This is a guest post by J-Squared and Hudson. Since 2003, J-Squared and Hudson have put out a series of mix CDs featuring the best Christmas music from the genres of rap, soul, funk, jazz, reggae and lots more. Listen to them all here (via Mixcloud):
http://toiletries.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/complete-seasons-beatings/
We all know that sample spotting is for life, not just for Christmas, but seeing as it’s that special time of the year we thought it would be good to do our ‘Twelve Breaks of Christmas’.
1. Milly & Silly’s ‘Getting Down For Xmas’ sampled in Main Source’s ‘Peace Is Not the Word to Play’
A novelty record from the 70s here with a ridiculous open drum intro, pitched down and used in devastating fashion by Large Professor as the intro to side two of Main Source’s classic album ‘Breaking Atoms’.
2. Kurtis Blow’s ‘Christmas Rapping’ sampled in Public Enemy’s ‘Night of the Living Baseheads’
‘Christmas Rapping’ is probably the most sampled Xmas record due to the ‘hold it now – wait, hold it’ intro (the Beastie Boys‘ ‘Hold It Now, Hit It’ springs to mind and there are dozens of other records that have also used it) but PE slyly take a different section for the chorus of ‘Baseheads’, using the ‘T’was the night…’ repeatedly to great effect.
3. Clarence Carter’s ’Back Door Santa’ sampled in Run-DMC’s ‘Christmas in Hollis’
‘Back Door Santa’ is an ace holiday record with a nice hint of sleaze and it’s used to great effect for Run-DMC’s classic breakthrough Christmas hit which was brought to the mainstream by Bruce Willis’s chauffeur in ‘Die Hard’, who got down to this in the basement of the soon to be shot up Nakatomi Building.
Run-DMC need to get extra credit due to being undoubtedly hip-hop’s most festive crew – reference the usage of:
4. Gene Autry’s ‘Frosty the Snowman’ – not only on ‘Christmas is‘ but also on:
5. The Run helmed (featuring an incredible supporting cast) ‘Santa Baby‘
6. James Pierpont’s ‘Jingle Bells’ sampled in Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘Dashing’
The Wu like Christmas as much as anyone and they show this by interpolating ‘Jingle Bells’ into this track from their ‘Iron Flag’ album. Eggnog is served in the 36 Chambers.
7. Paul McCartney’s ‘Wonderful Christmastime’ sampled in De La Soul’s ‘Simply Havin’’
A very non Christmassy De La record using a sample from a very Christmassy record from a certain ex-Beatle (not sure how they ever cleared this…)
8. Nat King Cole’s ‘The Christmas Song’ sampled in Ras Kass’s ‘Jack Frost’
A traditional Christmas song here from the legendary King Cole given a 90s moody hip-hop rerub by Ras Kass, who doesn’t sound exactly full of Christmas cheer.
Another sample from a well-loved TV special, with Busta Rhymes taking the clear money path and joining forces on the rap with the then Hollywood man that could do no wrong, Jim Carrey.
10. Vince Guaraldi Trio’s ‘Christmas is Coming’ sampled in MellowHype feat. Frank Ocean’s Hell
Is ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ the ultimate Xmas TV special? We think so and someone was surely bound to have used the incredible score so here’s our boy Frank Ocean teaming up with MellowHype for great Xmas effect.
11. Procol Harum’s ‘Christmas Camel’ sampled in Planet Asia & Evidence’s ‘Gold Chain Music’
Great use of a Christmas sample on this little heard track from Babu’s Duck Season Vol. 1 mixtape.
12. Doris Day’s ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’ sampled in Ludacris’s ‘Ludacrismas’
Unfortunately Vince Vaughn’s forgettable feel good Yuletide caper ‘Fred Claus’ isn’t on our list of unmissable Christmas movies. Its one silver lining is this Ludacris banger that nicely flips Ms Doris Day.
Seasons Beatings y’all!
Jsquared and Hudson
Check out over 150 more samples of Christmas songs here. Which ones would make your list of 12? Write ‘em down in the comments below!
We went for 12 – but would love to know what would have been on your list of 12!
De La cleared “Wonderful Christmas Time” because Sir Paul was probably ecstatic to find anyone who liked his song, let alone enough to sample! (I do like the De La, I’ll admit.)