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Alright Cover guys - I'm looking for some expertise


Jimbroni

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My band is primarily an instrumental funky jam band jazzy kinda thing, we do some covers occasionally. However, for Halloween we're doing a show with a hip hop group. We play, they play, and then we are going to join forces a do a short set of covers. So the format would be Bass, guitar, and drums with keys as a substitute when needed. Along with 3 vocalists / rappers.

 

Right now we are looking at.

 

Red Hot Mama - Funkadelic

Where its At - Beck

Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J

 

Some possibles but not decided.

 

Sex Machine

Something by Rick James

a Prince song

a Beastie Boys song.

 

Any ideas that would fit a funky jam band meets hip hop setting?

 

It would be cool to do a Prince song, but most prince tunes that I dig require some guitar shredding. And well our guitarist is more of melodic / thematic type not a shredder at all.

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I play Word Up/Cameo and rap King of Rock/Run DMC over the groove.

 

A legit crew can flow over any def jam with fly beats!

 

Translation: If you play groovy instrumental tunes, the rap group should be able to fit just about any old school lyric over it.

 

I'm thinking more P-Funk tunes like Turn This Mutha Out or Bop Gun.

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For the prince song, I'd go with 'Kiss.' I vote Sabotage, Slow and Low, or Root Down for the beasties. +1 on Word up, too. Sounds like a fun show!!!

Everyone loves kiss but its a tricky beat to rap on because the songs doesn't have a bassline. For hip hop the easiest songs will be a really straighforward 4/4 where you can easily establish a cadence. In terms of prince songs you can actually do. You could do D.M.S.R. (I love that song) or even Gett Off which already has a rap break. Or... come to think of it... {censored} Control. Slow and Low sounds like it will be bad ass... hey... will one of you drummers tell me if its the same drumbeat from "When The Levee Breaks"? I'm kind of listening to it in my head and I think it might be.

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Baby's Got Back and Stroking, it's the 2 most played songs on the jukebox at all venues I play at. Good luck and enjoy the gig. Gotta Halloween gig myself but unfortunately it out doors and I hate outdoor gigs usually their always that one drunk guy that wants to get up on the stage to be center of attention.:facepalm:

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Everyone loves kiss but its a tricky beat to rap on because the songs doesn't have a bassline. For hip hop the easiest songs will be a really straighforward 4/4 where you can easily establish a cadence. In terms of prince songs you can actually do. You could do D.M.S.R. (I love that song) or even Gett Off which already has a rap break. Or... come to think of it... {censored} Control. Slow and Low sounds like it will be bad ass... hey... will one of you drummers tell me if its the same drumbeat from "When The Levee Breaks"? I'm kind of listening to it in my head and I think it might be.

 

...didn't think about that. I just love that song.

 

{censored} Control is a good one, too, depending on your audience--same with Get off. I guess if you're doing a show with rappers, your audience can handle the content. :D

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...didn't think about that. I just love that song.


{censored} Control is a good one, too, depending on your audience--same with Get off. I guess if you're doing a show with rappers, your audience can handle the content.
:D

 

If you're bored you should listen to our mashup of Kiss and Closer... We DO have a bassline in it. You'll think me singing NIN in a falsetto is pretty funny.

www.reverbnation.com/ineedmorecowbell

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Everyone loves kiss but its a tricky beat to rap on because the songs doesn't have a bassline. For hip hop the easiest songs will be a really straighforward 4/4 where you can easily establish a cadence. In terms of prince songs you can actually do. You could do D.M.S.R. (I love that song) or even Gett Off which already has a rap break. Or... come to think of it... {censored} Control. Slow and Low sounds like it will be bad ass... hey... will one of you drummers tell me if its the same drumbeat from "When The Levee Breaks"? I'm kind of listening to it in my head and I think it might be.

 

 

Cool ideas.

 

Yeah we are definitely trying to keep it on the simple side. This is our first collaboration with these guys we want to keep it short, simple, and sweet.

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Cool ideas.


Yeah we are definitely trying to keep it on the simple side. This is our first collaboration with these guys we want to keep it short, simple, and sweet.

 

Just keep in mind that almost every rap known to man is written in 16 bars so make sure that you have some sort of break after 16 bars for a chorus. Rappers have tons of rhymes already written so if they can latch onto your groove you'll be fine. Just tell the rapper to cue someone before he goes into a break or just make sure he is cool with the 16 bar format. If he is cool with the format any song mentioned in the thread can be truncated into 16 bars if it isn't already.

 

-OH, and also if he has a chorus which you can pick up lyrically try to do a spoken vocal harmony ie: Flavor Flav on Don't believe the hype. Rappers love it when you do this if you do it correctly.

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