Get Off Your Ass and Jam
Encyclopedia
"Get Off Your Ass and Jam" is a song by Funkadelic
, track number 6 to their 1975
album
Let's Take It to the Stage
. It was written by George Clinton
, although the lyrics
are made up entirely of repetitions of the phrase, "Shit
! Goddamn! Get off yo' ass and jam!", interspersed with lengthy guitar solos. Critic Ned Raggett reviewed the song as one that "kicks in with one bad-ass drum roll and then scorches the damn place down".
extensively by hip hop
artists. It was one of the two songs at the heart of Bridgeport Music, Inc. v. Dimension Films
, in which the copyright
in the song was held to be infringed when N.W.A.
sampled a two-second guitar chord from the beginning of the Funkadelic tune, lowered the pitch and looped it five times in their song, 100 Miles and Runnin'
. Other artists who have sampled the song include:
released in the United States in 2006. In 1988, Miami Bass
female rapper Anquette
recorded a cover
of the song, with the addition of her own rap lyrics, on her second album, Respect.
Cornel West
referenced the song in prose, quoting the lyrics in describing a "disco party" in a 1982 essay, "Epilogue: Sing a song". Music historian Arthur Kempton similarly notes that the band was "known to make some parents and alumni draw back and exclaim, 'Oh my God,' when from the stage they would incite a rapt crowd of young degree candidates to chant in full-throated unison, "Shit! Goddamn! Get off your ass and jam!"
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
, track number 6 to their 1975
1975 in music
-January–April:*January 2 - New York City U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owen rules that former Beatle John Lennon and his lawyers can have access to Department of Immigration files pertaining to his deportation case....
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Let's Take It to the Stage
Let's Take It to the Stage
Let's Take It to the Stage is the seventh album by American funk/soul/rock band Funkadelic. It was released in April 1975 on Westbound Records . Compared to most of the group's albums it features more short and to-the-point songs and fewer extended jam sessions. The "G...
. It was written by George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
, although the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
are made up entirely of repetitions of the phrase, "Shit
Shit
Shit is usually considered vulgar and profane in Modern English. As a noun it refers to fecal matter and as a verb it means to defecate or defecate in; in the plural it means diarrhea...
! Goddamn! Get off yo' ass and jam!", interspersed with lengthy guitar solos. Critic Ned Raggett reviewed the song as one that "kicks in with one bad-ass drum roll and then scorches the damn place down".
Sampling
The song has been sampledSampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
extensively by hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
artists. It was one of the two songs at the heart of Bridgeport Music, Inc. v. Dimension Films
Bridgeport Music, Inc. v. Dimension Films
Bridgeport Music, Inc. v. Dimension Films, 410 F.3d 792 , is a court case that has proved important in defining American copyright law for recorded music. The case centered on N.W.A.’s song “100 Miles and Runnin’” and Funkadelic's “Get Off Your Ass and Jam.” Essentially, N.W.A...
, in which the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
in the song was held to be infringed when N.W.A.
N.W.A.
N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre....
sampled a two-second guitar chord from the beginning of the Funkadelic tune, lowered the pitch and looped it five times in their song, 100 Miles and Runnin'
100 Miles and Runnin'
100 Miles and Runnin' is the title of an EP by hip hop group N.W.A, released in 1990 on Ruthless Records.Prior to recording the EP, all five of the group members had signed a long-term contract with the Ruthless Records label...
. Other artists who have sampled the song include:
- Public Enemy, in Bring the NoiseBring the Noise"Bring the Noise" is a song by the hip hop group Public Enemy. It was included on the soundtrack of the 1987 film Less Than Zero and was also released as a single that year. It later became the first song on the group's 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back...
, from the 1987 album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us BackIt Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us BackIt Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 14, 1988, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at Chung King Studios, Greene Street Recording, and Sabella Studios in New York City...
. - Tone LōcTone LōcAnthony Terrell Smith , better known by his stage name Tone Lōc, is an American rapper and actor.-Early life and career:...
, in Funky Cold MedinaFunky Cold Medina"Funky Cold Medina" is a hip hop song written by Young MC, Michael L. Ross and Matt Dike, and first performed by Tone Lōc. It was the second single from Lōc's debut album Lōc-ed After Dark . The single was released on March 18, 1989, and rose to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following month...
(written by Young MCYoung MCMarvin Young , better known by his stage name Young MC, is an English-born American singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit "Bust a Move"...
) from 1989 Lōc's debut album, Lōc-ed After DarkLoc-ed After DarkLōc-ed After Dark is the debut album by rapper, Tone Lōc. The album was released in 1989 for Delicious Vinyl Records and was a huge success, making it to #1 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop album charts...
. - A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
, in Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts), from their 1990 debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of RhythmPeople's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of RhythmPeople's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut album by the alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released April 17, 1990 on Jive Records. Though the album was well-received critically, it had little mainstream appeal. The album did earn the band a devoted following,...
, and in The Pressure, from their 1996 album Beats, Rhymes and LifeBeats, Rhymes and LifeBeats, Rhymes and Life is the fourth album of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Released in 1996, it followed three years after the highly regarded and successful Midnight Marauders. This album is a departure from the joyful, positive vibe of the earlier albums and is regarded as the group's...
. - Ultramagnetic MC's, in Make It Happen from their 1992 album Funk Your Head UpFunk Your Head UpFunk Your Head Up is the second studio album from Ultramagnetic MCs. Many of the tracks were remixed by outside producers at Mercury Records' insistence. The result was an album that disappointed hardcore fans of the group, while doing little to improve their sales...
. - Tupac ShakurTupac ShakurTupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, in Holla If Ya Hear MeHolla If Ya Hear Me"Holler If Ya Hear Me" is a song by 2Pac, from his second solo album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.. It was the first single released from this album in 1993. The track, which uses a sample from Public Enemy's "Rebel Without a Pause", is an anthem of resistance...
, from the 1993 album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.2Pac's "Keep Ya Head Up " [previously-unreleased] from The Outlawz' 2Pac: Evolution 12-CD box set :goo.gl/5K81bEven more unreleased mp3s from the 2Pac: Evolution 12-CD box set:goo.gl/T5dw4...
. - Ice TIce TTracy Marrow , better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American musician and actor.He was born in Newark, New Jersey and moved to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles when he was in the 7th grade. After graduating from high school he served in the United States Army for four years...
, in 99 Problems, from his 1993 album Home Invasion.
Cover versions and other references
The song later appeared on Funkadelic's Motor City MadnessMotor City Madness: The Ultimate Funkadelic Westbound Compilation
Motor City Madness is a compilation album by Funkadelic featuring songs recorded for Westbound Records during the band's career with that label from 1968 to 1976...
released in the United States in 2006. In 1988, Miami Bass
Miami bass
Miami bass , is a type of hip hop music, that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the Electro-funk sound of the early 1980s, pioneered by Afrika Bambataa & The Soulsonic Force and later on by UK-based musician Paul Hardcastle...
female rapper Anquette
Anquette
Anquette is a Miami Bass female group from Miami, Florida, U.S.. They debuted with her answer version of the 2 Live Crew's "Throw the D", aptly named "Throw the P"...
recorded a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song, with the addition of her own rap lyrics, on her second album, Respect.
Cornel West
Cornel West
Cornel Ronald West is an American philosopher, author, critic, actor, civil rights activist and prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America....
referenced the song in prose, quoting the lyrics in describing a "disco party" in a 1982 essay, "Epilogue: Sing a song". Music historian Arthur Kempton similarly notes that the band was "known to make some parents and alumni draw back and exclaim, 'Oh my God,' when from the stage they would incite a rapt crowd of young degree candidates to chant in full-throated unison, "Shit! Goddamn! Get off your ass and jam!"