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#TBT Edition

Enrique Olivarez Y Los Vampiros – Arriba Tipo

The Word:

Straight Outta Stockton.  That’s right.  Stockton, California.  Not exactly where you’d expect some classic Funk tracks to surface.  But here goes...  

Blending Funk with Latin grooves, Enrique Olivarez Y Los Vampiros made a name for themselves in the Central Valley and even encountered some shine in Mexico in the early 70s.  However, with Para Ti being the only album to their name, and the fact that they were a bit on the outskirts of any real Funk or Soul market,  Los Vampiros remained largely unknown to the rest of the music world. This album, popular among crate diggers and collectors, now goes for hundreds of dollars online and is prized as one of the earliest representations of Latin-inspired Funk.

What I’m Listening to:

Just take one listen to the opening horn melody and tell me that’s not sample-able.  That’s basically your vintage version of a today’s token EDM riser-to-bass-drop effect.  Tense, emotive, and most importantly, effective at getting you PUMPED.  The resulting guitar lick is the perfect answer to this intro.

The nasty timbale solo from 0.55 to 1.03.  Enrique just let one of his guys go HAM for 8 seconds and then, welp, carry on fellas!  The entire song is a powerful showcase of instrumental skills and musicianship, and the fact that even the timbale player gets some shine is a testament to that.   I can imagine the smile on that guy’s face when he found out his 8 seconds of fame made the final mix.  

The rhythm.  The drums, percussion and bass are all on-point.  I love the heavy use of percussion in Funk, and this is a great example of how it can help a tune crossover into multiple genres.  

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The Word:

Bryson Tiller is the latest unsigned artist to get a public co-sign from Drake, which means that his status is poised to vastly change over the next 12 months.  The Drake co-sign makes sense to me – Tiller has seemingly modeled his entire musical style off the Toronto native.  However, unlike many others who try, he seems to also have a level of talent and vocal quality that should help keep him around awhile despite the obvious parallels.  “Don’t” is his first track to blow-up, and it’s definitely been on repeat for me since a buddy put me on to it.  Minimalist beat, soulful vocals and a playful delivery.  Seems like the exact recipe that will catapult Bryson Tiller from Papa John’s pizza in Louisville, Kentucky to the inner circles of the Hip-Hop and R&B world.

What I’m Listening to:

I love the atmospheric soundscape setting the foundation for this tune. The bass has such a sinister, low tone that you almost don’t even notice it.  But combined with the pads, it works perfectly.  The pitched-down vocal sample panning between your ears adds a really nice, minimal, lead melody in addition to Tiller’s voice.

Waiting a bit to introduce the hi-hat to the track is again one of those subtle changes that can really get people’s heads bobbing.  And they have no idea why.  Even better.  I’m always a fan of this.

I’m really fond of Tiller’s vocal quality and delivery.  His frequency cuts through wonderfully on the track, and the cadence and delivery is undoubtedly fun and catchy.  I think this is primiarly what will take him to that next level.

Bryson Tiller - “Don’t” Annotation

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The Word:

I listened to this song five times in a row today.  That’s when I know it’s good enough to be today’s installment of #WhatImBumpin.  So far, “First Choice” is my favorite track off Oddisee’s latest album, The Good Fight.  The D.C. native keeps his lyrically-driven album afloat under a foundation of sick Jazz and R&B samples, and it’s the muted-electric guitar strum that really drew me in to “First Choice”.

What I’m Listening to:

The rhythm guitar sample is brilliant.  This song is a perfect example of the havoc that a sound strumming hand can wreak: the guitar plays the same damn chord the entire time.  And it’s fucking awesome.

The percussion. Pay attention to your left headphone – there are some badass percussive rhythms happening over there.  It really gives the song a nice “hop”, yet also adds to the song’s mesmerizing feel (alongside the rhythm guitar).  The reverb-laden choir samples only add to this.

Oddisee’s voice. I don’t know if this is unique to him or his city, but I’ve always been a fan of the drawl.  And of course, the lyrical content is always there. Oddisee continues to bring intelligent content to rap, and for that, he should be commended.  He’s obviously not reaching for the charts.

Oddisee – Feel Right Annotation

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ATCQ - Check the Rime - Live on Letterman - 1993

The Word:

I admit it. I’m a “music was so cool back then” type of guy. I can’t help it. I love old shit. I love experiencing the roots of music. I revere that unadulterated period that every art form has had. I don’t just listen to music, I connect it historically and contextually. And when I do this with old music, I learn, and often discover, a ton.

This video is a perfect example of that. 1993 – known to many as the Golden Era of Hip Hop. This is the year that birthed Doggystyle, Enter the Wu-Tang, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., and A Tribe Called Quest’s classic, Midnight Marauders. This video captures Tribe’s network television debut, which goes to show you how underground Hip Hop still was at the time. One of the most influential acts in the game, already 3 albums in, and this is their first appearance on network TV.  Who backed ‘em?  Yep, The Paul Schaffer band. And those dudes brought it.

What I’m Listening to:

Phife Dawg - Hip Hop’s greatest wingman. Not to take anything away from the genius of Q-Tip, but man, Phife had such a clever, theatrical, entertaining, even humorous flow.  “Ummm, ummm, a tid bit.  Ummm, a smidgen”.  Find me another rapper where character trumps lyrical complexity, because I love that shit.

The bass line.  I’ve always loved it.  The pauses, the minimalistic nature - it’s just pure perfection.  Bass players take notes: this song is a textbook example of your role in a song.  As much as you want to be, you are not a guitar player…

Since this is a video, I have to comment on the visuals, and man…those all-black Nike Sweet Classics with the white swoosh?  Yes yes and yes.

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Swordsman - GZA

The Word:

Wax Poetics recently did an entire article with GZA in which he breaks down every track off his legendary 1995 album: “Liquid Swords”.  Besides this being my favorite track on the album, what stood out to me in the interview is that GZA claims the melodic-influence for the hook came from an Earth Wind & Fire song. You definitely don’t hear that listening to the track.  It’s yet another reminder than influence comes from anywhere, and influence doesn’t have to mean sounding alike.

What I’m Listening to:

The space in the intro.  It’s that pause from 0:10 to 0:20 where the drums break and the bass drops in that is just pure perfection to me. These are the kind of subtle breakdowns in classic hip hop that still give me chills. It sets the perfect eerie, creepy mood for the reset of the song. Nobody did this type of thing better than RZA.

The grittiness of the drums. Nothing will ever sound quite as crisp, grimy, and street-savage as an original RZA beat. For many, these drums define the era. As a California-kid who enjoyed Wu-Tang from afar, these drums sounded like New York to me then, and they still do today.  The song seems to have more sound-effects than actual instruments in it, but true to RZA style, it works because...it just works.

GZA’s lyrics. Not just the content (he covers religion, history, mysticism and more in just 2 short verses), but the obvious vocal quality. I’ll always love GZA on the mic, and I’ll always love how these Wu-Tang rappers were engineered. This was before every rapper had 5 ad-lib tracks underneath each verse; no frills rappin’. It’s just GZA, his voice and his words. And that’s what shines through to me. 

Wax Poetics article with GZA

Genius.com annotation

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#TBT

Jagged Edge featuring Nelly - Where The Party At

The Word:

This song defined “Summer Jam” for me as a 14 year old...and it still does today. Give one listen to the intro guitar lick and tell me this song is not going to be riddled with sunny, day-drinking, pool-lounging vibes.  

Summer jams are often hyper-contextual in nature; whatever that year’s given Summer trend has in store for pop culture is what the producer must be able to translate into rhythms and melodies.  Originally released in May, 2001, "Where the Party At” has actually aged very well (although I can’t say the same of the video).  This song will remain on my Summer playlist until I either die or go deaf. 

What I’m Listening to:

Obviously the guitar lick takes front and center.  But underneath the string-noodling, you’ll hear a really nice Latin-inspired piano riff.  They both work perfectly together, and I love ‘em.

Nelly. Although never one of the greatest emcees lyrically, Nelly is absolutely a pioneer in “sing-songy” rapping. His delivery in this song is undoubtedly catchy.  I’ve never heard anybody make “Uh-ohhhhhhhhhh” sound so damn cool.

Although I’m really trying not to, I can’t not hear stupid-ass Jermaine Dupri making noises in the background after every damn bar.  I guess one luxury of being the producer is you get a de-facto green light to hop on the track and pretty much just sound like a baby.  The track aged well, and I guess JD did in a sense, too.  He was annoying as fuck in 2001, and that’s still true today.

-A.B.

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#WhatImBumpin

The Word:

Modern-day “retro” acts waver somewhere between homage and cheese, and the lead track off Leon Bridges’ new album from Columbia Records is somewhere right in the middle.  Sonically, the tune doesn’t speak to me as much as a Daptone or Truth & Soul effort (Sharon Jones, Lee Fields, etc), but still pays respect to the Soul sounds of yesteryear.  Engineering techniques aside (because really, who cares?), the song is undoubtedly catchy. Leon carries the tune with a voice that’s perfect for the era, and at only 25 years of age, the boy should be commended from all angles. We can only hope he continues to make new music.

I’m Listening to:

The sweet bounce of the bass line.  This is definitely the standout feature of the track for me.  This is what you’ll find me whistling down the street.

The grittiness of the drums. If Dilla were around today and producing Soul music, this would definitely be his beat.

I can’t get passed the sonic quality of the record.  I know it was recorded on vintage equipment from the 40s and 50s, but it just doesn’t feel authentic to me.

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The word:

Infectious, dripping with style, but most importantly, a valuable lesson in simplicity.  The incredibly basic rhythm of the 808s underneath the ethereal keyboard melody are the perfect backdrop for Rocky's commanding flow.  Here is a dude just rappin'.  Rocky could care less if his verbiage is deep or sophisticated.  But one thing is for sure: they are fully wrapped in the undeniable swagger of Jodye himself.

I'm listening to:

The simplicity of the beat, followed by the emotive pad samples in the 2nd half of Rocky's verses.  This makes an often overlooked point in song arrangement: it doesn't need to be complicated to be good.  It just has to feel right and service the song in it's entirety.

The nods to Rocky's Southern influence.  He's not afraid to call out the fact that he has borrowed swagger from some of Southern Rap's forefathers, something that an East Coast rapper could easily garner criticism for.  Rocky's openness and homage is smart.  Plus, I like a guy that gives credit where it's due.

The word play, although not earth shattering, is fun and undeniably infectious.