Cal is Sparkling!

This week on 7 O Clock sample, we continue to look into the music of CAL TJADER.

There is something hypnotic about Cal’s sound.  Many producers have noticed Cal’s sample ready grooves, and have turned out some great tracks…

Here is Jordan’s Top Picks for Cal Tjader samples!

OOh!  and do you remember this one?

Yep… That’s Cal too…

I love it!

Clap Yo’ Hands

This week on the Seven O Clock sample, we are exploring the music of THE METERS!

There are VERY few gentlemen in this world as funky as Art, George, Joe, and Leo.  These four men are responsible for an entire sub-genre of American R&B music.  Their catalog spans 4 decades of Funky music.  They’ve played with the best of the best, from Allen Toussaint, Lee Dorsey and Dr John.

Today’s sampler, A TRIBE CALLED QUEST.  Ali Shaheed grabbed up some super funk to scratch the hook on this Tribe classic…

That funky hook comes from the Meter’s 1970 release STRUTTIN’

The Meters – Hand Clapping Song

M.I.A.’s Original Savannah Showers

( Boy, I’m getting cheesy with these mash up titles… )

Hey Hey Y’all, it’s time for another 7 O’clock sample!
This week were are exploring the music of M.I.A. We are looking forward to seeing what her new album is going to be like, so I thought I’d look back at some of her hits and open the sample box!
On her debut album ARULAR, M.I.A. had a number of breakout hits, including this one…

That catchy hook was NOT originally written by Ms. Mia, it actually comes from the Bronx based swing group DR BUZZARD’s ORIGINAL SAVANNAH BAND. This group formed in mid 70s and had a number of hits, that have been sampled by such groups as A Tribe Called Quest, Ghostface Killah, De La Soul, and in today’s example, M.I.A.

Here is the original track…

Find A Way with Towa Tei

Today I’m presenting one of my absolute favorite samples.  I’d been looking for this sample for a very long time.

I knew what the song was, but I could not find the album, when I finally got it, I was bragging to Tarik that I had found one of my favorite samples, to which he said… ” Oh, I’ve got that album”
GRRRRRR!

So what is this sample that I explored the crates to often to find? It’s my favorite J Dilla and Tribe Called Quest collaboration on all time…

This song comes from one of the greatest Hip Hop album ever made, THE LOVE MOVEMENT. This was the final installment in the Tribe Called Quest Anthology. While the fellas have all gone on to produce solo and side projects, this was the final ATCQ project.

Two years before this album was out, DJ Towa Tei from Dee Lite, put out a funky little number called “Technova” This song featured the lovely sounds of Bebel Gilberto. J Dilla picked up on the funky sounds of this song, and sampled up this track for “Find A Way”

BONUS SAMPLE!!!!!!

Towa Tei sampled THIS Antonio Carlos Jobim song for Technova…

The Large Professor’s Thriller

So this week I am exploring songs that have sampled the most infamous Halloween song since the “Monster Mash”.

You need not say to much to introduce this song. Unless you’ve been living under a rock since 1982, you know all about this jam. You may even hear this song at the upcoming Creatures and Creators Halloween Party!

This got me diggin’ for other artist’s who have used this track. Michael Jackson samples are like Beatles samples; they exist, but they are hard to come by. One of my favorite Hip Hop artists is the Large Professor. I’ve explored some of his past work with Main Source in this blog post…

As an MC with main source, Large Pro also produced beats for the group and worked with many of the whos-who of New York Hip Hop. Nas, Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, and Slick Rick to name a few.
In 1996 Large Pro recorded a solo album called “THE LP”. It was shelved by Geffen records, but a single was released which included this track…

The album was re-released this past year after being bootlegged for over a decade. Thank goodness the record industry has changed so much in the past 10 years.

Forty Days of Lucien

Thursday morning, beautiful sunrise, coffee is warm and sweet, feeling good! So why not continue these good vibrations with a super funky 7 O CLOCK Sample!

I pulled today’s sample from a wonderful 70s Jazz-Funk album entitled WINDOWS OF THE MIND. Billy Brooks put this album out on Crossover Records in 1974. This album is full of funky jazz cuts, but few as funky as the last track on the album FORTY DAYS.

I guess the fellas from A TRIBE CALLED QUEST agree with me on this one. For their debut album PEOPLE’S INSTINCTIVE TRAVELS AND THE PATHS OF RHYTHM, the fellas used this cut for the story book rap, LUCK OF LUCIEN.

What’s the Scenario?!

This week on the 7 o clock sample, we are exploring one of the most influential and classic hip hop albums of all time. A Tribe Called Quest’s LOW END THEORY.
In 1991, the third 12″ single for this album was released by Jive records. That single was ” SCENARIO” , which after almost 20 years, is still HOT FIRE! I cannot think of a gig that I’ve DJ’ed where this track did not get the crowd to go nuts! The song features some additional rap help from the Leaders of the New School, a native tounges family group which featured a young Busta Rhymes.

Here is the video for the 1991 single:
( Check out some of the cameos from De La Soul, Redman, and Spike Lee )

This track utilizes a few samples. The main drums come from the Axis Bold As Love album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

There’s also some drum flavor from The Emotion’s Blind Alley.
Here is some super-bad footage of Dj Babu juggling Blind Alley:

And the primary sample for this classic hip hop track is from the 1969 Blue Note recording Moon Rappin’ by the legendary Brother Jack McDuff.

Bonus cut:
Here is J Dilla’s version of Moon Rappin‘ OOOH WEEE! It’s fresh!

RIP Dilla Dogg…

7 O Clock Sample MASTER CLASS

Today on the 7 o clock sample we are stepping it up a notch. Every Tuesday and Thursday we dig for the original samples used by producers of ALL genres of music.
This week, I’ve chosen to explore the music of A TRIBE CALLED QUEST’S Low End Theory album.

Released in 1991, this album paved the way for jazzy / conscience rapper’s like De La Soul, Common, The Roots and Mos Def. Although it original received a luke-warm response, the album went platinum in 1995 and has made it to almost every top 100 hip hop album list ever created.

Here is the first track from this legendary album:

How did the boy’s put this track together?

Well they began with a touch of jazz. Art Blakey and the Jazz Messenger’s A CHANT FOR BU is the main lick.
Here is TS Monk’s version of the classic sample:

In addition to the Blakey bass line and a funky drum break from Shade’s of Brown’s ” The Soil I Tilled For You”, ATCQ also took some samples of pre-Hip Hop rap from the THE LAST POETS!

Weldon Irvine’s Award Tour

it’s THURSDAY!!!!! Time for more samples…

Today we explore one of my favorite hip hop jams of all time. “Award Tour” – By A Tribe Called Quest.

This track was the first single for the iconic rap album Midnight Marauders. The album is recognized my most Hip Hop fans as one of the finest examples of mid 90s hip hop.

Ali Shaheed pulled the first sample from a super funk album entitled SPIRIT MAN, by the super funk Weldon Irvine. This mid 70s RCA release is chock full of delicious funk breaks and samples….
Check it out. 7 O CLOCK SAMPLE!!!

5 o’Clock SAMPLE

Hey hey hey!

It’s Jordan here, and this week Im filling in for “Dirt Soul” Scott Mullins from 2pm-6pm.  I’ll be maikn’ sure your drive home is fun and funky.  

Since Scott always hosts the 5 o’clock shadow ( an original and a cover back to back ) every weekday, I thought I’d put my own little “mad” spin on this segment.  This week I’m bringing you the 5 O’Clock SAMPLE…

I’ll be playing a classic Hip Hop track and the original song the artists sampled!  Sounds kinds cool huh?

Today I present to you….

CAN I KICK IT! – A Tribe Called Quest… (Check this slight reprise vid)

Tune in for all the samples this week….