These Are The Breaks.

(Our weekly look back at the original songs that your favorite Hip-Hop records sampled)


Since the 4th of July was last week, and some idiots are still lighting off fireworks in my neighborhood I thought this week's entry of These Are the Breaks should be firecracker-related. Confused yet? Don't worry...these things tend to work themselves out.

Mass Production was a Virginia-based funk band in the late 70's and early 80's, and one one of the largest of its time - in size, not stature. The group included 10 band members. Although, they are somewhat obscure, they had one hit record, titled "Fire Cracker" (see the connection?) which hit number four on the R&B charts in the late summer of 1979.

LISTEN: Mass Production - "Firecracker"

The song would later be sampled and flipped into one of the raunchiest and more controversial rap songs ever.


The song, 2 Live Crew's "Me So Horny" also borrowed its hook from a Stanley Kubrik's classic movie, Full Metal Jacket, in a scene where a Vietnamese hooker propositions 2 American soldiers. Me love you long time.