Sample Packs Archives

Generation “Notti Bop”

December 13, 2022

In an article on the “Notti Bop” craze inspired by a teen’s murder, New Yorker writer Jody Rosen avoids making aesthetic judgements.

BLU Magazine

November 17, 2022

Freedom Archives, an online database focused on progressive and radical historical movements, has documentation on BLU magazine, which was published between 1998 and 2001. While

When Tame One passed away on November 5, obituaries summarily focused on his reputation as a graffiti writer, his longtime participation in 90s duo the Artifacts, his subsequent wanderings in New York’s rap underground and participation in collectives like the Weathermen. Then there’s “Haagen-Dazs,” a track he and Artifacts partner El Da Sensei recorded with Dutch production team The Boulevard Connection for the latter’s highly-regarded Fondle ‘Em 12-inch EP. With its dusty piano loop and sharp turntable cuts by DJ Kaos, the 1998 song captures the essence of an era. El’s “fact not fiction” diction serves as a setup for Tame One’s unconventional flow. “I’m too bugged out to thug out,” he begins, stop-starting between boasts, homage to cannabis, and “talking to God, I feel odd.” True, Tame One was an unusually rare bird.

Hurricane G’s “Milky”

November 9, 2022

In his Complex obituary for Brooklyn rapper Hurricane G, Angel Diaz gives special attention to “Milky,” an Erick Sermon-produced demo that features a closing verse from Redman. “Her unreleased song “Milky” is a late-night mixshow classic first heard on 89.9 WKCR-FM’s The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show,” Diaz writes. “All that’s floating around are dusty cassette dubs on YouTube and it still stands the test of time.” It’s true: the song remains a testament to Hurricane G’s sharp Nuyorican voice and a flow that swayed on and off beat with rope-a-dope grace, all while losing none of its impact.

To Sleep with Anger

November 1, 2022

The Charles Burnett film To Sleep with Anger has recently re-emerged this month via prominent samples in two songs this month. The first, KA’s “We Hurting,” finds producer Animoss referencing a performance of Ma Rainey’s “See See Rider” at the center of the film. “I gone and bought me a pistol just as long as I am tall,” Jimmy Witherspoon sings just before KA begins with the chorus, “We hurting so we hurt back.” Meanwhile, soul-jazz performer Contour’s “Pack Light” opens with the voice of Danny Glover as the devilish Harry: “If he was a friend, he would stop irritating people. But if he stops practicing, he wouldn’t be perfect at what he does someday.”