From Grant Green’s 1970 Blue Note live recording Alive!, this song has been used by Tribe, Cypress Hill, Pete Rock (twice), Chi-Ali and a host of others. “Down Here On The Ground” originally appeared as the theme song for “Cool Hand Luke” by Lalo Schifrin and was later covered by Wes Montgomery as well on his 1968 album by the same name. The beauty of music is when an artist is able to hear something and re-imagine it as their own, without losing anything from the original. This is the spirit of hip-hop to me. People have contested for years that sampling was not real music, remember the “Drum Machines Have No Soul” campaign? But these people have clearly never took the time to listen

GRANT GREEN – DOWN HERE ON THE GROUND (UMMAH REMIX) [FEAT DIANNE REEVES]

LALO SCHIFRIN – DOWN HERE ON THE GROUND (THEME FROM COOL HAND LUKE)

WES MONTGOMERY – DOWN HERE ON THE GROUND