Pete Rock had this beat sitting around for nearly thirteen years before Kanye picked it up and released it as “The Joy” for his G.O.O.D Friday Series. Shortly thereafter came Strong Arm Steady’s version called “Makings of You”, and now we have another rendition, this time from the one and only Rah Digga.
“My Joy” was actually to appear on Digga’s 2010 album Classic but didn’t make the cut. Instead, another sample-oriented beatmaker, Nottz, put out all the production for that record, but this beat would have fit in just as well not only in terms of style but given the album title Digga settled on. There’s a sense of spaciousness in Rock’s beats that sits comfortably under Digga’s flow, but Rock makes anyone sound great so that isn’t what makes Digga’s rendition special. It’s her reflection on the early days of rap and hip-hop–which she saw, lived, and contributed to– when people didn’t see cutting records and sampling as an art. It’s an appropriate story, given the era in which this beat was created and the hauntingly beautiful lines from past Mayfield it contains.
If you haven’t checked out Classic yet, get on it.
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Rah-Digga-ft-Curtis-Mayfield-My-Joy-Produced-by-Pete-Rock.mp3|titles=Rah Digga ft Curtis Mayfield-My Joy (Produced by Pete Rock)]Download: Rah Digga – “My Joy” ft. Curtis Mayfield (prod. Pete Rock)