Good producers can capture a vibe and an essence that fits perfectly to a particular artist. This can be said of all genres and is especially true when it comes to hip hop. There is something magical that occurs when a beat maker goes digging and finds the perfect elements to chop and program and fit everything together with some drums that knock. The instrument of choice for most of these cats back in the day was the MPC-2000.
I was fortunate enough to get my hands on one of these bad boys back in the 2000s and composed some of the first tracks that went on my debut release Intervention by James Divine. This track right here takes me back to some of those sweet compositions that invaded the airwaves in the 90s and 2000s. Producers like DJ Premier, J Dilla, Kanye West and Just Blaze have composed some of the most iconic songs in hip hop using this tool.
While nowadays producers may not necessarily be using this particular sampler, they are no doubt trying to emulate the warm and unique sound it produced through its circuitry. The 16-pad matrix has been borrowed by many other pieces of gear and has continued to gain popularity through the years moving away from not only a piece of studio gear to one used for performance.
This particular track reminds me of the kind of song you would make on an MPC. Judging by the video it looks like that was the case. In any event, it’s a great track that captures the essence of vintage boom bap featuring one of the greatest (yet sometimes slept on) MCs of all time, Masta Ace. Ace was made for this type of beat and sits right in the pocket of this jam. Gonna be keeping my eyes and ears on these dudes. Peep game.
The Feel by The Good People & Shar The Analog Bastard feat. Masta Ace
JT James is a DJ, producer and writer based out of Vancouver, Canada. A veteran of the DJ and recording worlds. he has produced several projects in the genres of hip hop and electronic music under various aliases such as James Divine, Track Nicholson and Sandy Villanova. When he’s not on the decks, in the studio or staring into a blank word document you can catch him at the beach, hiking through the forest or telling people how much yoga can change their life. Look out for his latest project Wulvun and their debut single ‘Far Away’ streaming now on all major platforms.
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Company: https://essentialent.ca
Wulvun Single https://youtu.be/LPDQThtj_TA
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