Roc Raida, one our favorite DJ’s passed away today — we had the great opportunity to meet, greet and interview him last year. He was hospitalized after an accident but very few details about the accident were provided about the whereabouts and his condition.

Here’s an exceprt from hiphopdx website

At 37 years old, Roc Raida won numerous ITF and DMC championships for his turntable skills. Although he is remembered for his jovial character away from the decks, Raida was an innovator in cut-throat deejay battles that often involved incorporating competitor’s names into his mixes. Raida’s also known for his agile spin-moves, and often making acrobatic cuts on the turntable, through legs, over the shoulder, and using his mouth to cut the fader.

Through his AdiarCor imprint, Roc Raida released over half a dozen CDs and DVDs, that were both mixtapes, documentaries and instructionals for aspiring deejays. His mixtapes, including Crossfaderz, and WHAT! 187 FM are also remembered for their comedic interludes, often making mock commercials for malt liquors, car services and Jamaican nightclubs.

On records, Raida was present for The X-Ecutioners’ 2002 album Built From Scratch [click to read], released on Loud/Sony Records. Previously, the deejay crew was infamously recruited by Rick Rubin for his Def American imprint, but failed to reach an agreement.

With his scratching abilities, Roc Raida worked on dozens of classic albums. Highlights include O.C.’s Word…Life, Big Pun’s Capital Punishment, Buckshot Lefonque’s self-titled debut and Immortal Technique’s two Revolutionary [click to read] volumes. As a producer, Roc Raida worked with numerous members of D.I.T.C. and Smif N’ Wessun.

Family has issued a statement “Anthony Williams p/k to the world as The Legendary Grandmaster Roc Raida has passed away unexpectedly today September 19 2009. He is survived by his wife, three lovely daughters, mother and friends. Raida was recently in an mixed martial arts accident, something that he has been practicing for several years. Although he had under gone two surgeries with great success, was released to an inpatient physical therapy facility and was in great spirits the past few days. This morning he started to have complications and passed. The family asks for privacy at this time.”

RIP

There are some songs you just thought were just so hot, they couldn’t be originals.    Here’s a list of 8 songs you might not have known were sampled or remade.  Then again, aren’t all hip hop songs sampled now a days?

1.  Hypnotize (Notorious BIG) and Rise (Herb Alpert)

Biggie’s hip hop single, Hypnotize hit #1 on the Billboard’s 100 in 1997 with the help of Herb Alpert’s single “Rise”. Putting a strong baseline onto Alpert’s sample made Hypnotize a mainstream heavy hitter across the hip hop charts.

2.  Beggin (Madcon – 2007 ) and Beggin (Frankie Valli -1967)

Madcon was probably less known until he reinvented/remade Frankie Valli’s “Beggin.” It is safe to say that Frankie Valli’s Beggin was just as big of a hit as Madcon’s but generation X ears will definitely enjoy the remake with an more uptempo and harder hitting drumline. Did you know Madcon is Norwegian??? They have hip hop in Norway? Haha…just being ignorant…

3.  Luniz + Club Nouveau

I tried really hard to find the youtube sample of Club Nouveau but I didn’t.  Can you find it?  The Luniz released “I got 5 on it” in 1995 putting Oakland on the radar for staple hip hop classics.  While I’m sure you’ve heard the tune, and most people will be quick to say this is a Luniz tune, it is actually sampled from Club Nouveau’s, not as big hit, Why You Treat Me So Bad.

4.  Corey Hart -Sunglasses at Night + Federation – I wear my Stunna Glasses at night

You know, as much as I hate this song, I can’t help but find the hook catchy in an annoying way.  I just know Federation made wearing sunglasses at clubs the new fad but to each his own.

5.  Maddona – Hung up + Abba – Gimme Gimme Gimme

OK, before you jump and say, wait a minute — Maddona is NOT hip hop, I will say yes, that’s true.  But I still found this very amusing when she sampled Abba..  Maddona can’t go wrong with sampling Abba, but she can go wrong with her video…  What was she thinking??!!

6. Black eyed peas – Don’t Phunk with My Heart + Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam – I Wonder if I Take You Home

I don’t know why, but BEP should have really named their song after Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam’s – I Wonder if I Take You Home.  If you listen to the song, that’s really the main hook, but I suppose they didn’t want to make the sampling THAT obvious, so they just changed it to something more hip and cool?  Yes, that is a question-statement because I don’t know why they did that.  Let’s replace a funk with phunk and say it a couple times during the track.

7. Timbaland – The way I are + Salt-N-Peppa – Push it

Salt-N-Peppa’s Push it has been remixed to infinity and beyond and I would normally scathe at any remix or sample with it.  The horn sample is an iconic sample of the 80/90′s and is probably the biggest Salt-N-Peppa classic anthem.  Timbaland is able to use the Salt-N-Peppa sample in an effective way that does Salt-N-Peppa justice.

8.  Nas I Can + Beethoven’s Fur Elise

It’s not rare that Nas samples classical music pieces — he sampled another classical piece on his “Hate Me Now” single.  Anybody who has ever played piano has heard Fur Elise and anybody who has heard anybody playing piano has heard Fur Elise. Nas capitalized on this and released “I Can”, a guide to self-improvement, confidence, and self-esteem.  Yes I can! As a side note, check out Beethoven’s mug shot..thats gangsta!

Do you have any additions to the list?

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