Guardian Music — As Snoop prepares to headline Bloc.2012 we take a trip to Rock's Backpages – the world's leading archive of vintage music journalism – and find him in 1994, doing the washing upSnoop Doggy Dogg is cleaning up. Literally. The number one gangsta ra... more info

Guardian Music — Guitarist behind the 'wacka wacka' sound on Isaac Hayes's Theme from ShaftThe film Shaft was notable for inaugurating the blaxploitation genre in Hollywood, winning an Oscar in 1972 for best original song. Composed by Isaac Hayes, Theme from Shaft �... more info

Topix — If you listen to R&B from the 1960s, there's a smoothness, optimism, and energy to it that modern artists aspire to but rarely achieve. Classic groups like The Temptations and The Isley Brothers and artists like Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye all had t... more info

Aquarium Drunkard — Next to Buddy Miles version of “Down By The River,” this is one of the stronger explorations of Neil Young’s work in the vein of soul/r&b. Culled from the 1971 album Givin’ It Back, the Brothers set the tone with a military drum cadence befor... more info

Core News — “This week Gilles kicks off the first of four retrospectives with an all-vinyl Brownswood Basement show. As well as dropping some priceless records from Celia, Isley Brothers and Ebo Taylor, Gilles also revisits the classic Madlib mix from 2005, DJ... more info

Guardian Music — (Strike Back)Even at the height of Britpop's triumphalism, Dodgy's anthems such as Staying Out for the Summer had a bittersweet undercurrent of melancholy just being held at bay. Their first album since 1996 finds the reunited threesome allowing it t... more info

MVSW — Ice Cube ~ “It Was a Good Day” Today was a good day. Samples Isley Brothers ~ “Footsteps in the Dark“ The Moments ~ “Come On Sexy Mama“ Parliament ~ “Sir Nose D’Voidoffunk (Pay Attention- B3M)“ Lyrics Just waking up in the morning g... more info

Stereogum — In Ice Cube’s classic 1992 single “It Was A Good Day,” the L.A. rap legend, flowing over an atypically laid-back Isley Brothers sample, lists off all the reasons why the day he just had was a good one: He got laid, he beat his friends at domino... more info

Guardian Music — You called out your favourite tracks for this week's topic. Now it's our turn to respondWhat is call-and-response? What's that? I can't hear you! Yes, that's right, it's a technique commonly used by live bands to connect with their audience. For this... more info

Guardian Music — Our music team pick the songs or albums, old or new, they just can't turn offZoe Rahman Kindred Spirits On her fifth album, Rahman explores her English, Irish and Bengali ancestry. Rahman's a formidable jazz pianist in post-Herbie Hancock territor... more info