It's a Demo explained

It's a Demo
Cover:	It's a Demo.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
A-Side:	It's a Demo
B-Side:	I'm Fly
Released:	1986
Recorded:	1986
Length:	3:59
Label:	Cold Chillin'
Producer:	Marley Marl
Next Title:	Rikers Island
Next Year:	1988

"It's a Demo" is the 1986 debut single by American hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo. Originally a non-album single with "I'm Fly" as a B-side, a remix of the track was featured on the duo's 1989 album Road to the Riches and later on the compilation albums Killer Kuts (1994), The Best of Cold Chillin (2000), Greatest Hits (2002) and Street Stories: The Best of Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (2013).

Background

The song was recorded at Marley Marl's home studio in Queensbridge, Queens, New York City and was originally indented to be a demo track.^[1] It proved to be popular, however, and became Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's first single, premiered by DJ Mr. Magic on WBLS days after it was recorded.^[2] In a 2011 interview, Kool G Rap recalled:

Samples

"It's a Demo" samples the following songs:^[3]

• "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
• "Singers" by Eddie Murphy

And was later sampled on:

• "Mister Cee's Master Plan" by Big Daddy Kane featuring Mister Cee
• "Butcher Shop" by Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
• "First Nigga" by Kool G Rap
• "Nostalgia" by Marco Polo featuring Masta Ace

Track listing

A-side

1. "It's a Demo" (3:59)
2. "It's a Demo" (Dub)

B-side

1. "I'm Fly" (5:43)
2. "I'm Fly" (Dub) (5:32)

External links

• "It's a Demo" at Discogs

Notes and References

1. http://www.complex.com/music/2013/12/kool-g-rap-breaks-down-his-25-most-essential-songs/its-a-demo-kool-g-rap-dj-polo Kool G Rap Breaks Down His 25 Most Essential Songs
2. http://allhiphop.com/2009/11/24/kool-g-rap-man-at-work-part-ii/ Kool G Rap: Man At Work Part II
3. http://www.whosampled.com/Kool-G-Rap-%26-DJ-Polo/It's-a-Demo/ It's a Demo at Who Sampled