Friday Funkdown | Zapp

Brothers Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman, Terry “Zapp” Troutman, Lester Troutman, and Tony Troutman formed Zapp in Dayton, Ohio in 1978.  Their blend of funk and soul, mixed in with the classic “hand-clap” snare drum made their sound unmistakable.  Bootsie Collins (childhood friend of Roger Troutman) introduced the band to George Clinton who immediately signed them to his label “Uncle Jam Records” in 1979.  They released their first album entitled Zapp in 1980.  The record label folded in 1980.  Both bands signed with Warner Brothers.
Prior to the signing with Warner Brothers, Roger had been working with George Clinton on a solo project.  Warner brothers offered Roger more money, so he decided to sell the rights of the music, which would later be known as The Many Faces of Roger released on Warner Brothers.  As a result, George Clinton sued Roger Troutman and Warner Brothers, which resulted in George Clinton leaving the label.
The band continued their success into the 80’s with the release of “Zapp II”, “Zapp III”, and “The New Zapp IV U”.  By 1985 they had 5 gold records, including singles "Doo Wa Ditty", "Heartbreaker", “So Ruff, So Tuff”, "I Can Make You Dance", and the famous baby makers “I Want To Be Your Man”, and “Computer Love”.  Each song features Roger Troutman using the talk-box on his vocals.
Tragedy struck the band in 1999 when Larry murdered his younger brother Roger, and then took his own life.  Many believe that Roger had mentioned to Larry that the band was looking for a new manager and this drove Larry over the edge.
Zapp has had a major influence on the Chicano/Cholo community and anyone owning a lowrider.  Their music has been sampled by EPMD, X-Clan, Rodney-O and Joe Cooley, Fu-Shnickens, Bloods & Crips, Quasimoto, and Slum Village.
I have always been a huge fan of Zapp.  I love the combination of the hand-clap and Roger on the talk-box.  Their unique sound has created some of my favorite hip hop tracks from the late 80’s and early 90s.  You can guarantee that anything featuring a Zapp sample will keep your head bobbing and the track on repeat. 

Friday Funkdown | Isaac Hayes

 

Isaac Hayes was born on August 20, 1942 in Covington Tennessee.  He is best known for his musical score of the film “Shaft” for which he was awarded an Academy Award in 1971.  The single was also #1 on the Billboard Top 100 for 2 weeks that same year.  Hayes is also known as the voice of Chef on the popular animated series South Park during the late 90’s.
After the deaths of label mates Otis Reading and 5 members of the Bar-Kays in separate plane crash incidents, Hayes was released from Stax Records and started his own record label entitled Hot Buttered Soul. Although Hayes achieved greatness as a singer/songwriter throughout the 60’s and 70’s, (he was also the co-owner of the ABA team The Memphis Sounds) record sales fell dramatically on the new label and he and his wife eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1976.  By the end of the bankruptcy proceedings in 1977, Hayes had lost his home, much of his personal property, and the rights to all future royalties earned from the music he'd written, performed, and produced.  In other words, he got “Shafted”.  Over the years, Isaac Hayes was able to recover financially.
Hayes also has been featured in over 30 movies and TV shows including some of my favorites; Escape from New York, Truck Turner, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, and CB4.
Several hip hop artists such as Public Enemy, DJ Quik, Compton’s Most Wanted, Biggie, Biz, Markie, The Alkaholiks, and MF Doom have sampled Isaac Hayes’ music.   One of my favorite joints from back in the day is “Neva Go Back” by Special Ed.  Probably because it samples on of my favorite Isaac Hayes songs, “Look of Love”.  Some other classics include; “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic”, “Walk On By”, “Never Can Say Goodbye”, and “A Few More Kisses To Go”.
Sadly, Isaac Hayes died on August 10, 2008 at the age of 65 of an apparent stroke.  He has left an impression on us all as a singer, songwriter, musician and actor.  Of Hayes’ work, 'American Masters' creator and executive producer Susan Lacy stated. “He was cool before it was cool to be cool!  He left us a storehouse of classics, pure poetry that will live forever because they are, quite simply, among the greatest songs ever sung.”

Friday Funkdown | GAP Band

The Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band was formed in 1967 in Tulsa Oklahoma by brothers Charlie, Robert and Ronnie Wilson.  They eventually shortened their name to the GAP Band.  Together, along with Ronnie Smith and Raymond Calhoun, the band is responsible for all time classics such as "Outstanding", "Burn Rubber On Me", "Humpin", "Yearning for your Love', "You Dropped a Bomb on Me", and "Party Train".  The GAP Band dominated the R&B charts from the late 70s into the early 80s.  Four of the bands nine albums went platinum plus, selling millions of records and 15 Top Ten R&B hits, and four #1 R&B hits.
The GAP Band’s unique combination of funk, quiet storm, r&b and soul has left a lasting impression on the music industry.  They have paved the way for r&b artists such as R. Kelly,  Blackstreet, Keith Sweat, Jagged Edge, Ruff Endz, Guy, II D Extreme, Mint Condition, and Aaron Hall.  The band has been sampled or covered by over 150 artists including 2^nd II None, Snoop Dogg, Paris, Nas, Ice Cube, Redman, and Kris Kross.  Outstanding remains one of the most sampled songs of all time.
I love the GAP Band, and so does Ma Dukes.  She introduced me to them over 30 years ago.  I can remember sliding around on the living room floor listening to "Oops Upside Your Head" and "Early in the Morning".  One of my all-time favorite r&b songs is "Seasons No Reason To Change".

Friday Funkdown | Sly and the Family Stone

Sly and the Family Stone began making music in 1966 out of San Francisco, California.  Original band members include; Sly Stone, Freddie Stone, Cynthia Robinson, Gregg Errico, Jerry Martini, and Larry Graham.  They were joined by Rose Stone soon after.  The band is credited as one of the first racially integrated bands in music history, which also included many family members and friends.  Their message was one of peace, love and social consciousness through a fusion of funk, rock n roll, soul and r&b.  Together, the band recorded five Billboard Top 100 hits, which reached the top 10.   Unfortunately, a mixture of drugs and ego clashes caused the band to dismantle in 1975.  Sly Stone continued to tour and record albums with a rotating lineup until he was arrested in 1987 for cocaine use and forced into retirement.  The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

Sly and the Family Stone is credited for changing the face of pop, soul, r&b, rock n roll and funk music.  Their blend of rock, soul, pop and jazz paved the way for a new genre of music entitled “funk”. The band has had a significant influence on hip hop as they have been sampled by such big names as A Tribe Called Quest, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg and Das EFX.

Listening to Sly and the Family Stone never gets old.  The bass line on If You Want Me To Stay is arguably one of the most recognizable of all time.  The lyrics on feel-good songs such as Stand and Everyday People are so rich and uplifting.  I can only hope that the band will get back together for a reunion tour so I can check them out in person.

Friday Funkdown | B.T. Express

The Brooklyn Trucking Express was formed in Brooklyn in the 70s by original members Barbara Joyce Lomas, Jamal and Bill Risbrook, Billy Nichols, Richard Thompson, Wesley Pike Hall, Carlos Ward, Orlando Woods, Dennis Rowe and Michael Jones.  The B.T. Express was signed to Roadshow Records in 1974.  Their debut LP “Do It (‘Til You're Satisfied)” had two number-one R&B and Top Ten pop hits.  Do It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B Hot 100 in 1974.  Express reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 in the R&B Hot 100 in 1975.  Express also reached #34 in the UK Singles Chart.  It was awarded a gold disc status by the R.I.A.A. in 1975.
B.T. Express has been sampled by many hip hop artists including: Dr. Dre, Gang Starr, Leaders of the New School, Snoop Doggy Dogg, 3^rd Bass, DJ Quik, O.C., and EPMD.  Although Do It is their most sampled song to date, several other gems have been sampled such as You Got Something, Do You Like It, Once You Get It, This House is Smokin, and of course Express.
Do It remains on top of my funk playlist whenever I’m spinning old school music.  Something about the intro gets me amped every time, and it is always well received by the crowd.  Recently I have been on the lookout for B.T. Express albums to add to my collection, I just picked up Energy to Burn the other day.

Nas' Illmatic Documentary

Illmatic is the debut album of American rapper Nas, released April 19, 1994 on Columbia Records. Following his signing to Columbia with the help of MC Serch, recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. Its production was handled by Nas, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and DJ Premier. Stylistically a hardcore hip hop album, Illmatic features Nas's multi-syllabic internal rhyme patterns expressing inner city lyrical themes and narratives based on his native Queensbridge, New York.

Upon its release, the album debuted at number 12 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 59,000 copies in its first week. However, its initial sales fell below expectations and its five singles failed to achieve significant chart success. While it experienced initial low sales, Illmatic received generally positive reviews from most music critics upon its release and earned praise for its production and Nas's lyricism. On January 17, 1996, the album was certified gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America, and in 2001, it earned platinum certification after sales of one million copies in the United States.

Since its initial reception, the album has been recognized by writers and music critics as a landmark album in East Coast hip hop. It contributed to the regional scene's artistic renaissance in New York, while marking an influential, stylistic change in hip hop at the time. Its influence on subsequent hip hop artists has been attributed to the album's production and Nas's rapping. Several writers have cited Illmatic as one of the quintessential hip hop recordings and one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 400 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

GZA, RZA, ODB 1991 Public Access