The "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" Breakdown
In the final instalment of our extensive Paul’s Boutique breakdown, we’re dedicating an entire piece to the nine-part, twelve-minute closing track. Bouillabaisse, anybody?
Read MoreBehind 'Paul's Boutique': Part II
In the second instalment of our three-part Paul’s Boutique breakdown, we’re diving deeper into the singular sampledelic sound of a hip-hop classic! This part covers “Hey Ladies” through to “Ask For Janice,” and continues in ‘The B-Boy Bouillabaisse Breakdown’.
Read MoreBehind 'Paul's Boutique': Part I
A classic unappreciated in its time, Paul’s Boutique is an intricate exhibition of true production prowess. Built almost entirely from samples, the Dust Brothers-produced record is kaleidoscopic, psychedelic and deeply referential. This week, we’re breaking down the samples on the “Sgt. Pepper of hip-hop.”
Read MoreBehind 'Holy Intellect'
Poor Righteous Teachers are one of the wisest trios to ever rock the mic. Their debut album, Holy Intellect, helped put Trenton on the map and kickstarted their own hot streak of Afrocentric jams. In honour of their brief-yet-consistent career, we’re breaking down the samples on PRT’s classic debut!
Read MoreThe Juice Crew & "The Symphony"
Who are the Juice Crew? It’s not comprehensive, but “The Symphony” seems a good place to start: a classic 1988 posse cut featuring some of the greatest emcees to ever rock a mic. In this piece, we look at the recording of the Marley Marl masterpiece and ease into our Juice Crew article series!
Read MoreBehind 'Take A Look Around'
Before Masta Ace was a dextrous emcee with a love of concept albums, he was a young kid trying to get ahead alongside his Cold Chillin’ colleagues. With invaluable assists from Marley Marl, Mister Cee and DJ Steady Pace, he released his astute and earnest debut, Take A Look Around, in 1990.
Read MoreBehind '4,5,6'
Kool G Rap has inspired some of the greatest emcees of all time, and is often given that designation himself. Despite this, he’s never really been a mainstream staple. In honour of G Rap’s contributions to the craft, we’re breaking down his 1995 solo debut, which found him exploring the subgenre he’d helped create: mafioso rap.
Read MoreBehind 'Smooth Assassin'
When Grand Daddy I.U. dropped Smooth Assassin in 1990, he was already a 22-year-old alumni of hip hop’s most legendary collective. Whilst his career never fully took off, the Grand Daddy still rocked the mic with his distinctive delivery and ostentatious garb. We’re looking back at the refined emcee’s obscure debut.
Read MoreBehind 'Intelligent Hoodlum'
Before Queensbridge emcee Percy Chapman was Tragedy Khadafi, he was Intelligent Hoodlum, a young socio-political firebrand with a long list of grievances. His self-titled 1990 debut is a hip hop relic that explores injustice, upheaval, celebrations and irreverence in equal measure. That’s definitely something worth exploring, so jump in!
Read MoreBehind 'In Full Gear'
Before there was The Roots, there was Stetsasonic, the original hip hop band. Boasting a roster that included legendary producer Prince Paul, the six-man outfit were a unique addition to the scene, and their 1988 LP In Full Gear marked their critical apex. In celebration of the 30th anniversary, we’re breaking down the samples throughout that classic LP!
Read MoreBehind 'Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'
Once hip hop Enter[ed] the Wu-Tang, things were never the same. The ‘93 record provided a blueprint for a new East Coast sound, launched the careers of all nine members and quickly became one of the most esteemed hip hop records of all time. In this edition of Behind…, we’re celebrating a quarter-century by breaking down the samples on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)!
Read MoreBehind 'The Great Adventures of Slick Rick'
Slick Rick is one of hip hop’s great storytellers. His 1988 debut, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, has since become the gold standard of narrative hip hop, a lewd and crude retelling of Rick’s oft-unsavoury exploits. In this edition of Behind…, we’re looking at the samples scattered throughout Rick the Ruler’s landmark LP!
Read MoreBehind 'PeteStrumentals'
Pete Rock’s PeteStrumentals, released by BBE in 2001, is the legendary producer’s first instrumental LP. A distillation of old school sampling and ‘90s sensibilities, the record finds Rock playing in the musical sandbox he helped create throughout the preceding decade, pulling jazz and soul into hypnotic boom-bap reimaginings.
Read MoreBehind 'Doe Or Die'
AZ’s 1995 debut was both a critical and commercial success, though it’s largely been lost amongst the swathe of top quality East Coast records. Far more than just a companion piece to Nas’ Illmatic, Doe Or Die remains a gem of ‘90s hip hop. In this edition of Behind…, we explore the samples that underpin the essential effort.
Read MoreBehind 'Critical Beatdown'
Impressive rhymes, innovative sampling and bold style: Ultramagnetic MC’s were some of the golden age’s most vibrant characters. In this instalment of the Behind… series, we’re breaking down their very particular style via the samples littered throughout their 1988 debut, Critical Beatdown!
Read MoreBehind 'Black Star'
When NYC rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli called themselves "best alliance in hip hop," they weren’t wrong. Twenty years after the release of their sole LP, 1998’s Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star, we look back at the samples that helped make the album such a subdued and pithy statement.
Read MoreBehind 'Strictly Business'
EPMD’s 1988 debut, Strictly Business, is yet another golden age classic. In this edition of Behind…, we’re breaking down the samples scattered throughout Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith’s smooth and funky debut.
Read MoreBehind 'Power'
Ice-T’s Power, his 1988 sophomore album, found him expanding on the niche he’d helped create - gangsta rap - just one month after N.W.A’s genre-defining debut. In celebration of the 30th anniversary, we’re looking at the samples on the Afrika Islam-produced LP!
Read MoreBehind 'Supersonic'
JJ Fad’s Supersonic, though hardly a masterpiece, was the first effort out of Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records, presaging 1988 efforts by N.W.A and Eazy himself. The charting album and its hit singles helped establish the label, a move which helped Straight Outta Compton make history. For the 30th anniversary, we’re breaking down the samples on the indispensable record.
Read MoreBehind 'It's Tee Time'
Sweet Tee’s It’s Tee Time - her only record - remains an important but oft-overlooked slice of 1988 hip hop. Though hardly influential, the record found a new artist collaborating with one of the most successful pop-rap producers of the day, Hurby Luv Bug, to create a lighthearted and surprisingly versatile LP.
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