Dream Variants: Hip-Hop

Showing posts with label Hip-Hop. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Supermarket

Although it's not usually my cup of tea, Logic's Supermarket was an entertaining and accessible read. He explores a crumbling phildickian sense of reality and mental illness in a novel that, quite frankly, is clunky, awkward, and too clearly written in the informal voice of the millennial generation. Nonetheless, I enjoyed reading this novel for its playful mind games as well as its insights on the endless loop or drudgery in retail. So many young Americans, who, are without a doubt the target audience of this novel, can relate to Flynn's sense of aimlessness and the degrading conditions of work in the types of jobs available nowadays. So, regardless of how one feels about the novel's twist or its meta-ness, it speaks to the issues at heart for young Americans.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Rebel Music: Race, Empire, and the New Muslim Youth Culture

Hisham Aidi's new book was a great read, although I can't help but feel that perhaps it was too ambitious or endeavored to cover to many regions and topics. Also, at times I could not find a link to music and popular culture in some chapters, even though they were fascinating nonetheless (I am thinking specifically of the 'not quite white' chapter on Arab-Americans in the US racial order), but Aidi is certainly 'breaking new ground' by linking music and popular culture to these new stages in Muslim identities around the world. Before reading this dense text full of intriguing references, I already knew about the influence of hip-hop and African-American music and social movements on people of color and Muslim youth around the world, but this book goes even further by examining the impact of jazz and African-Americans on the explosion of gnawa music's recognition (thank you, Randy Weston), as well as exploring some of the long-established links between Islam among people of African descent in both the US and Brazil. In addition, Aidi offers an interesting analysis on Arab-Americans and where they 'fit' in the US racial schema, particularly now that there are more 'black Arabs' in the US, and because of the ways in which Westerners racialize Islam and discriminate against Muslims in government agencies and popular culture.

Moreover, the book remains accessible to scholars and the lay public who lack a deeper understanding of the various strains of Islam thought, including Salafism or even the deeper history of Maghrebi immigration in France and how music (particularly gnawa) was reappropriated by North African youths in the diaspora and at home as a result of gaining international attention in the West. It would seem that popular music across much of the Islamic world and its diaspora owes much to immigration, as well as experiences of alienation, racism, and social unrest in Europe and the US, although it clearly reverberates back in the homeland. Although much of popular music among Muslim youth around the world is influenced by African-American music (hip-hop, jazz, rock) and Afro-Caribbean forms (reggae), there also exists the tremendous influence of Islam on African-American musical forms, especially jazz (the Ahmadiyya stand out as one example, as well as other forms of Islam) and hip-hop (Nation of Islam, Sunni Islam). All in all, an enjoyable read full of unexpected facts and details that will have one reading more into Afro-Arab histories and Islamic youth cultures.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Carnival

Although I am not much of a fan of hip-hop and Wyclef Jean these days, I fondly recall discovering his first solo album via some old acquaintances in my youth. He deserves props for trying to fit together R&B, Haitian, Cuban, reggae and hip-hop influences (there's even an opera influence) together in a single album. If only he didn't have so many damn interludes! That would cut down on the length of the album and what is really his only great work post-Fugees.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Some Videos Relating to Japanese Perceptions of Blacks

Here are some videos to check out pertaining to 'blackness' in Japan and how stereotypes of the Black Other persist today. To be honest, if I could get me a piece of that pie (selling commercialized, stereotypical notions of blackness), you damn skippy I would be in Japan right now! Perhaps I'll try my luck in East Asia one of these days and sell myself as a cultural ambassador or interpreter for the Japanese appetite for stereotypes of blackness? Check out this video about Japanese women's interest in hip-hop culture and that style's own troubled notions of 'blackness.' I believe this kind of stuff, this fascination with blackness on their own terms, is part of the appeal of Jero, the African-American (also of Japanese descent himself) singer of enka whose persona and dress is clearly influenced by hip-hop and 'blackness' in the US yet also a product of Japanese traditional music and culture. Blackness in this case is similar to the case of Dante, the black commercial actor. His blackness functions as a prop, a visual sign of a different type of Other. This type of Other, in order to be popular, must follow stereotypes of hip-hop and the black male other, although agency of these two guys must be seen as a reality, too. In this interview Jero claims "hip-hop" clothing is his style and utterly him, so who knows, maybe it wasn't just a marketing prop.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Protect Ya Neck

So many great lines on this one. "Turn your other cheek and I'll break ya fucking chin!" Or "terrorize the jams like troops in Pakistan, swinging through your town like your neighborhood Spider Man!" RZA is an ingenious producer, too, listen to that piano loop! Even Method Man gets down respectably, though ODB steals the show. Per usual, he sings and sounds like a lunatic.

"My clan increase like black unemployment!"

Monday, October 28, 2013

Work Out

Finally found an old song I heard at a birthday party two years ago! J. Cole's "Work Out" has a catchy beat and worth a listen, though nothing spectacular. It's nice that he sampled Kanye on this, too!

Thursday, October 24, 2013

J Dilla's So Far To Go

Simply beautiful. I was never into that whole J Dilla bandwagon after his death, but this song is a great hip-hop jam. Now, I ain't been listening to that much hip-hop lately, but jazzy and soulful stuff like this with D'Angelo's vocals might just bring me back.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Dat Scat

My jam! That saxophone, funky drums from Questlove, acoustic bass sound, smooth keys, and catchy rap lyrics. The Roots were in their jazz-rap phase for their early albums, but sometimes it paid off very well. A great example of that is this song.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Fela Kuti's Water No Get Enemy

Fela Kuti, a Nigerian highlife and pioneer of the Afrobeat sound, recorded "Water No Get Enemy" for his Expensive Shit in 1975. Kuti's album was a direct response to the Nigerian government's attack on his compound, the Kalakuta Republic, resulting in the death of his mother and his arrest. This specific song is a political message to Nigeria, to the entire world, that the lifeblood of a nation is its people, just as water is the lifeblood for humanity. Through the jazzy (yet also irresistibly funky) song he sings in a pidgin English-Yoruba (presumably Yoruba) and plays his best keyboard solo I have ever heard. Personally, I think Kuti was probably a better saxophonist, but his jazzy, ethereal electric keyboard soars elegantly above the African groove. If you haven't heard it, check it out here and I guarantee you will be dancing. Anywho, Fela Kuti is a fascinating man, coming from a middle-class Yoruba background which included relatives such as Nobel Prize-winning writer Wole Soyinka, doctors, activists, and musicians. I have compiled a list of West African songs, including many by Fela and his 1960s highlife band, Koola Lobitos, on youtube here. Beginning in the late 1960s, presumably after some exposure to American funk and a record in LA, Fela's music shifted more to the growing preferences among young African-Americans for funk music, which led to Afrobeat.

D'Angelo, Macy Gray, and Fela's son, Femi, also recorded the song again in the 1990s. D'Angelo and Macy Gray were part of the 1990s "neo-soul" wave in contemporary R&B, and do a surprisingly good job in the Afrobeat context. Perhaps the reason they succeed here really lies in Femi Kuti's brilliance and ability to carry on the legacy of his politically conscious, pan-Africanist father. Unfortunately, last spring I missed an opportunity to hear Seun Kuti, Fela's other son, perform for free at UW-Madison due to my own ignorance and fear of attending alone. Anywho, listen to their tribute to Fela Kuti here, although the keyboard solo is not as great as Fela's. Did I mention this was part of a larger tribute album, Red Hot + Riot from 2002 to fundraise AIDS awareness (Fela Kuti died in 1997 because of AIDS complications).

Hip-hop has also been a big fan of Fela's music, including Pete Rock sampling "Water" for INl's "Grown Man Sport." The song only samples the keyboard solo for a loop of Fela and features the hip-hop group rapping over it. I know little of Inl, but Pete Rock is the famed hip-hop producer responsible for timeless beats such as "T.R.O.Y.," which should be listened to here.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Losing My Roots

Cardinal Rex Lawson, Nigerian highlife legend. Check out "Sawale" here.

I've been turning my back to a lot of hip-hop, R&B and Haitian popular music...I've invested most of my music exploration and research into Brazilian, West African, and Congolese music instead. I don't regret doing it, especially because I discovered so much amazing music that, though different, sounds familiar...(Thank you, slave trade and colonialism? The only good thing to come out of it was the propagation of African music that has revolutionized the world). Thanks to devoting the last several months to West Africa, Brazil, and the Congo, I discovered Franco, OK Jazz, Fela Kuti (well, rediscovered), Cardinal Rex Lawson, and E.T. Mensah, African Jazz, Cesaria Evora, Jorge Ben, various samba and bossa nova groups, and Miriam Makeba, from South Africa. Moreover, the African artists are playing music profoundly shaped by the African diaspora across the Atlantic, thereby furthering the Black Atlantic world forged by the slave trade, colonialism, immigration, pan-Africanism, and the vicissitudes of being a member of a marginalized group across the Americas. Black solidarity and nationalism, though limited, are in effect when Congolese artists play music based on Cuban son and beguine of Martinique. Likewise, Nigerian and Ghanaian highlife of the 1930s-1960s, influenced by American jazz, Cuban music, and Caribbean calypso, strengthens the pre-existing bonds between the Caribbean and West Africa. Of course, one could never forget James Brown and American funk's essential role in the formation of afrobeat and Fela Kuti's sound.

However, I must make some attempt to return to the music of my African-American and Haitian peoples, especially jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. Shockingly, I still need to listen to the entirety of Frank Ocean's Voodoo, and I'm woefully behind on current trends in hip-hop. Likewise, my jazz exploration has been suspended during my foray into West and Central Africa. I henceforth dedicate myself to continue discovering great jazz, reconnecting with Haitian music, and catching up with R&B. Wish me luck...If I'm lucky, I can make additional youtube playlists for your enjoyment!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

S.O.S. Band's High Hopes

Who said 1980s was the decade R&B died? "High Hopes" is a classic jam everyone can get down to while being funky and featuring good singers. Yes, synthesizers and electronic effects have taken over (it was the 1980s after all) but there was some great R&B from the decade, including Michael Jackson, Prince, and even Rick James. Damn, anyone who hears Mary Jane Girls' "All Night Long" and isn't an instant fan needs to check themselves into a hospital. Anywho, "High Hopes" has funk, soul, and is perfect for relaxation or study music. "High hopes for you and me, hope we'll stay together eternally" is a great line, too.

Onra, a French producer, did an excellent remix/cover with an amazing vocalist, Reggie B. This is great R&B, with a good singer, Reggie, and the slowed down funk of S.O.S. Band's original "High Hopes." Indeed, I actually prefer this version of the song more than the original, although the original uses live instrumentation. Reggie's additional lyrics are also worthwhile, although it is essentially, like most contemporary R&B, just another love song. Regardless, this jam is always worth listening to again on repeat. Check out "Long Distance" by Onra from the same album to hear how great his music is. He once again uses 1980s R&B samples brilliantly and has a great vocalist sing on this funky cut. Here is the original, "Have You For My Love" by Carol Williams.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Best of Mos Def

I love this guy. He's from Bed-Stuy and he's a great rapper, although some of his early work like Black on Both Sides shows his odd belief in conspiracies and some homophobia. Regardless, his black nationalist outlook and themes are everywhere, including my favorite, "Mr. Nigga." My criteria is largely based on beats, with lyrics coming second. Unfortunately, his albums have been somewhat all over the place in quality. For instance, he released a second album and a third which, though not absolutely horrible, were significantly worse than his first solo outing, Black on Both Sides. The problem was partly due to a desire on his part to fuse hip-hop and live rock instrumentation, which I usually stay as far from as possible. In addition to his experimenting with live instrumentation in a rock style, he also sang more often, and his voice, though not bad, is certainly not great. People listen to Mos Def for his rapping and the innovative or catchy beats. Unfortunately, he changed his perfect name to Yasiin Bey, something explicitly Arabic and presumably tied to his Muslim faith. His collaborations with other artists are usually good, too. He raps alongside R&B singers and other rappers, such as The Roots, Talib Kweli, Kanye West and many others.

Here's the playlist on youtube and multiple links below

"Ms. Fat Booty" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-y-lS0YqF0

"Mr. Nigga" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjDK-N1A-wI

"Umi Says" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcxLFXbECsY

"Mathematics" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5vw4ajnWGA

"Love" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyGGsBSpg90

"Brooklyn" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCuTYVulOzY

"Roses" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gz1Sh19JNk

"Do It Now" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10WgCJKSJhI

"Hip Hop"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rMk2Oe0fik&feature=related

"Double Trouble" with The Roots http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBPq8VXHmgY

"Climb" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU0hbjJ6vVE

"Know That" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2VuQ_Duo-4

"Got" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO62em6iZag

"Sunshine" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKzd3QV8MZw

"Bedstuy Parade and Funeral March" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfmnRQRAt3g

"Ghetto Rock" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7S5jPiKeO8

"The Beggar" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0C5aVAJ-fw

"Auditorium" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwjwKPXy4sg

Monday, September 26, 2011

Best Jazz Hip-Hop

My definition of jazz rap is any hip-hop music that samples a jazz song or artist. Jazz rap often samples acoustic bass, trumpets, and saxophones, and occasionally, piano. Jazz rap often includes jazz-influenced lyricism as well. However, my favorite jazz-rap songs are great because of the beats and how well the producers use their jazz samples. Of course, most of the jazz songs sampled by rappers are from the 1960s and 1970s, when jazz fusion, jazz-funk, and soul jazz were the most popular forms of the music. Famous jazz-rap artists include A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, and Madlib, who did an album composed of covers of classic songs from Blue Note record label.

1. Eric B. and Rakim's Don't Sweat the Technique. Funky and jazzy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDGJJH21qkw

2. Aesop Rock's Dryspell. Samples Ornette Coleman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKiT8RIvIIc

3. Gangstarr: Words I Manifest samples Night in Tunisia. Mixing a jazz standard and James Brown has never sounded so good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcrG05S_xoE

4. A slept on EP from the 1990s, Siah and Yeshua's Gravity is essential for underground jazz-rap. No Soles Dopest Opus is my favorite jam. I believe it samples Dizzy Gillespie's take on "All the Things You Are" and Miles Davis's "Moon Dreams" from Birth of the Cool. Still funky at the same time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_5A7rZ5P7A

5. Artifact's "Wrong Side of Da Tracks" is a great jazz-rap song. The song is about graffiti artists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFXqwNudGLM

6. Black Moon's Who Got da Props is essential 1990s New York hip-hop. This Brooklyn-based group never achieved the fame of Wu Tang Clan and other early 90s hip-hoppers, but they're just as good. I believe the jazz sample is from a Ronnie Laws song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_wOAqv_wvs

7. Jay-Z's Dead Presidents is another great jazzy jam. It samples a Lonnie Liston Smith song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIq84HQ37Dc

8. Ol' Dirty Bastard's Cuttin Headz samples Thelonious Monk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpW8L2Hy0Vs

9. Atmosphere's Guns and Cigarettes samples a Cannonball Adderley blues song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoD6YRzofZk

10. Black Sheep's Have U.N.E. Pull is another classic jazzy jam. More funk than jazz though...strong horns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX-VLAeNLqg

11. Black Sheep's The Choice Is Yours (Revisited) is one of my favorite rap songs. Samples the acoustic bass from a McCoy Tyner song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-Qu_wEksbw

12. Blu & Exile's Dancing in the Rain samples some jazzy guitar. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYqm-xU2pi8

13. Common's The Light samples a jazzy R&B song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i3_VuRyGEg

14. Common's Geto Heaven Part Two is also jazzy. With vocals from D'Angelo as well since it was originally intended to be on his Voodoo album. Jazzy piano. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1SfqpF7EMY

15. Common's I Used to Love Her is also a jazz-rap song, sampling George Benson. It's about the state of hip-hop. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN_wqRJ_F1k

16. De La Soul's Oodles of O's samples a bassline from an Art Blakey song, the same bass sampled by Digable Planets for their Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-2-qVgGQak

17. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien's Catch a Bad One samples part of a cello solo from an Eric Dolphy song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9vimihLXCU

18. Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) by Digable Planets has one of the funkiest jazz-rap singles. A big hit for the group back in the early 1990s, the jazzy bass is unforgettable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTXogy3WepM

19. Digable Planets' Black Ego is another good jazz-rap song from their second album, Blowout Comb. Interesting beats and samples here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_y85ZtcI_U

20. Digable Planet's Graffiti is also great. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1q_r0BlcWU

21. What Cool Breezes Do by Digable Planets http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fagkTqxppg

22. Time and Space by Digable Planets is also interesting for sampling Sonny Rollins' Mambo Bounce.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6gZ3fA0J0c

23. De La Soul's Eye Know is also a classic jazzy rap cut. It also illustrates the eclectic sampling of Prince Paul, the group's producer. One can recognize Otis Redding whistling from Sittin' On the Dock O'the Bay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1CaN4thI5w

24. Black Sheep's La Menage ft. Q-Tip has a great acoustic bassline. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRQJZBsAR9g

25. Black Sheep's Black With N.V. samples Freddie Hubbard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2zQcj3OD-k

26. Dr. Octagon's Blue Flowers is not exactly jazz-rap, but it features jazzy drums and a scratch solo by a DJ. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVIKMZIRKaU

27. Erykah Badu's On & On is not hip-hop, but it's influenced by hip-hop production and sensibilities. Very jazzy 1990s R&B. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7mwZULsVcQ

28. Gravediggaz's Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide, produced by Prince Paul. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4nWYGSoSoU

29. Gravediggaz's Defective Trip (Trippin') also has jazzy drumming, but is more funk than jazz in terms of the samples. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4gQP5r4IyU

30. Kanye West's Drive Slow samples a jazzy saxophone. Sample comes from Hank Crawford's Wildflower.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqsrVatoTgc

31. KMD's Contact Blitt samples Lee Morgan's Mr. Kenyatta. It also samples part of Wayne Shorter's sax solo in the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQeeLhm4DQY

32. KMD's Black Bastards is also essential jazz-rap. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMN7mQ3_0TM

33. KMD's It Sounded Like a Roc samples two Pharaoh Sanders songs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr9jfSOnAFY

34. Lil Wayne's Dr. Carter samples a jazz fusion song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K688ZSwaGEQ

35. Lupe Fiasco's Kick, Push doesn't sample a jazz artist, but sounds a lot like the smooth jazz-rap tracks of the early 1990s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVNYbfrmID4

36. Madvillain's Raid samples Bill Evans. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weWTuvdL-LQ

37. Madvillain's Great Day Today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS1cggllfig

38. MF Doom's Arrow Root is one of the best jazz-rap cuts I've ever heard. Pure beauty. I don't know what he sampled but he did an amazing job. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxPJiC_d0Yg

39. Mystikal's Bouncin Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psaHLi7-DIs&ob=av2e

40. MF DOOM's Vomitspit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S5vaHVD2-w

41. MF Doom's Kon Karne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcRmRkcMlkw

42. MF Doom's Gas Drawls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdgOxiiwwNs&feature=fvst

43. MF Doom's Nettle Leaves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7UDXkRXysw

44. Nujabes, the late Japanese hip-hop producer, made some precious jazz-rap jams. My favorite is Final View, which samples Yusef Lateef's Love Theme from Spartacus, a song from an old film. Beautiful oboe playing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36F9LKMDaOY

45. Mos Def's Umi Says is essential jazz-rap. Influenced by neo-soul and jazz, Mos Def tries to sing, and doesn't sound too bad. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcxLFXbECsY

46. Mos Def's Love samples Bill Evans. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyGGsBSpg90

47. Mos Def's Brooklyn samples multiple different artists, but still qualifies as jazz-rap because it samples a Roy Ayers song and Milt Jackson. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCuTYVulOzY

48. Mos Def's Mr. Nigga samples Gil Scott-Heron's jazzy Legend In His Own Mind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZxmuMmPLUU

49. Mos Def's May December is a jazzy instrumental hip-hop tune. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFGgP7FKO3M

50. Mos Def's Roses, which samples a song of the same name by relatively underground rapper/singer Georgia Anne Muldrow, has a jazzy piano-driven feel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gz1Sh19JNk

51. Mos Def and Talib Kweli worked together as Black Star. Their song, Astronomy (8th Light) is quite jazzy, featuring piano by Weldon Irvine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-hVkorqicw

52. Black Star's Brown Skin Lady http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXFL4dYH9Ik

53. Black Star's Thieves in the Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjxtRehIz2Y&feature=related

54. Kanye West's Heard 'Em Say has some jazz influences http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjdsQLzaZ-o

55. Nas has quite a few jazz-rap gems from Illmatic and future releases in his career. Let's start with Life's a Bitch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCnqDvvZrcM

56. Nas's Memory Lane (Sittin' In da Park) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXBFG2vsyCM

57. Nas's NY State of Mind http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKjj4hk0pV4&feature=related

58. Nas's The World Is Yours samples Ahmad Jamal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_srvHOu75vM&feature=related

59. Nas's One Love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjd7EbUUds8&feature=related

60. Nas's It Ain't Hard to Tell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI-DRbf_AZk&feature=related

61. Nas's Halftime doesn't sample any jazz, but I love the horns http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVtMQgg5AAI&feature=related

62. Nas's Purple samples Miles Davis's Blue in Green http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GpPGD7_yRY

63. Notorious B.I.G.'s Suicidal Thoughts samples a Miles Davis song from his fusion years. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6ChkExqv2E

64. The Pharcyde also have some great jazzy rap songs. Oh Shit samples Donald Byrd. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBO9-RqsmsQ

65. Pharcyde's 4 Better or 4 Worse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2jniq3vcmY

66. Pharcyde's Soul Flower (Remix) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zmmBfbpFM0&feature=related

67. Pharcyde's On the DL samples Stanley Cowell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb3vTF8bo7U&feature=related

68. Pharcyde's Passin' Me By http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48OYTEZQR9U&feature=related

69. Pharcyde's Otha Fish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8vQF5eLfrM

70. Pharcyde's Pack the Pipe samples both Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmLdQIYf4WY&feature=related

71. Pharcyde's Runnin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwHuEDCM7xs

72. Q-Tip's Shaka http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEbIQ-Op2zI

73. Q-Tip's Blue Girl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1xT_iP4DrY

74. Quasimoto's Microphone Mathematics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF37suwIf-Y

75. Quasimoto's Return of the Loop Digga http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH_2apOP4WM

76. Jazz Cats Pt. 1 by Quasimoto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epvuECEuC-A

77. Quasimoto's Blitz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqUUSalT8pw

78. Raekwon's Ice Cream http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7OO2jjZbwU

79. Big Daddy Kane's It's Hard Being the Kane is more funky and built on funk samples rather than jazz, but still sounds like jazz-rap. It was produced by Prince Paul. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMqhMP43v8A

80. Gang Starr's Ex Girl to Next Girl http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWr2IyugMGM

81. K'naan's Blues for the Horn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIrFMtVkw6w

82. Madvillain's Rainbows http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPk31QGqtdA

83. Public Enemy's 911 Is a Joke is not really jazz-rap, but it does feature some strong sax lines. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t25_sQ7tdVY

84. Wu Tang Clan's Shame on a Nigga samples Thelonious Monk. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf3jzDb4H7o

The Roots have several jazzy classics.

85. Mellow My Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nozh5l13Auo

86. Datskat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgaNPbUQoPg

87. Silent Treatment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwY2rH-tWGs

88. How I Got Over http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI4D1QOLGuM&ob=av2e

89. What They Do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVOuqnJFPvQ

90. Something In the Way of Things http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQdnKuhpcpo

91. Double Trouble http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBPq8VXHmgY

92. Dynamite http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz-7bO_SRtk

A Tribe Called Quest have several jazzy rap jams

93. Luck of Lucien http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCvr8sevyLk

94. Bonita Applebum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU_4pf8BSQw

95. Can I Kick It? samples the bass from Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ubKHzujy8

96. Excursions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4poAOhrsvWE

97. Butter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB9PiW68yQg

98. Verses from the Abstract features jazz bassist Ron Carter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A75MsdqU-jc&feature=related

99. Vibes and Stuff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRr6W-zVCdw&feature=related

100. Jazz (We've Got) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFA_stcnyns&feature=related

101. Scenario is a posse cut, meaning a large number of rappers exchanging verses in a song that usually has a simple beat so the lyrics are prominent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrhHH3_t218

102. Award Tour http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKXMZlw_efM

103. We Can Get Down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYbwFuw_QQI

104. Electric Relaxation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myJWy6Ts2w4&feature=fvst

105. Oh My God samples the bass from a Lee Morgan song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETVwuOv69R0

106. Lyrics to Go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onGtPe4XCtU

107. Eric B. & Rakim's Juice (Know the Ledge) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUzDcxDQTyI

108. Brand Nubian's Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV3s9vUQ71U

109. Black Moon's Nigus Talk Shit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkstswqxrvo

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Old School and 1980s Hip-hop

Sunday, September 18, 2011

The Best of the Rza

Thursday, September 8, 2011

The Neptunes

Some of the best hip-hop, R&B, and pop hits of the last decade were produced by the Neptunes. A hip-hop and R&B production group that includes Pharrell. The Neptunes have a unique production style that often uses minimalist, funk, or go-go rhythms to make excellent beats for artists such as Jay Z, Mystikal, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and several other well-known pop artists and rappers. A lot of their drum machine beats are old-school funk drums or feature hand drums (congas, bongos, etc.), which one doesn't hear as often as I would like in contemporary pop music. I suppose most Neptunes-produced songs are mostly built on keyboards, drums, and bass.

Here are several songs they produced
Justin Timberlake: Rock Your Body, Senorita, Like I Love You, Let's Take a Ride
Ol' Dirty Bastard: Got Your Money
Nelly: Hot in Herre
Mystikal: Shake Ya Ass, Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)
Jay Z: Change Clothes
Snoop Dogg: Drop It Like It's Hot, It Blows My Mind
Ludacris: Money Maker
N.E.R.D.: Run to the Sun (sounds like Senorita, which isn't a surprise since NERD started as the Neptunes, who produced Timberlake's "Senorita")
Pharrell: Frontin'
Kelis: Young, Fresn n' New, Good Stuff
Clipse: Grindin'

Jay Z Change Clothes

Mystikal, Bouncin' Back

Ol' Dirty Bastard's Got Your Money

Nelly's Hot in Herre

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Exploring Nujabes' Jazz Roots

The late Japanese hip-hop producer Nujabes was well-known for fusing jazz with hip-hop to make some of the best instrumental hip-hop of the 2000s. Although I haven't listened to all of his work, I loved his production for Samurai Champloo and his sampling of American jazz music to create the wondrous collage of sounds in his own music. I've decided to share links to 2 of my favorite Nujabes songs and provide the jazz samples necessary for making them amazing jazz hip-hop.

The first song is "Feather," which samples Yusef Lateef's "Love Theme for The Robe." Lateef loved to play songs from film soundtracks and the best songs on his album, Eastern Sounds (which endeavored to fuse American jazz with Asian music but remains firmly entrenched in the jazz idiom). Nujabes samples the piano for "Feather." Ignore the rapping, which isn't very good...

Instrumental

Yusef Lateef sample. Yusef Lateef made something beautiful here.

Nujabes' "The Final View" is one of my favorite jazz-rap songs of all time. Amazing use of the Yusef Lateef sample here. Again, the song is from a film soundtrack that Yusef lateef had covered. The sample is built on the jazz piano chords and oboe playing of Yusef Lateef with some hip-hop drums thrown in.

Yusef Lateef's "Love Theme from Spartacus"

Ahmad Jamal, a jazz pianist, also covered the song

And here is the original song from the film

Nujabes sampled Ahmad Jamal's take for his "Eclipse"

In addition to sampling jazz versions of soundtracks, Nujabes also samples Brazilian music and post-bop American jazz. His "Horn in the Middle" samples "Joshua" by Miles Davis.

Miles Davis

Live version

Nujabes sampled a Brazilian jazz/bossa nova song for his "Lady Brown." The sample is Luiz Bonfa's "The Shade of the Mango Tree."

Original

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Favorites from The Roots, Part VII

Here it is. We're finally at the end. My favorite songs from their last 2 albums, Rising Down and How I Got Over. Rising was a bit of a disappointment but How I Got Over was a very strong album that successfully fused elements of folk, indie rock, R&B, and jazz.

"Rising Down" is one of the best songs from the album. My boy Mos Def is on it.

"Get Busy" has a great beat.

"75 Bars"

"I Will Not Apologize" samples Fela Kuti so it's an instant classic for me. More rappers should sample Mr. Black President.

"The Show"

"Rising Up" uses a go-go beat. Love me some go-go. Also sorta fuses jazzy keyboards and Chrisette Michele's lyrics.

"A Peace of Light" from How I Got Over is good, though it's not rap at all. More like jazzy R&B.

"Walk Alone" features a prominent piano, a choir, and strong vocals.

"Dear God 2.0" is great. Not sure if the original song is better than this cover by The Roots, but probably not. "If everything is made in China, are we Chinese?" I also gotta give my boy Questlove a shoutout for his drumming on this one.

"Radio Daze" is one of their best efforts as well. I love Quest's drumming, and the prominent piano. Such a great fusion of jazz, R&B and hip-hop.

"Now or Never" is also a great song from How I Got Over

"How I Got Over" is also a jazzy, keyboard-driven song. Love the drumming on this one as well. The song itself refers to a famous gospel song of the same name.

"Right On"

"The Fire" is anthemic. Also gotta show some love for John Legend.

"Doin It Again" also features John Legend

Favorites from The Roots, Part VI

Some of the best songs from Tipping Point and Game Theory are listed below. Tipping Point was a weak album compared to everything else The Roots did but there are some catchy and funky songs. Game Theory is one of the strongest releases from The Roots, and definitely worth checking out in its entirety.

"I Don't Care"