The Crusaders, also known as The Jazz Crusaders, were a prolific jazz fusion group that withstood the test of time during their legendary run from 1960 to 2010. Their colorful, often overlooked discography is brimming with innovative moments, landing them several Grammy nominations and the love-struck eyes of jazz/soul/funk fanatics around the world. Some of those jazz-heads, though, were Hip-hop producers working with innovative contemporary artists themselves, which is how their 1973 LP, The 2nd Crusade, came to be associated with Hip-hop.
For this Golden Age Thursday, we look at “A Message From the Inner City,” a nearly nine-minute, free-wheeling jazz instrumental from The Crusaders’ underrated LP. The silky smooth melodies, the unassuming yet captivating solos, and the subtle mood shifts all act as a treasure trove when placed in the right producers’ hands, and thankfully, this performance found its way to exactly that. You can hear the stunning “A Message from the Inner City” below, and how the likes of Juggaknots & Queen Latifa turned it into 90’s jazz-rap excellence.
Original Sample: The Crusaders – “A Message From the Inner City”
Produced by The Crusaders & Stewart Levine
Queen Latifah – “U.N.I.T.Y”
Produced by KayGee
Juggaknots – “A Rainy Sunday”
Produced by Chris Liggio
Chuck Strangers & Boldy James – “Birds Eye View”
Produced by Chuck Strangers
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