![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blackouthiphop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/SampleFlips_LordFinesse.jpg?resize=460%2C350&ssl=1\" "\\"SampleFlips_LordFinesse\\"")
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\u201cI\u2019m not the best motherfucker, but I\u2019m better than a lot of n*ggas,\u201d the grand imperial Lord Finesse once famously, succinctly remarked on record. While one would expect such swift hubris would apply to the Funky Man\u2019s acumen for punchline-heavy braggadocio verses, it actually resounds three-fold. For Finesse is that true rarity amongst hip-hoppers: a revered and celebrated emcee who also boasts equally prodigious talents as a DJ and producer.<\/p>\n
Despite classic rap efforts to his credit like 1990\u2019s Funky Technician, it\u2019s been Finesse\u2019s fine work behind the console that\u2019s kept him most active between extended breaks on the mic. Often characterized by dark, reverb-soaked horns, forgotten jazz riffs, propulsive drums, and those signature sleigh bells, his productions have naturally punctuated the efforts of his brethren in the D.I.T.C. (Diggin\u2019 In the Crates) collective \u2013 Show & AG, Fat Joe, O.C., and his prot\u00e9g\u00e9, the late, great Big L. But he\u2019s also helmed the beats for \u201cSuicidal Thoughts,\u201d off The Notorious B.I.G.\u2019s Ready To Die, and \u201cThe Message\u201d from Dr. Dre\u2019s 2001 album. Both are classic Finesse in terms of sound and feel; both round out their respective albums with emotionally resonant tracks that show their architect\u2019s musical range.<\/p>\n
With his recent mixtapes, Art Of Diggin\u2019 Vol. 1 & 2, \u201cThe Underboss\u201d continues to display his knack for picking the right records to utilize. And though it\u2019s been 17 years since his last LP of new raps, 2012 promises a resurgence of Finesse through a slew of both original and archival material via Slice-Of-Spice Records. Sounds like the perfect time then, to consult the Funky Technician for his all-time favorite (rather funky) sample flips.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n