Sampling

A quote from Mr. Supreme talking about his mother-in-law circa 1998:

    "We were arguing 'cause she was saying I didn't make music.  That it's not art...She really didn't understand at all, and we argued for about two hours about it.  Basically, at the end she said...if I took the sounds, it's not mine -that I took it from someone.
    And then I explained to her: What's the difference if I take a snare drum off of a record, or I take a snare drum and slap it with a drum stick?  OK, the difference is gonna be the sound.  Because when it was recorded, it was maybe a different snare, or had a reverb effect, or the mic was placed funny.  It's a different sound.  But what's the difference between taking the sound from a record or from a drum?  It's the sound that you're using, and then you create something.  You make a whole new song with it. 
    And she paints, so I told her, "You don't actually make the paint."  You know what I'm saying?  "You're not painting, 'cause you don't make the paint."...But that's what it is; it's like painting a picture."

Currently listening : GU, Vol. 10 By Various Artists Release date: 20 June, 2006

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Who remembers Alpha Team?

Not me until I found a mixtape I made in '96.  Maybe if I get motivated I'll put it on MP3.  It's not easy to mix when you have a tape deck, one CD player, one turntable and a Radio Shack mixer.   -T

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James Brown

So I couldn't not say something about James Brown, but what can anyone say that hasn't been already said?  He was a legitimate immortal in all senses of the word.  He may not have made the best decisions in life, but his impact on music and pop culture is exclusive to a select few. 

 70% of the music the Brothers Wheeler play can be directly or indirectly derived from James Brown.  Little did he know in 1969 that "Funky Drummer" would be sampled, reproduced and abused some 15 years later to stimulate a burgeoning insurgency called rap music.  Like KRS said, "People didn't want to hear the old rap sound...we started sampling beats by James Brown".  Flavor Flav was once questioned about who he thought the greatest rapper was.  He just said two words..."James Brown".  Check it out to get a small idea of the significance of his music.  It would be difficult to say that in late 2006 there is not a genre of music that hasn't been influenced in some way by James Brown.  From rock to electronic to world music.  We probably will never know how many thousands of songs have been made using snippets or interpolations of James Brown tracks.

I could go on with his bio and discography and whatnot but you can get far more detailed and in-depth information through other sources.  You want to remember James Brown?  Go buy one of his albums.  Not a compilation and not a greatest hits.  A full, real album.  And don't get the one that has "I Got You" or "Sex Machine" on it, get the one that has songs that you may not recognize.  His greatest hits weren't always on the "greatest hits" albums.  And actually buy it, don't download it.  Have it in your hand.  Get it on vinyl if possible.  And when you pass a flag at half-mast, remember President Ford and also remember Godfather Brown.   -T

Currently listening : In the Jungle Groove By James Brown Release date: 17 June, 2003

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some pics from Toshi's Halloween Party 2006

Dan and I along with D.A. Jay worked the VIP room. 10-28-2006 @ the Puck Building in NYC

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ummmm...

Nutty Kev got this for me in the Asian food market -can anybody explain it to me  -T

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What makes Hall & Oates so good?

Is it the fact they have written and performed some of the greatest soul/rock/pop songs of the last 3 decades?  Or the fact that they could have probably been down with Motown had they not been two suburban guys from Philadelphia?  Or how about the fact that even your Grandma knows the words to "Maneater"?  Is it the fact they have had 34 hit singles in the U.S.?  Is it John Oates' moustache and the fact that they were two heterosexual males that could unforgivingly pose half-naked with each other for the majority of the 80s?  Who can say?  Not I.  For me, it's all of the above and so much, much more.   -T

Currently listening : Private Eyes By Hall & Oates Release date: 18 May, 2004

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