“Flat Tummy Tea” is to me the hardest-hitting track on Madlib & Freddie Gibbs’ sophomore collaborative album Bandana. Track 8 was released as a single before the release of the album, and features a heavy guitar sample that is looped pretty much throughout the record with nothing much other than a heavy beat. The hazy, menacing sample is from “Theme From The Godfather,” a composition from Jesus Acosta & the Professionals for their 1974 album The Professionals on Tour.
Not much can be found about the album and track in particular, but Jesus Acosta & The Professionals are a soul, jazz and calypso band from Belize, and their recordings have been in a way a celebration of their culture and heritage. “Theme For The Godfather” features and organ melody, impeccable drumming, trumpet and saxophone leads as well as guitars and basslines that give this track an infectious groove. Madlib sampled just a few seconds off this 4 minute track, but made that sample count for something really special. 6 seconds in you hear fuzzy, wailing and dominant guitar lead. Madlib takes that brief second of the dominant guitar and loops it, amplifying the sound as well, making it overpowering and menacing. Freddie’s godly flow and lyricism on this record is incredible, but it’s the genius of Madlib that stands out to me. How you take a small snippet of a rare track and sample it the way he did is beyond me. It really is a fantastic moment on the album that deserves to be celebrated.
Listen to Jesus Acosta & the Professionals’ track “Theme From The Godfather” off their 1974 album The Professionals on Tour, released on CES. To purchase this record, visit discogs.com.
Listen to Madlib & Freddie Gibbs’ “Flat Tummy Tea” off their collaborative 2019 project Bandana. To purchase this album, click here.
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