“Never Show Your Hand…”
GENERAL By TSSCrew on April 2, 2008 at 9:03 pmWords By David D.
Picture this: Kobe invites you over to his house. While there, he shows you the mechanics of his jumpshot. Every aspect of his shot is explained. The set feet. The bended elbow. The amount of elevation.
What do you think happens after he shows you this? Are you suddenly understanding of Kobe’s secrets and capable of dropping 81 against an NBA team? Or do you have an even greater appreciation for the idiosyncrasies involved in making just one shot?
Apparently Madlib, one of my favorite producers, has a problem with such disclosure. A couple of weeks ago, the good folks over at This Is HipHop posted all of the samples used in Madlib’s Madvillainy masterpiece. Almost as soon as the post went up, Lib requested that the link be shut down. I simply don’t understand the logic behind such a request.
TIHH and Hip-Hop Is Read are both great places to download samples used in Hip-Hop albums. Just a few months ago, they posted the American Gangster samples, allowing us all to jam to the original “Party Life” just as much as Jay’s version. Not only do sites like this allow us to expand our own musical tastes, they give us a deeper appreciation for the producer’s process. (And it’s not like they’re revealing any secrets; all albums have to site the samples they use anyway.)
Look, any type of production takes a hell of a lot of talent. Personally, I’m fascinated with how a producer can find the ability to flip a sample into a hip-hop song. I’m even impressed with songs in which the producer barely alters the beat. Just having an ear to realize a potential banger takes a keen music sense. For example, “Meat Grinder” is essentially Lew Howard & The All-Stars’ “Hula Rock” instrumental with no adjustment. But, damn, who the hell are Lew Howard & The All-Stars and how does one listen to one of their songs and figure it would be hot to have MF DOOM rap over it? I mean, Madvillainy isn’t composed of your usual suspects of James Brown, Curtis Mayfield and co. These are some obscure artists and random clips like Steve Reich’s “Come Out” in which the same phrase is repeated for about ten minutes. It’s just impressive that an artist has the vision to create Hip-Hop out of such seemingly incompatible songs.
Then there are songs like Gentle Giant’s “Funny Ways” that Madlib absolutely turns on its head to create “Strange Ways.” These songs are what make listening to the original fascinating for me. Some times I can’t even figure out how Madlib included a few songs because he has manipulated them so masterfully.
After listening to the Madlib samples, I am even more impressed with the production on an album that was already in my top five. By so vehemently resisting the distribution of these samples, Madlib is doing the equivalent of erasing a director’s commentary from a DVD. He is trying to exclude the listener from an experience that allows us to gain more appreciation for his craft and finished product, which is obviously a good look for Madlib. Most importantly, though, he kind of looks like a mean guy as I personally am turned off from him after this controversy. Hopefully, he’ll be too busy working on that Madvillainy 2 to worry about who gets to hear his samples from now on.
“All Samples Not Cleared” [This Is HipHop]
“Sample Sets Hurting Hip-Hop?” [HipHop Is Read]
Can Ya Dig It?…No, Seriously: Can You? [HipHop Is Read]
Previously Posted — “Swiped”
Posted in GENERAL, MUSIC, SMOKE BREAK — Tags: Madlib, MUSIC, Samples
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64 Comments
I was able to snag those samples & You’re right, Gotty, I’ve found a new respect for Madlib. Fans of Hip Hop should really listen to the dusties that are the basis for some of our favorite songs. Not only does it make You appreciate the producers, but it’ll help expand Your musical horizons as a whole. Hip-Hop Is Read is a dope site.
My bad, gotta give David D. His proper credit…good post.
Oh yeah…
THIRD time’s the charm!
Great article! ;-D
Lil Boosie – “Da Beginning”
track 6:
“Don’t I Act A Donkey”
I just *might* keep this on repeat
lol
from This Is HipHop:
“Quas reached out to me today on MySpace and requested that the post be removed. His reasoning was that “pages like this on the internet are no help at all to people like Doom, Madlib, and those that work with them.”"
It may be just cuz I’m reading this out of context, but this seems like the dumbest reason for a request of removal. Actually, I don’t even understand what he means. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Madlib fan, but come on! If I was in TIHH’s shoes (and this is probably the reason I’m not ;)) I’d have kept the link up until he gave me a justified reason to take it down. I’m all for artist’s rights but…I dont see how he has any say in the matter. It’s “no help at all to people like Doom, Madlib, and those that work with them” because it has nothing to do with them, why should it do them any good!? I’d be happy I was gettin recognition enough for someone to even want to create a sample set of my instrumentals…hes basically gettin free promotion, but I digress…I just hate when artists who make brilliant music aren’t who you imagine them to be, but I suppose thats with everyone to some extent…
Great post…I have a appreciation for producers who utilize obscure samples. Take 9th Wonder for example, for a track called We Got Now on the Minstrel Show, he sampled a track from some Brazilian dude. I’m wondering who the fuck listens to some shit like that and then has the creativity to flip it into a nice beat? I commend all my people out there producing and doing more than just using some presets on Frooty Loops or Garageband.
in this case, i don’t think the samples should be posted up. they almost certainly aren’t cleared, so posting them could lead to madlib getting sued and possibly doing time. a similar debate went on in the UK over the artist burial – an anonymous producer form south london, for a while kids obsessed over trying to spot + post the sample he used in his tracks. then everybody realised that they were actually harming the scene, because they were helping the labels/RIAA to spot copyright infringement.
an artist like madlib probably can’t afford to officially clear samples like the ones used on ‘madvillainy’, and he certainly can’t afford the legal battle that could ensue if a label decides it’s owed. for the sake of hip-hop, people should stop posting samples from more ‘underground’ releases.
Madvilliany is not some mixtape that ‘lib and Doom had burnt at the local presser and sold out the back of their cars – it’s a major release. As such, all of the sample/copywrite issues should have been resolved before the album went out to the stores…if they weren’t, that’s their problem, and it wouldn’t take some internet sample hunters to expose it…i highly doubt that’s what madlib was so upset about…IMO he’s just salty that someone put his gems that he had to dig for right on front street
Kanye West, Pharrell, Rihanna & Lupe Fiasco – Glow In The Dark [2008]
1.Mahito Yokota – Intro (1:16)
2. Mickey Factz, N.E.R.D. – Locked Away (3:29)
3. Lupe Fiasco – Gold Watch (4:12)
4. Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad (3:30)
5. Kanye West – Hey Mama (2008 Studio Version) (2:37)
6. Lupe Fiasco – Dumb It Down (Live) (3:31)
7. Rihanna – Sell Me Candy (2:45)
8. Pharrell – International Swagger (4:13)
9. Kanye West, Dwele, Colin Munroe – Flashing Lights (Remix) (3:57)
10. Rihanna – Tape You / Nasty Naughty (7:40)
11. Rihanna – Push Up On Me (3:14)
12. Lupe Fiasco – What It Do (3:56)
13. Kanye West – Hater Family (3:35)
14. N.E.R.D. – I was Waiting For You (2:49)
15. Kanye West – I Wonder Freestyle Live (3:26)
16. Lupe Fiasco – Streets On Fire (4:39)
17. Rihanna – Umbrella (Unplugged) (4:38)
18. Kanye West, Mos Def – Good Night (3:06)
19. Felli Fel, Neyo, Fabolous, Kanye, JD – Finer Things (Bonus Track) (4:14)
http://rapidshare.com/files/10414094…k08easymgl.rar
speaking of producers getting their spots blown…
a couple posts back, ty-nitty posted a YouTube video of this kid who found the same sounds in GarageBand on his Mac, which were used by Polow Da Don to make Usher’s new single…whatever the fuck it’s called, I don’t care
The Dream pulled the same shit for Rihanna’s “Umbrella” last year
Polow Da Don & The Dream are SO creative! Using preset loops and claiming credit! True Musicianship!
Arruh&Bee on the radio is at an all time high for creativity nowadays
tell him to get a fuckin entertainment lawyer and get his bidness straight or get out the music game
his pops was a musician
his whole fam is .. he either pays for the sample or doesnt rlease it commercially…
his faggot ass prolly doesnt sell enough to warrant a publishing company chasing him all shroomed out thru the desert
fuck madlib.
lol @ quasihomo (the name and the comment)
THROWIN STONES
SCARED DJs DONT BREAK RECORDS
I posted this up a while back in some comments. No one spoke on it but……….. Madlib should get his bizness straight.
^^I agree with the homo, or quasi, he should be more bizness and less baby!!!!
I don’t think the search for those samples should be down played and commoditized the way has been. Judging by some of your comments, the act of digging is a marginal detail to the production of a song when it fact in some cases it is THE detail. The whole act of going out daily, or weekly for years at at time and collecting songs just for that small segment you hear some potential in, that whole act is an arduous, disappointing, uplifting and rewarding one. Its unfortunate the culture scholars that graze this community can’t see, understand that, or relate to that.
We are always discussing how people have lost touch with the essence of this or that, or how hip hip is dead, or how no one is inspired anymore… perhaps the fact that the sanctity of the search, grind and creation has been generalized and thrown down the totem pole of importance, perhaps that fact is part to blame for the state of things today. Looks to me as though even the critics are a bit out of the touch.
Madlib, DJ Premier, these are two producers that I can name off the top who have stated they don’t kindly enjoy their samples being blazoned about. As a musician I can relate to that, as a student I can relate to that, as an engineer I can relate to that and as creative people I’d hope we can all relate to that the arduous path to completed creation. No one wants the work they put in downplayed and trivialized.
For some value is in the product, for others the value is in the process. I’m more of a process man myself.
Also, I believe if you recreate the use the of a track in such a way that it is not clearly distinguishable, then the legal requirements are bit more lax. However, one the track can be clearly recognized there may be more stringent guidelines to follow. From the “bidness” standpoint perhaps that is something to also consider. Making public the samples used, on the Internets may not be the best legal move.
Then again, I’m just guessing. Any lawyers on deck?
Its unfortunate the culture scholars that graze this community can’t see, understand that, or relate to that.
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I have this feeling all the time just about the concept of hip-hop, and just hip-hop in general…like if you ever just sit down and think about it, it gets to a point where you understand how amazing it is and you just feel bad for all these people that can’t ever understand what hip-hop really is…of course, i’m always smokin a blunt at the time…
@ lightednight – i understand where you’re coming from as far as the time a dj/producer often puts in in order to find that one rare, perfect song with which he or she can craft a near-perfect song…but that process is already over when that person makes a beat using that song – the catr is out of the bag, so to speak…the name of the song can easily be found with some simple research using the cd booklet…noone can take that song and flip it the same way or else they’ll be called out as a biter…fans of said producer may want to hear, dissect and compare the two (or three, or whatever) songs and try to imagine their favorite producers’ thought processes as they transformed something old and crusty into something new and unique…i would suggest that this listening process actually pays more respect to the producer, and may even inspire someone else to go digging in the crates for their own hidden gem…not allowing others to hear one’s samples is the artistic equivalent of a painter not wanting others to use his brand/colors of paints…just because someone has access to some of your tools, does not mean they can/will or want to recreate your art…how insecure do you have to be to think someone would take your sample and flip it better than you could?
So, where might I be able to find these songs that were sampled by Madlib?
co-sign everythin sherm just said haha
major label project or not there has always been a silent respect for possibly uncleared samples i agree with madlib 100 percent if u cant figure it out on your own wait for the next kon and amir like everyone else…..this is one case that i think the net has fucked it up for producers…like primo said before its just like those break records that list the people that sampled it ….whether u know it or not its dry-snitchin
detroit stand up
yo, some of all y’all are buggin’… Straight greedy w/ y’alls. I agree w/ learning a thing or two from originals and actively sought them out before all these blogs started poppin’ up. Sh*t, ATCQ gave me a deep appreciation for some artists that have become household names to me now. I appreciate those types of blogs like the next man, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, dude is an artist, (and he’s serious about his sh*t – Erykah Badu)
. He’s a artist, and has some idiosyncrasies about their craft. Artists are quirky. Stop acting otherwise. His request isn’t any more strange than Mariah wanting a foot rub, eating pre-peeled grapes, in an all white room surrounded by poodles before every show. If you buy an obscure pair of kicks, do you tell everybody where you copped them from? Why not? It’s not like (shoe brand) only made one pair…what’s the big deal???
Listeners (wrongly sometimes) have insatiable appetites, and if you love the artists work (like you say you do) and wanna really find out, GO BUY THE ALBUM and look on the credits like most of you are saying.
excuse the grammatical errors, I’m driving a fcuking train.
@ OED – for real fam? u drivin a train?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il9JA06QIFs
yeah my dude… my love for hip-hop keeps me multi-tasking like a muhfkka! lol
damn dawg now i feel lazy for just sittin here
@ ty-nitty – yo man, how u gonna just put dude’s process out there like that…that’s dry snitchin…lol just fuckin around i couldn’t resist tho
YES! he’s really driving a train!!
how’s the train, btw? i know you trip when i ask that. but i have to. i get worried sometimes.
anyway, i have mixed feelings about this subject. both sides have valid points.
^ sheeeit, not even. I’m jealous of YOU! LMAO
P, I gotta send you a link. F’d up stuff. I’ll send it your way when I get to the lair.
i’ll be waiting.
*keeps refreshing gmail*
too much reading involved in these comments….
mtv is showin Yo! MTV Raps all this month, lotta classic shit.
c’mon Dirk, you know we on some half azz intellectualitical bullsh*t round here.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The personal belongings of legendary soul singer James Brown, including his instruments, awards, furniture and memorabilia will be sold at auction this summer, Christie’s said on Wednesday.
Brown, known as the “Godfather of Soul” whose hits included “Living in America,” “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “I Got You (I Feel Good),” died aged 73 on Christmas Day 2006 of congestive heart failure.
“Widely regarded as one of the greatest musical legends of the 20th century, (Brown’s) enormous talent and innovative style are responsible for influencing generations of singers and songwriters, and capturing the hearts of music lovers everywhere,” Simeon Lipman, Christie’s head of popular culture in New York said in a statement.
Brown’s estate has been the subject of much dispute and legal wrangling since his death, involving members of his large family including several adult children as well as ex-girlfriends and ex-wives.
Court-appointed trustees for his estate, variously reported to be worth between $100 million and $200 million, filed lawsuit in South Carolina in February against Brown’s business managers, a law firm and a bank, alleging fraud had been conspired against the singer.
The sale in late July will also include photographs.
as a dj (not aspiring producer) and avid hip-hop listener for 23 years, i would def concur with lightednight about this topic. Although sherm, it should be noted that you make some extremely valid points. My stance is that the assumption by sherm is that those samples were readily disclosed in a cd booklet or published materials of Madvillainy or other cds. When in fact maybe the most blatant sample or sample from an artist with an aggressive law firm may be listed but not all of them.
I can see Madlib’s point that if not all samples were cleared, don’t put him on front street and make the RIAA’s job any easier.
As listener’s of this music, we can boast that we are a group of smarter listeners than other genres. We pick apart lyrics, we look for references to pop culture and other songs, we filter sounds to derive the sample. As a young Mexican living on an air force base in Germany – how would I’ve learned about james brown or the Nation of Islam from means other than hip-hop music?
So to post where a sample is used every once in awhile is cool but in this case the process of finding for yourself the sample used in a song or learning about the music is taken away. Plus, by a posting of this magnitude of uncleared samples, you are exposing someone in your own community to very legal repercussions.
just my thoughts….
“pages like this on the internet are no help at all to people like Doom, Madlib, and those that work with them.”
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Since when was Stonesthrow a MAJOR label or “Madvillainy” a MAJOR release? If you still buy cds, check and notice that most of that label’s releases don’t list the samples! If you can’t understand Madlib’s requests, then you are not in touch with what he is trying to accomplish. It has nothing to do with revealing the sample to the fans (or potential biters). Lightednight touched on most of it, but I still can’t believe people seriously don’t know why Madlib is stressing that.
For those who believe learning obscure samples help them appreciate something they may not have necessarily checked for, imagine how much you might discover if you actually went diggin’ for it on your own? That is what Madlib has been doing, and that is the reason most are drawn towards his production.
“What’s the deal with you break-record cats that’s puttin’ out all the original records that we sample from, and snitchin’ by puttin’ us on the back of it, sayin’ we used stuff? You know how that go! Stop doing that! Y’all are violatin’, straight up and down! Word up, man; I’m sick of this shit. Y’all muhfuckas really don’t know what this hip-hop’s all about. So while y’all keep on fakin’ the funk, we gonna keep on walkin’ through darkness, carryin’ our torches. Underground will live forever, baby! We just like roaches: never dyin’, always livin’. And on that not, let’s get back to the program…”
Not exactly the situation but it relates. Completely agree with Madlib on this one. Whether it’s the samples not being cleared or his diggin not wanted to be stepped on and abused it doesn’t matter, either reason is a good valid one. And fuck people hatin on him cus he might not have got his samples cleared, what kind of shit is that.
ain’t it enough sometimes to just enjoy the damn music?
i agree that the dudes makin sample mixes should check and make sure samples are cleared before putting producers out on front street like that…i don’t think this shit should fuck with anybody’s livelihood or no shit like that…on the other hand, though, there are plenty of producers out there that play by the rules and shelve shit if it don’t clear, even if it’s hot fire…most of the time these joints end up on mixtapes or leaked on the internet…and there’s also something to be said for giving props (monitary and otherwise) to the original artists that made the original recordings…a lot of these dudes hardly made any dough the first time around, now you wanna get around payin them for their shit…i’m just sayin, you gotta really think about all the angles
After leaving his highly publicized role as president of Def Jam, Jay-Z has remained, for the most part, out of the public’s eye.
This lead to numerous speculations of Jay-Z’s future business plans, which were rumored to include an all-digital record label with Apple, as well as the possibility of joining Rick Rubin at Columbia Records. The speculation can now end, as Hov’s choice has been made, reports The New York Times.
The Hip Hop mogul’s next move? A $150 million deal with concert giant Live Nation.
According to reports, the deal includes “financing for his own entertainment venture, in addition to recordings and tours for the next decade.”
The deal is one of several for Live Nation, which aims to directly compete with the industry’s music labels. In this deal, Live Nation will have access to not just CD sales, but a lager share of an artist’s overall revenue. Such deals have already been lined up with U2 and Madonna, though neither one is as comprehensive.
Live Nation, known mainly for major rock and country tours, is making its first major foray into the Hip Hop genre.
As part of the agreement, Jay will receive financing from Live Nation for the start-up of a venture described as an “umbrella for his outside projects, which are expected to include his own label, music publishing, and talent consulting and managing.” Live Nation will also contribute $5 million a year in overhead for five years, with another $25 being made available to fund the rapper’s other acquisitions or investments. The venture will be known as Roc Nation, and will split profits with Live Nation.
The agreement also includes an upfront payment of $25 million, an advance of $25 million which includes fees for his current tour (with Mary J. Blige), and an advance payment of $10 million an album for at least three albums during the course of the 10-year term. Other payments dealing with specific publishing, licensing and other rights will add up to approximately $20 million.
Jay-Z spoke briefly on the matter, noting that this deal has the potential “to reach the consumer in so many different ways right now.” Hov continued, “everyone’s trying to figure it out. I want to be on the front lines in that fight.”
Jay also spoke on the fact that radio play wouldn’t be necessary for his future as an artist: “In a way I want to operate like an indie band,” he said. “Play the music on tour instead of relying on radio. Hopefully we’ll get some hits out of there and radio will pick it up, but we won’t make it with that in mind.”
Live Nation’s chairman Michael Cohl also addressed the matter. “He could be doing more tours and doing great. There could be endorsements and sponsorships.” He added, “The whole is what’s important.”
Jay-Z suggested that this new entertainment model would have risings stars thinking ” ‘Something must be happening. Madonna did it, she’s not slow. Jay-Z, he’s not slow either.’ ”
$150 Million? Whoa…
great update, amp. 50 w/ his beef and money sounds like Cheese bragging about his loot. Hov is the real deal.
I’m just surprise no one till this minute post the now thanks to the internet famous madvillain samples… Well, i’m more even thrill that I got them just right home ! Thanks Madlib for everything….
Well I will try to keep this as short as possible………
I cant understand why cats are siding with artists who dont give props to the artists they sample. It was a major sore spot for the OG artists because basically cats weren’t even making beats but just using the original song.
So there were rules and guidelines made and these artists get paid from hip hop- Barry White, JAMES BROWN, Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers, etc etc etc. , get their just do.
So it would be ok for me to take the html code from TSS and start my own blog? NOPE ……I believe dudes in my day called it BITING!!!???
You damn near got stoned for that !!!! (I dont mean getting lifted either) …..wow Im showing my age.
Everyone who sides with Madlib and other producers should really consider that fact. What we do here is dare I say………….NOT RIGHT!
Who got a lank for a Pete Rock Snoop and Game track?
This is an arguement as old as Hip-Hop itself and I have a few ways of looking at it.
but the thing is to ASK him. I haven’t heard anyone go man-to-man and ask him to clarify the request. Whether the samples were taken down or not is really irrelevant in my opinion. I think the analogy of Kobe and his shot is a very valid one. While you might say “I can’t take that knowlegde and do the same thing” he is thinking 1. Why can’t you just support me and watch or 2. You just made it easy for someone else that might have the talent but is too lazy to have the ability to compete. and 3 There are LOTS of artists out there who need a good producer to create a great sound but those same artist will gladly pay less to someone may or may not recreate some magic from a sample he found. So in the end you are making it hard for him to get where he might want to go.
In reality the RIAA is the least of his concerns, he has been making music for years and I am fairly sure he got those samples cleared. But somehow this issue has made many assume otherwise.
Is Madlib, DJ Premier and others trying to be a-holes about this issue .. No I don’t see that, but you also don’t see Prince running around telling everyone his entire process.
While I have a copy of said samples, I respect his wishes that put him out like that. But I wonder had any of the artist themselves thought to release a samples album as part of their own release but basically letting all of that money go to original artists/record labels
Thank you, Gotty Sir for your site. I’ve been visiting your site for two years or so…I think the entire TSS community has great musical knowledge. The only thing that is disapointing about the TSS community is despite how intelligent the muscial commentary can be…the homophobia is crazy in the comments…i hope that people understand that all walks of life visit your site….even though we may be a smaller minority in your world….gay hip-hop heads do exist and we have more in common than differences… I go back to ‘87…BDK, KRS, Rick ETC. and even before that, SO…GAY=NOT Hip-Hop?? I know there are intelligent grown folk here. I don’t expect all minds to be accepting but…damn can’t the conversation be more intelligent sometimes??!! GAY, FAG ETC…I guess will continue to be the insult of the day, I hope reasonable people willl speak up against this shit…with 5 million hits, I am pretty certain I’m not the only gay vistor…I enjoy the site regardless….FOOD FOR THOUGHT,,,peace, love and respect to all.
Nytimes on JAy-z Deal:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/arts/music/03jayz.html?ref=music
3 albums?
2 Things not related to the topic
1. Can i get my Gravatar to go to what i have loaded .. I miss my that album cover
2. Is Wyclef grooming Estelle to replace L. Boogie in the Fugees. She wouldn’t be a bad stand-in sonically I think and would fit the flavor that Wyclef seems to dig.
That is all
For those saying that artists should get their shit cleared before releasing it… From my understanding the more obscure the sample the harder it actually is to get it cleared. A James Brown track is easily cleared because dude has got lawyers. You can hit up the necessary people, work out what you need to work out and you got your cleared sample. On the other hand you might be sampling some uber obscure shit like some artist from Poland who only put out one 7″ a quarter of a decade ago and you gotta scour the world for this person just to get it cleared. Imagine doing that for a whole album?
@ BELVE
Is Wyclef grooming Estelle to replace L. Boogie in the Fugees. She wouldn’t be a bad stand-in sonically I think and would fit the flavor that Wyclef seems to dig.
That is all
Ahhh no Estelle is a under the John Legend/Kayne West umbrella
I know I’m mad late, & I’m not even a political kinda guy (I feel so far removed from the process, it doesn’t matter who’s the President) but this speech by Obama is inspiring….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU
Quasihomo wrote: “tell him to get a fuckin entertainment lawyer and get his bidness straight or get out the music game
his faggot ass prolly doesnt sell enough to warrant a publishing company chasing him all shroomed out thru the desert”
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are you people fucking idiots? you think samples on records like this ever get cleared? non-major label records that get their samples cleared are barely in the majority. there’s supposed to be a silent respect for uncleared samples like this, so that artists don’t have to have a production budget like fiddy to make music.
i would rather never know another sample source, but still have producers like quas and doom making music. the alternative is guys like that not being able to put out records, because some major immediately wants to know why they didn’t pay $$$$ to clear some sample from a 50s jazz LP.
at the end of the day, the world would be a poorer place without madvillainy, and if the industry’s environment was such that all samples had to be cleared to avoid lawsuits, we wouldn’t have records like that. this goes back further as well – do you honestly fucking think the samples on illmatic were cleared?
being greedy with the samples is gay shit.
I haven’t read all the comments, so I apologize if this has been brought up already, but but the history of producers getting tight about their samples sources being exposed usually is that they haven’t cleared all the samples used in the project.
if you read the full contents of the blog in question, it sounds like it wasn’t Madlib, but a rep from stones throw and also they didn’t ask that the sampleset be taken down, but rather that madvillian’s name be taken off it. It also makes it clearer that it’s a clearance issue not so much a “don’t show my tricks thing”
I kinda wonder how much Madlib is even aware of all this stuff, while he personally is taking all the heat.
The only thing that is disapointing about the TSS community is despite how intelligent the muscial commentary can be…the homophobia is crazy in the comments…
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Hip-Hop itself is homophobic by nature. Yeah, I know it’s insensitive for people to throw around derrogatory remarks about gay people, I know personally, when I use the term gay in the comments, it’s usually to describe anyone who’s overly sensitive or something that’s feminine. “No Homo’s” are just a way to avoid jokes from the room if You inadvertantly say something “questionable”. I’m not gonna say the cliche thing like “I don’t hate gay people, I have gay friends” because I dont. But at the same time, I have nothing against gay people & when I do throw a “Homotional” out there, it’s not to belittle someone’s sexual preference or to consciously disrespect any gay people who may be reading My comments (though that thought has passed My mind before). Forgive Me if I’m rambling, I’m slightly impaired at the moment (“Sippin Coughee”lol), but I realize that sometimes My remarks can be insensitive & I’m gonna try to fall back on that. But this is a public forum & some people just think & speak like that. This is Hip-Hop, You gotta have thick skin.
Yo…I was literally considering the whole “gay and hip-hop” argument the other day in my head. I got a few thoughts…but a lot more things to do today. Definitely gonna try to come back to it either here or in a whole new post.
Speaking of Madlib if anyone here lives in St. Louis or Chicago I am working with Red Bull to bring Madlib in for a production workshop and discussion about a program called Red Bull Music Academy. Click the links for the e-Flyer.
Chicago
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n56/wesallmond/RBMA_Chicago/Madlib-RBMA-Chicago_Final_Horizonta.jpg
St. Louis
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n56/wesallmond/RBMA_STL/Madlib-RBMA-STL_Final_Horizontal-1.jpg
Why the fuck would you post all the original samples used in a song? That kind of ruins the joy of listening because now I know what was used to create the song (which I don’t care to know anyway as long as the shit bangs!). Plus, all the bitch-ass biting-ass clone producers will start digging trying to create some wack-ass half-ass “heat” if they know where your gems come from. If any of you truly listen to Madlib at all then you would know that he gets extremely vocal about “wack-beat-jackers”, so I don’t understand what the fuck all the fuss is about.
ps
SHUT THE FUCK UP & LISTEN TO THE MUSIC!!!
cosign w/ lightednight & Franchise. I’m trying to figure out what you cats are so angry and bent out of shape about, honestly. Because the guy doesn’t want his samples put out there to the public? The same rare samples that HE found and flipped..to have you cats on some “oooh shit” the 1st time you heard it? But it’s not quite right unless he reveals the samples sources, right? lol Jesus Christ. David D. , i understand where you’re coming from…but honestly man, the logic behind it is simple. I’ve heard Madlib’s record collection is pretty extensive…Premo, Pete, etc….and i’ve read interviews where they pride themselves on coming across certain records they have obtaned from the other side of the pond….and once they get that piece in the lab and do what they do….who are we to get salty b/c they request they not be available to the public? seriously….we sit here and right click on a link that displays original sources from 1/2 their catalog…d/l it in 3 minutes…and….smh.
Don’t get me wrong…i have a ton of orignals from some of my fav. producers…got goosebumps when i heard what they did….but to complain about them not wanting the originals posted to the world? c’mon man lol no disrepect to those complaining…but, who are you and what part did you play in the production process?
good post tho, peace
Preem gave a legitimate reason for these things on one of the Gangstarr albums which talks about how major labels and their publishing companies have representative “snitches” who search the internet and try to find if a song from their catalog was sampled, then look for payment from that artist. I wouldn’t be telling anybody either, if you know, you know, but I ain’t telling nobody.
Link to the samples? Anyone?
since madlib famously uses no computer, www or email, this article is highly suspect.
and since hip-hop heads themselves should be promoting albums rather than getting them shut down, the article is a little worse than suspect.