This has to be one of the coolest groups I have ever seen

Firstly, I just want to say that I trust your gluttonous feast was a raging success. Hopefully your family interactions were not horribly painful and you managed to scrounge up at least some good leftovers. For me, my brother and I have pretty repetitive conversations. We basically talk about two things, fantasy football (which has no relevance to this column) and music. And since he hates all of my “whiny white s***,” that conversing normally pertains to hip-hop. So when he sent me a link to this website last spring, we both nearly peed our collective pants (those pants extend from Rhode Island to NYC).

The website, whosampled.com, can only be described as one of the coolest sites for anyone who appreciates the DNA of music. What does this website do you ask, great question. It has a database of thousands of songs, and the original they sample. And while I have never had less respect for Biggie than when I heard Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit,” I still think the website is insane. The site allows you to hear both songs side by side and even tells you when the sample begins.

I know many of you are saying, “We haven’t gotten new Animal Show in so long. These are not the blazing new singles that I’m used to, this is just a gushfest of some admittedly awesome website.” For that I apologize, but I thought you would all want to check this out. I mean “Juicy” has an identical pair. Notorious legitimately changed nothing, simply removed the lyrics, and spat hot fire over the remnants. It’s still incredible — don’t get me wrong — I’m just glad that whosampled.com allows me the opportunity to credit Mtume with a funktastic classic.

Possibly even cooler than “Juicy” is “Big Pimpin’.” Timbaland merely Americanizes a Baligh Hamdi song (since that version was never recorded, whosampled.com uses the Hossam Ramzy version). The owners of the rights to the song even sued Timbaland, Jay-Z, Linkin Park and EMI Music for lifting parts of it note-for-note in 2007. And while you could have known all of this if you did any research, whosampled.com gives you all the tools and the tracks.

And while most music fans will know the first two, I’m sure fewer knew that “So Fresh So Clean” was similarly lifted? Jo Simon’s 1977 track “Before the Night Is Over” features the exact same beat as the Outkast classic. Again, I do not take anything away from the artists for sampling. I love sampling. I think it’s one of the best parts of Hip-Hop. Artists  connect generations with beats, and put their own twists on classics. All I’m saying is that I want to make sure all listeners understand that not all the beats they hear are created out of the genius of Kanye West’s producing abilities, but rather many feature help from previous generations, or at least contemporary artists of different genres. And the true greatness of whosampled.com, is that it gives recognition to both the old artist, and credit the new for building a masterpiece on a solid foundation.

I’ll assume you have the newer masterpiece (yes all of the aforementioned are masterpieces) and just give you the sample, but go to whosampled.com and check out their crazy database that extends far beyond the realms of Hip-Hop. And if you’re looking for some more fun samples check out “Jump On It,” “Brooklyn’s Finest,” “School Spirit” and “It Was a Good Day”. All of those feature some pretty awesome samples, and please leave some more cool ones in the comments.

Author insert a music with WS Audio Player
(Download) this music.
Juicy Fruit – Mtume (YSI)

Author insert a music with WS Audio Player
(Download) this music.
Khusara Khusara – Hossam Ramzy (YSI)

Author insert a music with WS Audio Player
(Download) this music.
Before the Night Is Over – Joe Simon (YSI)

Related posts:

1. I want to be Biggie when I grow up
2. Part B (see previous: Part A)
3. Where'd My Indie Friendies Go?

He was missed even before he died.

This was never the way it was supposed to end. One of music’s undeniable giants has passed on, leaving us for his reward in (fill in your own destination here). I won’t lie, my nose is running a little bit right now, and I think it may be sadness related. In Memoriam, I’d like to post a couple of songs that have been with me through some good times and also some other times that were pretty good too.

Let’s put on a strong face, using ComaR’s Billie Jean, My Love for support. Timbaland’s beat updates Michael’s timeless advice with an authority you’ll need to hear to feel. This is the only song I’ve ever been forced to play twice in a row at a party. She’s just a girl.

Billie Jean, My Love — ComaR (YSI)

Now let’s reverse the trend and take the classic beat from BJ and let Justice D.A.N.C.E. to it for awhile. Oh, C&C Music Factory pays some homage here as well. Thanks DJ Schmolli for keeping Michael d.a.n.c.ing for just a little longer, if only in our hearts.

Justice for Billie Jean — DJ Schmolli (YSI)

No point in beating Billie Jean (regardless of the claims she may make) when there’s Beat It. This time DJ Gizmo lays TI’s lyrical threats in lieu of MJ’s over the Beat It beat with great success, and Divide and Kreate picks up what Gizmo left out, pairing MJ’s threats with the psuedo-regretful strains of Hive’s Hate to Say I Told You So. This track in particular sounds like a good fit to me.

Michael Jackson vs. TI — DJ Gizmo (YSI)

I Told You to Beat It — Divide and Kreate (YSI)

Second to last, but certainly not second to least, we have DJ Gizmo yet again pairing MJ’s tunes with a new vocalist, this time Lady GaGa gets the Thriller treatment. Now you finally have something to play at Halloween besides Monster Mash.

Lady Gaga vs. Michael Jackson — DJ Gizmo (YSI)

In closing I’m putting this increasingly sentimental mash with Soul VI that I already had in my “To Be Blawged” folder. I freaking dare you not to sniffle when Michael playfully asks you “I dunno, what you wanna try?”. Yes, Mr. Jackson, I do remember when we fell in love. And it still is heaven.

Do You Remember (Michael Jackson vs. Soul VI) — DJ Gizmo (YSI)

wow it’s Gizmo again dude probably won’t stop crying all weekend. poor guy

The Show is an open-arms kind of community, so feel free to seek  solace from each other in the comments. It’s a tough time, guys, and we’re stronger together than alone.

Related posts:

1. RIP Michael Jackson
2. Michael Mashson: a Rhymefest of a Timefest
3. Wasn’t the Fourth of July Yesterday?