Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)

Recorded in New York at Secret Sound Studio, with Jerry Calliste, Jr. and Aldo Marin credited as producers/mixers and Tom Gartland, Jim Lyon, and Herb Powers, Jr. credited on the original release. It appeared on Cutting Records’ debut release, CR-200, in 1983. As Cutting Records’ first release, it became an early electro and b-boy touchstone and helped define the label’s identity. Contemporary and later profiles describe it as a seminal 1983 electro-funk record with major scene impact. The track remains a heavily sampled electro classic, with WhoSampled listing hundreds of sample, cover, and remix connections. It also continued to circulate through later compilations, games, and remix editions, keeping it visible well beyond its original chart run.