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Sunday Night Sample - Nas - Made U Look

Nas' sixth studio album, God's Son released on this day 2002. 

"Made U Look" was the first single from off the album. It was the first LP record Nas released following his very public battle with Jay-Z and boasted of his old-school lyricist abilities and pride. Nas crowned himself “God’s Son” in a tribute to his mother’s legacy (she had just passed a year earlier) and as a nod to Jesus.

The album featured some of the greatest beats of Nas' entire career. The production put together for the project was unreal. The Alchemist, Salaam Remi, Eminem and Alicia Keys to name a few all lent their production talents. 

Salaam Remi produced the majority of the album including "Made U Look" which featured heavy sampling from the Incredible Bongo Band - Apache

You can hear the soul/funk drums and harmonics that run throughout the entirety of "Made U Look". 

"Apache" was one of the most covered songs of the 50s and 60s. 

A 1973 version by Michael Viner and a funk group called The Incredible Bongo Band added a bongo drum introduction and included more percussion. The drum break was played by Jim Gordon. Although this version was not a hit on its initial release, it became heavily sampled in early hip hop music, including by Afrika Bambaataa, who cited its influence.

Since then it's become one of the most sampled sounds in music history across all genres from Hip Hop to techno. 

It also cites a lyrical sample from Fat Joe, Big Pun, Jadakiss, Raekwon, and Nas' "John Blaze"

As well as the shotgun sound effect heard in the beginning and through out the track.

The song was also one of the rare songs to have a remix that was arguably better than the original.

It featured Jadakiss who during this few year run was on a hot streak hotter than any rapper's ever. Insane verse after insane verse some his solo's and his features. This was no different.

And no disrespect to Ludacris either who dropped one of the best verses of his career only to be followed up by Nas who goes on a lyrical sprint so intense he's panting by the end acapella and has to be faded out.

A sick song off another incredible Nas' album.

#braveheartssss