Bar-Kays - Son Of Shaft / Sang And Dance

Year Released: 1972
Genre: Funk / Soul / Blaxploitation Soundtrack

Description:

Released on Volt Records in 1972, “Son of Shaft” finds the Bar-Kays at their funkiest — heavy wah-wah guitars, thick bass lines, and a driving rhythm that nods directly to Isaac Hayes’ cinematic funk. A sequel of sorts to Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft,” the song became a hit on its own, epitomizing early-’70s blaxploitation grooves.

“Son of Shaft” was sampled by Public Enemy on “Night of the Living Baseheads” (1988), where the Bar-Kays’ punchy horns and percussive drive were chopped and layered into the Bomb Squad’s dense wall of sound. The track has also been referenced in works by Ice Cube and Too $hort, affirming its deep influence on the sonic vocabulary of late-’80s West Coast and political hip-hop.