Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full (Promo) - Re-Up - (1987)

4th & Broadway 12 BRX 78

Re-Up!: Originally posted by Mick on 12/04/2012.
I reconstructed this from three 320 sources so it's not strictly a vinyl rip. - Kymba

In 1987 when Eric B & Rakim could do no wrong, Coldcut was called upon to remix Paid In Full. Seven Minutes Of Madness turned out to be the most popular mix that year, from the dance-floor point of view at least. It was, quite deservedly, played to death! Eric B was not a happy man though, even though it must have doubled, if not quadrupled the sales of his album. He hated that remix, suggesting that Ofra Haza's Hebrew vocal sample from "Im Nin'Alu" could have been saying "Fuck You" for all we knew. The thing that probably irked him most was that he had no say about the remix and its release.

The real shame was that nobody else got a look in. This promo 12" (handed out at the DMC Convention if I remember rightly) is a remix created by South London's own Derek Boland. Boland had been a DJ on the pirate stations (LWR 92.5) for sometime where he created his own remixes for his show.


This remix of Paid In Full uses a nice sample from John 'Cougar' Mellancamp's - Jack & Diane and a chunk of Chuck Brown's - We Need Some Money. That's Rock Music and Go-Go in this Hip-Hop mix. It's a great version and it deserved more airplay. 

Try it, you'll like it.

Tracklist

• Paid In Full (Derek B's Urban Respray)
• Paid In Full (Album Mix)
• Eric B Is On The Cut 

Download: EB&R-PIF-P.7z | Filesize: 27.7MB

Mica Paris - Contribution - (1990)

4th & Broadway ‎– BRCD 188, Island Records ‎– 879 319-2

I've always loved Mica, and in the late 80s to early 90s she was banging out tune after wonderful tune. My One Temptation, the uber sexy Breathe Life Into Me, the breathtakingly beautiful I Should Have Known Better (one of the best basslines ever - thanks, Omar!), Young Soul Rebels... I could go on but you get the point.

Contribution is such a great tune. It's got the typical early 90s UK urban music scene vibes of equality and social consciousness which may come off as cheesey to some, but it is way better than the rank commercialism and overt hyper-sexualisation of today's music. And it's all held down with a very urban party vibe style beat. 

Hip Hop legend Rakim (we're not worthy!) makes an appearance, dropping some of his trademark ahead-of-his-time bars over the dope beats. There is also guitar work by a certain Mr Nile Rogers of Chic fame. Awesome!

I genuinely enjoy all the mixes and this is one rare occasion where I'm not gonna suggest one or two over the others (I know, right?). They're not too dissimilar but they all work.

Incidentally, the backup track Showers Of Love is produced by Phivos (Phill) Sebastiane better known as The Scientist! No, not the reggae dub specialist, but the UK's own electronic music Scientist who put out legendary breakbeat cuts such as The Excorcist and The Bee. as well as Champion Sound (under the name Kick Squad). Sadly, Showers of Love is the weakest joint on this CD, and shows none of Phil's psychedelic rave infused breakbeat madness.

Tracklist

1. Contribution (The Original Edit)
2. Contribution (Transistor Mix)
3. Contribution (The Revolution Remix)
4. Showers Of Love

Download: MP-C.7z | Filesize: 41.1MB