For practitioners of funk music, The Meters are rightfully considered music royalty. Formed in 1965, the five-man group’s blend of New Orleans second line rhythms with funky guitar and keyboard melodies made them just as important to the popularization of funk music in the 70s as James Brown and Sly & the Family Stone. From the abundance of breaks in their catalogue, producer Rich Harrison found a gem that would become the signature hit of Amerie’s career.
The original is “Oh, Calcutta!,” an instrumental piece off the Meter’s classic sophomore LP Look-Ka Py Py. The standout break comes less than two minutes in after Art Neville’s keyboard work; drummer Ziggy Modeliste does a funky breakdown with Leo Nocentelli adding in well-timed guitar stabs.
THE METERS “OH, CALCUTTA!” (SAMPLE STARTS AT 1:41 MARK)
Harrison would add congo drums and ride cymbals to further enhance the sound with go-go elements. Unfortunately, label Columbia did not see the vision. The track was sent back for multiple rewrites over a six-month span, prompting a frustrated Harrison and Amerie to leak the song to radio outlets and force the label’s hand. The move saved Jennifer Lopez from stealing the song and caused an instant sensation. “1 Thing” would stay on the charts for 20 weeks, maxing out at #8 on Billboard’s Top 100. The gold-certified track would be included on the soundtrack to Will Smith’s movie Hitch and get nominated for a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
“1 Thing” is proof positive that powerful grooves are timeless.
Beauty and the profane are not always polar opposities. Cannibal Ox and Raekwon prove that with this dually blissful and coarse track named ”Thor’s Hammer.” Producer P.O.V. combines a whimsical vocal sample with raspy, dragging drums. The piano notes also have an equally pensive color. Don’t look for any of the three emcees to use “Thor’s Hammer” to bring forth justice and equality. Here, that mythical weapon of Asgard is simply a metaphor for utter domination in the streets and booth.
This track is off of Vast Aire’s new solo album that dropped today, Ox 2010: A Street Odyssey. It comes roughly 10 years after he and Vordul Mega released their celebrated Canniba Ox debut Cold Vein. You can purchase Vast Aire’s new album HERE.
VAST AIRE FT. RAEKWON & VORDUL MEGA “THOR’S HAMMER”
Steve Arintok, strength and conditioning coach for former light-heavyweight champion Glen Johnson, is promising “the Road Warrior” will be the stronger and more agile man when he faces Carl Froch for the WBC super-middleweight title this Saturday (June 4).
Froch, a career super-middle, has been adamant that Johnson will start to feel adverse effects from dropping down to 168 after spending the last 10 years at 175 pounds. Arintok, who also trains MMA fighters, counters this point claiming Johnson has gained agility, speed and strength in training.
“Glen has worked hard on his explosiveness and core strength and his muscular endurance with lots of aerobic and anaerobic training,” Artinok explained. “He’s very strong at this weight, plus he’s lighter on his feet and more agile.”
Over the past decade, boxers have increasingly sought the use of sports science professionals to gain and cut weight efficiently. Arintok cites this trend as the main reason he feels Froch’s theory of Johnson becoming weight-drained is without merit.
“When it comes to strength and conditioning, the world of boxing is behind other sports. In the old days anybody who wanted to could walk in a gym and say they were a trainer and that was it,” he detailed. “They were in charge of the fighter’s training, exercise, diet, everything. Now you have guys who are real sports physiologists and certified coaches who do an overall assessment of the client and tailor a program to their specific needs. That’s what we’ve done with Glen to ensure he’s lost this weight without losing any power or endurance.”
When asked his opinion on Johnson’s future past the Super Six, Atrinok believes super-middleweight is his fighter’s natural weight should he continue competing.
“Glen is in shape to put pressure for all 12 rounds. My opinion, he should have been at 168 a long time ago,” he said.
Johnson vs. Froch airs this Saturday (June 4) on Showtime at 9 PM ET.
Yesterday (May 30), a collection of the boxing’s rising Puerto Rican stars awarded former champion and Hall of Famer Wilfred Benitez recognition as their honorary team captain.
Created by promoters Gary Shaw, Lou DiBella, Universal Promotions and Warrior Boxing, Team Puerto Rico is home to young pros and prospects such as Cesar “Junito” Seda Jr.Thomas Dulorme, Hector “El Flaco” Sanchez and Kenny “Batllestar” Galarza. Benitez, who suffers from diabetes and traumatic encephalopathy, still holds the distinction of being the youngest fighter ever to win a world championship at 17 years old.
Benitez received the honorary team captain position in person with his family. In addition, Team Puerto Rico made a donation of $2000 to his medical expenses.
“I will never forget this gift from Team Puerto Rico,” said Yvonne Benitez, who has cared for her brother Wilfred since his health decline in the mid 90s. ”We are very grateful for the money and the position that has been awarded to my brother, as an Honorary Captain. Thanks to Team Puerto Rico’s boxers and its promoters who were here to support my dear brother.”
Lou DiBella, who in 2009 declined to promote any future Jermain Taylor out of concern for the fighter’s health, stated that promoters have an obligation to support fighters outside of the ring.
“I could not be present due to prior commitments, but I have Benitez in my heart,” he disclosed. “It is an honor that he has accepted the position of Honorary Captain. We, as promoters, have a duty that goes beyond just putting on fights. We must also support the fighters of past and present and that’s what we tried to do today.”
The young fighters who grew up hearing stories of Benitez’s famed boxing skills were appreciative and humbled by his presence.
“I grew up watching him fight and it was impressive to see him in action,” said Jose ”Sniper” Pedraza (2-0, 2 KOs). ”He had it all. It’s really special to me, to see him in person.”
“I’ve seen many of his fights and his skill was of another level; Benitez was truly special. I feel very good to be able to help,” added Cesar Seda, Jr.
The next appearance for Team Puerto Rico will be National Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend, when members will compete on June 10 and 11 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City (“Boricua Invasion”). Fights from both cards will be televised on ESPN “Friday Night Fights” and Showtime’s “ShoBox: The New Generation.” Tickets can be obtained through Ticketmaster.
With Timothy Bradley out of the picture, IBF junior welterweight titlist Zab Judah has emerged as the frontrunner to face Amir Khan. Their stalled negotiations haven’t prevented the fighters from taunting each other on Twitter. Both men took turns highlighting the embarrassing, early knockout losses on their respective ledgers (Khan to Prescott and Judah to Tszyu). Interestingly enough, Judah’s claims he turned down what he deemed to be an unfair offer of a 45-55% split with Khan keeping all the UK revenue. Khan countered that he offered a 60-40% split with the fight taking place in Vegas. Main Events, Judah’s promoter, also chimed in that they could restart negotiations. Does Zab deserve a 50-50 split, or is Khan’s offer fair?
“I feel sorry for them because there’s a 46-year-old athlete out there taking advantage of them…”
Bernard Hopkins made an appearance this past Friday (May 27) on ESPN to discuss his big title win over Jean Pascal. While a lot of media and fans have been lauding Hopkins’ effort, Atlas pointed out to B-Hop that at 46 years old, he was in with the “right opponent” to achieve the victory; a Pascal fighting in spots with no consistent pressure or technique. Of course, B-Hop disagreed and felt it was his strategy that made Pascal fight his fight. In my opinion, it was a combination of both with much more credit to Hopkins’ skill. It’s no secret that B-Hop jumped at the opportunity to fight Pascal after delaying the a potential Dawson fight (a trickier matchup) for over a year. But Hopkins will make that right by revealing he’ll fight Dawson in one of his next two fights before retiring. Nice, respectful debate from both men.
Gil Scott-Heron, the prolific musician and poet whose work was a building block for Hip-Hop culture, passed away at 62 earlier tonight. The news broke first on Twitter from a Heron friend, who disclosed the Chicago legend died at roughly 4 PM earlier today at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt hospital. While the details on the how and why of Heron’s death will reveal itself in the days and weeks to come, the music remains eternal. Beats, Boxing & Mayhem looks back on Heron’s work and its impact on Hip-Hop culture.
Heron began his recording career at a mere 21 years old with the release of Small Talk at 125th and Lenox. The entire album was lauded for its depiction of inner-city city and social hypocrisy. Unlike his later albums, it relied more on the power of the spoken than music arrangements. The authoritative, rhythmic flow of Heron’s voice caught Kanye West’s ear, and the track “Comment #1″ would be used on “Lost In the World.”
“COMMENT 1″ (SAMPLE AT 4:14 MARK)
KANYE WEST “LOST IN THE WORLD”
Heron’s second album, Pieces of a Man, would become one of his most celebrated. Although overlooked upon its initial release in 1971, the album gained a small following a few years later, and then it later decades received much more attention from critics as a starting point for the formulation of Hip-Hop music. The more fleshed out sound was the result of what would be a lasting partnership with keyboardist Brian Jackson. The collection contained his most famous poem, ”The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” The track’s words and rhythms still resonated throughout the 80s and 90s, finding a home in the songs of emcees ranging from Masta Ace to Common and Bilal.
“THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED”
MASTA ACE “TAKE A LOOK AROUND”
COMMON ”THE 6TH SENSE”
“HOME IS WHERE THE HATRED IS” (BEGINNING AND 0:15 MARK)
KANYE WEST FT. COMMON “MY WAY HOME”
“PIECES OF A MAN” (SAMPLE 2:16 MARK)
KMD “WHAT A NIGGY KNOW (REMIX)”
1972′s Free Will hasn’t been touched by many producers, but DJ Honda did use a short portion of the below track for his song “For Every Day That Goes By.”
“DID YOU HEAR WHAT THEY SAID”
DJ HONDA “EVERY DAY THAT GOES BY”
By this point, Heron has perfect the bluesy style of his singing voice. The songs he crafted in this period had a melancholy feel that was perfect for emcees wishing to get introspective with their lyrics.
“PEACE GO WITH YOU, BROTHER (AS-SALAAM-ALAIKUM)”
MIILKBONE “KEEP IT REAL (REMIX)”
“THE BOTTLE”
KENNY DOPE “HITTIN’ THE BOTTLE”
“RIVERS OF MY FATHERS” (SAMPLE AT 3:11 AND 3:43 MARKS)
ATMOSPHERE “CARRY ME HOME”
Skipping ahead a few years (and albums), ’Ye and Common find another gem from Heron’s catalogue in “We Almost Lost Detroit.” While Kanye chopped up various parts of the song, Black Star stuck with just one for “Brown Skin Lady.”
“WE ALMOST LOST DETROIT” (MAIN SAMPLE AT 1:57 MARK)
COMMON FT. DWELE “THE PEOPLE”
BLACK STAR “BROWN SKIN LADY”
“Angel Dust” is perhaps the funkiest song in Heron’s catalogue. It’s a wonder why more West Coast artists haven’t touched it.
“ANGEL DUST”
THE GAME FT. COMMON “ANGEL”
THE COUP “ME AND JESUS THE PIMP IN A ’79 GRENADA LAST NIGHT”
SAM SNEED “LADY HEROIN”
Our last track comes from 1980’s Real Eyes. Mos Def would use the below song 19 years later for his 1999 debut Black On Both Sides.
“LEGEND IN HIS OWN MIND”
MOS DEF “MR. NIGGA”
Last year, Heron recorded with Nas and released I’m New Here, his first album in 16 years. With a musical legacy that spans the Black Power movement to Hip-Hop’s international explosion, Heron’s work was a constant reminder that social and political commentary can and should have a prominent voice in the arts. I extend my thoughts and prayers with Gil Scott Heron, his family, friends and fellow fans worldwide. Rest in peace, brother.
Not too many emcees get a rematch with Nardwuar. Curren$y’s back for round two and gets blessed with some vinyls from Camp Lo, Ghetto Mafia, The Jets and Cheech & Chong. Spitta also explains his love of The Doors and how not to get kicked out of hotel for weed smoke. Remember that Curren$y’s Weekend at Burnie’s mixtape will be dropping June 28.
Last year, Nicki Minaj recounted a story of how Lil Wayne thought her auto-tune ballad “Your Love” was garbage upon a first listen. Taking his words to heart, that single was supposed to never be released. One unplanned (or planned, depending on who you believe) leak later, the song would be the track to ignite Minaj’s solo career and influence the direction of her debut Pink Friday. Obviously, Lil Wayne paid close attention to his mistaken judgment. His latest Carter 4 single, “How to Love,” has all the markings of a wanting to replicate the success of his stablemate.
The simple, acoustic arrangements reflect production you’d expect to hear from aspiring bands on college radio. In fact, that crowd may turn out to be the ones most receptive to this. Some of Drake’s influence can be heard in Wayne’s singing inflections. The other Hip-Hop elements are reflected in the bass drops and “aye” ab libs. In pop music fashion, the sound gets bigger and more sprawling as the track builds. Wayne isn’t a singer, so his voice never can quite match the sound’s growing level. Thankfully, the song abruptly cuts the sequence short.
As expected, fans have polarizing opinions about this song. Most Hip-Hop followers don’t mind genre-meshing if it’s done right. Whether this song is a hit or not will determine if we’ll get more Wayne singing and perhaps even a Rebirth sequel. Singing rappers have been around since the genre’s birth. Some can do it very well (Queen Latifah, Mos Def, Lauryn, Ceelo etc.). Others should only do it when they’re clearly engaging in parody, ala the Notorious B.I.G. on “Playa Hater.” Based on this offering, Lil Wayne should put his singing “talents” in the latter category.
Lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez will undergo a four and half month training schedule in hopes of gradually adding on weight for his November 12 trilogy bout with Manny Pacquiao.
The 144 pound catchweight will mark Marquez’ second appearance above lightweight. In September 2009, he was widely outpointed by Floyd Mayweather at a catchweight bout of 142 pounds. This time, Marquez says the extended training camp will prevent the slow reaction time he exhibited against Mayweather.
“I think that we are going to take four months and a half for this preparation, for the fight in November,” Marquez explained to ESPN Deportes. “Why? Because we are going to work the weight-gain hard. We are going to work on strength in the shoulders, arms, and legs, and that’s why I think we’ll take four and a half months, even possibly five, for this fight.”
Their two previous encounters, a 2004 draw and 2008 split decision Pacquiao win, are bouts still debated amongst fans. While Marquez has won the majority of the rounds in each fight, Pacquiao’s power has been the equalizer; Marquez was knocked down three times in the first fight and once in the rematch. To finally defeat Pacquiao, Marquez’s revealed his strategy will combine his famed counter-punching with movement.
“We worked very calmly. These fights are like playing a game of chess,” he detailed. “One must move their pieces well and I think this fight is like that: like a chess game, to move well, and not get connected on by the punches of Manny Pacquiao, to throw punches in combination, and from there be cautious in moving, without
showing a weak spot.”
