Jimmy Castor in 1975. Photo: Gilles Petard/Redferns
When soul and funk artist Jimmy Castor passed away this past Monday (Jan. 16) in Las Vegas, the singer and saxophonist left behind a world of uptempo funk tracks that reached their anthemic peak in the ’70s, most gloriously with the exhilarating “It’s Just Begun.” Castor’s musical legacy is one that has long been appreciated by the hip-hop community, with producers regularly dipping into his discography for sample sources. Here’s Hive’s pick of the five most memorable rap tracks that keep Castor’s legacy alive.
1. Kanye West, “We Don’t Care”
An uplifting moment from Kanye West’s The College Dropout debut album, “We Don’t Care” culls from the Jimmy Castor Bunch’s “I Just Wanna Stop.” Kanye’s genius comes in flipping the slightly schmaltzy, saxophone-lead song into a rousing, feel-good anthem dedicated to those who are “drug dealing just to get by.” [Listen here.]
2. N.W.A., “Gangsta Gangsta”
“What we’re gonna do right here is go back … Way back.” So runs the vocal sample snagged from Jimmy Castor’s furious “Troglodyte (Cave Man).” Produced by Dr. Dre, the sample’s appearance on “Gangsta Gangsta” helps to introduce Eazy-E’s typically high-strung appearance on the ode to nefarious living. So smitten with the sample was Dre that he repeated the trick on Efil4Zaggin‘s reminisce session, “Wayz Of Dayback,” which is opened by the snippet. [Listen here.]
3. Eric B & Rakim, “Musical Massacre”
The most frequently plundered sample from Jimmy Castor’s vaults, the title track to 1972′s It’s Just Begun is a storming funk workout. The original is propelled by a glorious horn riff — and it’s a snippet of music that’s been recycled by not just rap icons like Grandmaster Flash, Ice-T, the Jungle Brothers and Kool Keith‘s old crew the Ultramagnetic MCs, but also pop troupe the Spice Girls. But we’re anointing Eric B & Rakim’s “Musical Massacre” as the track to showcase it best, with the R’s sophisticated flow matching the pace of the sample with effortless poise. [Listen here.]
4. The Jungle Brothers, “Sounds Of The Safari”
The underrated faction of the Native Tongues movement that also included De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, the Jungle Brothers hooked up the opening holler from Jimmy Castor’s “King Kong” for their own naturalistic vibes. “Komo Sambe Kong!” screams the sample, before the JB’s go on to layer in other jungle animal sounds as the track unwinds. It’s a fine fit, although Castor’s original, with its swaggering funky charm, still reigns supreme. [Listen here.]
5. Beastie Boys, “Hold It Now, Hit It”
The Beasties are masters at sourcing strange vocal samples, and here the introductory refrain from Castor’s “The Return Of Leroy, Part One” becomes a reoccurring motif for a track from their boisterous 1986 debut album, Licensed to Ill. Castor’s song convinces as a lilting, steel-drum-lead number, but MCA, Ad Rock and Mike D thought it more appropriate to have the “Yo Leroy!” phrase spark an abrasive, stripped-down production that also has them shouting out every bum’s wine of choice, Thunderbird. [Listen here.]
