Ten Thieves "It Don't Matter" (1995)

When I first started DJ'ing in '95, I'd go over to my man's dorm room and we'd mix until we'd played every record in our crates. That first six months, there were only three crates, so some records got heavy play as utility/transitional records; they weren't bangers, but they fit in with so many other records that they became invaluable. It's a different sort of affection that you develop for utility records, 'cause you're not necessarily geeked about an MC, producer or whatever...it's just that the record ultimately reflects the times so well, without being a particular, stand-out track. Times being what they are, though, I'd take most mid-90's utility joints over most pieces being dropped today.

When my man's record collection essentially disappeared four years later (long story), a lot of those utility records were forgotten, only to resurface on random digging missions. I ran into this record last year and recognized it as one of those utility joints lost to time:

Ten Thieves "It Don't Matter" 12"

"It Don't Matter" fits snugly into just about any mid-90's mix you'd want to throw together. It's produced by Stretch (and I'm reasonably confident it's THAT Stretch) and is DJ-friendly with the intro and sampled hook for the chorus; verses are solid but never wander on too long. Simply a great cut to keep things moving, which is sometimes exactly what you need.

The beat is moderately bouncy, with a nice lower-octave piano sample, and a number of MC's get on the mic. Despite the variety of MC's, it definately feels more like a group than a posse cut (I've personally never been a big fan of posse cuts). The "B-A-D Mix" drops into the first verse more directly, but isn't a big musical departure from the original. Included are both versions (and instrumentals).

[UPDATE, 7/13, 6pm: Re-archived, re-upped file]