Friday Funk: Express Yourself (on 420)
On this eve of 420, the stoner high holiday, today’s Friday Funk installment is is Express Yourself. It’s one of the only non-violent NWA songs and worthy of Friday Funk because it heavily samples a 1970 Chris Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band song of the same name.
Only it layers in Dr. Dre/Yella beats and scratching on top of the funky horn section. He’s also the primary lyricist who denounces weed as “known to give a brother brain damage.”
Huh? You mean the same Dre whose subsequent Chronic weed tribute albums made him the highest … paid rapper in the game?
Yup. And this is his first weed reference.
Poetic way to get your cool back for the 420 weekend.
Also look out for a cameo from Ton Loc at 3:50 (kids: that’s another funky ass rapper from back in my day).
And just to help make sure all you stoners know your history, here is the 1970 original from Chris Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.
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Liner Notes:
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