Just so we’re clear, I’m trying to make this the new theme of the Walkman posts, but I just discovered this sample, and had to do it again. The relatively unknown Lou Bond made this song To The Establishment in 1974, and I heard it for the first time 35 years later. But due to the beauty of hip-hop, I’ve heard the sample multiple times before, making it clearly familiar to my ears. After doing a little research and humming to myself (not recommended for those who work in cubicles), I finally remembered where I knew it from. Damn this joint is bad.

Check out the original and the subsequent songs that followed it’s path…

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It’s been a minute, but I finally mustered the energy to hit ya’ll with another handful of joints from the mental vault. This time, I decided to pay homage to one of my favorite classic soul joints, Forgot To Be Your Lover by William Bell. The guitar riff in this song followed by some of the most heavenly horns ever played is the perfect formula for any hip-hop beatmaker with an ear for great music.

So with no further ado… check out the original song, and the gems it later inspired…

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I was chopping it up with my man Steadfast recently about styles of hip-hop, and he has a strong lean towards that gutter shit. That raw, razor blade under-the-tongue, wild out, grimey… (hopefully you get the picture) music.

So, with it fresh in my mind, here’s my little ode to that corner of hip-hop.

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Within the past few months, one of my homies dropped a podcast dedicated to Queens rap. At the end of the episode, he mentioned that he knew some people would be dissatisfied with some of his selections, and as he prophecized, I was one of the first to call him up with my complaints and recommendations.

Well, in true (complaining) Arablak fashion… here’s a few joints that I would have played.

This goes out to you Frank.

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The year is 2000. I am sleeping on Tone’s couch, working random jobs and attempting to drop all the women interested in me (one of whom I married years later). My life was a mess. Between Tone, my mother and the IRS constantly in my face, I really needed an escape. Thankfully, living in a DJ’s studio had it’s perks. Digging in his promo crate, I found some of the illest new music to keep me from losing it during that time.

Here’s a portion of the soundtrack to that portion of my life:

DJ Spinna – Time Zone [feat Apani B & Talib Kweli]

Ghostface Killah – Mighty Healthy

Quasimoto – Boom Music

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So check it… Last week, I hit ya’ll with just a little taste of dope… Here’s another offering, displaying the essence of mic ripping over dope beats, at it’s finest…

These are some bang-bang boogie joints, that to this day, still inspire me to “g-g-g-g-g-g-get retarded”…

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Being a fan of this thing called Hip-Hop first, I have a healthy appreciation for the music that broke ground before the days of Pro Tools & Myspace. With that said, I have decided to periodically share with you all the joints that inspired me during my early emceeing days, or just had my head nodding uncontrollably, like Rainman at a Wu Tang show.

The first that come to mind are true gems, from the lost art of “the remix”… a task that in earlier days, was only awarded to the mightiest of producers.

- Arablak

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