Ghostface Killah - Ironman (25 Year Anniversary)

Daily Operation 10.29.2021.
Today is the 25-year anniversary of the release of Ghostface's debut album, Ironman. To celebrate, I've refined and re-mixed Sample Set #15, originally released in 2008. Enjoy:

🎧
Comment Section / Latest Mix

Xzibit - At the Speed of Life: The Archives ('94-'97)

Daily Operation 10.15.2021.
Xzibit - At the Speed of Life: The Archives ('94-'97) a.k.a. The Tape Deck #480.
All music, no frills. I had the idea of doing something like this back in 2009 and finally(!) got around to it. In honor of the 25-year anniversary of the release of the Detroit/L.A. emcee's debut album, this is a collection of Xzibit tracks from 1994 to 1997. Guest spots, mixtape and freestyle recordings; plenty of music with the Liks, of course. Hopefully lots of s**t you never heard of. (Not to mention, some samples thrown in there, too...) Shout out to ALL the baby bubbas out there... 🥴 Turn It Up! © J Dilla 🔥💨

SIDE A:
1. Freda Payne - Prelude
2. King Tee - Free Style Ghetto (feat. Xzibit, Breeze & Tha Alkaholiks)
3. Tha Alkaholiks - Hit and Run (feat. Xzibit)
4. Tha Alkaholiks - Flashback (feat. The Baby Bubbas)
5. Mr. Brown - Respect the Tech (feat. Xzibit & Colony)
6. L.A. Nash - Do or Die (feat. Tha Alkaholiks & Xzibit)
7. Grover Washington Jr. - Until It's Time for You to Go
8. Xzibit - Eyes May Shine (Remix) (feat. Mobb Deep)
9. Tha Alkaholiks - No Hand Outs (feat. Phil Da Agony, Xzibit & Snaggle Puss)
10. Dilated Peoples - Goin' for Broke (feat. Xzibit)
11. Xzibit - Mad Scientist Freestyle

SIDE B:
12. Barbra Streisand - Pavane (Vocalise)
13. Tha Mexakinz - The Wake Up Show (feat. Xzibit & Chino XL)
14. Tha Alkaholiks & Xzibit - Wake Up Show Freestyle
15. Xzibit & Ras Kass - Freestyle, Pt. 2
16. The Mystic Moods Orchestra - Universal Mind
17. Tha Alkaholiks - Killin' It (feat. Xzibit)
18. Little Boy Blues - Dream Weaver / Seed of Love
19. Trevor Jones - Love Theme
20. Stanley Clarke - Slow Dance
21. Xzibit - Freestyle
22. Xzibit - E Lucevan Le Stelle
23. Patrick Williams & Earl Klugh - Out.... Then Back
24. Davina - So Good (feat. Xzibit)
25. Adriana Evans - Reality (Thayod Remix) (feat. Xzibit & K-Borne)
26. Kool DJ EQ - Three Emcees (feat. Xzibit, Del The Funky Homosapien & Casual)
27. Ras Kass - Arch Angels (feat. Xzibit)
28. Robert De Niro - Taxi Driver (1976)

LAXD








Only 3 Mics? Damb, Riggs... 😬😅

Album of the Day: 25-Year Anniversary Edition.
Xzibit - At the Speed of Life (Released: 10.15.1996)



🎧
Support/Subscribe at Mixcloud Select

Samples of the Year 2020

Snoop Dogg - "Nipsey Blue" | Sample & Example

Happy (early) birthday, Nip

Fathers of Rap, Volume Six: Bill Withers

Samples of the Year 2014

Largest 'Samples of the Year' ever?!
316 tracks?! 22+ hours?! Animated album cover?!
B***h, I do this!!!

Mobb Deep's "Survival of the Fittest" Sample Discovered

Three and a half years ago, Bronco of The-Breaks.com unearthed the jazz record Havoc brilliantly dissected to create the classic "Shook Ones" beat. Now we've got a new sample sleuth on the scene, YouTube user SaintsIV, who has uncovered a recording by jazz artists Barry Harris and Al Cohn which provides the basis for Havoc's equally-incredible "Survival of the Fittest" beat. There's a common thread between these two discoveries: Both are piano sections (Barry Harris' performance in this instance) from somewhat-obscure jazz records which were slowed down in order to create that brooding atmosphere we've come to love from Mobb Deep's classic record The Infamous. Check out SaintsIV's video below, which illustrates the process behind the production on this track. And don't forget to go back and check out my very own compilation, Sample Set #182: The Infamous. I've updated both the download link and embedded Audiomack player to include the new sample. Keep digging...

Sample Set #12: Black on Both Sides

Today is the 15-year anniversary of the release of the mighty Mos Def's debut LP, Black on Both Sides. I've wanted to revisit this sample set for a while now; I figured this was the best opportunity to do just that! This set (#12) was originally compiled back in January of 2008, when Hip Hop Is Read was still just a months-old experiment. Little did I know the one and only Combat Jack would visit the site, download/listen to the set, and give me a shoutout in 2010 on his fledgling radio program - which has now grown into a true cultural phenomenon. Much respect to Combat Jack, who's been down since day one. I've added his shoutout as the intro for this revamped Back on Both Sides sample set - even though he hilariously butchers my last name (LOL), but it's all good! Dallas Penn makes a special (and offensive) appearance, too. But now let's get into the music...

Black on Both Sides interior artwork

The original set contained 24 songs. This one's got 38. Many of the new additions are classic hip hop tracks (Beastie Boys, Eric B. & Rakim, MC Shan, etc.) which were scratched onto songs like "Hip Hop" and "Mathematics". We've also got a couple new and essential reggae tracks (Gregory Isaac's "If I Don't Have You" and Burning Spear's "Marcus Garvey") that are great additions and help to demonstrate the Afrocentric collage of Mos Def's debut. In order to update this set, I revisited Black on Both Sides (after admittedly leaving it in the dust for a few years). It was a rewarding experience. I'm not the best at judging how well albums age as I don't really know how you measure something like that. Black on Both Sides was released, after all, during an age when the "conscious" label wasn't nearly as contemptible as it's been for the past decade or so. But for my money, this album still holds up quite well - arguably better than the Black Star effort by Mos and fellow Brooklyn emcee Talib Kweli. Do yourself a favor and revisit Black on Both Sides on its 15th birthday. Turn it up!!

Sample Set #184: The Pretty Toney Album

Samples of the Year 2013

Dedicated to Walter White.
...and James Gandolfini.

Doggystyle: The Samples

...20 years later!

Midnight Marauders: The Samples

...20 years later!

The brother John Q of Lyrics to Go and I put together a set for this classic Tribe album waaay back in 2008. Five years later, in commemoration of the 20 year anniversary of Midnight Marauders' release, I knew it wouldn't be right to just highlight Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). So here we go: A re-upped, reloaded sample set for Tribe's CLASSIC third LP. Enjoy... and turn it up!

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers): The Samples

...20 years later!

My original post (2010)

Wu-Tang Clan Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers): A 20th Anniversary Retrospective by Dart Adams

Wu&A: The RZA on Enter the Wu-Tang 20 Years Later by Amos Barshad

Enter the Wu-Tang, 20 Years Later: Who Ya Got? by Grantland Staff

Re-Entering the 36 Chambers by Paul Cantor

15 Fun Facts About Wu-Tang Clan's 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' by Phillip Mlynar

The Making of Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Album Cover with Daniel Hastings

Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Turns 20 by Tom Breihan

Re-Upped: Sample Set #26

Sample Set #183: good kid, m.A.A.d city

Westside right on time LATE AS FUCK! I really shoulda dropped this LAST October, when GKMC first came out (it's been a year already!?), but oh well. At least now you can delete Babylon Cartel's sub-par attempt at a HHIR sample set. (Sorry, guys... your arms hard drive's just too short small to box fuck with god my blog!) No shots.* Just sayin' though... The truth is I already gave you most of these samples back when I dropped the Samples of the Year 2012 compilation. But I can understand why you'd want a complete set dedicated to Kendrick's Aftermath debut. (Shouts to Small Pro for the Saturday afternoon inspiration.) So here it is! I've thrown in some extra samples from a handful of Kendrick's non-album tracks from 2012 for good measure. Hopefully it makes up for this year-long delay. Enjoy... and as always, turn it up!!

*All shots!!!

Sample Set #182: The Infamous

Here's one I've been wanting to put together for a looooong, long time. For years, I was frustrated that the sample for "Shook Ones Pt. II" - arguably the album (and group)'s greatest track - was a mystery. But that all changed when Bronco from The-Breaks made one of the two greatest sample-sleuthing discoveries in recent years. (The other epic find was for Raekwon's "Ice Cream", made by YouTube user patriquino.) Havoc is a damn genius (and fool!) for this one...

That Herbie Hancock track notwithstanding, there are some other great flips on this record. Grant Green's "Maybe Tomorrow", which has been sampled, most recently, for Kendrick Lamar's "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" off good kid, m.A.A.d city, is picked apart so delicately here, you'd barely notice hearing it on "The Start of Your Ending (41st Side)", The Infamous' opening track. It's all about those subtle keys! Here's another one: Al Green's "I Wish You Were Here". Again, the implementation is so subtle, but it's there. Havoc wasn't just looping records; he was really getting creative with it. Read more about Havoc's production on "Eye for a Eye (Your Beef Is Mines)" here. The full Complex interview is here. Shouts to Noah Callahan-Bever, Toshitaka Kondo, and Insanul Ahmed.

WTF, Mister Cee!?

The brilliance keeps on coming: Miles Davis' "Lonely Fire", the sirens on Quincy Jones' "Kitty With the Bent Frame", Herbie Hancock's "Jessica" (yeah, I've gotta mention it again!), The Headhunters' "I Remember I Made You Cry" (which really demonstrated Q-Tip's contribution on "Drink Away the Pain (Situations)"), the sinister intro portion off Les McCann's "Benjamin"... maaaaaan, I could keep going. This is just another one of those times in which hunting down samples from an album makes you appreciate the record that much more! As always, click the album cover up top to download the sample set, or peep the Audiomack player below. Enjoy... and turn it up!!

Sample Set #181: SlaughtaHouse

 

This one's for the brainiac dumb-dumbs! About a year ago, I tried this thing on the site called Samplify. I thought it'd take off, but as soon as I realized that Spotify had some severe limitations, I cancelled that b***h. Source Magazine-scanner-extraordinaire Vincent said this one was "too good to leave on Spotify." He was right. So here we are. SlaughtaHouse is an incredible album. (Pssst... Delicious Vinyl re-issued SlaughtaHouse last year with a bunch of bonus tracks. Grab that here!) Masta Ace & Co. flipped the gangsta rap sub-genre so brilliantly on this record. So of course, the James Brown, Parliament, Funkadelic, Ohio Players, and Zapp joints you'd expect are on here. But this set's also got some cool stuff you probably won't hear on any other sample set. A few highlights:

1) I'm a big film noir fan, so hearing a track off of Jerry Goldsmith's score from the 1974 film Chinatown sampled on this album - and being the first (FIRST!) on the InternetS to identify it - was thrilling to me. Spotting that sample was dope, but listening to that entire OST (or watching the film, for that matter)... Believe me, it's worth it. Grab it on wax if you can! 2) Earth, Wind & Fire's "Handwriting on the Wall". I don't fully understand the story behind this track. Apparently you can find it on some vinyl pressings of EWF's first album. Notice how I said "some." My copy doesn't have it. Weird. It's a damn shame that some people haven't heard this track because it's incredible. It sounds more like a Funkadelic song, if anything. Bottom line: Incredible. It's track #23 on this sample set. 3) Miles Davis' "Jeru". Miles' Birth of the Cool album is, simply, cool. Sooo cool. And to hear it on Masta Ace Incorporated's "The Mad Wunz", which is kinda/sort-of a gully reinterpretation of Tribe's "Jazz (We've Got)" makes it all the more cooler.

I could keep going, but why bother? Click the cover above(!) to be redirected to that magical website with downloadable sample sets galore, or, as I've been doing lately, check the Audiomack streamable player below. Enjoy, and as always... Turn it up!!

Enta Da Stage: 20 Years Later

Three weeks ago, we celebrated the 20 year anniversary of Souls of Mischief's seminal 93 'til Infinity. (I did my thing; Jeff Weiss did his thing.) Three weeks later, we look back to 1993 yet again to give "props" to Black Moon's Enta Da Stage on its own vicennial anniversary. Read my original write-up from 2011 here, or just dive right into the sample set here. As always... Enjoy. And turn it up!!

Album Stream:



UpNorthTrips Mix:



HHIR Sample Set:

93 'til (2013 and) Infinity...

Exactly 20 years ago today, Oakland rap group Souls of Mischief dropped their debut album 93 'til Infinity. The album was produced by the Hieroglyphics stable of beatsmiths (some of whom could also spit) including Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Domino (not to be confused with the Long Beach rapper best known for the single "Getto Jam"), Casual, Jaybiz, and A-Plus. Most people will remember this album for its title track "93 'til Infinity" alone, however, the record as a whole is a bonafide classic and deserves recognition for its uniqueness, particularly considering the era (and region) in which it was released. Gangsta rap was the predominant "brand" of hip hop at the time, even casting a shadow over the East Coast. However, an "alternative" style of hip hop was also bubbling on both sides of the country. Between 1989 and 1992, West Coast "gangsta" rap was kicking down doors with albums like Straight Outta Compton, The Chronic, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, No One Can Do It Better, Death Certificate, Efil4zaggin, We're In This Together, and O.G. Original Gangster. Meanwhile, during that same time span, albums like 3 Feet High and Rising, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, Sex Packets, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, The Low End Theory, and Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde were holding it down for the "alternative" rap scene.

Image via Lance Dawes

Enter 1993. The same year that gave us Doggystyle, It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa, Black Sunday, Lethal Injection, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., and Bangin on Wax, also provided "alternative" classics like Midnight Marauders, Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space), Buhloone Mind State, 21 & Over, and, of course, 93 'til Infinity. Souls of Mischief's debut album is overlooked by many, I feel, despite the fact that it's arguably the best overall entry from the Hieroglyphics' collective catalog. The album is soulful, jazzy, lighthearted, and fun. The same can be said for the samples on the album (and featured on my sample set). Just listen to Billy Cobham's "Heather", Freddie Hubbard's "Sky Dive", or The Ramsey Lewis Trio's "Collage" to truly appreciate jazz music's contribution to production and stylistic evolution in hip hop. Delicate horn riffs or keystrokes paired with rough, dusty drums is just so definitively "hip hop"; 93 'til Infinity's production puts that on full display.

For this sample set (re-)release, I'm trying out AudioMack. At first I thought I'd make the music available for download on their site, but when I realized they have a 200MB limit on .zip files, I scratched that idea. I uploaded 160 kbps files onto AudioMack - the highest bit rate that'd fit - for the purpose of being able to stream the music without downloading it. Of course if you wanna download it, you can click the "Buy Album" link on the AudioMack page (misleading, right?) or just go right here to pick it up. Let me know if you like having the streaming option for these sample compilations. Also, let me know which 1993 rap albums you'd like me to discuss and dissect in the coming months. Best believe I'll be re-upping my Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) sample set for the album's 20 year anniversary.

One more thing. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention two other great hip hop albums released on this day in 1993: KRS-One's Return of the Boom Bap and Spice 1's 187 He Wrote. (Shouts to hip hop historian Dart Adams for his encyclopedic knowledge of... everything. Oh, and Up North Trip's Evan Auerbach, too! Read his NPR piece on the "10 Great Rap Release Dates of the 1990s.")

Turn It Up!!

...oh, and happy birthday, Dallas Penn!

Jay-Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail (Samples Mix)

Sample sets take a day, impossible takes a week.

I do this in my sleep. :)