The development of the new technologies SP 1200 and MPC-2000 in the late 1980s and early 1990s is strongly connected with the deep socioeconomic context and social commentary roots of the hip hop genre. The newfound widespread accessibility of technology to produce music redefined the identity of musicians. The intention of hip hop during this time was to express the hardships of marginalized communities and poorer socioeconomic classes, which were the exact populations that now had the ability to create music. All of the sudden, ideas, feelings, images, and realities of these communities could be openly communicated and expressed expansively as hip hop songs were basically being mass produced.
Below is an analysis of the ‘Funky Drummer’ sample as it is used in Public Enemy’s ‘Fight the Power’ (1989) and Dr. Dre’s ‘Let Me Ride’ (1992). The songs were produced by The Bomb Squad and Dr. Dre, respectively. These producers were amongst the earliest to utilize the SP 1200 and Akai MPC-2000. The different sounds and messages of these two songs indicate how the new technology and age of the hip hop genre evolved from the “Funky Drummer” and transformed it into the framework of early 1990’s hip hop music.
Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power”
“Funky Drummer” sample plays in “Fight the Power” at 0:13 and consistently throughout the song. Press here to see the exact sampling. The first thing to notice in this song is the raw sample, the sound of Clyde Stubblefield’s drum groove is exactly as it is in its original version.
The next thing to notice is Public Enemy signals this sample saying, “Sound of the funky drummer Music hitting your heart ’cause I know you got soul (Brothers and sisters, hey)”, calling into the lineage of James Brown and Soul music, indicating his African American roots as well as the audience he wants his message to reach. A key characteristic of hip hop is the use of signifying and enabling layered meanings in the music by using these shouts and calls as a trope. By identifying that the sample is from James Brown’s “Funky Drummer”, the first indication is that Public Enemy connects their roots to the Godfather of Soul. The second thing that it indicates is that his music is intended for black communities, as was James Brown’s “Black Music”. The third is just the concept of legitimizing the song by building it off of such a popular, well respected song. The signifying also means that Public Enemy’s intention is similar to James Brown’s, to relate to and on behalf of marginalized, African American communities. There are many other things that this signifying can be interpreted to mean, but the final and most evident one is that this song is hip hop, because the component in signifying itself is a feature of the hip hop genre, not black music or soul or funk or any other genre.
Public Enemy jumps right into the political message a few lines later with “Got to give us what we want (uh) Gotta give us what we need (hey) Our freedom of speech is freedom or death We got to fight the powers that be”.
Dr. Dre’s “Let Me Ride”
Dr. Dre’s “Let Me Ride” taking an entirely different spin on things. It was about celebration and relaxing, painting Los Angeles and the positive aspects of its lifestyle. The images, sounds, and lyrics are not intended to evoke feelings of anger and social change, nor highlighting negatives and inequalities of their neighborhood. This coincides with Dr. Dre’s concept of G-Funk, a survival mentality that highlights rising above the typical competition and angst of the gangster lifestyle and appreciate life in a more laid back fashion.
The sample is manipulated to reflect and evoke these intended feelings. The drum groove is slowed down, with the notes between each snare hit seem prolonged and drawn out, while the timbre of the bass drum is manipulated to sound a lot higher and less stressful to the ear. Listen here. These manipulations, possible by the DAW, permit Dr. Dre to produce music that is intended for African American audiences and signals their lineage back to the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, but with an entirely different theme than Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power”. These two songs could use the same sample, but one using the original groove to provoke feelings of challenge and socio-political change, while the other manipulated the tempo and sounds of the sample to coincide with its more relaxing, positive message of life in LA.