Column: Compare And Contrast

To all Cool Cats of the disc siftin’ record liftin’ vinyl retrieving age. I know most of you go loopy for obscure Jazz riffs and rare funk recordings. If you are only beginning to discover the beauty in what lies beneath those tried and true hip-hop favourites than this would be a good time to sit down and listen to the original tracks that of the most, and least respected, hip hop artists have dabbled in order to create the funk-Jazz-Rock and other types of fusion. Where are the beats procured? I have dug superficially this time to procure 5 excellent tracks for a more refined ear to hear. The list consists of artist, name of original track, the record label on which it was released, and the year of release. I will match each with a hip hop track where you can find a sample of the original recording. I will also give the equivalent information-wise on the hip-hop track. 

1.       Mad Lads - No Strings Attached (Volt 1969)   Vs.    De La Soul - Change In Speak (Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. 1989)

2.       Weldon Irvin - We Gettin' Down (RCA 1974)   Vs. A Tribe Called Quest - Award Tour (Jive 1993)

3.       George Mccrae - I Get Lifted (RCA Victor 1974)  Vs. Pete Rock - Pete’s Jazz (BBE Records 2001)

4.       Blackbyrds - Rock Creek Park (Fantasy 1975)  Vs. De La Soul - Ghetto Thang (Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. 1989)

5.       Lamont Dozier - The Picture will never Change (Fantasy 1992) Vs. Pharoahe Monch - Desire (Street Records Corporation/Universal Motown Records 2007)

Warning: It may be frustrating to find some of these songs but if you come across them it is pretty rewarding. That being said: Happy Hunt!