2011 may be a bit early for Forza 4 considering how Forza 3 isn’t an “old” game yet. Nevertheless I welcome it with open arms considering the strides Turn 10 made to make Forza 3 a great racing game. It wasn’t a straight up racing sim. More importantly, it was enjoyable and accessible even with its downsides. Additionally, it’s not like the 360 has a gang of exclusives for next fall especially considering how I’m looking forward to PStriples crazy lineup.

At any rate I’m hoping the devs learned from F3 ao they can make 4za 4 (yep I did it) leaps and bounds better than it’s predecessors.

Stop AWD Dominance

AWD rides ran Forza 3 ragged online and off. Understandably so, some cars perform better on certain tracks with AWD drivetrains. But that shouldn’t be the case across the board: especially on tracks featuring long straightaways. Asking to drop “leaderboard cars” is a bit much since every racing game w/ customizable upgrades has them. But the AWD nonsense has to stop.

More Cars On The Grid

I’m getting tired of racing games only featuring 8 cars on a track. Some tracks call for low grids. However, courses like Silverstone, Suzuka and the like are known to pack 20+ vehicles per race. Obviously the 360 can’t process all those cars. However, hitting 16 cars max for those races and a lofty 20 for ovals would make the races feel, well, more like races.

Better AI

Your whip could consistently smash the competition on hard with the right setup in previous Forza games. It’s difficult to account for so many configurations but it’s not thrilling to match up against cars that, while in your class, still don’t match up well to yours. The trick here would be to incorporate improved competition w/o incorporate cheap catchup AI schemes. At any rate, something needs to be done as we shouldn’t have to dumb down our best rides just to keep races close.

Rallying!

It’s been long time like Sam Cooke since the days of Rallisport Challenge. Forza 4 should have traditional rally races w/ long stages as well as rally cross and hill climb just to mix things up. I don’t follow the WRC that closely but including their license would be a nice touch.

Open Wheel/F1 racing

F1 2010′s licensing deal might ruin the chance of seeing F1 in Forza 4. But it’d be great to finally play some open wheel races in current day or classic F1 cars. Ehh, I’ll take Indy if that’s all they can muster. But open wheel racing would add another much needed direction to Forza’s career mode as well as in multiplayer.

Kinect Support That Actually Matters

Go deeper than implementing gimmicky mini games, head tracking and a snazzy way to inspect cars. How about enabling it to scan our drawings then import them as vinyl decals for cars? Or, like I’ve seen someone on Forzamotorsport’s official site suggest, let us draw tracks, scan them and edit new tracks from there? People need to think outside the box when it comes to new tech. Kinect ought to do more than appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Better Online Set Up

Speaking of online multiplayer, Forza 3′s online play was functional at best. Turn 10 should look at what they did with the hoppers and used them for ranked races only. Then they should let a custom lobbies search be utilized for unranked games. That way people can’t cheese for credits and get their custom lobbies all the same. They should bring back Forza TV, daily/weekly online tournaments, and car clubs as well. New online features like online league support would be unprecedented and give F4 it’s own flavor.

Night Day/Weather Cycles

This is a major if since I don’t know if DVDs are large enough to handle it. But I’m tired of driving under clear conditions all the damn time. Turn 10 should mix it up similar to how PGR 4 did it w/ variable effects like driving through everything from light rain and flurries to storms and blizzards. As a matter of fact it’d be great if they could use what Bizzarre learned in creating their own weather and day/night cycle.

New and Old Tracks (With More Point to Point races)

Forza 1 had some great tracks in Pacific Shipyard, the alt. NY track and Blue Mountain that didn’t get any shine in subsequent releases. All of these circuits/point to point races should return along with new real life and original tracks like Spa, Monte Carlo and some city tracks outside of NY for diversity sake. I’d also like to see what Turn 10 can come with in terms of making rally X and on/off road point to point races.

Forza 3 was a great game but it had some pretty egregious flaws after awhile. F4 doesn’t have to be the same as long as they utilize some of these features. It’ll be interesting to see what T10 and MS come up with when the game drops next fall. Until then I’ll be patiently waiting to see how the game will shape up as the new year approaches.

I’m standing at a crossorads of sorts. My contract with AT&T is long over and it’s new phone season. I was going to hop on an EVO but Amazon, my retailer of choice, ran out of stock on Black Friday. Lately I’ve played w/ the idea of copping a Windows Phone. But it’s infant stage makes it unappealing. So now It’s a toss up between the Captivate, iPhone (cheaper for me to stay w/ AT&T), the EVO, and Droid X/Incredible (I’m also TIRED of AT&T.)

With that in mind there’s rooms for improvement for the platform and I’m sure Microsoft will roll them out as it matures. At any rate here are some improvements/changes I’d love to see for the OS. The cellular world shouldn’t just be iOS, Blackberry OS, and Android going at it. Competition makes for better products and we’re in a cool era of mobile phone innovation. So without further fluff here’s what I’d like to see in Windows Phone 7 updates.

1. Multitasking

I’d like to say this request list isn’t in any particular order but this omission makes it a bold faced lie. MS said it’s coming but it’s a huge oversight: especially considering how 6.5, Android and even the iPhone has it’s own understanding of running multiple apps at once.

2. Flash support

The sooner flash gets to Phone 7 the better. Most of the net is still based on Flash so it’s puzzling to see MS omit it in 7′s initial release; especially considering how 6.5 had it.

3. Netflix/Hulu support

Netflix is on the way but it’s taking its sweet time. But Hulu could simply run in the browser if not for licensing issues and it’s current lack of flash. Hopefully they’ll make an app for that down the line.

4. Better XBL integration

XBLA is one of my favorite things about 360 so it’s off putting to see WP7′s meager launch offerings. The game library is pretty paltry as it stands, there’s no cross platform support yet, and real time multiplayer is absent. I’m not expecting the OS to run huge games like Battlefield 1943. With that said XBL on WP7 needs to roll the aforementioned features out to games that fit like platformers,

5. more options for apps layout

Tiles are a nice touch and give the phone a unique UI. But the apps layout is pretty garbage for my tastes. Users ought to have a choice between the original single column presntation, a grid and/or the ability to group similar apps into folders.

6. cut, copy & paste

Yet another feature that’s on its way but should’ve been there from the start.

7. Bing Maps navigation in all phones

This is a weird omission since Android has turn by turn and public transportation navigation. This could be really great to use along with multitasking on the road.

8. Wifi/Bluetooth file transfer

You shouldn’t have to be tethered to your phone just to copy files from your desk/laptop. Neither iOS nor Android offer this feature out the box to my knowledge. Therefore this could’ve been a huge feature for power users. Still they might as well work on it for their next update.

Well that’s all I can think of. Now I have to evaluate my cell phone future with either AT&T or Sprint. Money constraints suggest I’ll be stuck with AT&T for another two years but I’ll try to make Cyber Monday work for me.

…at least it was yesterday. I remember wanting one during college until I saw it’s paltry launch lineup. It had a few standouts in PGR 3 and Call of Duty 2. But I ended up sitting on the fence until I could afford one about two years later.

In my 3 years owning one (or two and change since my OG died on me) I’d say I got tons of fun out of it. So much fun that I’m getting cold feet towards getting a PS3 yet again. That’s largely due to the fact that their libraries aren’t THAT different outside of exclusives and the thing is still 300 bucks.

On the flip side I have to say I’m pretty displeased with 360′s build quality. Getting a 3 year warranty extension is nice but I shouldn’t have to look at a piece of hardware as a ticking time bomb.

At any rate them folks up in Redmond got me good. I don’t feel too bright paying for Xbox Live but I don’t have viable alternatives. All of my friends and family have and primarily game on 360s. I have a PC that runs games well but I usually end up lobby hopping by my damn self. The same thing will likely happen once I get around to buying a triple since this gen seemingly won’t end.

Oh and I caught this article about the 10 ways the 360 changed gaming. It’s got some questionable picks but I get what the author was trying to accomplish: misleading title notwithstanding. Also I’m not one to beef over someone else’s opinion. Nevertheless, if I had all that power I would’ve drafted my own list as such.

The 360 is 5: The good, bad and ugly since it hit the scene.

The Good

1. Xbox Live Marketplace – Well this is mostly meant with a focus on the arcade. XBLA has a great lineup of relatively cheap games (Trials HD, Perfect Dark, Shadow Complex etc.) well worth copping. They kick in the clutch especially when on sale. Speaking of which I’m dropping 2 bucks on ‘Splosion Man when it gets its price slashed this week. More importantly, you have to admit that it’s implementation encouraged Sony and Nintendo to use similar stores on their systems.

2. Custom soundtrack on EVERY GAME – another thing you could do on the PC for years but serves as a godsend on a console. It really helps for sports and racing games with soundtracks you don’t care for (Forza 3, PGR 4, and NBA 2K11 I’m looking at all yall.)

3. Dashboard updates – The UI isn’t universally praised but the features each revision brought were great. The party system, incorporation of apps (although Netflix is the only one I use regularly, let alone at all) and optional game installs are all kinds of convenient among other features added over the years. I wish I could say the same thing about the ESPN app but Cablevision won’t let me shine.

4. Streaming Media – It sort of goes hand in hand a bit w/ custom soundtracks. Being able to stream music and moviees from your computer is pretty slick and got much better since Divx support was added.

5. Xbox Live – Matchmaking is spotty at times but the ease of rounding your friends together for a game is welcome. PS3 is catching up but it’s hard to ignore Live’s influence on PSN’s online capabilities.

The Wack

1. Hardware quality – I already harped on this. MS’s handling of the system really showed how earnest they were to get ahead no matter the cost. Consumers played guinea pig for 2 or so years while Microsoft get the money, dolla dolla dolla bills yall (did I just type that?) Anyway, the newer systems are reportedly better in build quality but I shouldn’t have to pay another 3 bills just to get the right version.

2. Xbox Live Gold Ain’t Free – And it won’t be free as long as us idiots continue to pay for it. It’s not a bad service. In fact it’s improved drastically since the Xbox days. But it doesn’t feel like a $60 value what with PS3 and Wii offering online gaming for free. Nevertheless I’m an all day sucker for it and it’s not like I can convince the 20+ people I play with regularly to jump ship w/ me. It also doesn’t help that the system feels flat out worthless without a gold subscription.

3. Ads, ads, ads! – They don’t bother me as much as other heads. But it’s annoying to log in to live and get greeted by the damn spotlight page every time. I’d rather go right to my friends list but that’s just me.

4. Weird original design – OG systems don’t have built in wifi, their hard drives were criminally small and it sounds like I’m booting up a Compaq Presario from ’95 every time I load a game that’s not installed.

5. Where are the retail exclusives? – Many of 360′s hallmark exclusives are timed or always available on the PC. It seems like MS Game Studios daid “Well you got Gears of War last year. But guess what? That means you’re getting Halo this fall! aren’t you excited!” since 06. Alan Wake looks like a nice change of pace as I haven’t played it yet. Additionally Forza 3 is good, PGR 4 quells my stannish PGR needs and I’ve enjoyed, yet dropped, other games like Banjo N&B. But Microsoft’s golden box is in dire need of some variety when it comes to retail games.

So there it is. The 360 is influential in a few ways but not as much as the article would lead you to believe. It’s also a prime example of how rushing to be first isn’t a good look in the long run. Here’s hoping whatever comes after this console is much better.

What?! I’m writing on my neglected wordpress account? Yup I got the feelin’ to post some geeky nonsense as I watch football. And speaking of football, Cablevision is on their BS as usual with Fox but lemme stop before I go on a rant.

Anyway I’ve found myself enjoying Halo Reach more than I think I should. Bad Company 2 is still my favorite shooter of the year. But I used to be a relatively unimpressed with most of the Halo games. Reach looks like the same ‘ol on the surface but it’s really not. In fact it’s the best game in the series by far in my eyes. Still it’s not “perfect” like many things in life.

That is to say there are some things I’d like to alter if I had all that power. Moreover there are some things I’d like to see Bungie add to support the game post launch. However let’s start with the changes.

What’s REALLY GOOD with the shields?

One of my biggest gripes with Halo is the fact that the shields are a tad overpowered. Of course taking them off totally kills the “Halo experience” somewhat. And let’s face it, SWAT ain’t that great when you’re getting spawn killed repeatedly.

My proposal to change this would involve weakening the shields in a way that you’re better rewarded for getting the drop on somebody. It’s annoying as hell to shoot at a hapless victim repeatedly only for them to find a nook to fight another day.* Shields should be weaker when you’re shooting someone from the back. For instance, It’d be great if three DMR shots, instead of four, on a fully shielded enemy from behind would pop their shield. Of course these means you’d have to rebalance the other weapons to account for the change. But you see where I’m going with this.

Concerning Evade/Grenade Spam…

Might as well lump these into one since they’re the same kind of annoying. The evade should take longer to recharge since you can use two jukes after each cool down. On the flip side you should start out with only one grenade instead of two considering maps are littered with grenades anyway. That’d greatly lower blind grenade kills.

Where are the Invasion maps?

Invasion is pretty fun from my experience. People swear it’s crazy unbalanced but I haven’t taken part in many one sided fights. Having only two Invasion maps with two Invasion Slayer types is pretty weak. Bungie oughta start supporting it more with free Forge World variants to put in their playlist. You already know they’ll add more original maps as pay to download DLC going by their track record. Nevertheless it’d be a good gesture to give, say, three forge world invasion maps for free to start.

Campaign expansion packs

I thoroughly enjoyed playing co-op campaign with friends on legendary. It was a bit frustrating at times but we trudged through it one level at a time. Without spoiling anything the story pretty much wraps up once you beat it. With that said I’d like to see Bungie come up with more campaign levels down the line. One free  new campaign level to start would be dope. Then a five level campaign pack for 5-10 bucks featuring new guns, enemies and other surprises would be fair.

Custom games browser

It should be easier to play custom maps like this with friends

Matchmaking, while slow at times, works better now that certain game types I’d rather not play (SWAT, team snipers etc.) have their own playlists. But people come up with interesting maps and modes that don’t get any shine in ranked games. Taking your party around unranked custom games would open the game up in a ton of ways and make it a less rigid experience. Let’s say you want to play a popular invasion map made in forge world that’s not supported by matchmaking. Getting 12 friends together for that is a pain. It’d be better to team up, search for custom games, and find new, popular and well designed maps made by the fan base along the way.

…and finally, Bigger Lobbies/Forge support

Halo Reach works well with 8-16 players since the maps accommodate that kind of party. Still with forge being as large as it is the map is pretty underutilized with only 16 players at most. it’d be great if the devs could enlarge the player count to say 24-32 players over huge, sprawling maps for Invasion or big team battle. Additionally, it’d be amazing if they could make more maps as large as forge world with more original tools. Seeing gray blocks all over the place gets tiring after awhile; especially in a game that actually has a good mix of colors.

So that’s all I got. Halo Reach is a good game as it stands but it could stand to see some improvements. We’ll likely see more additions via DLC as previously stated. Still I hope Bungie doesn’t do a couple of tired map packs and call it a day. There’s so much more that can be done to make it a better game. What do you think Bungie can change or add to Reach to make it better?

*Best believe I run like a mug when I don’t know where I’m getting shot from haha.

E3 wrapped a mere a week ago which means I’m talking about ancient history in internet time. But with that out of the way I might as well talk about a key announcement I was genuinely interested in only to be brought back to reality at an alarming rate.

Microsoft’s press conference was so-so at very best. With that in mind their ESPN 3 announcement for XBL gold users was a major point from my perspective. I’m a sports head so I could see myself getting plenty of miles out of this app. The key here is “could” as my ISP’s network (Optimum Online) is a subsidiary under…

So what does that have to do with anything? Well it’s as simple as this. Cablevision and ESPN don’t exactly see eye to eye when it comes to bringing ESPN 3 to Cablevision’s customers. Apparently ESPN’s price per customer is too high for Cablevision’s taste so the end user loses out. That’s basically what it boils down to as I don’t have access to the numbers ESPN wants to charge.

It’s disappointing nonetheless as I’d like to watch ESPN 3 on my 360 for the sake of convenience. Additionally, cable and satellite, in my opinion, are increasingly becoming less attractive as the small list of shows I follow are available online for free or for a small monthly fee. Sure the quality doesn’t touch an HD broadcast (most of the time) but Netflix’s HD stream quality doesn’t leave much to complain about. Netflix’s biggest problem is its library but that’s more of a licensing/usual Hollywood politics issue than anything.

Something's missing here...

But I digress. The key factor that ties so many sports fans to their cable bills is the fact that the internet doesn’t offer many attractive options to stream live events (for free at least.) NBA on TNT and NBC occasionally throws viewers a bone but they’re services don’t match ESPN 3′s versatile array of broadcast sporting events. But what’s the point if I, along with millions of other customers in the metropolitan tri-state area, can’t use it? It’s bad enough that, say, MLB, NBA and NFL fans have to come out of the pockets heavy for MLB.tv, NBA TV and NFL Sunday Ticket respectively.  Yes their coverage is more extensive as they provide practically every game: blackouts notwithstanding. But 3′s lineup is good enough if you’re looking for a quick fix on big name match ups. And now that the Fifa tournament is poppin’, ESPN 3′s closed access is another missed opportunity or viewers to watch games, or in this case, translates to more money for Cablevision’s digital cable line.

I’m not one of these naive e-whiners with a false sense of entitlement. Everything costs money and if Cablevision plays nice with ESPN the consumers will probably foot the bill. It’d be lovely if Cablevision shook hands with ESPN and put 3 on their network but I’m not holding my breath. In the meantime I’d like to know why there isn’t an relatively inexpensive alternative on top of optimum online’s service that covers things like ESPN 3? If it (unfortunately) came to that or nothing I wouldn’t mind paying an extra $2-3 a month for it if it meant I wouldn’t have to pay for cable (as long as they don’t go crazy w/ compartmentalizing content heavy sites like youtube, hulu etc.) I already get by on the few shows I watch and that premium option could help subsidize ESPN’s hefty price per user. Until that or a similar plan develops I guess Cablevision’s customers are left to do without.

]]> http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/what-would-it-take-to-bring-espn-3-to-cablevisions-customers/feed/ 13 Sam C. ESPN 3 on 360 Cablevision logo ESPN 3 browser http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/why-is-everyone-leaving-for-miami/ http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/why-is-everyone-leaving-for-miami/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 21:30:20 +0000 S. Cadet http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/?p=3043 ]]>

Oh yeah, it’s Memorial Day Weekend.

I can’t remember the last time I went to some far away place to celebrate Memorial Day. Perhaps it’s because I’ve become slightly misanthropic as the years pile on and night life seems less appealing. Well I’m not THAT terrible but I’m always one for taking it easy when I have limited time off. Maybe I’ll go against the grain one of these days and try a weekend getaway if money allows it. But I’m a much bigger fan of five plus day vacation movement. Too bad my wallet never agrees with me on that sentiment.

Yup, I'm good on all that (unless I don't have to pay for it.)

Heck I’m from Jersey and I’ve never made the trek down the shore just to enjoy the weekend. When it comes to Memorial Day, much like 4th of July, have someone in the family (or friends) set up a good ‘ol fashioned barbecue in NJ or NY not too far from home and I’m good. You get to enjoy the day (weather permitting,) catch up with people you like to be around, eat tons of food  and avoid spending tons of time on the road since the holiday rush takes over 80, 280, 287, the Parkway and everything in between.

Well at least the summer is unofficially here and I’m ready for some new anthems for the season.  I plan on blasting Big Boi’s “Shutterbug” over the weekend since it’s been a great summer song since March. Weird, I know. But it knocks and he got me excited for his album. Might as well wrap it up and post the video.

Well it looks like the video got taken down. This will have to do for now.

…in case you were wondering. I won’t draw this one out for too long as not much else can be said about him. All I’ll say is I feel quite cheated when I compare artists like Stevie to the most renown artists of my generation. Yes it’s an unfair matchup since he’s a living legend. But, in my opinion, even if you compared the music he made in his 20′s to the stuff our 20-something frontrunners are producing it’s no contest in Stevie’s favor. Heck you could say it’d be an even more lopsided comparison if you don’t count anything from his 30′s onward.

I just hope he enjoys his 60th year on earth. And now for the obligatory embeds.

b/c it’s necessary and…

b/c this song is amazing

I’ll just stop now before I get ahead of myself. I wouldn’t want to post his whole catalog (LIE) but this post isn’t making things easier. Happy Birthday Stevie.

]]> http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/2010/05/13/its-stevie-wonders-birthday-today/feed/ 0 Sam C. Stevie Wonder 2 http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/this-couldve-been-a-better-week-tech-wise/ http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/this-couldve-been-a-better-week-tech-wise/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 23:27:33 +0000 S. Cadet http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/?p=3022 ]]>

Yup, my 360 died on me and that’s arguably not the worst of it.

My Dell laptop is on the fritz AGAIN. This time I don’t even get a display when it boots up. Thankfully I’m still under warranty and it should be fixed tomorrow. In the meantime I’m using a loaner and I’m getting by.

Actually that last part was a lie. I’ve been bouncing off the wall during prime time as I couldn’t care less about most TV shows these days. Things could’ve gotten dire if the NBA playoffs weren’t in full swing so I’m grateful for that. Seriously, my latest technological travails aren’t THAT bad.  But suitable entertainment, at least for my tastes, is just a lil’ harder to come by these days.

I'm not cutting checks for Michael Dell from now on.

In the meantime I doubt I’ll bother with laptops again after my warranty runs out (outside of receiving one as a gift of course.) I’m not in school anymore and I didn’t use it much outside of my house or then-apartment save for some clutch performances on Megabus trips. Plus those things don’t have a long shelf life. Now that I have personal experience w/ it I think I’ll just get a much better desktop with room to upgrade.

Additionally this experience really taught me an important lesson on warranties. I don’t think i’ll make any other big tech purchases without them. Microsoft tried to shake me down for a Benjamin and a Grant like Horace just to repair a faulty system with known design flaws. That is, until, I explained how my console stopped working and they offered to cover the repair expenses on their dime.

My standard warranty expired but since my console’s issues are so prevalent it’s still covered until the end of the year. So I guess it’s better that it craps out on me now rather than in 2011. Then I’d be assed-out regardless. I gave it to UPS today so hopefully I get my replacement in about 2 weeks.

This clip is funnier than most of the nonsense on TV

So yeah that’s pretty much the extent of my “problems” right now. I’m not complaining-I’m just sayin’. But MS and Dell get the gas face this week. Anyway you can find me scouring iO Digital Cable’s clunky ass browser after tonight’s games  so I can catch a movie on cable. I’m about to check this Magic/Bobcats game out. I’ll catch you all on a later date.

]]> http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/this-couldve-been-a-better-week-tech-wise/feed/ 5 Sam C. e74-21 Dell_XPS_1530_Laptop http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/re-learning-the-piano/ http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/re-learning-the-piano/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:29:14 +0000 S. Cadet http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/?p=3011 ]]>

Many moons ago you could find the kid hammering away on some ivory keys over a tune he couldn’t give a care about. I knew I had musical talent growing up since playing piano wasn’t that difficult and the sax was even easier. But I never truly applied myself b/c other things (and distractions) were flat out more fun. I used to despise playing classical music and concert band and practicing those songs felt more like punishment rather than enjoyment. I’d much rather play basketball or get another hour of Super Mario World in rather than rehearse some smelly Mozart tune for the umpteenth time.  That’s the mind of a 9 year old for you.

Alas you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s nearly gone. When I got older I realized that I almost threw away something that I excelled the most at mainly because I didn’t know any better. Now that we have a new keyboard in the house I’ve been practicing songs and loops that I actually enjoy. I want to take it a step further and cop some sheet music and memorize notes so I can play by ear better. Being classically trained was annoying as ever but now I see why it was so important. I still know the notes, can read sheet music w/ a lil’ trouble and the major scales never left me.

Hopefully this sudden urge to play piano isn’t just a phase. It’s one of those things were your skills can fall off hard if you don’t hone them on a constant basis and lately I’ve felt the effects of my neglect. But hey, you live and you learn right? Right now I’m just trying to master background chords to some R&B and a few rap songs I liked when I was younger. I’m not good enough to take on leads just yet but I’m getting there. Right now I’m working on this.

Jay-Z Feelin’ It

Thanks to this video

The keys on the loop always stuck out to me so I decided to give it a go. Dude pretty much has the chords down and it’s pretty easy since it’s just a loop. The only thing I’d add is a B flat before the C goes to the D. If you need a better point of reference it’s the bar(s?) BEFORE you switch from the C octave chord to the B flat chord. The OG version plays six notes before the switch and the B flat is still in key. When you add the extra B flat it sounds truer to the sample from what my ears can tell.

I got some more complex songs under my belt as well but I’m still getting the kinks out on those. In closing, yamming away at these keys is more fun than ever. I never thought playing the piano would be this enjoyable but I guess I’ve been missing out in the past decade or so. Let’s hope I’ll get good enough to learn (or even improvise) on some Stevie Wonder records down the line.

Better late than never right?

Well if you haven’t figured (or bothered) by now I might as well drop the bomb on you. Premo got the sample of “Life’s A Bitch” from…

Gap Band – Yearning For Your Love

You can also hear it in SWV’s “Your Always On My Mind.” Funny thing is I watched The Wackness last night on Netflix and it reminded me to do this post as it stemmed from music of that particular era (’94 “golden age rap” when New York ran things.) The film had me by the ears b/c I love rap and r&B from that time. But the acting wasn’t very good (but seeing Mista Meth as a Jamaican drug dealer was humorous.) I mean just check this trailer out.

I’m not one to tell someone as distinguished as Method Man what to do. But they could’ve at least casted him to play himself as a cameo. I’m just sayin’. Anyway that’s it for now. I’ll holla when my keyboard & mouse beckons me to this place again.

]]> http://fakehustle.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/answer-to-spot-the-sample-4/feed/ 0 Sam C. Gap Band