I don’t care what era of hip hop you come from; you gotta love Gang Starr! DJ Premier is the originator in my book; definitely in my top 5 producers list. Moment of Truth isn’t my favorite Gang Starr album, but Thomas hooked this one up and I mean HOOKED it up…. close to 40 samples in this set, with only one main sample missing. That’s good work! Premo uses a ton of vocal samples in his production and we’ve included the more recognizable ones here, but obviously some are missing. So feel free to add to the list!
Moment of Truth is the fifth album released from Gang Starr on March 31, 1998. Released four years after their previous album, Hard to Earn, this could be seen as a comeback, with a newer, updated style to their already established jazz-tinged hip hop. Stylistically, Premo’s beats, while maintaining the signature two-measure loop and scratched chorus formula, expand their range of samples. Not only does he use more orchestral horns and strings, but he also features more atonal, non-melodic samples, a style he’d first explored on Jeru the Damaja’s The Sun Rises in the East. Despite being overshadowed by more mainstream artists, Moment of Truth has gained immense respect within the underground hip hop circuit, and is Gang Starr’s most commercially successful album to date.
- “Drowning In The Sea of Love” by Joe Simon
- Sampled in “You Know My Steez”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Music Let’s Me Be” by Les McCann *
- Sampled in “You Know My Steez”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Flash Is On The Beatbox” by Grandmaster Flash
- Sampled in “You Know My Steez”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Shadowboxin” by GZA
- Sampled in “You Know My Steez”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Episodes Of A Hustla” by Big Noyd
- Sampled in “You Know My Steez”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “What is Hip Hop” by Greg Tate
- Sampled in “You Know My Steez”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Capricorn” by George Duke
- Sampled in “Robin Hood Theory”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Devil In the Dark” by The Manhattans
- Sampled in “Work”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Prove Your Love” by Fleetwood Mac
- Sampled in “Work”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Let’s Do It In Slow Motion” by Latimore
- Sampled in “Royalty”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “DWYCK” by Gang Starr
- Sampled in “Royalty” and “The Rep Grows Bigga”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Two Piece Flower” by John Dankworth
- Sampled in “Above The Clouds”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “It’s Time To Break Down” by The Supremes
- Sampled in “JFK 2 LAX”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Beyond Yesterday” by Les McCann
- Sampled in “It’s A Set Up”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Let’s Fall In Love All Over Again” by Billy Paul
- Sampled in “Moment Of Truth”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Come Live With Me” by Isaac Hayes
- Sampled in “B.I. Vs. Friendship”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Dark Shadows (Main Theme)” by Robert Cobert
- Sampled in “The Milita”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Windmills Of Your Mind” by Barbara Lewis
- Sampled in “The Milita”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Come Dancing” by Jeff Beck
- Sampled in “The Rep Grows Bigga”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Off The Books” by The Beatnuts
- Sampled in “The Rep Grows Bigga”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “C.R.E.A.M.” by Wu-Tang Clan
- Sampled in “The Rep Grows Bigga”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Faxin’ Jax” by I.N.I.
- Sampled in “The Rep Grows Bigga”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Little Green Apples” by Young-Holt Unlimited
- Sampled in “What I’m Here 4″
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “R.S.V.P.” by Nat Adderley
- Sampled in “What I’m Here 4″
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Sunnin’ and Funnin’” by MFSB
- Sampled in “She Knowz What She Wantz”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Itzsoweezee (Hot)” by De La Soul
- Sampled in “She Knowz What She Wantz”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “It’s My Thang” by EPMD
- Sampled in “New York Strait Talk”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Bastards” by Ruthless Bastards
- Sampled in “New York Strait Talk”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know” by Lydia Pense and Cold Blood
- Sampled in “My Advice To You”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Think About It” by Special Ed
- Sampled in “My Advice To You”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Living Proof” by Group Home
- Sampled in “Make ‘Em Pay”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “You’re Something Special” by Five Specials
- Sampled in “Make ‘Em Pay”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Family Affair” by Sly and The Family Stone
- Sampled in “The Mall”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Deliver The Word” by War
- Sampled in “Betrayal”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “A Good Man Is Gone” by Monk Higgins
- Sampled in “Next Time”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “I Shot Ya (Remix)” by LL Cool J
- Sampled in “Next Time”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “Here’s That Rainy Day” by Paul Horn
- Sampled in “In Memory Of”
- Produced by DJ Premier
- “You’re Nobody (Til Somebody Kills You)” by The Notorious B.I.G.
- Sampled in “In Memory Of”
- Produced by DJ Premier
* unavailable in compilation
Download Moment of Truth: Original Samples
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh. My. God. My favourite Gang Starr album!!! Primo took things back to the essence on this one. I’m really gonna enjoy this sample set. Thanks again guys!
We aim to please!
thats funny you put that out,.,i was listening to this album.,all this week,.so i know,.,.we on the same,.mind track,.,good,.,job,.,kev,.i might just touch it up (ya know)
Holy shit, this is like a wet dream come true! Maaaad props!
WHOA. Slow down son you killing em. You really did it big with this one.
Peace
Mature Gang Starr Album.
YOU BANNED ME FOR THAT? c’mon, the internet is supposed to be democratic man. you should let people have they’re say even if you don’t like it. censorship is wack. ps. dj premier’s gonna hear about this one! yall fakin the funk! j/k guys lighten up
awesome shit!
Could anybody re-up this somewhere else too? Thanks
Hey, im having trouble downloading this ablum, if kev could plz tell me how to do it i would much appreciate it.
Peace.
word, thiss shitt izz dope wit a capital ‘d. cheerz 4 dis hook up maan, phat site u got here too!! love thiss shitt, clas-sick!! audi 5-thou
Great Site. Moment of Truth Is My Favorite Gang Starr Album. Thank You Very Much
Zoran From Zagreb
the best album from these guys yet!
and they have good albums!