"The Symphony" is a rap song produced by

Marley Marl Marlon Williams (born September 30, 1962), better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music. Marlon grew up in Queensbridge housing projects ...

featuring

Juice Crew The Juice Crew was an American hip hop collective made up largely of Queensbridge, New York-based artists in the mid-to-late 1980s. Founded by radio DJ Mr. Magic, and housed by Tyrone Williams' record label Cold Chillin' Records, the Juice Cre ...

members

Masta Ace Duval Clear (born December 4, 1966), known better by his stage name Masta Ace, is an American rapper and record producer from New York City. He appeared on the classic 1988 Juice Crew posse cut " The Symphony". He is noted for his distinct voice ...

Kool G Rap Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), is an American rapper from Queens, New York City. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as ...

Craig G Craig Curry (born March 24, 1973),Hess, Mickey (2009) ''Hip Hop in America: a Regional Guide: Volume 1 - East Coast and West Coast'', Greenwood Publishing Group, , p. 55Bry, David (2001) "Something in the Water", ''Vibe'', March 2001, p. 80 bette ...

and

Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hi ...

. The track appears on Marley Marl's 1988

Cold Chillin' Records Cold Chillin' Records was a record label that released music during the golden age of hip hop from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. A producer-and-crew label founded by manager Tyrone Williams and run by Len Fichtelberg (d. November 4, 2010), ...

release

In Control, Volume 1 ''In Control, Volume 1'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop record producer Marley Marl of the Juice Crew. It was released on September 20, 1988 through Cold Chillin' Records with distribution via Warner Records, Warner Bros. Records. ...

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

ranked “The Symphony” the 48th greatest hip-hop song of all time, calling it “the first truly great posse cut.”

Song history

Marley Marl, who was working as a DJ for radio station

WBLS WBLS (107.5 MHz) is an urban adult contemporary formatted FM radio station, licensed to New York City. It is currently owned by Mediaco Holding and operated by Emmis Communications under a shared services agreement, along with sister stations ...

, sampled the song's signature loop from a station copy of

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

’s " Hard to Handle". Marley Marl and his Juice Crew affiliates recorded “The Symphony” in Queens, immediately after posing in front of a Lear Jet for ''In Control, Volume 1''’s back-cover photography. Though this photo bespoke wealth, Marley Marl remembers, “I was still living in the projects. I was paying like $110 a month for my rent, free electricity. So New York City Housing Authority kind of co-produced some of my earlier hits.” According to Masta Ace, Juice Crew member

MC Shan Shawn Moltke (born September 6, 1965) better known by his stage name MC Shan, is an American hip hop and R&B recording artist. He is best known for his song "The Bridge" produced by Marley Marl, and for collaborating with Snow on " Informe ...

was supposed to perform on this hit, but due to his success at the time, he told Marley that “he felt like he was belittling himself to be on a record with these new dudes.” Meanwhile, Masta Ace, who made his recording debut with the song's opening verse, had not intended to be on the song at all; he only recorded his verse because the other MCs were hesitant to rhyme first.

Song influence

The song's signature melodic line, a sample of Otis Redding's “Hard to Handle,” has surfaced on

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

'
"Ghetto Symphony"

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

and The Firm'
"Affirmative Action (Remix)"

Mos Def Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...

'
"Habitat"
and other songs. Meanwhile, Big Daddy Kane's famous line, “Put a quarter in your ass 'cause you played yourself,” pops up as a looped sample on the

Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...

�
"Hey Fuck You"
Along with earning the 49th spot in ''Rolling Stone''’s “The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time,” “The Symphony” ranks fifteenth in Ego Trip’s list of rap’s best posse cuts. Kool G. Rap's line "I'm on a rampage" is scratched into EPMD's "Rampage" which features LL Cool J. The song was sampled on UGK's 2007 cut "Next Up" also featuring Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap. This song also influenced the 2009 title "Renaissance Rap", by Q-Tip featuring Busta Rhymes, Raekwon and Lil Wayne as you'll hear Q-Tip repeat his own version of Marley Marl's intro and ending.

Charts

Weekly charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Symphony Big Daddy Kane songs 1988 songs 1988 singles Song recordings produced by Marley Marl Songs written by Marley Marl Songs written by Big Daddy Kane Cold Chillin' Records singles Warner Records singles Posse cuts