J. Cole has dusted off his producer chops and gone into the studio to take on one of his most important tracks to date. The 2014 Forest Hills Drive rapper has released his remix of A Tribe Called Quest's seminal track "Can I Kick It" for the 25th year anniversary rerelease of their groundbreaking album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.
Normally when you hear that J. Cole is about to hop on a remix, you might expect him to add a verse or at least a few bars to the song, but this time he leaves all of the raps the same and instead tinkers with the production.
He doesn't change all that much from the original, though there are a few noticeable differences. He takes out the Lou Reed "Walk on The Wild Side" sample that has become a part of the fabric of this track and also most of the scratches that were so common in the 1990s. His new take on the track is more atmospheric with soft organs that flow well with the track. It is a nice remix of the track that provides a new way to listen to this classic.
It is interesting to see J. Cole go full producer on this one. He is heavily involved in the producing on his own tracks, but here he doesn't write any bars, just sticks to producing.
The J. Cole remix follows up the rework of "Bonita Applebum" by Pharrell released last month. The reissue of People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm will be released this Friday, Nov. 13. Get the pre-order on iTunes here.
A Tribe Called Quest will reunite for a special performance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon this Friday to celebrate the rerelease of their album.
