BREAKS & BITS 23
BOLLYWOOD BLVD
BOLLYWOOD - also known as Hindi film cinema, is one of the largest film production centers in the world. Bollywood is not the only film producer in India, but it is one of the largest. Bollywood is located in Mumbai, India - formally known as Bombay. The name was created by combining the "B" from Bombay with Hollywood. The history of Bollywood goes back to the early 1930's when it was called Tollywood - the film industry was based in Tallygunge, Calcutta at the time. In the 1970's Bollywood was heavily focused on producing commercial cinema, and America fell second to India in film production. By the 2000's Bollywood was popular across the world, and big investments were made in technology. Most Bollywood movies are musicals, usually the music is produced in a studio, and the actors lip-sync for the films. The music from these movies has been heavily sampled, particularly in hip-hop music.
JEEVAN JYOTI (1976) >< TRUTH HURTS ft RAKIM - Addictive (2002)
In 2001 R&B singer and songwriter Truth Hurts first appeared on Busta Rhymes hit song Break Your Neck. In 2002 DJ Quik produced the breakout hit Addictive, the 2002 solo debut from Truth Hurts, featuring a rap from Rakim. The song, produced on Dr Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label, was built around a uncredited sample from the song Thonda Resham Lagla Hai by Lata Mangeshkar - sparking a $500 million lawsuit. The song from the 1976 film Jeevan Jyoyi features Mangeshkar singing about how beautiful her body is. Addictive sampled from the original Mangeshkar version, and it also sampled from a lesser known cover of the song from 2000.
KHALNAYAK (1993) >< MASSIVE ATTACK - Karmacoma (1995)
In 1995, UK trip hop collective Massive Attack released their heavily-praised second studio album Protection. The album was the band's second and last to feature British rapper Tricky as a member. The album features the song Karmacoma, which samples from numerous sources ranging from the melody from a Russian opera, to Tuvan throat singing, to a baseline from Serge Gainsbourg's 1971 song Melody. Karmacoma also samples from the opening number in the 1993 Bollywood action thriller Khalnayak. The song Aaja Sajan Aaja is performed by Aika Yagnik, an multiple time award-winning Indian playback singer. Usually in Bollywood musicals the musical tracks are performed in the studio by playback singers, and then dubbed into the film.
KHALNAYAK (1993) >< JAY-Z ft KAYNE WEST - The Bounce (2003)
In 2002, Jay-Z released his seventh studio album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse. The album received criticism for being "too poppy" from some of the rapper's fans. The album also featured an unusually long list of guests compared to previous Jay-Z releases. The album features Kayne West on the Timberland-produced The Bounce, which samples from the Bollywood action thriller Khal Nayak. The song samples Choli Ka Peeche Kya Hai, which is recorded by playback stars Alka Yagnik and Manhar Udhas.
THALAPATHI (1991) >< M.I.A. - Bamboo Banga (2007)
In 2007, English-Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A. released her critically acclaimed second studio album Kala. After her successful debut album, M.I.A. had planned to record her second album with producer Timberland, however she was unable to get a work visa to enter the US due to family connections to Sri Lankan guerrillas. The album ended up being mostly produced by Switch, a British DJ also known as David Taylor, who had produced three standout tracks on M.I.A.'s first album. Kala's opening track Bamboo Banga, samples from the 1991 Indian Tamil crime drama Thalapathi. The album also features Paper Planes and XR2, which were produced by rising star DJ/producer Diplo. In 2009, Switch and Diplo teamed up to create the band Major Lazer, and they released the album - Guns Don't Kill People..Lazers Do.
ARADHANA (1969) >< THE GAME - Put You On The Game
Put You On The Game was the final single off The Documentary, the debut album from west coast rapper The Game. This was the first single to be released from The Game after his break-up with the group G-Unit. The Game left the group after a beef with fellow band member 50 Cent over denying 50 writing credits on four songs on The Documentary. The Timberland-produced song Put You On The Game caused problems as well. The song samples from the 1969 Hindi film Aradhana, which was a re-make of Hollywood's 1946 film To Each His Own. The samples were not cleared, and two years after Put You On The Game was released, the rapper, the producer and the labels were slapped with lawsuit from a major Indian record company.
CHINA GATE (1998) >< Moulin Rougue! (2001)
In 1991 Baz Luhrmann's Hollywood musical Moulin Rouge! was released starring Nicole Kidman and John Leguizamo. The film (and soundtrack) features the song Hindi Sad Diamonds. The song samples lyrics from Chamma Chamma Baje Re - a song out of the 1998 Bollywood film China Gate. The film was inspired by the 1954 film Seven Samurai, and is said to be a tribute to the films of late director Akira Kurosawa. China Gate is famous for the Chamma Chamma Baja Re song, where Indian sex symbol Urmila Matondkar dances while playback star Alka Yagnik signs.
TAJ MAHAL (1963) >< ERIC SERMON - React (2002)
In 2002, rapper Erick Sermon released his fifth studio album React. The album's title track, one of two Just Blaze-produced songs on the album, features an appearance from Redman. The song drew a lot of criticism from the the Indian community over his use of sampling. React samples Sahir Ludhianvi's Chandhi Ka Badan, from the 1963 hit musical Taj Mahal. The segment sampled for React is performed by Meena Kapoor, who sings (in Hindi) "if someone wants to commit suicide, so what can you do". This is followed by Sermon rapping "whatever she said, then I'm that".
DARAAR (1996) >< ROHFF - Bollywood Style (2004)
Rohff is a French rapper, his name stands for: Rimeur Original Hardcore Flow Fluide. In 2004, Rohff released his third album La Fierte Des Notres. The album features the song Bollywood Style, which samples Ek Ladki Mera Naam from the 1996 Hindi thriller Daraar. The film was inspired by Hollywood's Sleeping With The Enemy, starring Julia Roberts.
KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI (1998) >< MOBB DEEP - Give It To Me
In 2006 Mobb Deep released their seventh studio album Blood Money, their only album on G-Unit and Interscope Records. This was the only Mobb Deep album with no appearance from emcee Big Noyd. The third single off the album Give It To Me samples Tujhe Yaad Na Meri Aaye from the Hindi comedy drama Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The hugely successful film was the first Bollywood movie to enter the UK cinema top ten list.
DISCO DANCER (1982) >< M.I.A. - Jimmy
When English Sri-Lanken rapper M.I.A. was a child, a favorite song for her entertaining dance routines was Jimmy Jimmy Aaja, a song from 1982 Bollywood worldwide hit Disco Dancer. M.I.A.'s parents were proud to present her routines at parties - and this disco pop gem was her jam. She recorded a cover of the song for her second album, Kala in 2007. The uptempo dance pop Jimmy was unlike any of the album's other tracks, and the breakout hit peaked at number one on the UK indie charts. The original Jimmy Jimmy Aaja was inspired by French euro disco band Ottowan's 1980 song T'es OK.