The Champ – The Mohawks

“The Champ”, The Mohawks most renowned and sampled sounds, is a Hip-Hop foundation and forms the basis of Hip-Hop Classics from Redman and EPMD to mainstream crossovers by Onyx and KRS-One:

The Mohawks were a group of session musicians, formed by prolific musician, composer, and performer Alan Hawkshaw, and their thematic tracks, many of which did serve as stock and feature pieces for movies and TV shows, were destined to become part of the Hip-Hop and Bboy collective universe, given their Funky elements and consistent energy.

This is easily one of the most recognizable sounds in Hip-Hop and Bboy Music as well, highlighting the esteem of the Organ players and Funky drummers in the Bboy Sound.

Check out a cover from the always Funky Breakestra (@BREAKESTRA) as well:

Check this out from Alan Hawkshaw’s website:

From a funk perspective, many of the best and most collectable KPM LPs of the ’60s and ’70s are thanks to the presence of Alan’s compositions. Speed and Excitement (KPM 1076, 1970), Music for a Young Generation (KPM 1086, 1971), Move with the Times (KPM 1123, 1973) and Sounds of the Times (KPM 1170, 1975) feature the Hawkshaw brand of funk, with original vinyl issues continuing to sell for hefty sums.

All this has seen Alan become something of a legend amongst funk collectors.

The popularity of this aspect of Alan’s career has obscured to some extent his other musical abilities. He is a superb jazz pianist and improviser, harmonically and melodically inventive with an elegant sense of swing, and a supremely gifted orchestral arranger.