Hiphop.

Artist:  Herbie Hancock
Song:  You'll Know When You Get There
Year:  1971
Album:  Mwandishi

I'm a big Herbie Hancock fan.  I saw him live at Massey Hall and he put me in a trance.  I used to loop up pieces of this record just to be hypnotized by the ethereal qualities.  The Show and A.G. loop occurs at the 8:57 mark.  J Dilla combined 2 pieces of the song.  The first two notes of the Slum Village loop appears at the 0:57 mark and the rest is at 7:19.