“Musical Massacre”, one of Eric B & Rakim’s DOPEst tracks from the album “Follow the Leader”, makes use of the Bboy standard “It’s Just Begun” by the late, great Jimmy Castor.
This early (late 1980s) jam by Eric B & Rakim (@ericbandrakim) highlights how effectively, in a raw and improvisational way, the pioneer producers could string together a collection of samples and scratches to come up with a beat like this, and to maintain the depth of elements from the original like Jimmy Castor’s high hats and bassline.
Clearly a Hip-Hop track for the cipher, “Musical Massacre” is one among many of Eric B & Rakim’s tracks that fit the break, in addition to classic joints like “Let the Rhythm Hit Em”, “I Know You Got Soul”, “(Juice) Know the Ledge“, and many more.
Reviews of both MC Rakim (@rakimgodmc) and producer Eric B (@ericb) on “Follow the Leader” from Rolling Stone:
Although little else on Follow the Leader matches its hypnotic title track, the album supports Rakim’s high view of himself and DJ Eric B. (né Eric Barrier). Rakim, an uncommonly subtle rapper, is capable of a relentless barrage of caustic lines (“I sit back and observe the whole scene/Then nonchalantly tell you what it mean to me”) and chilling imagery (“The stage is a cage/The mike is a third rail”). With the help of backup musician Stevie Blass Griffin, Eric B. constructs inventive backing tracks that incorporate funk guitar (“Microphone Fiend”), walls of noise (“Lyrics of Fury”), exotic percussion tracks, synthesizers and saxes. And his switch-blade scratching (“Musical Massacre”) will make your head spin.
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I always thought this track was one of the best on Follow The Leader.. can’t see why it wasn’t given a 12″ release.. Could be like you say, they were using well known beats..?
That’s a good question. It was probably up to the people at MCA to choose which songs would be pressed as singles, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was number three or four on the list.