The Choice Is Yours: How Sample Problems Lead to a BETTER Version

Today we're diving into "The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep - BOTH versions, isolating samples, playing some upright bass, and seeing how an unexpected album delay led to the BETTER version of the song.
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SOURCES
"Check The Technique Vol 2" by Brian Coleman: www.amazon.com...
ambrosiaforhea...
ambrosiaforhea...
#hiphop #nativetongues #musichistory #blacksheep

[@diggingthegreats]

You know that thing where you say a word so many times in a row it starts to sound weird and you can't just say it normal? Yeah, I mispronounced Dres 🤦‍♂

[@spenzalii]

At least you know it. I was screaming at the screen like 'there's no 'a' in Dres!!!!! '🤣🤣

[@cesarbaca5297]

I wasn’t going to say anything 🤷🏽‍♂️😂

[@randomquentin]

You also said “The Tribe Called Quest”

[@icecoldbeverage3843]

All good, but c'mon man.. Dres literally says his name and spells it out in this song, lol.

[@EasternWindTV]

Ok somebody already made mention of “The Tribe Called Quest” Lol. Good video still!!!

[@steve_santiago]

Ron Carter on the bass. Yes my man Ron Carter, is on the bass…

[@Endmass]

*The* man Ron Carter

[@coreyoz]

And we out!

[@JohnInTheVWBus]

Ron Carter. Ron Carter.

[@4700.]

Let tell ya bout the snakes, the fakes…

[@Jesse.Dangerously]

Step with bass like Ron Carter, that's a non-starter / even if there's more of you than avant garders in Montmartre

[@dreamsinthree]

This was one of my favorite albums of the 90s. One nit: Throughout the record, Dres pronounces his name "drezz", not "drace."

[@Baman21]

its annoying me too

[@wjhmed5978]

Dee R E SSSSSSS... and yes... 😅

[@jtripxr6273]

If you can't say Dres, you can call me cool.

[@gregorywilliams2962]

Man, you're sleeping on Digable Planets' first album. Reaching A New Refutation in Time. Straight classic from top to bottom

[@guycampbell733]

Yeah! Though Blowout Comb is much better. Mecca really steps out as her own MC on that album.

[@CantTellYou]

@@guycampbell733 Blowout Comb is a *perfect* album

[@ltw126]

No doubt!

[@MrBanana808]

I remember being in NYC and randomly spotting Dres in the street with a honey in tow. It just made all their lyrics more vivid and real.

[@hiddentechno8266]

The 90s was definitely the era of the jazzy double bass in hip hop. So many classic tracks.....

[@mustafahajj]

Early 90's. Buy the mid to late. Jazz tracks had reached its peak.

[@MaddelynKayKay]

Your research is unparalleled. Your love for what you do is even more amazing.

[@farraribeats]

This is how I feel about the beat for Biggies “I got a story to tell.” The final version sounds better than the first version which was sampled but had issues with clearance.

[@TyCutta.]

Facts

[@twashbeats]

Sometimes it works out for the better..not all the time doe

[@louminoti8219]

“Me and my bitch”

[@pervertedalchemist9944]

To show far we come: "The Choice Is Yours" is currently used in a commercial for Knorr's seasoning.

[@MrVanderbilt25]

Don’t forget the infamous Kia commercial with the hamsters!

[@DaveSchulze]

I can’t unhear “uh, come on” repeating 1000x in this song.

[@randomquentin]

when I first noticed it, it was annoying, but as I kept listening I got used to it, and now I kind of like it

[@robrokswing8110]

ummm, i think that was the intent

[@riccardoraucci8950]

it makes the song unlistenable to me

[@thedarksideoftheforce6658]

​@@riccardoraucci8950Don't listen to it then.

[@evilsock420]

" can you believe that I bought this bass just to do that one slide?" Me, somebody who's totally irresponsible with money as well: yes

[@CantTellYou]

lol extremely relatable, he for sure has had that upright for a good while though

[@thesuncollective1475]

I never realized how much work went into these early tracks. Boy that's a PHD level grind

[@d.felixphoto2260]

Early hip hop was so sophisticated musically. Samples and blends took create digging and a lot of hours finding that thing you were looking for. Truly was sophisticated compared to today.

[@CantTellYou]

@@d.felixphoto2260 The irony of critics back then calling sampling "watered down versions of the original songs" and yet decades later the art of sampling itself has become actually watered down thanks to the internet lol (for the most part, it's still plenty of folks who do it incredibly creatively & effortful)

[@spacefunk77]

Now let's try to find a higher quality version of "Strobelite Honey" from the video. With the Luther Vandross sample.

[@nuellek]

Engine, Engine, Number 9... That part hits hard to this day.

[@MaTTheWish]

Yes!

[@Jesse.Dangerously]

you ever notice Salt N Pepa flipped that cadence for a big chunk of None Of Your Business?

[@drunkenbuddha4361]

Talking about “Sample Problems” are you thinking spotlighting Paul's Boutique?

[@djdarq6311]

That was flawless

[@Krazie-Ivan]

keep showin off those bass skills, man! side note: feels like Dres never got the credit he deserved as a lyricist. he's got moments of greatness in every project over 3 decades, not just the few classic hits. even his kid had a dope track

[@loki2240]

The problem with a lot of rappers has been that casual fans didn't want to be them or sleep with them, so they didn't get as much attention as they deserved (based upon their music). Don't get me wrong - I'm not a hip hop snob. Hip hop is a huge tent, with room for a lot of artists, styles, and fans. And it's fine to be a casual fan. But it's just a reality that a lot of hip hop fans have been casual and not really into the music.

[@craigmocello8552]

I disagree, he just wasn't a part of the masses but real hip hop heads know he's dope. Check out sheep stu

[@RichieDigs]

I was telling my 9 year old yesterday about the two versions. She was like ok dad 😅

[@KevinGalindo]

Headed to patreon to see the long version of that Upright Bass and DJ. Sounded sick!!!

[@ghoszt22]

Hearing you play that on the upright makes it sound so much cooler now. That half slide is minty fresh

[@MakeSomething]

My goodness, that bass playing! ❤

[@northstarbrooks]

Wow, never knew there was a different version of this song, it’s one of my favorites. One of the best hip hop cuts of all time

[@djhonz45]

Fantastic work dude! Can't help but to mention 'Crooklyn Clan's' sample of this track. RIP Fatman Scoop.

[@nevedofficial466]

Timing of this video is funny cause I just found out a few days ago that there were two versions of this song. Crazy.

[@ShedLifeHua]

oh that was a cool little jam at near the end there. ❤my eyes were full of tears of happiness😂

[@ronnieDshman18]

So glad we got this, probably one of my favorite breakdowns you’ve done, thank you

[@johnviera3884]

this song blew my mind when it dropped. it was light years ahead of everything. as a full time DJ at the time, that intro bassline just blew up the dance floor. and then the breakdown. Nothing hyped the crowd like that since Naughty by Nature- OPP a few months earlier

[@mikeboi1587]

Ron Carter's bass playing sounds, to me, something like the first sound the universe ever made

[@Ric-E...Ricardo]

I was in grade 8 and my bestfriend gave me this tape as a xmas gift. Wont ever forget that. I miss my homie, hope youre doing good out there.

[@BillyRamirez]

4:13 I am obsessed with a song called "The Story of a Boy on a Ladder" by Tenebre largely because of the standup bass in it. It just feels soooo good.

[@MrJd74100]

Mad underrated album in my opinion

[@JayB-d8c]

What?! Underrated? That album is a hip hop classic. So please tell me how an album that reached classic status is underrated? 🤔

[@MaTTheWish]

You're like RAP Rick Beato. Great video. Love 90s hip hop! It was so cool, the sampling was nuts.

[@d.felixphoto2260]

Got to love the good ol days of hip hop when a song can be a year old before we heard it and it still was a damn classic for 30+ years!

[@seanperrydj]

Dude you got skills on the upright !! Dope !! Lmk if you are ever in Vegas I got a bunch of crazy instruments and recording skills . I got a collection of 17 home organs with synthes and great patches !!

[@LuisGustoPlatinum]

Oh snap super early for a DTG vid. Black Sheep let’s go!

[@therealhaxwell]

0:51 1:05 Drezz, not Drays. Thanks love your show!

[@DW-xt7vz]

Yes! I think he’s too young to have been there for this the first time. Great content though.

[@tanyataylor5530]

Dres...😜

[@STRAIGHTBOXMUSIC]

This channel needs to be on PBS and NPR.

[@elMaxx5]

Ex-so-lent content.....AS USUAL! This record pushed hip hop deeper into the South. The original bumped on my college campus due to the Northerners on the campus. By the time the remix dropped....BOOOOOOOM!!!

[@donaldbanks8921]

This whole content that you just gave.gave me chills in my spirit, bro I love to hear how the samples come alive in the produced beat!!!!

[@AlSween]

Modal Jazz has such a beautiful connection with classic Hip Hop.

[@strifelord5239]

There was no one like Black Sheep. The style, the flow, and the production was so different. They were so unique they were never able to recreate their own vibe after that album.

[@titanjake8640]

Love love your videos. You are extremely talented and know the hiphop i grew up on and feel it is the purest. Thank you. Please keep up the good work

[@stephanhart9941]

First House Party after this dropped, we played "The Choice is Yours!" Till the Engine came off the Tracks. What 15 times in a 4 hour party! New and Different is what today's Hip-hop sorely Lacks. I'll always have those days "In The Vault" tho.

[@loki2240]

That was 1st semester of my freshman year of college. So many good songs and albums (De La Soul is Dead, Low End Theory, Apocalypse 91..., Mind Playing Tricks on Me, Ed O.G. & The Bulldogs, Brenda's Gotta Baby, Forever My Lady and Stay, Brand New Heavies, Boys II Men, etc.).

[@stephanhart9941]

@loki2240 It was an amazing vibe and time to be alive! I blazed with Ed O.G. a few times. He was friends with my cousin who lived next door to me in the Bury.

[@CliftonLigon]

Ron Carter must’ve done bass on Buggin Out by Tribe. Equally classic songs. Great breakdown

[@volumaticstatic]

I said it last week and I’ll say it again today…you are nasty on the bass!

[@VWonder737]

Yes, they did! I LOVE your videos! Still listen to Revisited and Stobelight from time to time and had no idea.

[@DemoniqueLewis]

I had the original tape so I was always off when the released version played on the radio. Great job as normal.

[@OrangeEnthusiast]

When you got a day off of school, the digging the greats videos are perfect 🔥

[@romans1166]

I'm a native New Yorker who lives in South Georgia. This is a ring tone on my phone, no one seems to get why this is my ring tone 😅😅😅. Thanks for the back story and music lesson. Respect!

[@troubleondemand7703]

I was gonna say couldn't that bass slide could be an electric fretless until you said it was Ron Carter...but then I did a little digging (see what I did there?) and found out he DID play some electric bass in the 70's and afterward before stopping around 2000. So it could be a fretless electric bass!

[@musamusashi]

Those times Ron was on electric bass, it was mostly fretted, for what i can hear, but you could still be right.

[@stevedocherty6240]

Thank you so much for this video. I love this song. When it came out in 1991 I was 15 and visiting my cousins in New Jersey from Scotland. My cousin and his friend had a white Jeep Wrangler with a huge bass sub in the seat and we blasted this song driving around Long Beach Island on the way to Ron Jon's Surf Shop to buy baggy shorts. Made quite an impression on young me - a big change from rainy Glasgow.

[@digitalrazorbladez]

as much as ive always loved the bassline in the choice is yours, i like the spin you put on it with the bass, it was funky!

[@ingmarvanderhoek6314]

One of my favorite albums ever. The samples and Dres rapping is genius. Thanks for this video!

[@AzafranBeats]

Thanks for all the work! You seems pretty cool guy with honest intentions, what a pitty of the KZbin restrictions... Keep it up!

[@apokalyp]

You're breakdowns are just amazing!!!!

[@dlavictoire]

That Iron Butterfly loop though 🥵

[@rlfprofessor301]

All I think of when I hear this song are the KIA commercials with the hamsters😂

[@desmondwilliams4068]

What gets lost, is that Wolf In Sheep's Clothing is a great album :Lasm, The Choice is Yours, You mean Im not, Stroblight Honey, Similak Child, Flavor of the Month..Its not a classic but it was one of those albums that you could play from top to bottom

[@justogetarep]

Crazy you release this and Fatman Scoop RIP passes a couple of days later with the Choice is yours being used on Be Faithful . Shout out to Av8 . Hot butter on what say what the popcorn

[@Jmjazz4711]

Very interesting and entertaining video! Your research and musical knowledge add value. Great job!

[@p4rt_t1me_g0d]

Speaking of remixes and Dres, it immediately brings to mind the Rollin' Wit' The Flava remix produced by Kid Capri, which imo outshines the original by leaps and bounds.

[@Jesse.Dangerously]

all the 12" singles off A Wolf are reconstructed - TCIY is probably the one that changed the least if you compare Similak Child or Strobelight Honey. And even though the LP is mastered by Tom Coyne who's a Bob Power level legend, the original tracks are super thin and weak compared to the pounding, full fat remix productions. Not to say blending Jefferson Airplane with Ramsay Lewis wasn't beautiful, but the bass on the Similak Child remix is VIOLENT.

[@hip-hop4life827]

Sorry but i disagree on this one 100%

[@hip-hop4life827]

@@Jesse.Dangerously I disagree with Similak Child Remix which doesn't fit with the album at all, the vibe is completely different

[@CHAMPDOGZ]

Most people got a sample or a few from the same record & created the beat around it, to puzzle it together with all these records is genius no wonder it has & will always be Hip Hop royalty track one of the greatest Hip Hop songs ever made

[@Jesse.Dangerously]

most people? idk, 91 to 94 was pretty flush with extremely innovative young sampling beat makers going IN on five or six sources per song. things started simpler and got lazier later but rap was extremely sophisticated musically even when the people creating it couldn't have described the theory of why it worked. fffuck i love RAP so much

[@Jesse.Dangerously]

i want a deep dive into which records Mr Lawnge and Dres had at home and which ones Scotty Hard brought to the sessions. Undersung legend!!!

[@French_Canadian_Pea_Soup]

I'm on the toilet right now and there's no paper left. Help 😢

[@VIDAMIN-X]

*in

[@TheModeRed]

As soon as you played bass while DJ'ing I subscribed!

[@DJ--ALLDAY]

👍Everything u did was dope man

[@joseyeastwood]

The story behind this classic is as dope as the record.

[@tempeff8670]

You know you coulda rented an upright bass...? Lo. Dedicated. Another great vid. When are you going to do a Kool Keith vid?

[@diggingthegreats]

This was just a joke 😂 that bass has been with me 20 years 🔥

[@roncarter2345]

Sent this to dad who really enjoyed the video and said you should check out his documentary "Finding the right notes"

[@chobaka]

Welcome to the 90s in general where everyone was in competition from the sound to the lyrics and the group itself....

[@DorianPaige00]

Many songs from this era are remixed with additional vocals that came out when singing it live and improvising over it.

[@EyeOnEV]

Mista Lawnge production was genius.

[@a_Bar_a_Day]

You always impress me with how fun and easy you make using your equiptment. I have been an emcee for decades, but never felt I had the patience to learn to use all the tech it takes to make beats, especially ones that would be super dope. I had a Korg Triton about 20 years ago when it was the industry standard and I never even learned ghoew to use a fraction of the keyboards capabilities. I think you have what it takes to be a major player in the hip hop production/beatmaker scene. I know you got to plat Madison Square Garden LIVE for Nas. WOW. Cheers & thanks for giving such great music related entertainment

[@masondixon871]

Excellent song, great video man.

[@valerie4912]

I just learned so much! Thank you!!

[@theryangiles]

Love your videos. Really great work. One small critique tho. The light on the wall is the brightest part of the shot. You should be the brightest thing we see. Turn up the key light or turn that backlight down a bit or maybe both. Doesn’t take away from how dope your channel is though. Just an observation from a fan.

[@djstarsign]

“Dres the creator of a style that is much greater”. As much as I love the revisited version, it’s been played to death and I now prefer the album version. To me, it’s more aggressive and has a more raw feel. I like both but prefer the original. Same thing with the original version of Jingling Baby by LL. As great as the single is, it’s a lot smoother than the original on the album.

[@northstarbrooks]

10:41 slappa da bass man!

[@liqwidmediaworkztv]

I ran into Dres in a studio in Charlotte back when I was 1st getting into making beats. There were several people in the lounge area where I had the opportunity to play some of my beat tapes. I played tape after tape and they were vibing pretty good. So as the beats played One of the studio managers/owner/engineer (not sure of his role) pulled me aside to talk about maybe bringing other beats or something, (can’t remember all the ins and outs) but, I do remember being really excited. While we were talking my music eventually stops and new music starts playing. After a while I leave excited about my new opportunity, but I then realized I had left my tapes. I go back up and ask for my tapes and the remaining guys (minus Dres) didn’t know what I was talking about, at least that’s what they claimed. Out numbered and frankly being an intimidated pee wee, I accepted my fate. Somebody stole my beat tapes and the only guy missing was Dres. It saying he did it, but I also can’t say he didn’t either. Totally forgot all about that until watching this. Still love that song though.

[@Jesse.Dangerously]

people forget what the Black Sheep name was all about - the guys were hhhhawd!

[@da_funkknight]

I knew there was two different 3rd verses but didn’t know the difference in the track. So when out it was always this anticipation to hear “engine, engine number 9”. For a while it seemed like this song and “before I let go” by maze was the tracks to play to pull people back to the dance floor.

[@HaalElectronica]

Great way to breakdown the jazzy hip hop recipe on this legendary track 🤓

[@davido3109]

Scientific and artistic... Incredible Good!!! Namaste!!!!

[@theherbiebrown]

Mr. Carter is *that* guy.

[@Mr.Rachmaninoff]

this is wild i was literally gonna comment can you please do a breakdown of the choice is yours on whatever the next video you made was so that hopefully youd see it and then this was it

[@dashlaru2]

This track introduced me to the Native Tongues. Thank you for doing this video!

[@johnviera3884]

“engine engine number 9” dance floor ☠️☠️💀

[@BlueSosa-q5g]

U HAVE A COOL SET UP, NICE TABLE🤔

[@howamilooking5952]

Well done! Thank you.

[@jmorrisey79]

Would've been cool if you had a "regular" electric bass demo, fretless electric bass, and THEN the upright just to illustrate how the upright is what makes this sample the monster that it is. I've alwys had a thing for upright bass ever since Tom was playing one in an old Tom & Jerry cartoon. Haha

[@bag12]

That upright sample is MASSIVE

[@Jacqueal]

Nothing is or was accidental in the grand scheme of things. The album was released when it was supposed to be and now we have the classic that is "The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)".

[@beethovan1018]

Yo!! That's my pops on the Sweet Linda Devine album cover: Henry L Oden. Bassist for many folks. I don't know if he is on I'll Say It Again. Props to you

[@beethovan1018]

LINDA TILLERY aka linda Devine is a family friend

[@xtabolx2425]

I miss real sampling😢not liking the same trap snare on EVERY song with muted of ANY samples😢😢😢

[@FALL-LAFF-7477]

As a listener of both version. The Revisiated is THE BEST VERSION of the song itself. The OG was great, but I find it too exhausted to replay. Also, the alternate version/revisited version should have returned for REAL! It's the only way to make it unique for any artist who dealt with copyright sampling problem.

[@EV21]

Gon’ show off on that upright!!

[@itseddiepop]

NOT SCREAMING JUST WANT YOU TO SEE THIS. YOUR KILLING THIS SAMPLE DISSECTION OF CLASSICS, SO I CHALLENGE YOU TO DO A PARTY CLASSIC, AND BREAK IT DOWN TO IT'S DNA THE SONG, ROB BASE AND EASY DJ ROCK IT TAKES 2, I KNOW ALL THE SAMPLES BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU PUT IT TOGETHER, IF YOUR FEELING ME IN THE COMMENTS PLEASE LIKE. KEEP KILLING IT BRUV

[@kudamah]

the song was a classic not doubt.

[@paulvantveer6072]

Thank you, loving it

[@PLANETROCKWELL]

You gotta be the first ever to do this bro. Great content!!!!

[@vinylarchaeologist]

Perhaps a Ron Carter interview on Diggin' the Greats?

[@stephensemp8634]

My guy Matt.E in Denver has his SP mounted to the side of his stand up… it’s incredible

[@mistercohaagen]

Really wish Chi-Ali never went to prison. Obviously he did a thing and had to pay his debt to society and all. But society then missed out on probably 3 or 4 albums worth, given the void this created in his production collective. He was just coming up with the perfect timing, in the perfect network of talent.

[@Jesse.Dangerously]

idk it's not like the rest of the tongues were cranking out hits or even duds during his time away… he wasn't a lot less productive than like, the Jungle Brothers in those years...

[@mistercohaagen]

@@Jesse.Dangerously Yeah, but he was adjacent. His production team was the Beatnuts. The biggest impact probably would've been when Baby Chris died. We can never truly know, but I think his youthful energy in the mix would've extended everybody by a little bit, and they would've done something more after his voice cracked past puberty and all that. Plus the Beatnuts style kept evolving and Chi would've been a part of that too.