Monday, January 04, 2010

Did They Do the Sample Justice? IYAZ - Solo vs Janet Jackson - Again


When I first heard IYAZ's new track Solo, I'll admit, I had mixed emotions. Like many other JR Rotem produced singles like Kingston's - Beautiful Girls (sampling Stand by Me), Mann's - Ghetto Girl (sampling Uptown Girl), or even Rihanna's- SOS (sampling Tainted Love)...the familiarity was there and it draws you in immediately. I'd venture a guess on first listen that 9 out of 10 people would say they like the newly sampled pop/R&B versions of a couple truly timeless, we're talking like 1961 Ben E King and 1964 Gloria Jones type of timeless, songs.

Now I'm not exactly saying Janet's song Again is or ever will be as unforgettable as any of the aforementioned classic oldies, BUT it is personally one of my top 5 favorite Janet tracks (maybe Together Again, Rhythm Nation , What Have You Done For Me Lately or even Doesn't Really Matter...if you were wondering). It's definitely my favorite slow jam of hers...from the delicate piano to complimentary flute to the soft, harmonious, love drenched, emotion laden vocals. When it comes to slow jams, it's damn near impossible to match this effort.

It remains to be seen whether JR's new protege IYAZ will live up to the Sean Kingston-like hype and walk in his shoes one day. I don't think his first single Replay will ever reach the height of Kingston's Beautiful Girls, but that's not meant to belittle it's current place as one of the most recognizable songs out right now.

You be the judge, do you think they paid Janet respect with the sample or did they fall short in a failed attempt?

Original:
Janet Jackson - Again
Cop via iTunes

Sample:
IYAZ - Solo (prod by JR Rotem)
Cop on iTunes

GWDJ Verdict: Although it pains me a bit to see such a classic Janet track be shared and even mentioned in the same sentence, I think the subtlety of the sample wasn't bad and it was different enough that it didn't tarnish Janet's version in my mind. Clearly not my favorite sample, but overall not terrible. Still love Janet's version waaay more than anything IYAZ will ever put out...no disrespect, Janet is a legend

0 comments:

eXTReMe Tracker