Where Have I Heard That Before...

If you listen to as much hip-hop as we do then you’re probably familiar with the following predicament: you’re listening to your favorite artist’s new album but the track you're on sounds oddly familiar. The lyrics are dope... but... then it dawns on you: it’s the sample.
Obviously, hip-hop is a sample-based art form. Therefore, this kind of epiphany is nothing new to the hip-hop listener. From 2Pac’s Changes to Eminem’s Sing For The Moment, recycling music is the name of the game. But when two (or even three) of the artists your admire most cop the same sample the results can be polarizing. After all, you’re bound to prefer one over the other right? A previous loyalty to one artist might invoke distaste for a newly discovered group.I recently downloaded Wordsmith’s “The Pursuit of Harmony” off iTunes (get the album now if you haven’t already; shit is ill) and when listening to the track entitled Coalition I was sure I'd heard it before:


Wordsmith - Coalition


After listening to the song on loop 4 or 5 times in a frustrated attempt to identify exactly where the hell I’d heard the melody, it finally hit me: one of my all-time favorite groups, Sweatshop Union, used the exact same sample in their 2005 single God Bless, off “United We Fall”:


Sweatshop Union - God Bless


But the story doesn’t end there. The “original” is simply a sped up version of Füchse a track released in 1999 by German hip-hop group Absolute Beginner.


Absolute Beginner - Füchse


For all I know, this musical regression could go back even much further into the annals of hip hop history. But I think you get the point. What surprises me is the intolerance some people have when confronted with this sort of crisis of sampling. On YouTube there are accusations that Sweatshop Union “stole” the beat from Absolute Beginner. And I'm sure the avid Sweatshop fan might think the same thing when confronted with the Wordsmith track.


Point is, I didn’t drop the album and stop listening to Wordsmith. In fact, I found the parallel fascinating. It made me curious whether Wordsmith had heard Sweatshop’s track before recording his. Or, had both groups heard Absolute Beginner’s track independently.
In any event, the identity of all three of these songs rests very heavily on the melody in question. Indubitably, problems arise when an artist recycles a sample. Being labeled unoriginal and therefore ostensibly untalented can ruin an artists career. Look at Vanilla Ice.


That being said, the existence of multiple interpretations of a single piece of music is not necessarily a negative thing; in fact, it often times enriches the listener’s experience. The incredible thing about hip hop is its innate ability to breath new life into music that has been overwhelmingly played out.Hip-hop could be viewed as a perpetual revival of music beginning with the conception of an original melody or beat, and the subsequent evolution of that piece of music (each evolution documenting how an unique group in history related to that particular piece of music).

Don't get me wrong, Füchse is quality track (and you should peep the music video if you haven’t) but both the Sweatshop Union and Wordsmith variations keep the beat fresh. Then again, I’m a firm believer that in music, better to have too many options than too few. The more important thing to take away from this, perhaps, is that, as someone once said: “there are no original ideas left in this world, only ideas to be evolved.”

A credo, perhaps, for the modern artist. And becoming more-so.

Finally, a little something I found interesting in relation to re-sampling. The top 8 most “overused” samples in hip-hop history. Check it out: http://audio.tutsplus.com/articles/web-roundups/8-most-overused-samples-in-hip-hop-histor

Voice of the Voiceless

It has now been 30 years since hip-hop's revolutionary inception gave the underrepresented youths of our society a platform to speak they're mind. A voice. And they spoke so fresh people actually began to listen. Against the powers that be, this music and movement infiltrated the mainstream of Western culture. It became quite convoluted along the way, but still largely retained that concept of pragmatic communication and progress. Now into its fourth decade, the music has expanded to almost every nation, inheriting its own unique characteristics and regional features. No matter how localized it became though, it always held that foundation of, and for interaction. It also seems to be more important in these places to those who don't have any other outlet.

The globalization of hip-hop has had a massive impact upon youths on all continents. Instead of effortlessly idealizing violence, both Israeli and Palestinian groups have used their music to support peace with justice, as well as break down the stereotypes associated with the Arab/Israeli conflict. Sometimes together. Nations suppressed under Soviet rule for so many years have embraced the ability to be heard, which is so evident in the vast swaths of graffiti throughout Eastern Europe. The Berlin Wall is probably the most recognized graffiti hot spot of the 20th century. In Prague, I visited the Lennon Wall a couple days after Chinese forces killed 17 Tibetan protesters in spring of 2008. In bright-yellow splatter: "Free Tibet, Tibet Free, Tibet Free,"... over and over it read. The South Korean government supports their breakdancers as a way to the promote the country's social dynamism and tertiary sector. Members of the top two crews, Gamblers and Rivers, have been designated official ambassadors of Korean culture. All of these occurrences demonstrate the beneficial progress associated with hip-hop as it "glocalized" over the years.

Unfortunately, there are still many more problems to address and development to promote. And of course, people to be heard. It would be a nice thing if, with all those commercial agriculture and industrial technologies being sent over to the Third World, we could at least throw in a pair of Techniks and a dynamic mic. Along with those shipped cargo containers full of tons and tons of food aid and sanitation supplies, a few dozen cans of paint. You see, even though we're well aware of all the conflicts around the world, and are willing to offer our support to the civilians disaffected, we don't actually hear from them. Generally just the people representing them. As a result, the effects of these catastrophic events are softened, leaving us more inclined to desensitization. It's easy to watch troops shooting their guns all gung-ho and shit-- but it's a lot more difficult when the camera eventually turns toward the devastation of innocent lives. As a consequence, we aren't usually shown that perspective. If we can give all people a chance to express themselves with the dignity and respect as hip-hop allows, we'll see the reality behind these problems; impermeable to media interests. Only when we can correct our perception of the world, can we work toward correcting the world itself.

The reason I've brought this up is because this weekend the movement for the Invisible Children of Uganda is launching a rescue. The organization has created a documentary profiling Joseph Kony, the Ugandan LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) rebel leader, and the untold story of child soldiers under his reign. It speaks of the urgency to end the war and rescue these corrupted youths. The tragedy of this wartime phenomenon in many parts of the world is unimaginable to most of us, but all too real for those who live it.

In preparation for the rescue, I've been listening to Emmanuel Jal's "Warchild" LP. I came across this last year and was immediately mesmerized by Jal's story. Born in Sudan, after his mother was killed as a young boy, Jal was recruited into the SPLA (Sudanese People's Liberation Army) and trained to kill. After the fighting became so unbearable, Jal and some other children fled through the desert, some dying along the way and some forced into cannibalism. Jal was finally rescued by a woman named Emma McCune, a well-known British aid worker. She insisted he was too young to be a soldier, adopted, and smuggled him into Kenya. After enrolling Emmanuel in school, McCune died tragically a few months later. Although bittersweet, Emmanuel had still been blessed with new circumstance and opportunity.

Through music, Jal then concentrated his newfound lifestyle into correcting the errors still occurring in his homeland. VC2 contributor Nicole Wyche put it perfectly, "The poetic backbone of his lyrics translate nicely to spoken word which allows listeners to focus on the meaning and passion, rather than the entertainment value of the beat and melody behind the rap." The way he uses his music, and to the extent, really demonstrated to me two things. First, its showed me hip-hop's ability to encourage dialogue among people, especially those repressed or marginalized. I've always been drawn to that aspect of the culture, but seeing it being expressed in regards to such a severe situation as Darfur was mind blowing. Secondly, it showed me the life changing difference a single individual can make in kindness. As Kofi Annan once said, "Beneath the surface of states and nations, ideas and language, lies the fate of individual human beings in need, [whether that need is met] is just one test of our common humanity-- of our belief in our individual responsibility for our fellow men and women. But it's the only test that matters."



In closing, I would just like to reiterate that it only takes one person's simple act of effort, in good faith, to change someone's life forever. Please come out to support the Invisible Children Rescue and Global Night Commute on Saturday, 4.25.09. All the information you need to participate can be found at invisiblechildren.com. However, for unreleated reasons, I sugguest if you are to donate toward this cause, please hit up savethechildren.org. Emmanuel Jal's CD can be purchased at emmanueljal.org. Supporting this movement will enable someone, you, to speak for these innocent victims. These children, of all the muted hearts in the world, are truly the voiceless of the voiceless. Speak up. P.E.A.C.E.

Emmanuel Jal - Warchild

Santa Babylon 4.24.09

After a few years of progressive dubstep proliferation from West Coast DJs and producers, in core cities from Vancouver to San Diego, it was only a matter of time until this bass virus infiltrated the minds of the periphery. Santa Babylon may very well be the first all dubstep night in Santa Barbara. With enough exposure, this beautiful city can become an oasis for top bass artists around the world to showcase themselves between headlining events in S.F. and L.A.

Help add some diversity to the Santa Barbara dance scene and please come support this event presenting Ryan Organ (Portland) and local DJs at Muddy Waters. Even if your not familiar with the dubstep genre still come check it out. It's a very encompassing sound with many influences and approaches to its production. A music that will keep the hip-hop heads nodding, the ravers steppin' and the dubbed-out locs well.... dubbed out! Should be a night of distinction. Contact me or leave a comment if you would like more information. Big love for the 805. P.E.A.C.E.

Kulture - Steppin' Outta [Santa] Babylon