Combat Jack Presents: True Stories Behind 25 Rap Classics
By Dominic Green | Sep 21, 2010 | 11:49 am | Permalink
Original Flavor f/ Jay-Z "Can I Get Open" (1993)
Produced by: Ski
"We were repping cousins Damon and Darien Dash, who were managers under their Dash Management Company. Damon and Darien were kids, teenagers, who managed two groups: Original Flavor and The Future Sound. Clark Kent had discovered the Dashes. At the time he was an A&R at East/West Records, a label under Atlantic Records. Clark signed both groups, which meant that Damon and Darien had a lot of money in their pockets for cats that were only 17, 18 years old. Original Flavor, consisting of rapper/producer Ski Beatz and Tone Hooker, were working on their second album. East/West had put a hold on the rap acts they were signing, so Clark wasn't able to sign this up-and-coming Brooklyn MC named Jay-Z. So he introduced him to Damon, on account of how Clark was impressed with Dame's skills as a manager. It still bugs me out how, back in '94, Clark swore that Jay was the best rapper alive. For their first single, Clark convinced Dame to put Jay on 'Can I Get Open.' Ski and Tone were good, but once he touched the mic, it was clear to all that Jay-Z murdered them on their own shit."
Samira B. September 24th, 2010 at 12:36 PM
Isn't this song called "Get Money" though?
Jack September 24th, 2010 at 12:44 PM
shamira shut your...
THUNDERKUSH September 24th, 2010 at 12:55 PM
very insightful feature.
dadap September 24th, 2010 at 01:07 PM
link to #11 is broken.
Ivan September 24th, 2010 at 01:34 PM
Jack!
Pierzy September 24th, 2010 at 01:50 PM
99% sure that Nas was NOT mentioned on "How To Rob." And wasn't Jay's first single actually titled "I Can't Get Wit That"? Very insightful nonetheless.
DG September 24th, 2010 at 03:26 PM
50 didnt mention Nas directly but he did reference the R Kelly/Nas remix Did You Ever Think which came out that same year
@N_C_B September 24th, 2010 at 03:26 PM
Nas was mentioned on the OG version that was never released. As was AZ. Both were made aware of the mention by the Trackmasters.
Pierzy September 26th, 2010 at 10:25 AM
Never heard that before...my bad.
Sonny Chiba September 24th, 2010 at 01:51 PM
Link to #7 isnt working for me
a mad rapper September 24th, 2010 at 02:43 PM
stops working after "hate me now" #21.
AmpGeez a.k.a Let Dat Blogger Cook September 24th, 2010 at 03:52 PM
Great article. Combat Jack is definitely one of the most interesting personalities in the Hip-Hop Bloggersphere. You can't get insightful stories like these anywhere else.
jubei September 24th, 2010 at 03:54 PM
"Put your hands where my eyes can see" by Busta was NOT a sample from Hall & Oates but from Seals & Crofts...