Old School Mondays:: Familiar Fatback Sample Edition

Last week I gave Yes! the new album from k-os our infamous Talking Points treatment. During that delightful ramble-fest, I mentioned that the lead single from the album, 4 3 2 1, uses a sample from the Fatback Band. It's one of those golden age samples that you know you know, but you aren't exactly sure what it's from, or where it's used. Some google-age reveals that the sample in question, the female "Mmmmmm" vocal sample + drums combo, comes from the Fatback Band song Put Your Love (In My Tender Care) from a 1975 album called Raising Hell. I knew the Pharcyde and the almighty Lakim Shabazz used the beat, but I thought it would make for a fun OSM to find some other songs that sample it.

Ok let's see how fun it is. It seemed only appropriate to run down the songs in point format, in true Talking Points format, so let's get to it:

The Pharcyde - Soul Flower - I will likely always associate this sample with this song, one of my favorites on the album. Bizarre Ride is filled with such great songs that this one is not one most think of right away, but they hear it they invariably say "I love that song!". Just a good time, the Pharcyders at their funnest. This likely come closest to k-os' use of it to I think.

Ultramagnetic MC's - Make It Happen - Answer me this, can you go wrong with anything from Ultra's first two albums? Bit of a rhetorical question, because of course you can't. The Fatback sample is a little less prominent on this song, but it's still there. Anyone who wonders why Kool Keith has such a cult-like following should really check his first verse on this one - he really was just rhyming in a spacey, off-beat way that was crazy for '91, but inspired a bunch of sound-alikes. But Ced Gee was solid in his own right, can't deny that.

Lakim Shabazz - Pure Righteousness - I said this the last time I posted a Lakim Shabazz song: "I did like Lakim Shabazz back in the day, but that was due to Pure Righteousness, a song he had a video for that I enjoyed a great deal. I was always on the lookout for this album because of that jam. Well that and the fact that Lakim rocked a fez. Seriously, anyone rapping in a fez is worthy of your respect." I couldn't agree with that last statement anymore that I currently do. This jam also uses the LL To The Break Of Dawn horn stabs, so yeah bonus points for that too. Seriously, a great jam this is.

Poor Righteous Teachers - Poor Poverty - This is from PRT's second album of the same name, aka the one that doesn't have Rock This Funky Joint on it. I don't think Pure Poverty did the same kind of business that Holy Intellect did for the trio, but as this speed reggae-flavoured jam shows, they still had some quality jams. The beat here adds minimal extra effects to the Fatback sample, and it works quite well here. I was never too up on PRT back in the day, but I think they are a good candidate to get their own OSM at some point.

Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo - Money in the Bank (feat. Large Professor, Freddie Foxxx & Ant Live) - I shold first say that I think both this and the following song only use the drums and perhaps the bassline from the Fatback song, but considering how quality they are, that doesn't much matter. I didn't have this album, so I don't know if I even knew this song existed, but it is mega awesome. Large Pro leading off, followed by Bumpy Knuckles? And then G. Rap? Oh that is hard to beat.

Gang Starr - Suckas Need Bodyguards - I did have Hard To Earn, and this was just one of a number of really solid, rugged, head-nodding tracks on that album. This one just uses the drums, and Premier uses them rather well it has to be said, and Guru is in great form. Plus, they sample It Takes Two at the end, and like rappin' in a fez, that always garners bonus points from the hill. In fact this might be my favorite Gang Starr record, and I'm going to go give it another listen, enjoy!