A compilation of rough funk numbers and aged soul classics that still fit perfectly into the here and now, is that possible? In the case of »Shanghai’d Soul: Episode 12«, yes, and how! Because these 12 songs have inspired countless hip-hop tracks, leading to a kind of gamification of listening and thus ranking high in terms of attention economics. So who has sampled or »shanghaied« which parts of which tracks? For example, »Bound« by the Panderosa Twins Plus One was used by both Kanye West on his album »Yeezus« and Tyler, The Creator on »A Boy Is A Gun«.
But the references are not always so obvious and the samples not always so well known. You have to have very good ears to hear that not only the Wu-Tang Clan, N.W.A., Public Enemy and De La Soul borrowed elements from Syl Johnson’s »Different Strokes«, but also Michael Jackson and Kid Rock. Which soulful template OG Keemo combines with NxWorries or Danny Brown and Action Bronson is anyone’s guess. By the way, even non-hip-hop heads who simply want to enjoy more or less familiar funk and soul (the number of plays on Spotify ranges from a proud 42 million to a manageable 13 thousand) can listen with a clear conscience.
