'Brothers with the 808'

[Magical Dream]

Anyone know who the 'brothers with the 808' are as referred to on Public Enemy's Power to the people???


'to the brothers with the 808 P.E. got a brand new funk...'

[Rich The Donkey Doctor]

I suspect that's a reference to the hip hop producers of the time who use to favour the Roland TR808 as their choice source of drums...the 808 has always been a hip hop/electro sounding machine (check Afrika Bambata for a good example), whereas the 909 is the house-head's beatbox!

[VoyagerRadio]

I suspect that's a reference to the hip hop producers of the time who use to favour the Roland TR808 as their choice source of drums...

Yes, and as the Beastie Boys mentioned in a song I don't remember the title of, "Nothing quite sounds like an eight-oh-eight!"

[stephen]

I can tell 808 State are using a real TR-808 on Newbuild vrs. using samples on other albums.
A real TR-808 has a distinctive sound.

[markus]

Digging back to my hip-hop roots:

Sir Mix-A-Lot - My Posse's On Broadway...
"the Alpine's bumpin' but I need the volume higher--
cause the 808 kick drum makes the girlies get dumb--
we're rollin' Rainier, and the jealous wanna get some--"

Here's a whole track named after it:
D Nice (feat KRS-1) - The TR 808 Is Coming

[nvkid808]

I suspect that's a reference to the hip hop producers of the time who use to favour the Roland TR808 as their choice source of drums...the 808 has always been a hip hop/electro sounding machine (check Afrika Bambata for a good example), whereas the 909 is the house-head's beatbox!

strangely enuff i always use the 808 drums on me mc303 i may start off with the 909drums or techno2 set but always seem to turn go back to the cr78 or 808 setting as these sound better than the other ones
so im pleased me mchines got sum old stuff goin on in ther