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Breakdown - Funky Beats, Jazzy Breaks & Soulful Samples

I have to say that I don't fully understand the rationale of packaging together a series of tracks that have been sampled elsewhere, just because you have the rights to them. I doesn't necessarily follow that it makes for a good CD, and, in my experience, the majority of people who buy the new stuff aren't necessarily interested in the history behind it. For example how many fatboy fans are going to want to buy the whole of a pretty mindless, though catchy and revered in some circles, instrumental. Also just because there's a good sample doesn't mean that there's a good track - so props to the current artists who are digging out these beats.

That said there are some good tracks here, but there are also a couple of awful ones that are beyond the scope of these pages.

 There's a fair amount of Invictus/ Hot Wax stuff here and most of that is excellent - great to see Laura Lee getting some exposure with the classic Crumbs off the table. The Politicians from that stable was a new one on me as well. Flaming Ember and Eigth Day also feature.

Cymande for me were excellent and we have the funk anthem 'The message' and top cut 'Dove'. More funk by way of Parliament and the Kay Gees, and the Latin Funk of the Pazant Brothers. Nice track also by the Whatnauts - Why can't people be colours to.

Wood Brass and Steel's Hey what's that you say is good hard downhome funk and featured by Jay Z.

The hard jazz of Dizzy Gillespie on the terrific 'Matrix' is another dimension, as is Tyrone Washington.

Black Ivory are a favourite 70's male vocal outfit that I've always admired and their 'I keep asking you questions' is here. We also have the ever excellent and perennial William DeVaughn.

Some of the samples I new about and some not. Some even passed me by though in the cold light of day some are pretty obvious. The artists who have done the sampling range from the Fugees, Cube, Jay Z, Big Daddy Kane, the unsurpassable KRS1, Mos Def and a host of hip hoppers. It really is fascinating how some of these things come together.

The current days artists have taken the samples, and the originators rebound with releasing these cuts. It would be nice also if the samplers would allow both to be featured back to back. I'd like to see both ends to complete the education process.