On this date in 1992, “Nasty” Nas dropped his first single for an otherwise unknown movie soundtrack.
Not even Nasir Jones himself knew the magnitude of what his career would be when the “Halftime” single dropped on October 13, 1992. Appearing on Nas’ monumental Illmatic album as well as the under the radar silver screen flick Zebrahead, Halftime was the smash single that put Nasty Nas in the position to be considered the “Second Coming” of lyrical pioneer Rakim by none other than The Source Magazine, who gave Nasty the coveted Five Mic rating for the landmark album.
Produced by Large Professor, who found his way onto Nas’ album by way of the LP’s other incomparable single, “It Ain’t Hard To Tell,” this song was the catalyst that launched the Illmatic project and Nas’ illustrious career.
When you think about the greatest artists ever, a lot of different names from all sorts of genres might come to mind. One that you cannot ignore is Kanye West. Atlanta-born and Chicago-raised, Ye has been viewed as a polarizing visionary for most, if not all of his career. That is no secret and has not been for a long time. However, from a purely music perspective, there is not many better than him.
His debut album was proof of that back in 2004. The CollegeDropout is viewed by many as still his greatest body of work even nearly two full decades later. Even with others like Graduation, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and Late Registration, the original stands the test of time. With classics like “Jesus Walks,” and “All Falls Down,” it is not hard to see the vision. But, what basically shot Kanye into immediate star status was “Through The Wire.”
It is a classic because of its amazing sampling of Chaka Khan’s “Through The Fire,” but there are plenty of other reasons too. For one, some of the recordings were done right after he broke his jaw in a nasty car accident. Even with his mouth nearly closed shut he was so dedicated that he laid down vocals anyway. On top of that, it is a great storytelling track, as you can see from some of the lyrics below. Kanye continues to inspire and create some of the best material all these years later, and it is all because of songs like “Through The Wire.”
What were your initial thoughts on Kanye West’s classic song “Through The Wire?” Is this his greatest song of all time? Is he the master of sampling and telling personal stories? We want to hear what you have to say about all of this. With that in mind, be sure to leave all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the best throwbacks, as well as all of the latest breaking news around the music world.
Quotable Lyrics:
I must got a angel, ‘cause look how death missed his a** Unbreakable, what, you thought they’d call me Mr. Glass? Look back on my life like the Ghost of Christmas Past Toys “R” Us where I used to spend that Christmas cash And I still won’t grow up, I’m a grown-a** kid Swear I should be locked up for stupid **** that I did
“Strictly Business” is the debut single by the legendary duo EPMD. The song served as the lead single for their debut album of the same name. The record went on to be the pair’s first charting single and saw minor success on the R&B charts.
Although it was received with mixed reviews when it was first released, “Strictly Business” has aged gracefully and is now considered a Hip-Hop classic.
The song peaked at the No. 25 position on the U.S. R&B Singles chart. On the other hand, it peaked on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales and U.S. Dance Music/Club Play Singles charts in the No. 17 and No. 19 position, respectively.
The song’s main sample is Eric Clapton’s cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff”. Other samples include “Jungle Boogie” by Kool & the Gang and “Long Red” by Mountain.
On this day in 1993, the legendary Wu-Tang Clan began their reign as one of the most powerful and influential rap groups in history by releasing their debut single, “Protect Ya Neck.” With this track, Wu-Tang took the rap game by storm with a style unheard and an attitude unseen. “Protect Ya Neck” set a tone in Hip Hop that shifted the genre toward a more hardcore, rugged sound.
Originally recorded in a different order with a completely different beat, group member RZA took the liberty to reconstruct the song in post-production to the goliath that we all know and love. According to him, all he needed was the vocals of the group. The original beat used was just a placeholder used to get the verses. RZA’s unique style also incorporated the kung-fu film dialogue and fought scenes throughout the track. This unique style of production became a trend for Wu-Tang Clan.
To clarify any confusion about who is who on the song, the order of verses is as follows: Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Method Man, U-God, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah, RZA, & GZA. The single was first released independently through Wu-Tang Records and had “After the Laughter Comes Tears” as the B-side. Loud Records later re-released it with “Method Man” as the B-side. It sold 10,000 copies.
Zack Bia is often seen hanging out with some of the biggest names in the music industry, and now, he’s markedly giving them a run for their money with a debut release of his own. On Friday (January 27), the 26-year-old finally shared his “Hardcore” single which finds him in the producer’s seat, and Don Toliver holding it down on vocals.
“I’ve really been wanting to put music out for a long time, right? And I’ve been working with artists in different capacities forever,” the socialite told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 recently. “It’s really a two-part record. It feels like a DJ set. I think we did something really creative.”
Zack Bia wears a white sweatshirt, outside Givenchy, during Paris Fashion Week – Menswear Fall-Winter 2023-2024, on January 18, 2023, in Paris, France. (Photo by Claudio Lavenia/Getty Images)
Bia further explains, “We gave them two very distinct records that come together as one in a seamless way. I think people will really feel like, ‘Oh, this feels like it’s being DJed live for me.’ And that’s kind of the purpose of it.”
Aside from being a big debut for the DJ, this is also the first time fans have heard Toliver since last November’s “Do It Right.” The unique single found the Houston native switching up his usual sound and embracing experimentation.
On his latest release, however, the 28-year-old sounds like the Cactus Jack star we’ve grown to love since his initial rise on the scene.
Stream Zac Bia and Don Toliver’s “Hardcore” on Spotify or Apple Music below. Additionally, make sure to check in later this weekend for more song recommendations on our weekly Fire Emoji update.
Quotable Lyrics:
I can keep you on the edge If you promise to keep me in your head If you get close enough, I’m reaching for your legs Just give me up for once Just give me up for once
On this day in 1993, the legendary Wu-Tang Clan began their reign as one of the most powerful and influential rap groups in history by releasing their debut single, “Protect Ya Neck.” With this track, Wu-Tang took the rap game by storm with a style unheard and an attitude unseen. “Protect Ya Neck” set a tone in Hip Hop that shifted the genre toward a more hardcore, rugged sound.
Originally recorded in a different order with a completely different beat, group member RZA took the liberty to reconstruct the song in post-production to the goliath that we all know and love. According to him, all he needed was the vocals of the group. The original beat used was just a placeholder used to get the verses. RZA’s unique style also incorporated the kung-fu film dialogue and fought scenes throughout the track. This unique style of production became a trend for Wu-Tang Clan.
To clarify any confusion about who is who on the song, the order of verses is as follows: Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Method Man, U-God, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah, RZA, & GZA. The single was first released independently through Wu-Tang Records and had “After the Laughter Comes Tears” as the B-side. Loud Records later re-released it with “Method Man” as the B-side. It sold 10,000 copies.
