Don’t Get Sentimental

The song “Blueprint²” is featured on Jay-Z’s 2002 album “The Blueprint²: The Gift & The Curse.” The beat on this song initially caught my attention because it’s very epic sounding and very familiar, although I couldn’t figure out where I knew it from.

Later, after doing some reading on the Jay-Z vs. Nas feud I realized that this song was chock full of punches towards Nas. Then after some further reading on “The Blueprint²: The Gift & The Curse” I found that the sample came from “The Ecstasy of Gold” by Ennio Morricone, from the score to “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

The way I became familiar with “The Ecstasy of Gold” is not through “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” because I have never seen it sadly enough, but because it is one of the songs on Metallica’s “S&M” album which was recorded live with the San Francisco Symphony. Apparently Metallica has been using it as their intro music for their concerts since 1983. I had no idea. Apparently the Ramones also used the song for the same purpose.

Ennio Morricone as you may or may not know is a very well known Italian Academy Award-winning composer who has done film soundtracks and scores for tons and tons of movies.

The use of this classic and epic piece as a sample in a hip-hop song is simply brilliant. The producer on the Jay-Z track is Charlemagne, who I have never heard of before, unless he is the historical figure Charlemagne King of the Franks. And I don’t think he is. Below is a studio version of “The Ecstasy of Gold” in youtube video form, the song “Blueprint²” by Jay-Z, and the live Metallica S&M version of “The Ecstasy of Gold”.

Jay-Z - Blueprint²

Metallica - The Ecstasy of Gold

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Yeah, yeah, I realize it’s Thursday. Think of this as a “Breakfast for Dinner” a.k.a. “Brinner”  type thing (see video below). I missed my weekly posting this past Saturday due to the fact that I am at my permanent home address in Houston, TX, where Hurricane Ike did his fair share of huffing and puffing last week. I didn’t get power back at my house until recently, so I am now making up for last Saturday’s post.

“New World” is a track off of Nas’ 1999 album “Nastradamus,” which is famous for being Nas’ least successful album in terms of ratings, but managed to go Platinum regardless. That’s when you know your name carries a lot of weight.

“New World” obviously samples Toto’s 1982 hit “Africa,” a song familiar to most of us as a corny yet lovable 80’s song.  “Africa” has also had it’s share of discrepancies in approval, having reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1983 but also being voted for having the sixth worst lyric ever in a BBC poll for the line “The wild dogs cry out in the night, As they grow restless longing for some solitary company, I know that I must do what’s right, Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti.” Word.

Toto featuring Gandalf

I’ve also included a remix of Ghostface’s “Good Times” that uses “Africa” as its backing beat, and has been aptly renamed “Good Times in Africa.” The remix is done by Omega One, famous for his production work for Aesop Rock on the songs “Coma” and ” Skip Town.”

Nas - New World

Toto - Africa

Omega One - Good Times in Africa

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