Sunday Night Sample - Run DMC - It's Tricky
"It's Tricky" was the fourth single released from Run-DMC's third album, Raising Hell. The album was one of the first rap albums to enter the mainstream and sell to listeners who weren't familiar with the genre. The theme of the song is that rapping isn't as easy as it sounds, and the chorus is almost a tongue twister as they show off their vocal dexterity:
"It's tricky to rock a rhyme to rock a rhyme that's right on time."
As Hip-Hop evolved into "Gangsta rap" in the early '90s, you didn't hear many rappers boasting about clean living, but Run-D.M.C. made a lot of positive statements in their raps, including in this song where they explain their aversion to drugs:
"They offer dope and lots of coke, but we just leave it alone."
The entire album was produced by legendary Rick Rubin.
So the rock influence runs deep in "It's Tricky" as with every song Rubin touched.
So deep in fact that he "sampled" two classic rock records for the song. I use the term "sampled" loosely here because Run D.M.C. was sued years later for never clearing the usage. The song was "My Sharona" by The Knack.
SAMPLE - The Knack - My Sharona
Rubin took the New Wave style guitar riff from "My Sharona," and layered it with more bass to give it a street sound. The only issue was he never asked The Knack's permission...
In 2006, The Knack's Doug Fieger and Berton Averre sued Run-D.M.C. and their associates, as well as various online stores and content providers, for using the unlicensed sample. In reference to why it had taken twenty years to bring their case to court, the group said they had only recently become aware of the track.
Rubin also lifted the spine and exact cadence of the chorus from the early-80s, semi-novelty tune, "Mickey" by Toni Basil.
SAMPLE - Toni Basil - Mickey
Yes, they say "Tricky" in all the spots where Toni Basil says "Mickey". Play them side by side if you need to verify. It sounds corny but it works, like everything Rubin has ever done. Guy is a fucking wizard.