Dj Muggs getting busy making beats on his SP 1200, in 1992 (I originally thought it was 93, but I remember this being a few months after the riots, so it was actually 1992), at his home in the Southgate area of Southern Cali.
plus they still hit the same way unlike bubble gum abc rap of today with recycled sounds from the 90s with horrible qaulity instead of making there own
for those curious, the main vocal sample muggs is using at 0:20 is from "You Sure Drive A Hard Bargain" by Albert King. definitely an artist muggs was a fan of sampling lol
You Showed Me (1968) was sampled in Transmitting Live From Mars by De La Soul (1989) You Showed Me by Salt-N-Pepa (1990) Sunshine Men by Freestyle Fellowship (1992) Not U Again by Brothers Uv Da Blakmarket (1992) Don't Sleep! by Harleckinz (1995) Baby Father by Mad Lion (1995) Turtle Soup by DJ Food (1996) The Playboy Mansion by U2 (1997) Out House Stunt by The B.U.M.S. (1998) Midnightsession by Thomilla, Max Herre, Hausmarke and Afrob feat. Gentleman (1999)
Muggs always had little elements in his beats that made them super funky. Like that trademark 1200 swinging hi hat "tic-tic-tic-tic-a-ticky-tic-tic-tic". Lol
There is no denying that today's top producers all utilize computers. By no means am I stuck in the past and fully understand that we need to utilize technology to further enhance our craft and creativity. What I don't like is that the same luxuries that allow good producers to put out great material are the same luxuries that cause inept producers to flood the market with subpar material. Everyone with a midi controller and a DAW thinks they are producers just because they can assemble noise.
Mosh Pits & Motorcycles - that was never the point. The software and tools were extremely crude. It’s the same idea in film, that the crudeness of tools forces creativity whereas powerful tools don’t have the same dynamic of forcing innovation due to lack of tools
Jay Are yeah but being innovative with crude tools doesn't equal good music. Gotta learn to use what you have available, whether it's top notch equipment or a bucket and a spoon. If you take out the words, a lot of these new beats sound cool as hell
Muggs and Lethal were on a whole nother level! (And still are!). I saw them talkin about this process on Cypress Hill Insane In The Brain on Showtime. 🤘
"The Turtles" didnt know they created melodic sequence which would be used so often :) 1. The Turtles - You Showed Me (1968) (~2. DJ Muggs (1992) making beats at his home studio~) 2. DJ Food - Turtle soup (1994) 3. The Lightning Seeds - You Showed Me (1996) 4. Supreme Beings of Leisure - Never The Same (2000) 5. DJ Food - Turtle Soup (Wagon Christ Mix) (2003)
This is the dude who REALLY got me into hip hop back in 91. Before that i was a casual hip hop listener.....I heard Cypress : How I coiuld just kill a man" and it was over...........Dilla might have changed your life but MUGGS changed MINE...He made me a Hip Hop Junkie i am today...........SA all DAY!!!!!!! EAST LOS!!!
DJ MUGGS AND CYPRESS HILL HAD A ALBUM THAT WHENT 2× Platinum AND STILL MAKING BEATS IN HIS HOUSE...NOW THATS SOME G SHIT RIGHT THERE!!! CYPRESS HILL FOREVER!..
I see some comments about his equipment. As someone who makes beats as well, I would like to say that it’s not the equipment per se, it’s the producer! Gotta remember these machines were very limited per alchemist/timbaland (look up their interviews they speak of this). It’s just the creativity and how much you practice and know your equipment and or DAW!
Edward John Bowden yessir. the incredible bongo band. I'm only 26 and 98% of the people I know or who are around me, do not know this. even older cats are surprised with disbelief that I would know
I still believe making music is like magic. If you're doing the right kind of magic, people move their bodies. I believe music and art, it's like this sort of thing that gives you some kind of feeling in your spirit.
I always come back to this video for inspiration. Its just crazy to think that at that time, producers were seen as magicians and what they did was a very unknown process; which is what made it magical. A bunch of nerd tech wizard/ music lovers sitting at a station making amazing sound and mastering the craft without the internet, using hand books and manuels to actually try to figure it out; that is if you didn't have an industry connection to just show you how. That meant going to libraries or reading music magazines to find out how to program drums and understanding mixing. Sampling is an art in itself, and not having any digital visual view of a wave file (on certain machines at the time i believe maybe) but simply listening and chopping the samples on transients and doing it all with limited sample time, and some machines with no undo feature forced precision and creativity...which made it organic and magic like.
Man. I'd pay cash to go back to when he made the beat for Stoned Raiders on Temples of Boom. He has that instrumental stashed away somewhere and I'm desperate for it lol
Yes, 70s soul records were heavily sampled in the nineties, but there are many producers who've caught the sampling bug in recent years and it just doesn't quite sound the same. There is something about the analog circuitry on the sp-1200 and Mpc 60 that really captured the soul of many of those 70s records. I just sounded fuller and warmer... The sounds filled more sonic space...
I believe it was a little mixer that went out to his Tascam 8 track cassette recorder. It was a long time ago, but I think that's right. The thing I remember most is that he was very welcoming and hospitable.
