Less a mere song than a sonic adventure, the "Seven Minutes Of Madness - Coldcut Mix" of Eric B & Rakim's seminal 1987 track Paid In Full, brought the two disparate worlds of the burgeoning Chicago influenced UK House and early beats and breaks scene, populated by the likes of Coldcut, Bomb the Bass & Simon Harris amongst others with old school hiphop, the product being this sublime insta-classic. From the moment of its release this track has been acknowledged by both sample/breaks influenced dj's and hip hop aficionados alike as a milestone. From the initial sample of "This is a journey into sound.." which has become a staple to the use of the delectable Ofra Haza's "Im Nin'Alu" as the basis for the choruses the seven minutes go by way too fast to completely enjoy this musical journey and will have you setting it on repeat to capture each nuance. Holding this all together is that bassline...ahh that bassline...and with Rakim's rasp and razor sharp delivery, fans of numerous genres from hiphop to house to soul to world music can all find a reason to feel this keeper of a track. Essential.
Embedding is blocked but here's the url.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZElWBsoyvUo
