//Introducing “Funky DL samples Amy Winehouse” Vol 2: //Back To Rap //Click here to download FREE NOW!!

The answer this time is… … Because it would almost seem pointless not to take up the challenge of trying to equal or better “Back To Frank”

Funky DL returned to the studio for the second time in April of 2010 to record what was to become “Black To Rap”, the sequel to the “Back To Frank” album which originally sampled Amy Winehouse’s debut “Frank” album but this time around Amy’s sophomore album “Back To Black” was to become the audio victim.

Initially DL had stated that he probably would never sample from “Back To Black” merely because it was such a popular album and he liked the obscurity of Amy’s debut album “Frank” to the mainstream world, as even many Amy Winehouse fans thought and felt that she only had ever made one album.

But DL changed his mind because he wanted to take this creation in a different direction with the changing of 2 things from his first visit.

1. This time round would include a host of featured artists.
2. Profanity and strong language was no longer to be censored.

And again, the result is a perfect mesh of Amy Winehouse meets hip-hop at it’s purest with themes and subjects that could interest even the mildly interested.

DL states “fans went crazy for Back To Frank, and I wanted to give them more"… another instalment that bent in a different direction to make it more of a full package. I guess I didn’t want people who downloaded the first one to have to always wonder what a second would sound like so I just went ahead and did it”

And here it is, broken down for you track by track. Download, enjoy and spread the word!

//TRACK 1: 'INTRO’
Funky DL claimed that he didn’t want to make a full song using Amy’s “Rehab” because the song was just way to popular to take the original from out of peoples minds to be open enough for a newer version so it was chopped and segmented to be used for just the intro for Back To Rap as a familiar audio landscape to prepare the listener for what was to come.

//TRACK 2: 'CAN’T KEEP LYING’ featuring Ricko Capito, Dukus Alemay & Pyrelli
DL originally had agreed with Dukus Alemay to rhyme on this track together but later it was decided that Ricko Capito would join the track as a third MC. Interjection came again when Pyrelli was added to then make a quartet of rhyme-smiths on this jam. DL cleverly chopped Amy’s vocals from “Me and Mr Jones” and used different layers of filter frequency while switching drums grooves from hook to verses to provide a swing in the drums and solid groove.

//TRACK 3: 'TOGETHER’ featuring Pyrelli & MCD
It was only right that since MCD was responsible for giving DL the initial idea for this project, he himself should feature on one of the songs. With Pyrelli added to the fold, “Together” is a tri-scope view on the idea of togetherness from each MC. The reggae-ska sample from Amy’s “Just Friends”, lent to DL then sampling from some of the original “Saxon Sound” raves held in the UK in the 1980’s which feature the vocals of legends Papa Levi, Tippa Irie, Daddy Colonel and Daddy Rusty.

//TRACK 4: 'I TOLD YOU I WAS TROUBLE’ featuring Pyrelli & Addictive
Hip-hop has always been synonymous with big drum beats so “You Know I’m No Good” was a perfect backdrop to showcase this as it starts with and electrifying live drum performance. DL snuck in and took snippets of horn screeches and stabs to then layer over the spacious beats and then went in with Pyrelli to tear the track apart lyrically. Female vocal group “Addictive” were added to provide harmonic value with their beautiful tones and texture as vocalists.

//TRACK 5: 'AND I WAKE UP ALONE’ featuring Dukus Alemay
DL wanted to make a track on “Back To Rap” which mirrored the storytelling value of “But That’s Not Me” from “Back To Frank”. Amy’s “Wake Up Alone” provided the perfect chorus and theme to enable DL to succeed. DL tells the story of a lover who is constantly caught up in strife and trouble as she enters and exits a relationship with him. Dukus Alemay provides a rainbow of harmonies for the intro and outro to further expand on the Amy Winehouse original, whilst DL plays extra keys with pizzicato and pads to bring the track alive beyond the original. DL remarks “The biggest challenge in this one was performing in a 3/4 time signature which is not highly common in hip-hop, although songs like Kanye West’s “Fly Away” and Nas’ “Heaven” have proven it is possible to do it and to do it dope!

//TRACK 6: 'OWE NOTHING TO ME’ featuring Sus & Dukus Alemay
Bearing in mind that Amy Winehouse hardly left any instrumental part open during her performance of “Tears Dry on Their Own”, DL did extremely well to create this track which again features Dukus Alemay and his also “Dead Bully” rhyming partner “Sus”. This track is a reflection of the back to the boom-bap era of hip-hop.

//TRACK 7: 'THE CHIPS WERE DOWN’
DL holds this song as his most precious from the “Back To Rap” collection, because lyrically he feels it is some of the most honest writing he has ever put to his music. Sampling Amy’s “Love Is a Losing Game”, DL turns this into a heartfelt and melancholy tale of the ups and downs that life throw at us and how we can and can’t cope with them. DL states “so many fans love this song because it can very easily make them think about their own lives and the things that are occurring for them right now” As the song is deep, powerful and from the heart, DL dedicates this song to his Father who sadly passed away during the creation of this album.

//TRACK 8: 'PUT IT IN WRITING’ featuring Ricko Capito & K9
Amy Winehouse’s “Some Unholy War” is the backdrop for this number. Ricko Capito and K9 are 2 rappers DL met in late 2009 whilst working with Klashnekoff. So impressed with both their lyrical ability, it was a perfect opportunity to feature them both on the album in the form of “Put It In Writing” which is a warning shot to all the MC’s and Rappers who are nonchalantly writing rubbish in their material with a care or concern to the message they send through their words.

//TRACK 9: 'WHAT’S SHE RUNNING FROM?’ featuring Lei-an
DL felt that the original music for Amy’s “He Can Only Hold Her” reminded him of something that Slick Rick would have chosen to rhyme over back in the day. That propelled to perform an almost Slick Rick style of flow on this track. With Lei-an as an added feature for a hook line and the outro, the track ended up sounding much better than DL had initially envisaged.

//TRACK 10: 'I CAN GET MINE’
The fastest track of the bunch comes in the form of “I Can Get Mine” which samples Amy Winehouse’s “Addicted”. This song also has the shortest chorus line out of all the songs on the album. The song depicts going for yours and getting what you’re worth in this world.  DL originally recorded a song entitled “I Think” but it was never released so he took the drums and merged them with the Amy samples to bring this high paced groove to the album.

//TRACK 11 'GOLD FOR A FOOL’ featuring Pyrelli
Appearing on the album as a bonus feature, this is actually the very first beat that DL worked on in starting the “Back To Rap” process; even though the original Amy track “Fools Gold” did not feature on the “Back To Black” album. When Pyrelli heard the beat, he fell in love with the vibe and DL agreed that they’d both share the lyrical duties on the track.

//TRACK 12 'OUTRO’
DL takes this opportunity to send a shout out all the artists involved in the album process over the straight loop of Amy’s “Black To Black”… a shout out and peace out to all... and a nice round off and finish to a classic project!

Click here to read But why did Funky DL sample Amy Winehouse?...