Every week as part of our Saturday night hip hop show The Breaks, hosts Confucius and Fresh present facts about the culture of hip hop and R&B that you might not have known.
Check out the full episode and the podcast.
Disclaimer: None of these facts have been fact-checked so might in fact be false. Read at your own risk.
#1 – Wu-Tang Clan Changed the Record Industry
- No other group had ever had their individual members signed to different record labels.
- 1st (and only?) rap group to go on a world tour with a rock band (Rage Against the Machine).
# 2 DJ Premier’s beat on D’Angelo’s “Devil’s Pie” was originally meant for NYC rapper, Canibus.
- Never heard of Canibus? Ask LL Cool J.
- Happy belated birthday, D’Angelo!
# 3 Don Canon’s beat on Lil Wayne’s Dedication 2 mixtape was originally meant for Trick Daddy.
- Don Canon also says both Bohagon and Busta Rhymes had the beat before Trick Daddy.
# 4 – The Chronic was perfected before Dr. Dre. shopped it for major label distribution.
- Typically when an artist lands their first major label record deal, they use the funds provided by the label to touch up or improve upon the demos they sent to the record company.
- The Chronic as we know it is exactly as it was when Dr. Dre originally shopped it for major label distribution.
# 5 – “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang” originally had a different beat.
- Also, the D.O.C. helped Snoop Dogg write and formulate his verses on the song.
# 6 – Tupac’s “Got My Mind Made Up” was originally a Dogg Pound song.
- What makes this fact significant, and messed up, was the original by tha Dogg Pound featured East and West coast rappers collaborating in an attempt to bridge the gap between the warring rap scenes.
- To say the least, Tupac did not keep the original’s peaceful intentions.
