Various Artists: The Soul of Hip-Hop

Apr 26 2009 by Paul Cole, Sunday Mercury

VARIOUS ARTISTS

The Soul Of Hip-Hop

(Concord)

wHERE’S a compilation of classic soul cuts that have been sampled on hip-hop hits. Strip away the urban angst of Public Enemy & Co, and relive 14 Stax standards the way they originally sounded. 24-Carat Black’s Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth and The Emotions’ Blind Alley are tailor-made for 21st century treatment, while Booker T & The MGs’ Melting Pot and The Bar-Kays’ Humpin’ are funky instrumentals. The set closes with William Bell’s soulful I Forgot To Be Your Lover, which inspired Van Morrison’s Have I Told You Lately. JD