SAMPLE SUNDAY------FATHER'S DAY EDITION

PEACE AND BLESSINGS TO ALL OF THE STRONG FATHERS THAT ARE RAISING THEIR CHILDREN AND COMMUNITIES!  TODAY'S INSTALLMENT OF SAMPLE SUNDAY IS GOING TO PAY HOMAGE TO THOSE STRONG BROTHERS THAT ARE ON A CONSTANT GRIND TO PROVIDE, NURTURE, STRENGTHEN, EDUCATE AND UPLIFT.  FROM A HIP HOP PERSPECTIVE, IT WAS A NO-BRAINER FOR MY SAMPLE SUNDAY SELECTION.  BOTH SONGS ARE RECOGNIZABLE PIECES OF THE HIP HOP DIASPORA, SO TO SPEAK.  THE HIP HOP VERSION IS A CONSTANT REMINDER OF WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE A FATHER, A MESSAGE DEFINITELY NEEDED WITH THIS NEW GENERATION UPON US.  THE ORIGINAL SONG SENDS A MESSAGE FOR A PEOPLE TO SEARCH WITHIN FOR THE TRUTH.  PUT THOSE TWO TOGETHER, AND THE PURPOSE OF FATHER'S DAY IS QUITE CLEAR.

TO START THINGS OFF, WE WILL GO BACK INTO THE VAULT FOR A ROY AYERS STAPLE, "SEARCHING" FROM THE 1976 ALBUM VIBRATIONS.  THE ROY AYERS UBIQUITY SONG IS ONE OF THE BEST FROM THE HUGE CATALOG OF THE JAZZ/SOUL/FUNK VIBRAPHONIST.  IT IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE INTOXICATING MUSIC THAT WAS CREATED DURING THE '70'S BY ONE OF THE JAZZ FUSION PIONEERS.  THIS ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A FAVORITE SONG FROM MY YOUTH AND ADULTHOOD.

IT IS QUITE FITTING THAT ON A DAY DESIGNED TO PAY HOMAGE TO FATHERS THAT THE APTLY TITLED "BE A FATHER TO YOUR CHILD" BY ED O.G. WOULD BE MY SAMPLE SUNDAY HIP HOP SELECTION.  THIS SONG RESONATED IN MY EARS AND SPIRIT DURING 1991 AND BEYOND.  I REMEMBER PURCHASING THE ALBUM LIFE OF A KID IN THE GHETTO AND BEING VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE MUSIC FROM THE BOSTON COLLECTIVE KNOWN AS ED O.G. AND DA BULLDOGS.  NOT ONLY WAS THIS SONG LEFT OF CENTER DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE DECADE, BUT IT WAS SONICALLY AND LYRICALLY A VERY DOPE CUT.  ED O.G. SPOKE ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING A FATHER, NOT JUST A SPERM DONOR, AND IT SPOKE DIRECTLY TO ME AND MY COHORTS DURING THAT CRUCIAL ERA.  TO THIS DAY I CONSIDER "BE A FATHER TO YOUR CHILD" ONE OF THE MOST UPLIFTING SONGS, SO FOR FATHER'S DAY, I GIVE YOU A PIECE OF HIP HOP THAT IS RARELY DEPICTED BY THE MEDIA, AN HONEST, UPLIFTING, AND RESPONSIBLE PIECE OF ART.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THESE DYNAMIC ARTISTS THAT CROSSED PATHS WITH TWO UNIQUE AND DOPE CUTS, GO TO EACH OF THEIR WEBSITES POSTED BELOW:

http://www.myspace.com/royayersubiquity

http://www.myspace.com/edogboston

TODAY'S SAMPLE SUNDAY IS DEDICATED TO ALL OF MY COHORTS, FRIENDS, INFLUENCES, FAMILY, AND MUSICAL BROTHERS THAT ARE A CONSTANT IN THEIR CHILDREN'S LIVES.  I SALUTE YOU, EVEN WHEN NO ONE ELSE DOES...

ONE LOVE!!!!!!

WISDOM