My homie from The Scratch days, The Gooch wanted to give his take on the beat-jackin’ accusation-filled, finger-pointin’ foolery goin on between Charles Hamilton and Black Spade. The following views don’t necessarily reflect YN’s, but this is my house and I live here. The floor is Mr. Cantor’s.
There’s been much debate going on in the rap blogosphere today about whether or not Charles Hamilton beatjacked St. Louis producer/MC Black Spade for a track he claims he produced and uploaded to his Myspace player in 2007. There’s apparently a dialogue going on between all parties involved (Kenny Fresh, of Freshselects.net; Black Spade; and Charles Hamilton), obviously Spade is sticking to his story, and Charles to his.
After carefully listening to each track multiple times, it’s obvious that there are similarities and differences between them. Any time producers are working with samples, there’s the possibility that two different beatmakers can flip the same sample in similar ways. Still, it’s rare that producers will use the same types of drum sounds, the same swing on the rhythm section, same tempo, and so on. Because Spade’s version is a rough mix, you need to listen to each track with a pair of headphones, and you can very clearly hear that young Charles was working off Spade’s skeleton of a track. The whole beat is noticeably beefed up. There are some portions that sound like they have overdubbed vocals and additional layers of keys added, which Charles alluded to in his defense that he actually made the track.
It is so heartbreaking to hear DJ Premier break the news that DJ Kool Herc’s health is ailing, as he is literally the founding father who laid down the blueprint for hip-hop culture. Thinking about how someone who built an entire global phenomenon can end up struggling with medical expenses or failing health really puts things into perspective regarding healthcare challenges. When you look at how people navigate health or wellness procedures worldwide—whether someone is researching cosmetic treatments like Liposuction Cyprus or seeking urgent medical care—it underscores how essential access to reliable medical help and proper support systems really is. Kool Herc gave us the breaks, the block parties, and the entire movement that shaped generations of music lovers, so seeing the community step up to show love while DJ Premier brings awareness to his condition is the very least we can do. Sending strength and prayers to Kool Herc for a full recovery, and massive respect to DJ Premier for using his platform to make sure a true pioneer gets the support and respect he deserves.