48 Hours (album)

48 Hrs
Studio album by Frank-n-Dank
Released	August 5, 2003
Recorded	2002-2003
Genre	Hip hop
Label	Loose Zipper
Producer	J Dilla
Frank-n-Dank chronology
48 Hrs (2003) Xtended Play (2004)

48 Hrs is the debut album by rap duo Frank-n-Dank. It was unofficially released on August 5, 2003. The whole album was produced by J Dilla.

Overview

Recording

48 Hrs can be seen as a collaboration between J Dilla and Frank-N-Dank, as the former not only produces the whole record but also played a large role in bringing the group to a larger underground audience, through their appearance on Welcome 2 Detroit, as well as producing various 12"s released prior to the album. However, the making of the album, under MCA Records, was plagued with setbacks as two subsequent versions of the album were rejected by the label. It received virtually no pre-release promotion indicating that the-then folding label had no serious intentions of releasing the album. J Dilla in an interview with Groove Attack:

We tried to give the masses what they were looking for, but it wasn't what the label was looking for. And we kinda took a whole year-and-a-half in the hole, basically. We worked on the album so hard. If I'd known that they wanted this simple shit, well I wouldn't call it simple, but the shit that we do so easy, you know, we woulda did that. But we tried to put work into this album and tried to give them some shit that's competitive with this Roc-A-Fella camp and with this big money shit. We want to take it bigger.

Many fans believe that this largely sample-free version was recorded to appease MCA, who were reluctant to clear the samples used on the original recording. That theory is somewhat supported by the fact that the 12"s released by the duo prior to 48 Hours all featured sampling, as do the songs on, Xtended Play and Xtended Play Version 3.13, the group's first official studio album.

Release

Eventually a version of the shelved album surfaced on the market, with questionable packaging yet a professional quality of sound, and mastering. Two 12"s were released by independent label ABB in support of the album - "Take Dem Clothes Off" b/w "Off Ya Chest" in 2002, and "Ma Dukes" b/w "Pimp Strut" in 2003. None of the songs from the triple A-Side single "Push", "Where the Parties At?" and "I'll Bet You Will", were included on the available version The album version of "Where the Parties At?" differs greatly from the 12" version - featuring different lyrics and a beat that no longer includes a sample of Mtume's "Juicy Fruit". "I'll Bet You Will" was also changed to "Rite Bites" and no longer appeared over its salsa-esque beat.

Production

Dilla's rumored initial strategy of sorts, was to re-visit numerous "breaks" that had already been used extensively, or notably, in other Hip-Hop songs. Therefore, intentionally or otherwise, highlighting his own skills as a sample-based producer. Among else, this is supported by reworks of Labi Siffre's "I Got The Blues," (nicked by Jay-Z and Eminem for their respective "Streets Is Watching" and "My Name Is"), Mtume's "Juicy Fruit," (famously used by The Notorious B.I.G. on "Juicy"), and Curtis Mayfield's oft-used "Give Me Your Love" from the Super Fly soundtrack, which were all put to tape for the project. It still remains partially unclear as to why this version was abandoned, the most likely reason being label politics, and/or questioning of the album's commercial viability using this somewhat esoteric sonic approach. It is also possible that, with the issue of sample clearances for the album yet to be handled, such a concept could have proved incredibly expensive.

Following the abandonment of the sample concept, Dilla re-built the sonic bed of the album, this time, logically enough, crafting exclusively live instrumentation-based, or "keyboard" beats. Samples still quietly slid their way into this version, albeit in strictly percussive or exclamatory roles. The sounds on 48 Hrs are largely based around sparse electronic melodies, robotic drum patterns, rousing synth stabs and other Moog-based instruments.

These productions reflect both the changes/advancements in Hip hop production at the time and Dilla's incorporation of these ideas, as well as the producer's absorption of (or one could argue 'being influenced by') other producer's styles who were greatly different from his, such as Dr. Dre, Timbaland, and most notably Pharrell, on the staccato clav-based "Take Dem clothes Off". Nevertheless the quirky attributes of J Dilla's productions remain present throughout the record, as can be heard on "Off Ya Chest", where a pounding build up leads to a spacious drum rhythm, complimented by sirens, whistles, blips, zaps, and female vocal snippets.

Track listing

1. "Intro"
2. "Marajuana"
3. "Rite Bites"
4. "Street Life"
5. "Pimp Strut"
6. "Where the Parties at?"
7. "Y'all Don't Want It"
8. "Sex on the Beach"
9. "All Seasons"
10. "Alright"
11. "Afterparty"
12. "Ma Dukes" (feat. Tammy Lucas)
13. "Keep It Coming"
14. "Take Dem Clothes Off" (feat. J Dilla)
15. "Off Ya Chest" (feat. J Dilla)

Performers

• Frank Bush – rap
• Derrick Harvey – rap
• James Yancey – rap, production
• Questlove – live drums ("Keep It Coming")
• Tammy Lucas – vocals ("Ma Dukes")

External links

• Frank-N-Dank Discography with streaming audio
• 48 Hours @ Underground Hip Hop Website