Ice Cube - A Bird In The Hand (1991) sampled B.B. King - Chains And Things (1970)

Artist:  Ice Cube
Song:  A Bird In The Hand
Year:  1991
Album:  Death Certificate

I think that this album is Ice Cube's finest moment because it is the perfect blend of his N.W.A days with social consciousness.

Artist:  EPMD and Ice Cube
Song:  St. Ides Commercial
Year:  1991
Album:  Not Officially Released

This one is for my friend JOS, the guy who first exposed me to EPMD and Ice Cube.

Artist:  Big L
Song:  Once Again
Year:  2010
Album:  Return Of The Devils Son

Although 50 Cent "The Mechanic" and Prodigy "Money Is A Weapon" used the same sample in recent years, I wanted to highlight Big L because I still think he's one of the all-time great lyricists.

Artist:  B.B. King
Song:  Chains And Things
Year:  1970
Album:  Indianola Mississippi Seeds

Ice Cube used two samples for "A Bird In The Hand".  The first one is a two-bar loop that starts at 3:38 and the second is a one-bar loop that starts at 4:10.  The St. Ides commercial is essentially the same song.  Big L used the loop at 3:38 but extended the length of the sample to create a 4-bar loop.

Pete Rock - Something Funky (2001) sampled Ahmad Jamal - Misdemeanor (1974)

Artist:  Pete Rock
Song:  Something Funky
Year:  2001
Album:  PeteStrumentals

"I get more raw and hot."  I really like how Pete Rock sampled The Large Professor's "The LP" album before it was widely distributed.  However, the sample being discussed here occurs at 0:14, 1:07, 2:12 and 3:16 (Ahmad Jamal playing the keys).  I consider this to be the last album released before Hip Hop had moved onto the Internet.

Artist:  Gang Starr
Song:  Soliloquy Of Chaos
Year:  1992
Album:  Daily Operation

I remember playing this song right before my first football tryouts.  1992 was full of great music.  How about a Daily Operation 20th Anniversary Edition?  Please include the DWYCK Horny Instrumental.

Artist:  Black Moon
Song:  Black Smif-N-Wessun
Year:  1993
Album:  Enta Da Stage

I'm starting to think that every song on this album will wind up on this blog.

Artist:  Ahmad Jamal
Song:  Misdemeanor
Year:  1974
Album:  Jamalca

In chronological order, the Black Moon samples come first.  The 1-bar loop heard throughout the song is at 0:01 and once in a while they use the 1-bar starting at 0:04.  Immediately after the Black Moon samples comes the 1-bar loop used by Gang Starr at 0:07.  Pete Rock waited for a while before he lifted the 2-bar loop at 3:02.

Kool G Rap - In Too Deep (2011) sampled The True Reflection - Whisper (1973)

Artist:  Kool G Rap
Song:  In Too Deep
Year:  2011
Album:  Riches, Royalty, Respect (also known as Riches, Royalty & Respect)

Kool G Rap has been getting my close attention for 20-plus years now.  Even though in 2011 he doesn't have the funny jokes and punchlines, I still like this older and wiser version.  He sounds great on this beat.

Artist:  9th Wonder
Song:  Third Person
Year:  2005
Album:  Dream Merchant Volume 1

I saw 9th Wonder and Little Brother do a question and answer session live many summers ago when they were just beginning to become popular.  They all made a good impression and I have been enjoying the music they have all made since.  9th Wonder is one of my top 10 producers of all time, the others are (in no particular order):  Madlib, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, The Alchemist, J Dilla, Dr. Dre, Da Beatminerz, Large Professor and The Bomb Squad.  How about 11-20?  Beatnuts, Lord Finesse, Q-Tip, DJ Quik, Havoc, Sir Jinx, Erick Sermon, RZA, K-Def and Marley Marl.  I hope to get all 20 on this blog.

Artist:  The True Reflection
Song:  Whisper
Year:  1973
Album:  Where I'm Coming From

Kool G Rap's intro is some singing that begins at 1:05.  The remainder of the song is a 4-bar loop that starts at 3:39.  9th Wonder took a different sample.  He created a 2-bar loop that begins with the sample from 2:20 - 2:23, takes a pause and then follows with the sample from 2:18 - 2:20 (which naturally connects with the beginning of the 2-bar loop).

Tha Alkaholiks - WLIX (1995) sampled Freddie Hubbard and Ilhan Mimaroglu - Interlude II (1971)

Artist:  Tha Alkaholiks
Song:  WLIX
Year:  1995
Album:  Coast II Coast

This might be a world premier.  Obscure samples are really exciting to find.  Madlib digs deep in the crates and that's why he's a top-10 producer.  I found the supporting sample (appears in WLIX at 1:25, 2:21, etc.) and I suspect the main sample is also from the same "song".

Artist:  Freddie Hubbard and Ilhan Mimaroglu
Song:  Interlude II
Year:  1971
Album:  Sing Me A Song Of Songmy - A Fantasy For Electromagnetic Tape

Freddie Hubbard's trumpet is distinctive, almost like it's his voice.  I dig Freddie Hubbard so much that I listened to this abstract record.  Here is some experimental jazz, more sound effects than music.  The supporting sample appears at 2:21.  The main sample is more difficult to prove because I think Madlib mapped it to a keyboard and played it.  The source note appears at 3:10.

Black Moon - I Got Cha Opin (1993) sampled Ten Wheel Drive With Genya Ravan - Come Live With Me (1970)

Artist:  Black Moon
Song:  I Got Cha Opin
Year:  1993
Album:  Enta Da Stage

"All We Do Is Spark Mad Izm" takes me back to how 1993 felt.  I like how this song sounds like a smoky jazz lounge.

Artist:  Flipmode Squad
Song:  We Got U Opin (Part 2) Featuring Buckshot
Year:  1998
Album:  The Imperial

I appreciate Busta Rhymes more now than I did back then because he put way more effort than most Emcees into how the lyrics were delivered.  This version is more polished than Black Moon's.

Artist:  Ten Wheel Drive With Genya Ravan
Song:  Come Live With Me
Year:  1970
Album:  Brief Replies

There are many artists who have recorded a good song with "Come Live With Me" in the title:  Isaac Hayes, Dorothy Ashby and Marvin Gaye to name a few.  Here is one more with the sample located at 1:54.

The Alchemist - Tick Tock (2003) sampled Side Effect - The Loneliest Man In Town (1981)

Artist:  The Alchemist
Song:  Tick Tock (Featuring Nas)
Year:  2003
Album:  Insomnia - 1st Infantry Mixtape Vol. 2

Although there are too many to choose from, I think that this is my favourite song by The Alchemist.  I like this version with Nas because it feels like a mixtape cut due to its length, mix and Slick Rick at the beginning.  Also, the mixtape cover is pretty funny.

Artist:  The Alchemist
Song:  Tick Tock (Featuring Nas and Prodigy)
Year:  2004
Album:  1st Infantry

Some beats are so good that they demand a new version with another Emcee:  Enter Prodigy.  The song now sounds like an album cut with a little more work put into it.  Unfortunately, Nas's mic sounds better than Prodigy's.

Artist:  Side Effect
Song:  The Loneliest Man In Town
Year:  1981
Album:  Portraits

The Alchemist was pretty clever in creating a four-bar loop for both versions of his song.  The sample from 0:08 - 0:18 is played to make up around 3 of the 4 bars and the final bar is the sample from 0:11 - 0:15 (a subset of the larger sample).  The reason why I like this is because he alternates two different notes at the beginning of bar 1 and bar 3 and two different sounds at the 3rd beat of bars 1 and 3.  The sample at 0:00 is used only in the album version of the song at the beginning and also when Prodigy's verse ends.

Action Bronson - Shiraz (2011) sampled Brother Jack McDuff - The Shadow Of Your Smile (1967)

Artist:  Action Bronson
Song:  Shiraz
Year:  2011
Album:  Dr. Lecter

Happy Birthday to my good friend RGH.  I need to thank him for introducing me to Action Bronson's music last year.  Action reminds me of Ghostface Killah with his laser-beam vocals.  I think he's my favourite new Emcee of the decade.

Artist:  Da King & I
Song:  Ghetto Instinct
Year:  1993
Album:  Contemporary Jeep Music

I remember seeing ads in The Source magazine for Rowdy Records that were marketing Da King & I with Y'all So Stupid.  Those groups seem like an odd pairing now.  I always felt like these guys didn't get their due recognition because this is a good album from the Golden Era of Hip-hop.

Artist:  Brother Jack McDuff
Song:  The Shadow Of Your Smile
Year:  1967
Album:  Tobacco Road

Brother Jack McDuff is the man who gave "Scenario" to A Tribe Called Quest and "Son Get Wrec" to Black Moon (thanks for the knowledge Tim!)  The Shadow Of Your Smile is one of those songs that multiple jazz artists have played.  I have never heard a version that I didn't like.  Da King & I used the loop at 0:00 and filtered the flute out for most of the song.  Action Bronson used more samples: the same one as Da King & I, followed by the samples at 0:05 and 0:15.