May 10, 2017

Black Sheep "Similak Child" (Homogenized Remix, Video)

Black Sheep Mista Lawnge Dres Publicity Photo

I was at my boy's crib back in '92 when I heard Dres' voice coming from the television; I recognized the lyrics to 'Similak Child,' but the beat in the video was totally different from the album version. Pre-Internet, I had to go to the record store and dig up the 12" ... labeled the 'Homogenized Remix,' the production was credited to Andres Titus (Dres) and William McLean (Mista Lawnge); another self-produced hit! The bassline was so heavy and the background sample of 'Louie' by Allen Toussaint was so ill; it was later used by Gravediggaz on 'Constant Elevation' and the Troubleneck Brothers came back and sampled from Black Sheep on their super underground smash 'Troubleneck Wreck.' People argue over which is better: the remix or the original with the Jefferson Airplane 'Today' sample, but all these years later, I still come back to the remix over the album cut. I'm not mad whichever version people like most because the video and concept of the record are A+ either way, lol. At the time, I believe this was the 4th single from their debut album 'A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing,' which I absolutely think is a classic and it's another example of how ahead of their time the whole Native Tongues collective was back in the late 80s, early 90s. Peep the video below.