‘Know You Got Soul’ – Eric B. and Rakim
Rakim was the steam-dripping microphone fiend. The James Brown samples were provided by Eric B., the DJ. Before they even released a single, they were New York superstars (“Eric B. was driving a Rolls-Royce before he ever put out a record,” Chris Rock famously told Rolling Stone). “My man was gangsta”), but this track, which was named after a 1971 song by Brown sideman Bobby Byrd, drew worldwide attention.
‘Ohio’ – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Four demonstrators were killed by the National Guard at Kent State University in Ohio on May 4, 1970. Young penned a ferocious denunciation of the shootings, and CSNY cut their version just 11 days after the tragedy, then rush-released it, knocking their own song “Teach Your Children” off the charts. “We finished this take and David Crosby sobbed,” Young added.
