This week, LL COOL J, Greg Nice, and Z-Trip are back with another episode of their Rock the Bell’s exclusive series, Salute the Sample, where the trio breakdown some of Hip-Hop’s most beloved samples while giving the backstory to the track itself.
In this week’s episode, Greg Nice takes a trip down memory lane as he gives some background to his 1994 Nice & Smooth single, “Old to the New,” from the duo’s third studio album, Jewel of the Nile. The track samples Three Dog Night’s “Easy To Be Hard,” originally written and recorded for the iconic Broadway musical Hair.
Greg Nice explains that Nice & Smooth were looking to make their next big hit after the success of their 1991 smash, “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow.” Once Nice & Smooth heard that infectious sample flip, they knew they had a hit.