Hotbox #11: The Humpty Dance

Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance" was easily the group's biggest hit; a karaoke favorite even today and an excellent example of a second-generation break. The backbone of this beat is Sly & The Family Stone's "Sing A Simple Song", a popular break in itself which will be featured in an upcoming mix.

The group's 1990 platinum single had producers checking for the drum break; it was featured on numerous New Jack Swing tracks by 1992, but also on some hardcore hip hop, which is frontloaded on this mix. The group adressed this beat jacking in typical humorous fashion on "The Humpty Dance Awards" off their third album.

There are several tracks on here (such as Redman's "Blow Your Mind") that may not sample "The Humpty Dance" explicitly, but if in the early 90's you sampled those Sly drums and put a clap over the snare, you were heavily jacking Humpty's swag. Most of the R&B tracks at the end have not aged well at all, and are featured in short snippets.

1. The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground
2. Jackin' For Beats - Ice Cube
3. Buck Tha Devil - Da Lench Mob
4. Can't Truss It - Public Enemy
5. Ain't That A Bitch - KAM
6. Behind Closed Doors - WC & The MAAD Circle
7. Blow Your Mind - Redman
8. The Humpty Dance Awards - Digital Underground
9. Playground - Another Bad Creation
10. You Gotta Believe - Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
11. Two Can Play That Game - Bobby Brown
12. Closet Doors - Hotbox
13. Lost In The Storm - Chubb Rock
14. Hat 2 Da Back - TLC
15. What About Your Friends - TLC
16. Live And Learn - Joe Public
17. Can I Party - Ahmad
18. Love Makes No Sense - Alexander O'Neal
19. Don't Be Afraid - Aaron Hall
20. It's Not Your Money - Oaktown 3-5-7
21. You Got It - Jodeci (feat. Redman)

Hotbox #11: The Humpty Dance (45:09 mix)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/62060574f694363d/

Michael Jackson "Remember The Time" (Hotbox remix)

R.I.P. Michael Jackson
http://www.zshare.net/audio/61943464a47081b1/

Hotbox #10: Funky President (James Brown)

This is the most ambitious sample mix to date. One of James Brown's last great singles, "Funky President" was released in late 1974. The president in question was Gerald Ford, who had recently replaced Richard Nixon around the time of the recording.

The main drum/wah-wah rhythm guitar loop at the beginning of the track has been mined by many new jack swing and rap-lite artists, and that is the focus of the first 20 minutes or so of the mix. Some producers have jacked the intro drum roll, while others have grabbed the first 1/2 bar of the new jack loop for an almost clean snappy drum break. Vocals samples "funky. . .nasty. . .hey" have been snatched up as well.

1. Funky President - James Brown
2. To The Right - Brand Nubian
3. Why, Why, Why - Slick Rick
4. I Like Your Style - Ultramagnetic MC's
5. Eric B. Made My Day - Eric B. & Rakim
6. Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody - Kid'N'Play
7. Not Just Another Groove - Run-DMC
8. We Got Our Own Thing - Heavy D. & The Boyz
9. A Little Bit Of Dane Tonight - Dana Dane
10. What's Up Doc - Da King & I
11. Who Stole My Car? - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
12. Jazzy's In The House - DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
13. Shake Your Thang - Salt-N-Pepa
14. Last Night - Kid'N'Play
15. Mad Flavor Mad Style - Trendz Of Culture
16. Sugar Free - Granddaddy I.U.
17. Sometimes It's Gotta Be That Way - Schooly D.
18. Apex - Hotbox
19. Outta Here - KRS-One
20. Hip-Hop Hooray - Naughty By Nature
21. Show Business - A Tribe Called Quest feat. Brand Nubian
22. Homey Don't Play That - Terminator X
23. Eric B. Is President - Eric B. & Rakim
24. Supa Star - Group Home
25. All For One - Brand Nubian
26. Hey Ladies - Beastie Boys
27. Fast Peg - LL Cool J
28. Looseys - Das Efx
29. Ijustwannachill - Large Professor
30. Knowledge - Gang Starr
31. One To Grow On - UMC`s
32. So Funky - 2 Live Crew
33. Sex, Sex, Sex - Nice & Smooth
34. Nicety - Michel'le
35. Rock Dis Funky Joint - Poor Righteous Teachers
36. Hey Look At Shorty - Lord Finesse
37. Mighty Healthy - Ghostface Killah
38. Anger In The Nation - Pete Rock & CL Smooth
39. U Da Man - Stetsasonic
40. Word To The Mother (Land) - Big Daddy Kane
41. Gotta Get Over - Gang Starr
42. Funky President - James Brown

Hotbox #10: Funky President (64:50 mix)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/61683095243ae328/

Shout Out mix

Nobody is really friends in rap these days, but years ago it was common for rappers to shout out their boys on their albums. Some cats (mostly west coast rappers) would even include a "shout out" song, usually the last track of an album. Here is a mix of a few such records; I kept it under 30 minutes.

No rapping; just rappers saying wassup.

1. MVP's - Ice-T
2. Shout Outs - Naughty By Nature
3. Finale - Big Daddy Kane
4. Tha Last Word - DJ Quik
5. Outro - KAM
6. I Gotta Say What's Up!!! - Ice Cube
7. Shots Out - Kokane
8. R.I.P. - Spice-1
9. Shouts Out - South Central Cartel
10. Shots Out - Compton's Most Wanted
11. Music To Driveby - Compton's Most Wanted


http://www.zshare.net/audio/61323124730ef3d2/

Hotbox #9: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalmistic

Isaac Hayes's 1969 sophmore solo album Hot Buttered Soul was the first soul album to deviate from the standard 3-minute song format. One of its tracks has had its high-pitched piano rolls and wah-wah guitar looped more than a few times. The Bomb Squad got it right the first time.

1. Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalmistic - Isaac Hayes
2. Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos - Public Enemy
3. Remedy - The Game
4. Suckas - Hotbox
5. Speak Upon It - Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs (feat. Def Jef)
6. Skanless - King Tee
7. Born And Raised In Compton - DJ Quik
8. Just Kickin' Lyrics - Above The Law
9. Puppet Master - DJ Muggs (feat. B-Real & Dr. Dre)
10. I Gotta Say What's Up - Ice Cube

Hotbox #9: Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalmistic (20:59 mix)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/6126655976a37b22/

Hotbox Sample Series #8: Long Red

Pete Rock's favorite drums come from the rock band Mountain's live album. I'll probably drop a sequel; the intro vocals "you out there?. . .louder" deserve a separate mix.

1. Long Red - Mountain 1.04
2. Shut 'Em Down (Pete Rock remix) - Public Enemy 3:46
3. Jazz (We Got The) (re-recording) - A Tribe Called Quest 2.10
4. Return Of The Mecca - Pete Rock & CL Smooth 3.21
5. Ghetto Of The Mind - Pete Rock & CL Smooth 1.18
6. #1 Soul Brother - Pete Rock & CL Smooth 1.08
7. It's Goin' Down - EPMD 3.45
8. Stepson Of The Clapper - J-Dilla 0.57
8. Verbal Clap - De La Soul 2.58
9. The Birth - Ice Cube 1.04
10. Shalom A Leck - Tragedy 0.49
11. School Of Hard Knocks - Double XX Posse 0.44
12. Walk Like A Duck - Kurious 1.13
13. Who Ridin' - KAM 3.26
14. Growin' Up In The Hood - Compton's Most Wanted 1.18
15. Who Got The Camera - Ice Cube 4.31
16. Two To The Head - Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo feat. Ice Cube, Scarface & Bushwick Bill 4.46

Hotbox #8: Long Red (40:23 mix)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/6102725664a4e9b9/