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Fu-Schnickens (“for unity coalition”) is rap trio from East Flatbush, Brooklyn that had a large cult fan base in the early 1990s. Their verbal dexterity and goofy imagery was a precursor to that in the better-known work by the Wu-Tang Clan. Cam “won’t see the Fu-Schnickens” because – being a supplier to dealers – he doesn’t hang around the goofy petty-crack dealers that inspired the Fu-Schnickens' style

Basketball player Shaquille O'Neal – aka Shaq Diesel, aka “Shaq Fu” (as in “-Schnickens”) – did a rabbity song with the group called What’s up Doc (Can we rock?)

“Diesel” is also an adjective that can refer to a variety of drugs; it means “good”

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The eerily titled final song from Biggie’s Life After Death album, released shortly after B.I.G. was killed

The title is a play on “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You”, a popular song recorded by Dean Martin, Sinatra and a slew of others

The song later on has been redone by Rick Ross and French Montana with short skits in the middle of P.Diddy, Biggie’s friend and musical partner, ranting and passing points.

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“Back That Azz Up”, which still stands as one of Juvenile’s biggest hits, is connected to the genre of bounce, a form of party music that first emerged in New Orleans in the early 1990s (for more information on the origins of bounce, we recommend the 2004 documentary Dirty States of America: The Untold Story of Southern Hip-Hop).

The sound of the drum at 0:14 is a sample of Movin' by Bass Construction from 1975

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“Mo' Money, Mo Problems” represents Puff Daddy and the Family’s 1997 coming out to a crossover audience.

The song discusses the troubles that come with affluence. It was released posthumously and is considered one of the greatest hits of hip hop history.

It features Puff Daddy and Mase and includes a sample of Diana Ross' “I’m Coming Out.”

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“Shimmy Shimmy Ya” was released as the second single off of Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version. It went on to become ODB’s most famous song and has been sampled in various songs as well as found its way into hit shows such as Breaking Bad.

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“Me & My Bitch” finds Biggie getting sentimental in talking about the kind of woman that piques his interest—one similar to the type rapper Apache was looking for on his hit 1992 single “Gangsta Bitch.” While the story is fiction, the lady in the story could represent characteristics of Biggie’s wife Faith Evans and/or his side piece Lil' Kim.

A live version of “Me & My Bitch” was featured on the soundtrack for the 1995 hip-hop documentary The Show. The original version of “Me & My Bitch” was created with a sample of Minnie Riperton’s “Take a Little Trip” but Stevie Wonder, the song’s writer and producer, refused to clear the sample due to the profanity and subject matter:

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This self-produced tirade against an unnamed adversary was Ol Dirty’s first solo release, and the first true indication of the man’s potential.

While “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” went on to become a much bigger single, “Brooklyn Zoo” was always the b-boy favourite and remains a certified Wu-banger to this day.

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Mauri is Cam'ron’s favorite Italian shoemaker

Here, he emphasizes that his Mauris were made for walking (Cam cannot countenance resting on one’s laurels)

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The Blueprint 3’s first single was a straight-up attack on the overuse of auto-tune in the music industry. The title is a play on the term D.O.A. which traditionally means “Dead on Arrival” and was used to send a message and “draw a line in the sand” about where rap was, and where it should be going. Notably, to fit with the declarations on this track, there is no auto-tune at all on The Blueprint 3.

Jay Z and Kanye West had a “Great Awakening” to the evils of auto-tune while making the album; they decided to dedicate a single to the cause and went back and erased all of the auto-tune that they had already used.

Jay-Z has said the anti-auto-tune screed was inspired by Kanye’s suggestion that they collaborate on something hard to match the quality of the sample (“In the Space” by Janko Nilovic and Dave Sucky).
Yet another inspiration for the song was Hov hearing auto-tune used in a Wendy’s commercial.

The song stirred up lots of controversy, with haters saying that Jay was too old and out of touch, while supporters stuck behind him and completely agreed with the message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EWruiIjBmo

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Sample from the Luther Vandross cover of “A House Is Not A Home,” the Burt Bacharach standard.

This is the specific sample (though at regular speed):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu2JBMNBbKo&feature=youtu.be&t=5m52s

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