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Upright Bass In Hip-Hop


BenTunnicliffe
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Hi everyone,

I'm looking at a lot of upright grooves sampled in hip-hop music as it's far more my bag than the jazz playing and also a great vein of playing to be able to execute these days in my opinion.

Does anyone have any suggested specific tracks that use sampled upright bass to check out? I've got a fair list already but the more the better!

Also the less obscure the better.

Thanks for the suggestions.

B

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[quote name='Rabbie' timestamp='1407700640' post='2523191']
Do the people who use these samples then perform live with double bass on stage? (Pardon the obtuse question, but it is a genuine query as this style is a whole new world to me).
[/quote]

Dunno, if we're [i]really[/i] lucky they do. Sneaky (Fingathing) is a classically trained double bassist, so here's hoping!

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Not hip hop but I always think of Roni Size when upright bass is mentioned in that style of music. It was early drum'n'bass I suppose but it's very jazz like, isn't it? I dunno, I'm not good with genres, damn labels :rolleyes: .
It's surprising how many people suddenly look up when you play that little 'Brown Paper Bag' riff after tuning at a gig.

[media]http://youtu.be/guc-QvErIbM[/media]


I haven't watched all this as it's not really my thing but here's a live BBC performance.

[media]http://youtu.be/cxgNiLBtcUI[/media]

[media]http://youtu.be/03QRwTO0EQM[/media]

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Guest Jecklin

As far as I can remember a lot of early 90's hip hop used double bass sounds.
Mainstream examples that have stuck in my memory would be the albums I'll communication by the beastie boys, same as it ever was by house of pain and black Sunday by cypress hill.
Not every track in those albums uses double bass byt? some do.
I listened to those in my early teens 20 years ago and remember my pals debating whether the instruments were real or samples. This was 4 years before I picked up a bass.
I digress.....

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Guest Jecklin

@Maude yeah that roni size album new forms is littered with double bass by the player si John. When not using the double bass it wasabi a music man stingray with treble rolled off totally and bass rolled up.

There was a small "jazz & bass" scene doing very similar stuff live around jazz venues in the mid 90's.

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Great suggestions here and I wasn't surprised that Tribe Called Quest appeared very early on in the discussion!

In regards to other suggestions from myself I've actually found very few hip-hop albums that DON"T have at least a track that has sampled double bass in them.

Tying in nicely with the Robert Glasper suggestion is this tune by Common which features Derrick Hodge on double bass with what (to me) is an insanely nice upright tone and a pocket to match. Derrick Hodge is the bassist on Glasper's albums and tours and is definitely flying the flag for sounding authentic on both upright and electric in today's scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJwAkpfcEj4

Edited by icastle
Link fixed.
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Sounds like a Precision bass on the recording, but the groove is so brilliant, and there's a double bass in the video - so I'm bringing it up anyway! I'd love to hear this line on an upright...

[media]http://youtu.be/7B6fFuq6x4w[/media]

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[quote name='fumps' timestamp='1407741939' post='2523395']
all of the Beastie Boys "Ill Communication" was recorded using an upright.
[/quote]

I think he used a Mustang on 'Sabotage' ;)

Good call on Fingathing - our DJ introduced me to them, they're ace.

Cypress Hill pretty much based their sound on the upright.

Some of the Mouse Outfit stuff on Escape Music features double bass, their bassist is pretty on it actually:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiir1qs7qqE

It's not all upright but that album is well worth a listen for UK hip-hop heads, it's got a lot of great old-school sounding stuff on it and some very talented young northern MCs.

Edited by icastle
Link Fixed.
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Early tracks by Photek had killer bass samples... I'll find the names.

Edit: Hidden Camera EP

[media]httP://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrnyAheEmgA[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6phlbyUUIB0[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyL-jS5L4BM[/media]

Edited by PaulKing
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