7ftSicilians

SteveC

I’m here to break down the inaugural 7ftSample of the Week. Jaguar, the seventh track off the illustrious Cocodrillo Turbo, finds the listener with yet another well-crafted beat produced by Roc Marciano that Action Bronson floats over as he regales us of his jungle cat abilities and WWE prowess. 

However, the real shining star in this auditory masterpiece is the soulful sample from the 1975 classic, I Can’t Help Myself, by Loleatta Holloway. If you’ve never had the pleasure of listening to this pulchritudinous song, please do yourself a favor and give it a listen right now. 

Now, I guarantee this isn’t the first time you’ve heard of Loleatta Holloway. Again, while she’s not the focal point, her vocal talents are displayed in the 1991 hit “Good Vibrations” by Marky Mark and Funky Bunch. Of course you’ve heard this song, it’s an inevitability like Mark Wahlberg buddy-cop movies and Sunday scaries. Nevertheless, the track we’re discussing wasn’t released as a single and didn’t manage to make any US charts. Unbelievably, it’s a B-side off her 1975 album Cry to Me. I attribute the lack of success to the unfortunate closure of the label under which she released this sophomore album. 

The juxtaposition of her opalescent tone settling into the crevices of Bronsolino’s sultry distribution of exquisite bars is :chefs kiss: The rolling percussion and soulful chord progression of the guitar create a hypnotic rhythm that’s interspersed with a bubbly Cause I LOVE you that provides a sonic experience upon which Action delivers metaphorically dense lines that’ll be scorched into your brain permanently. 

Lovе and hate, there’s a fine line

Should I let it go, or turn him into a wonton?

https://genius.com/Action-bronson-jaguar-lyrics

Listening to either track teleports me to the car, riding through the Bronx this summer. Windows rolled down, warm air rushed in, and elite vibes permeated the spaces in between. We were searching for the perfect slice to cull the hangover from the evening before. I love how a song or even a simple, whistled tune can coax a memory, fond or not. Images, voices, sounds, and scents so crystal clear that you get lost in them, totally enveloped in the ethereal feelings from that time in the past. 

If you have time, please check out my colleague’s expert breakdown of the timeless Rust in Peace by Megadeth.