The Lil Rap Records No. 9: Original Concept "Can You Feel It?"

Long Island's Adelphi University used to host a radio station with the call letters WBAU FM and in the early 80s it featured two rap radio shows that would spawn crews that would change the face of rap music. One of the shows, known as Spectrum City featured a young Chuck D and Flavor Flav who went on to be known to the world as Public Enemy. The other show, known as The Operating Room, featured a group called The Concept Crew, who changed their name to Original Concept and later became label mates with PE. Original Concept released their first Album for Def Jam in 1988 entitled, "Straight From The Basement of Kooley High!" One of the greatest instrumentals on this album and in the history of Hip Hop music was actually released as a single a couple years earlier. Today we're talking about that instrumental and it's B-Side: "Can You Feel It," b/w "Knowledge Me," by Original Concept, Def Jam, 1986.

Original Concept was made up of 4 members, Easy G, Rapper G, Doctor Dre and T-Money. Doctor Dre and T-Money went on to host Yo, MTV Raps and Dre was actually the tour Dj for the Beastie Boys for some years. The crew never went on to release a second album, though the first spawned many great singles, a few of which were commercially released on 7 inch, 45 rpm vinyl. The thing about "Can You Feel It?" besides being a great song, is that it was only released as a promotional item on 45, the 12 inch was released commercially on Def Jam and a lesser known label called Desperate Men.

The A-Side of this 45, "Can You Feel It?" borrows a sample from the opening of The Jacksons Live album, the first song being "Can You Feel It?" They use The Jackson brothers again as the main part of the song which is taken from the Ultimate Beats and Breaks classic, the Jackson 5's, "Glad To Be Here." Throughout the song different scratches are traded off creating a simple, but funky instrumental. They cut the live version of Cerrone's "Rocket In The Pocket," then a couple sections from The Mohawks B-Boy anthem, "The Champ," as well as James Brown's well known breakbeat, "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved." All of this takes place over a hard hitting 808 drum machine. Seemingly, none of these samples are being triggered, but are actually being put into place by the Dj, either Doctor Dre or Easy G, I assume.

The B-Side should also be recognizable to most rap fans over 25 years old. "Knowledge Me," is a hard 808 beat with a fat bass-line groove and 2 of OC's members rambling over the top of it and making jokes. The opening of this track was borrowed by Gang-Starr for one of their first records called, "Knowledge," and the rest of the beat was used in it's entirety for Masta Ace's ode to boomin' systems entitled, "Born To Roll."

Not a whole lot is known about what happened to most of the members of Original Concept, however Doctor Dre continued doing his thing hosting a morning show on New York's Hot 97 with his long-time collaborator Ed Lover. Though highly rated, the show was canceled in 1998 and since then, I'm not sure what the good doctor has been up to. Original Concept 45s are hard to come by and any of them make a great addition to anyone's collection of 45s. Here are MP3s of both sides of this record:

Can You Feel It?:

Knowledge Me:

Tune in next time when we discuss the West coast classic "Batterram," by Toddy Tee.

Catch your man Otto spinning in the Twin Cities, 2nd Saturdays at Slaps! at Honey, 3rd Fridays at Clubhouse Jager, 4th Saturdays at GInger Hop and in rotation at Triple Double at The Triple Rock Social Club and on RSE Radio, KFAI 90.3 FM or KFAI.org

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