Willie Hutch "The Mack"

So the other night I was on my daily run around 10 pm, and needless to say it was pretty damn dark between lamp posts. Out of the darkness I see a silhouette of what looks like a small dog. As I quickly approach from behind, the dog turns around and lunges at me and I realize it's a decent size pit bull! My heart skips about 3 beats until I realize this dog is in no way malicious, and is actually glad to see me. She jumps all over me, licking me, rubbing her head aggressively on my side. I look for a tag, but nothing. She obviously had been on the streets for a while by the malnourished look of her rib cage being very visible. Long story short, this dog followed me 4 miles home. And as it sank in that I would be fostering this sweet dog, I kept thinking of the Willie Hutch song, "I Choose You". The idea that you don't choose your dog, that in fact they choose you just seemed resonate in my head. Which brings me to the that song and the wonderful soundtrack it appears on. "The Mack", a blaxploitation flick released in 1973 tells the tale of a former drug dealer turned pimp in Oakland, California. With more social commentary on the black condition than other "blaxploitation" films of that era, the plot plays out as more of a Greek tragedy than simply the sex and violence audience were used to seeing from these kinds of movies. Oddly enough the soundtracks of these films always seemed to have plenty more social commentary and consciousnesses than the films they accompanied. Artists like Isaac Hayes' preeminent "Shaft" soundtrack and Curtis Mayfield's critically acclaimed score for "Superfly", both which have greatly outlived the actual films they were written for.

"I Choose You", a sweet soulful almost ballad like tune has Hutch crooning over a woman whom he has finally found that he considers dropping everything for. Not exactly the same sentiment of the song, here's a clip from "The Mack" where someone gets chosen. Again, not exactly what Hutch was singing about, but entertaining non the less! Oh yeah, Richard Pryor is up in this flick too! Since I haven't posted in a while, lets keep it going! UGK, along with a host of other hip hop artists have sampled Hutch's "I Choose You", however UGK's rendition featuring Outkast is in my opinion the best out there. In their version Andre 3000's verse starts off the track as he professes his love for a woman he has chosen for his wife. After Andre, the bass drops and Pimp C, Bun B and Big Boi each throw their own take on marriage and monogamy, which are slightly contrasting to those if Mr. 3000! Another great track that was also sampled from Willie Hutch's soundtrack is "Brothers Gonna Work it Out". A soulful disco vibed out tune speaking to the complicated relationship of the main character Goldie, and his black nationalist brother who doesn't approve of his brothers lifestyle of pimping and drug dealing in the black community. Oddly enough I heard the sampled version The Chemical Brothers made many years ago. Oddly enough the sample not only uses the song but an audio clip from the film. It took a good 5 years to finally figure out where the audio for the sample came from. Anyways, check it out. And finally The Chemical Brothers version, which though interesting, doesn't stray too far from the og version.