RIP James Brown 1933-2006

The hardest working man in show biz. The Godfather of Soul, and Funk. The most sampled man in hip hop. James Brown has passed away on Christmas day, a day of giving, and none has given more to music, hip-hop, showbusiness and life than James Brown. He was said to still be doing performances and expected to appear on a New Year's eve show. He has a long resume of hit songs (over 100), and numerous albums released (over 50). Brown was born on May 3, 1933, making him 73 years old on his passing. His contributions and influences to music are unparalleled today. If you listen to many of your favorite rap songs, you're bound to hear a James Brown sample, whether it's his beat or his voice, its undeniable that he has been sampled like no other. Everybody from Ice Cube to De La Soul to Massive Attack and Public Enemy has used his work or interpolations of it on their tracks. In a Rolling Stone piece written by Beastie Boys producer Rick Rubin, Rubin says: "The first big record in hip-hop that used a Brown sample was Eric B. and Rakim's "Eric B. Is President." That opened the floodgates for people to sample Brown. I can't remember ever using a James Brown sample on my early records with LL Cool J or the Beastie Boys, but I wanted to make records that felt as good as Brown's, and I didn't want to do it by sampling or copying him." Here's a look at how many "different" songs borrowed from the James Brown classic, "Funky Drummer" (courtesy of xampled.com blog): 2 Live Crew: Coolin' 808 State: Pacific 202 A Tribe Called Quest: Seperate / Together Above the Law: Murder Rap, Untouchables, What Cha Can Prove Allison Williams: Sleep Talk Aphrodite: Velvet Seduction Awesome Dre: Frankly Speaking Beastie Boys: Shadrach Big Daddy Kane: Mortal Combat Biz Markie: Spring Again Black Rock & Ron: Stop the World Breeze: Great Big Freak BWP: A Different Category Cash Money & Marvelous: Drawers Choice MC: Bad A-s B----h Chubb Rock: Bump the Floor, Talkin' Loud, Ain't Sayin' Jack Coldcut: Say Kids, What Time is It? Compton's Most Wanted: The Final Chapter, Wanted Conscious:Unconscious Convicts: I Like Boning CPO: Flow to the Rhythm Criminal Nation: I'm Rollin', Insane, It's a Black Thing, The Right Crowd De la Soul: Oodles of O's Deep Forest: Deep Forest Depeche Mode: My Joy Derek B: Get Down, Human Time Bomb Digable Planets: Where I'm From DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince: 2 Damn Hype, Hip Hop Dancer's Theme, Jazzy's Groove, Magnificent Jazzy Jeff, Pump up the Bass DJ Mark the 45 King ft Lakim Shabazz: When a Wise Man Speaks DJ Master T: Wind Me Up DOC: Let the Bass Go Domination: Back at it Again Dr. Dre: Let Me Ride Eazy-E: We Want Eazy Enigma: Carly's Song Eric B & Rakim: Lyrics of Fury, Paid in Full, Relax with Pep Father MC: Ain't it Funky Fine Young Cannibals: I'm Not the Man I Used to Be Freddie Foxx: F. F. is Here Fresh 4: Wishing on a Star GangStarr: 2 Deep George Michael: Waiting for That Day/You Can't Always Get. . . Geto Boys: Mind of a Lunatic, Read These Nikes Goats: TV Cops Gus Gus: Purple Guy: I Like Hard Knocks: A Blow to the Head Heavy D: Peaceful Journey, We Got Our Own Thang Hi-C: Take a Ride HWA: Trick is a Trick Ice Cube: Endangered Species, Jackin' for Beats Ice T: I Ain't New Ta This, Original Gangster, Radio Suckers, James Brown: She Looks All Types A' Good Jaz: The Originators Kid 'N Play: Foreplay, Slippin' Kid Sensation: Emergency King Sun: King Sun with the Sword Kool G Rap: It's a Demo, The Butcher Shop Kool Moe Dee: Bad, Bad, Bad, I'm Blowing Up, Knowledge is King Korn & the Dust Brothers: Kick the P.A. Kris Kross: Jump, Lil' Boys in Da Hood Kwame: The Rhythm Lakim Shabazz: Black is Back Leaders of the New School: Sobb Story, Teachers, Don't Teach Us Nonsense LL Cool J: Boomin' System, Fast Peg, Mama Said Knock You Out, Nitro, Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Low Profile: Make Room for. . . Maestro Fresh Wes: Let Your Backbone Slide Mantronix ft Wondress: Got to Have Your Love, Fresh is the Word Marky Mark: Good Vibrations Masters at Work: Jus' a Lil' Dope MC Frontalot: Good Old Clyde MC Lyte: Brooklyn MC Shan: So Def, So Fresh MC Smooth: Blow the Whistle Mellow Man Ace: Hypest from Cypress, River Cubano Michel'le: No More Lies Michie Mee: Jamaican Funk Canadian Style Milli Vanilli: Girl you know it's true Ministere Amer: Traitres Mistress & DJ Madame E: Hypergroove, Show 'em How We Play MMG: Only the Strong Survive Mobb Deep: Flavor for the Non-Believes Nas: Get Down Naughty by Nature: Hot Potato, Ready for Dem New Order: Ruined in a Day Nikki D: Freak Accident, Gotta up the Ante for the Panties Nine Inch Nails: Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now) No Face: Half NWA: F--k tha Police, Quiet on tha Set Omni Trio: Nu Birth of Cool Paperboy: The Nine Yards Paris: I Call Him Mad, On the Prowl, The Devil Made Me Do It Pete Rock & CL Smooth: Go with the Flow P-Funk All Stars: Dope Dogs Pharcyde: Officer Prince Johnny C: Comin' to Get Ya, Kevey Kev is a Dancer with Soul Prince: Gangster Glam, Gett Off, My Name is Prince Public Enemy: Bring the Noise, Fight the Power, Hazy Shade of Criminal, Rebel Without a Pause, She Watch Channel Zero, Terminator X to the Edge of Panic, The Enemy Assault Vehicle Mixx Redman: Rated R Roxanne Shante: Have a Nice Day Run-DMC: Back from Hell, Beats to the Rhyme, Run's House, Word is Born Salt-N-Pepa: Let the Rhythm Run Scarface: Born Killer Sinead O'Connor: I Am Stretched on Your Grave Sir Mix-A-Lot: No Holds Barred Slayer & Atari Teenage Riot: No Remorse (I Wanna Die) Slick Rick: The Moment I Feared Smooth Ice: I'm Coming, Without a Pause Sons of Bazerk: One Time for the Rebel South Central Cartel: Neighborhood Jacka Stetsasonic: DBC Let the Music Play, Sally, Speaking of a Girl Named Suzy, The Hip Hop Band Stop the Violence Movement: Self-Destruction Style: Victim to the Vinyl Sublime: Scarlet Begonias Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud: Do the James, Let the Drummer Get Ill Sweet T: My Beat Tim Dog: Goin Wild in the Penile, Low Down N---a TLC: Shock Dat Monkey True Mathematics: For the Lover in You Tung Twista: No Peace Sign Tupac ft Richie Rich: Lie to Kick It Ultramagnetic MC: Give the Drummer Some, Moe Love on the One & Two Vanilla Ice: Stop That Train Wagon Christ: Filthy Drummer WC & the Maad Circle: Ghetto Serenade Yomo & Maulkie: Mockingbird YZ: Return of the Holy One Z-Trip: Rockstar, Rockstar 2 RIP to a true musical legend, James Brown, 1933 to 2006. Wikipedia Entry on James Brown