Episode 9. Hip-hop & Sampling

Good artists copy, great artists steal. Here are some excellent examples of the diversity and innovation in hip-hop made possible by incorporating samples of jazz, funk, rock and other genres. Sampling is taking a small segment, or sample, from a chosen song and inserting it into the hip-hop song, usually looping it to make a continuous beat, where the beat includes the sample and any additional music/drums provided by the DJ. There's a fine line between singing and rapping, as you'll hear in song #2, but even if a rapper sounds monotonous they're still using melodies just like a singer would. For example, Gang Starr claims a "monotone drone", but if you listen closely you can hear how the pitch changes. Whereas great singers are able to carry a note, great rappers are able to punctuate the note, and focus more on the flow. If you pronounce or even just mouth any of the following rap lyrics, you can feel the words flow off the tip of your tongue. So rappers have to combine meaning, melody and flow, which not only includes the physical position of the tongue in the mouth, but also the cadence of the rap - how long to carry a note, how long to pause between notes, etc. It's not easy. Below is just a small sample - I'll come back for Dr. Dre, Snoop, Eminem, and other greats later.

1.
Sample: Ronnie Foster - "Mystic Brew" (1972)
Hip-hop: A Tribe Called Quest - "Electric Relaxation" (1993)



Thanks to Ronnie Foster's punchy bass line and the strategic use of keyboards (both for the chill chords and the twilight-zone chime sounds), this track has a vibe unlike any other. Here they are, A Tribe Called Quest, coming at you with legendary status for a reason. MCs (synonymous with "rappers", from "Master of Ceremonies") Q-Tip (left, one of the most well-respected rappers in history), and Phife dawg (middle) lay their cards on the table when it comes to their love of women, while DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad (right) throws down the beat. Q-Tip starts "Electric Relaxation," and Phife dawg comes in with the classic "I like 'em brown, yellow, Puerto Rican or Haitian." They may sound like womanizers but if you pay attention they're genuine guys ("I couldn't drop dimes 'cause you couldn't relate"), and if you listen to their other stuff you'll see they're highly socially conscious. If you want to get into hip-hop, their Anthology is a great place to start. Jazzy hip-hop doesn't get any better. Just don't play #18 at work. It does have the best bass line, but my boss didn't care.

2.
Sample: Herbie Mann - "Today" (1966)
Hip-hop: The Pharcyde - "Otha Fish" (1992)



Clearly a great sample, but this song is extra special. I've never heard vocals that come close to this. They're a mix of rap, jazz, and soul that are simply unparalleled, even within The Pharcyde. This song could almost be its own subgenre. Check out "Ya Mama" to get a better idea of how much fun these guys are (it's a really good song too).

3.
Sample: Bobby Caldwell - "Open Your Eyes" (1980)
Hip-hop: Common - "The Light" (2005)



Common's timbre is really unique. Everything he says is so emotionally-charged and vital. The Bobby Caldwell vocal backup is one-of-a-kind, and the bass line, which also comes from the sample, matches Common's heavy, uplifting lyrics.

4.
Sample: Boom Clap Bachelors - "Tiden Flyver" (2008)
Hip-hop: Kendrick Lamar - "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" (2012)



Here's a sneak peak at the genius of Dr. Dre, who was an executive producer for this ground-breaking album, "good Kid, m.A.A.d. city," although a lot of credit must go to Kendrick, who's clearly very intelligent and has enormous creativity. When I first heard the intro to "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" I was blown away. Who would have thought these guys were listening to relatively obscure Danish jazz producers? Just like the Tribe Anthology, I highly recommend going through this entire album. Kendrick's multi-faceted rap style, including high-pitched backup vocals that function as a kind of conscience, is really at the cutting-edge of music. His newer album, To Pimp A Butterfly, is equally unprecedented.

___________

Ok, we're transitioning into gangsta rap now. Try to imagine that all the cops are trying to take you to jail and all the gangsters on the other side of town are trying to kill you. That's how these guys live (or lived, a lot of them were murdered). So keep that in mind when they start dropping f-bombs - these are the words of paranoid, troubled minds - they're not just trying to sound tough. These rappers are among the wise men who were aware of the craziness and futility of their thug lifestyle, which by the way, they couldn't escape no matter how rich they got.

5.
Sample: Billy Paul - "Let's Fall In Love All Over Again" (1970)
Hip-hop: Gang Starr - "Moment of Truth" (1998)



Gang Starr's DJ Premier (right) is one of the greatest producers ever. It takes true genius to listen this sample and hear a hip-hop track (he takes about 2 seconds starting at 0:10 in the sample). Beyond the incredible beat, "Moment of Truth" is one of my favorite hip-hop songs because you can tell Guru (left), the rapper, is being completely open - "Don't even feel like drinkin' or even gettin' high, because all that's gonna do is accelerate the anxieties I'm tryin' to alleviate". In a world of tough guys, that's courageous, and he makes it work because, well, when you've got the magic, you don't care what other people think of you: "Another fake Jack I slay with my spectac rap display." Guru and Premier were a lethal combination.

6.
Sample: Edgar Winter - "Dying To Live" (1971)
Hip-hop: 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G. - "Runnin' (Dying To Live)" (2002)



Produced by Eminem. For the unfamiliar, Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls, raps first, and 2Pac follows. Phenomenal, heavy-hitting raps. Here they are, Biggie on the left, 2Pac on the right. It's more subtle in the other songs on the post - in this one it's more obvious that the function of the sample is to convey a certain feeling that underlies the message in the rap, that the rappers can't quite elicit. You can hear in the beginning of "Runnin'" 2Pac acknowledging that the animosity between himself and Biggie, which appeared epic, was really not as heavy as it seemed. It's difficult for these rappers, despite the fact that they remain (almost without dispute) the two greatest rappers of all time, to express this kind of feeling musically given the fact that they were born to sound deep and heavy. So they use their own lyrics and booming voices to convey their dire situation, while Eminem magically electrifies Edgar Winter's voice by increasing the pitch to hint at the uplifting optimism within 2Pac and Biggie, and to complete the picture, Edgar Winter's lyrics recognize the futility of gang violence. Not to mention the gun shots, explosions, violins, eerie background vocals, deep piano (that you can barely discern), kick drum that sounds like a bass, and drumlines Eminem uses to drop from the Winter sample into the verses and keep them remarkably powerful. It's like Eminem is conducting the most badass orchestra you can imagine.

7.
Sample: Isaac Hayes - "Hung Up On My Baby" (1974)
Hip-hop: Geto Boys - "Mind Playing Tricks On Me" (1991)



Geto Boys hail from Houston, Texas and are known for "Damn It Feels Good To Be A Gangsta" from the movie Office Space. "Hung Up On My Baby" is a classic, and works well for this Geto Boys track. I love how the second rapper phonetically pronounces "sword." Top-notch gangsta rap.

Episode 8. The Go! Team

I just saw The Go! Team at Lincoln Hall in Chicago on Saturday. Usually when you look at a band photo you can tell who the leader is. If you look at Go! Team photos, usually you'll find Ninja front and center (you can probably guess who Ninja is, even though ninjas are traditionally Asian), and you'll usually find one guy either in the background or covering his face somehow. This episode is about that guy.

His name is Ian Parton. In pictures he's shy and in concert he doesn't say anything to the audience. This is the clearest picture of him I could find online (on left). He doesn't even have a Wikipedia page. But let me tell you something about Ian: he's got the spirit of a five-year-old child, in the best way possible. At the end of a song, he would hold his guitar up, ringing with feedback, for just a little bit too long, with a coy smirk on his face. He would play around on the drums between songs. When Ian rocks out on guitar, jumping and throwing his head of messy hair in circles, it's not because he's trying to impress anyone or even express himself - he's doing it because he can't help it. I've never seen an adult have so much fun in my entire life.

So what kind of music does a guy like Ian create? It's an eclectic (to put it mildly) mix of styles: double-dutch chants, Charlie Brown piano, car chase sounds, and Sonic Youth-style guitar, to mention a few. It's whatever Ian liked. It could be its own genre. He wasn't trying to emulate or impress anyone, and that's why their first album in particular is pure genius. "Thunder, Lightning Strike" was recorded in his parents' kitchen, so it sounds muddled but it's the perfect sound for the style.

1. The Go! Team - "Junior Kickstart" (2004)

You're five years old, and the race is about to begin. You rev up your little go-kart engine with each cycle of the distorted guitar, as you look around with supreme confidence. Timmy Klippins thinks he's going to beat you, but you've been practicing all week, and you know the course like it's the back of your hand, but you're not thinking about that now. The race is about to begin. 

As soon as the horns kick in, the countdown begins.........

3..........................................................................................................................

2..........................................................................................................................

1..........................................................................................................................

GO! the bass drops in, and the race is on. It's not even close - you're kicking everyone's butt. Did I mention you're five years old and you don't even care about the trophy? It's all about the spirit, and it's beautiful.

2. The Go! Team - "We Just Won't Be Defeated" (2004)

You're so good you have your own cheerleaders. This song has a really cool bass line, and you can hear the Charlie Brown-style piano in the background. Music doesn't get a whole lot more original than this, and it's all from the mind of Ian Parton. 

3. The Go! Team - "Everyone's A VIP To Someone"

I got lucky to see them play four songs from this album, including this one. It was really Ian's moment to shine. He doesn't sing, so playing the hell out of his harmonica was how he expressed himself vocally. He loved it up there, making his way around most of the stage as he rocked out just as hard as he did playing guitar. The final race was epic. You came in second to Timmy Klippins, but it's ok. You'll get him next year. 

Episode 7. Quincy Jones

When I rate a song 10/10, I mean that the song is perfect for what it is (and even if I don't state it, it's implied for nearly all songs on the blog). What it means is that the artist is completely honest, the story is clear, the music effectively elicits some appropriate feeling, and there's a little bit of magic. The music in today's episode goes beyond 10/10. All the way to Q/10 - the attention to detail, the clarity and precision of everything. This episode more than any other so far needs to be heard at high volume to pick up all of the detail. Closing your eyes would help too.

Quincy Jones, who is rightfully appealing to President Obama to be the cultural ambassador of the US, is among the most prolific musicians, producers, arrangers and composers of the modern era. Everybody's heard his name, but I don't think everyone appreciates his musical genius. He has a record 79 Grammy nominations with 27 wins. They can't all be flukes. Here I'll touch on the surface of Quincy's magic and the art of record production.

1.Quincy Jones - "Soul Bossa Nova" (1962)


Quincy started out in the 1950s doing jazz and bossa nova tunes. You've probably heard this song sampled in one of the Austin Powers movies. It's groovy, baby. And it's very intricate, like modern day classical music. Note all the horns and flutes and percussion (all the little rattles, taps, bells, etc.) he uses to keep it interesting, like a masterful painter putting a little here and a little there. That thing that sounds like someone having violent hiccups is called a cuica and it's very popular in Brazilian music. The production value is so high that it's easy to imagine looking around a big room and seeing the different instruments - pretty good for 1962. One big difference between music and fine arts is time. You can scan a painting as fast or as slow as you want, but in music, the artists choose how long you pay attention, so they really have to get inside the observer's head and anticipate their feelings at every moment. It's very difficult to make music this complex in the first place, but to get it to sound simple enough for anyone to enjoy is genius.

2. Michael Jackson - "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" (1979)


This Grammy-winning song was written by Michael Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones for the album Off The Wall in 1979. You can hear aspects of the style of "Soul Bossa Nova," with the tasteful percussion that sounds like tapping on a glass and strategic use of horns and synthesized strings (which sound like a computerized violin) to boost the energy and add drama. All of those quick little strings runs do a perfect job of complementing MJ's voice, which is in a very similar range (you can almost imagine his voice like it's a really fancy violin in this song). It's like watching someone dance. Michael's voice does the really impressive parts, and once in a while, the horns or the strings come in for a little booty-shake or a sexy glance over the shoulder. Quincy is the mastermind choreographer. Note that the relatively long length of the song fits the title - surely no coincidence. Also just notice how distinct all of the sounds are.

3. George Benson - "Give Me The Night" (1980)


He could do it with Michael Jackson's voice, and he could do it with George Benson's guitar. George hooks you immediately with the quick guitar slides. His guitar is brilliant in this song, but it's pretty subtle and mostly low in the mix (low volume compared to the bass and drums) except during the solo, which he scats on simultaneously, around 2:00. A more clear example of his jazz guitar mastery can be found in "Breezin'" (1976, not produced by QJ), where his guitar is higher in the mix throughout. In "Give Me The Night" Quincy helped him choose which guitar licks to use and when to repeat them, and he also added just the right amount of subtle detail, like he always does. Can you hear that Quincy Jones sound, with the horns, strings and backup vocals filling in the gaps just perfectly? Great producers are more than recording session managers - they're also artists and composers that add their own flavor and help artists reach their full potential. Quincy is one of the greatest.

4a. Quincy Jones - "Summer In The City" (1973)
4b. The Pharcyde - "Passin' Me By" (1992)


How far was his reach? This far at least. He wasn't directly involved but this classic hip-hop track would not exist without him. Pharcyde take a few seconds of his song, add some vinyl crackling, and loop it to fill out their beat. They're one of more jazzy, intellectual hip-hop groups out there. This is just a preview - I'll come back to hip-hop and The Pharcyde later.

Episode 6. David Bowie

This is a special Friday episode in memory of David Bowie, who passed away on January 10 after battling cancer - everyone familiar with him surely feels a loss. Incomparable both personally and artistically, Bowie's musical career spanned over twenty genres and five decades. His voice is singular, but in terms of musical innovation, there is one album in particular that stands out. The album name, Low, has at least two meanings: (1) Bowie himself felt low as he wrote this record due to cocaine withdrawals, and (2) the nature of the music, especially compared to Bowie's other super-glamorous work, is low-profile (also notice his low-profile style on the cover art - compared to this at least). This album was originally intended to be a soundtrack, so it's relatively easy to visualize and feel situations that correspond to the music. Listening to this music is almost like dreaming.

Musically, Low was far ahead of its time. The producer, Tony Visconte, manipulated new synthesizer technology - many of the sounds that you hear on this album had never been heard anywhere before. While certainly not the most popular or the catchiest Bowie album, it isn't exactly an underdog - Pitchfork rated it the best album of the '70s. And the '70s is arguably the best decade for music so... yeah, it's good.

#1. David Bowie - "Sound and Vision" (1977)


 "Sound And Vision" is a very tactile song - you can feel the cool release of pressurized air. The soaring soundscape in the background. The heavy, beefy drum beats. Bowie's sighs. The bass takes the backseat as the guitar works some magic. Bowie's singing in this song definitely shows signs of his low mood. There are two lead vocal tracks playing - one where he sounds strained, and another where he sounds resigned, more or less.

#2. David Bowie - "Always Crashing in The Same Car" (1977)


 Again with mind-boggling synthesizer sounds from the outset. Often the most significant and characteristic aspect of a drum beat is the snare drum, which usually sounds like a "pop." In this case the pop sounds attenuated - it's almost like something is popping in slow-motion (it comes in at 0:35). This is part of the synth magic I keep talking about.

#3. David Bowie - "A New Career In A New Town" (1977)


 My personal favorite David Bowie song. This instrumental track completely aligns with its title. You can feel the hesitation and anxiety of moving to a new city in the beginning with the atmospheric sounds and the fast heartbeat. By the way that heartbeat drum sound is a groundbreaking feat of synthesizer engineering - part of the reason this album is far ahead of its time. It sounds half artificial half real. I'm not sure if they thought this deep, but this could reflect a move from the "real" country to the "artificial" city. And then boom! the surge of excitement from the new job and the new town kicks in with the harmonica sounding like an old western movie driving the emotion. There is then a return to the anxiety and loneliness for a short period as the subject questions his move, and finally a return to the excitement, which feels like a happy ending. A nostalgic story of personal growth, exploration, and anxiety combined with the wonder of cab ride at night through a brightly lit unknown city, told brilliantly through instruments both real and synthesized. Proof that Bowie's magic is not just in his voice. Perhaps not his most catchy song, but one that is brilliantly able to transplant the listener into a specific experience.

#4. David Bowie - "Weeping Wall" (1977)


A man is being chased down a darkened alley by some kind of futuristic police. Just when it looks like he's about to escape, the horns come on. But he doesn't give up, he keeps running at a pretty good clip. At one point he tries to blend in with the crowd, but that doesn't last long. Everybody rats him out, those bastards. The police close in, yelling at the man to stop, but he just won't comply. It looks like it's the end of the line, but then it turns out that the police were just actors and the whole thing fizzled out and became like a set break. It wasn't a practical joke like in that one movie. It was just an acting lesson. The guy went home and drank hot chocolate with a heart rate of 180.

Episode 5. Current Faves

I wrote a nice long post about Quincy Jones that I was going to share today, but I re-listened to "At This Point In My Life," at 5:27pm on Monday, and now I just want to share my current favorite songs. By the way, we're moving to Spotify. The sound quality is much better than YouTube. Don't forget to turn it up!

1. Tracy Chapman - "At This Point In My Life" (1995)


As much as I like "Fast Car," this one actually hits me harder. The bass fills the room, and Tracy's vocals are as emotive as possible. The most interesting thing about the song for me is the structure itself. There are very clear transitions between parts of the song, with different sentiments and energies, forming the arc of the story. The instrument that really defines these transitions is the drums. They are non-existent in the intro, so when they finally come in, that rim-shot (the "clack" sound every few seconds) is very powerful. In the next section the energy is boosted with a focus on the tambourine. This is just really well-made music - simple, sweet, and clear. The lyrics are more generic than "Fast Car," which allows the listener to pay more attention to the music. If you let it, it brings on the chills like none other.

2. Little Feat - "Long Distance Love" (1975)


Have you ever heard a love story told in 20 seconds... by a bass and drums? I'll walk you through it: the bass creates a vibe of loving warmth, the immediacy of which is astounding. The guitar and keyboards come in to tell you how sweet it could be, and then right at 0:13 you hear a conflict, as the band seems to choke for a second, and this resolves after a few seconds, until the second conflict around 0:18, which then resolves and concludes the story. And if that wasn't enough, just about the most adorable male/female duet you've ever heard comes in to tell the story lyrically.

3. Feist - "One Evening" (2005)


Like the previous two songs, the bass is full, and creates the atmosphere. The whole song is really well done, and has a lot of little details placed just right, which you can try to spot. Or just sit back and enjoy this chill tune.

4. Tame Impala - "The Less I Know The Better" (2015)


That's some funky bass. Notice how the bass actually comes in on what sounds like a regular guitar, and after a bit it drops into a nice, deep sound. Also note how it's less full than the first three songs - there is a lot of empty space between notes. It's a great line, but it feels like it's forcing you to do something, so he uses a much milder line in the chorus to give you a break.

Episode 4. Hypnotic Music

'Hypnotic' is the best way I can describe these songs. They're mesmerizing, finding just the right balance of repetition and intrigue to pull you into a trance where your mind starts to go numb and you forget where you were born. Or maybe it's just me; either way they're good songs.

As a reminder, the volume should be turned up as loud as is comfortable, otherwise it's like going to an art gallery with glasses that aren't for you.

#1. Robert Palmer - "Woke Up Laughing" (1980)


Robert Palmer may have looked like a used car salesman, but he was apparently the "artist's artist" and is known for the hit song "Addicted To Love." This is one of his more obscure tunes. I recommend checking out the beautiful lyrics for this one. Just the idea of waking up laughing is bizarre, and he pulls you right into his bizarre little dream world. There is an instant magical, fairyland kind of feel to this song because of the high pitched xylophone, and also that noise in the background that sounds like a drum stick sliding against a ribbed piece of wood. If you try to count the beats you'll find that there are three (or six) per measure rather than the usual four or eight, and he often starts singing on the fifth or sixth beat (before the next measure starts), whereas lyrics typically start at the beginning of the measure, so there is a very loosey-goosey freedom that adds to the intrigue. His singing style is remarkably unique and perfect for this song; kind of haunting but in a good way. There are variations in the music, but not enough for it to feel like you ever stray from the dream world. 10/10.

#2. Kurt Vile - "Wheelhouse" (2015)


Kurt Vile released one of my favorite albums of 2015, b'lieve i'm goin down. The hypnotic quality of Wheelhouse is mostly in the repetitive, rising and falling sensation from his low-tone (the opposite of piercing) guitar, but also in Kurt's super-lazy drawling vocals. His voice and guitar melt into each other since they have almost the same range. Because the bass and guitar are so repetitive, the drums stand out as the main source of flavor in the song, with some distorted guitars howling in the background. If you like this, check out "Life Like This."

#3. Ali Farka Touré - "Lalayche" (1988)

A king of African blues, Mali-born Ali Farka Touré is probably one of the lesser-known guitarists on Rolling Stone's top 100 guitarists list (he was #76).  Like in the previous song, the vocals and guitar become one. You could fall into a trance to anything he plays. Part of it is the way he uses drone notes (a note that keeps repeating nonstop). In this case the drone is the deepest note and acts like a really simple bass anchor. I'll get into lead guitar more later, but the way he plays guitar is different than the typical American blues guitarist. He'll play a one or two-second lick, and then return home, focusing on the drone note, and then keep doing that in different ways, so he's sort of reinforcing his message with little exclamations, whereas most American blues lead guitarists will solo for maybe 20 seconds to a minute or more, telling more of an extended story. Here's an example of that from the American counterpart of Ali Farka, blues legend John Lee Hooker- Boom Boom (1961).