SoundNexx

THE CLASSIK JAZZ SESSION 2: HIPHOP INFLUENCED!
In The Classik Jazz Session 1, I put together a mix of some of my favorite standard and contemporary jazz classics that I felt everyone should hear. There is so much great jazz in the world that it's hard to narrow the songs down to fit into one mix, so that's why I am doing a series of mixes dedicated to jazz music. Jazz has influenced most other forms of music, but one genre that has gained the most from jazz in my opinion is hiphop! From horn samples to guitar riffs, hiphop producers have taken some of the most distinctive jazz sounds and created some classic beats. Due to the competitive nature of making beats, producers rarely share their information about the artists or songs they've sampled. One of the most famous hiphop producers known for his jazzy horn samples is "The Chocolate Boy Wonder," Pete Rock! He is definitely one of the pioneers of the jazz sampled hiphop beat. Another one of the great jazz samplers is DJ Premier of Gang Starr fame! Primo and Guru took the hiphop world by storm by paying homage to several jazz greats on the track titled, "Jazz Music" off of their debut album "No More Mr. Nice Guy" back in 1989! Groups like the Roots took it to the next level by developing their hiphop sound with live instrumentation from their own band that provided MCs Dice Raw and Black Thought the perfect backdrop to spit that lyrical venom.

Some of the younger jazz musicians quickly realized that there was successful opportunity in incorporating hiphop with jazz. Since most of them grew up listening to hiphop, it seemed like a perfect fit. The first time I heard a song that was based on hiphop jazz was in 1993 by my man J. Spencer with a song called, "Hot Pants!" This single was featured on his infamous album debut, "Chimera." Spencer featured unknown rappers that blessed this track, while he played the horn! Definitely one of my favorite jazz records. It seemed like after that track did its thing, all of the jazz musicians were sharing space on their records with rappers? Some of it was good, and some of it wasn't! In the later years, some jazz musicians have tried their hand with hiphop by jazzilizing classic hiphop records, which has spawned compilations like "Hidden Beach Recordings Presents: Unwrapped Volumes 1-4," "Def Jazz," and "Streetwise Does Dre!" DJs like DJ Smash (shown in the picture above) was known for his jazzy hiphop breakbeat albums that were used to rock clubs all around the world. He never really got his just due in the states, but he is no doubt one of the pioneers of this b-bop jazz sound. If you like the hiphop feel without the actual vocals, these albums are for you. Click the highlighted links above to find out mor information about these albums and DJ Smash. However you want to play it, hiphop & jazz is a marriage made in heaven!

For all of you folks that swear that you don't like jazz, check the sample of your favorite songs to be sure? When you are bobbing your head to that tune you like, believe that there is a jazz sample fused some where in there! Jazz is for the grown and sexy, or the young and ugly for that matter......

DOWNLOAD THE CLASSIK JAZZ SESSION 2: HIPHOP INFLUENCED MIX!