WHAT CRIME IS IT?

Written by Victor Wooten, JD Blair, Bootsy Collins,
William Collins 2 / VixLix Music ASCAP,
J. Darrell Blair Music BMI, Mash-A-Mug Music BMI

Bootsy Collins: Vocals
William "Oui-Wey" Collins 2: Vocals
Victor Wooten: Bass (7 tracks), Vocals
JD Blair: Drums, Vocals
Additional BG vocals; Aseem Hotep and Park Law

We started this song back in Feb. of "98". JD, Kurt and I were out on a tour and we hooked up with Bootsy at the end of the trip. JD and I had come up with this groove at a soundcheck. We played it for Bootsy and he loved it. He came up with the "What crime is it" line. We didn't get to finish the song that day so we planned on finishing it at a later date.
About 8 days before this CD was completely finished I got a phone call from Bootsy saying that we should finish this song for my new CD. I thought that it was too late to try and finish it for this one but Bootsy really wanted to. So I checked the schedule and saw that there was one day that I could possibly make it to his house, finish the song and make it back in time for the mastering session the next morning. So we made a plan. There was only one problem. No one could find the tapes. At the last minute I found one of the three safety copies that Bootsy had made for me. There were no drums on it and there were dropouts on the bass tracks. So, I grabbed the VS1680 and we headed to Bootsy's house. We had to, pretty much, start over from scratch.
It was an all day fun jam session. We didn't get back home until 5:30am. I had to be at the studio to master the CD at 9:30am. I added the last of the bass tracks in the lounge of the studio while the other songs were being mastered. Kurt then mixed the song really fast and brought it into the other room to be mastered. Talk about last minute. None of us got much sleep.

Basses:

• Compito 6-string fretted
• NYC 4-string,
• Fodera 4-string stereo (not used in stereo)

Notes:

• I played all of the bass on this song. The CD is miss-printed.
• William "Oui-wey" Collins 2 is Bootsy's son. That's him doing the rap.
• We recorded this at Bootsy's house. I actually engineered the session.
• Aseem & Park are good friends of mine. They are both Bass players.
• JD and I recorded with Bootsy Collins. Sometimes dreams do come true.
• "Mastering" is the final process that the music goes through before it is printed into a CD. You put the songs in order, EQ each song, add spacing between songs and adjust the volume of each song. It is your last change to make sure that everything sounds right.

Things 2 Listen 4:

• Bootsy's unmistakable voice
• In one part of the song, Bootsy makes the sound of two people fighting with his voice.
• Bootsy gives me compliments at the end.
• JD saying "Bad boy Bad boy"
• "Yabadabadooza"
• The sound of the Piezo picups on the solo bass.
• I play a line from "What did he say". Can u find it?
  

Lyrics:

(Vic, let's make it thick. Vic…make it thick, Vic, gonna make it thick. Say what!)
(I'm gonna give myself time. Everybody's going to jail on this, especially Vic. Here we go.)

(Chorus) Everybody wanna know what crime it is
Everybody's dancin' on the Funk
If u really want to feel the vibe we give
Why don't u come on and jump up to the Funk baby. Hit me!

Bad boy, bad boy, What u gonna do when he plays for u?
Bad boy, bad boy, droppin' the bomb notes while he's lookin' cool.
Bad boy, bad boy, what u gonna say when he hits the stage baby?
Watch out baby he's bassin' up the place.

Fresh out of "P" baby, University…and it's all elementary baby.

(Chorus)
That's what crime it is. What crime is it y'all?
That's what crime it is. What crime is it y'all?
That's what crime it is. What it be like?
That's what crime it is. What crime is it y'all?

Oh, I can't get enough of that sugar crisp, get funky Vic, get funky Vic.
I can't get enough of that sugar crisp.
How much is that muscle in the window baby?

Just let your fingers do the funkin' baby. It's Vic-A-Roonies baby.
"Hey Vic won't u turn that mutha up, u mutha.

That's what crime it is. That's what crime it is.
That's what crime it is. That's what crime it is.

Sometimes I feel like shackles on my feet
and handcuffs on my hands
'cause I wanna make u dance.

Is it illegal to have a good time with u?
While the sky's still blue
And the boogie's in my move.

Let's funk it up Vic so the party people can dance.
Shake shake, shake in your pants
And everybody gets a chance.

Yeah, 'cause that's what crime it is.
What it be like? What we roll like?

It's not illegal to commit this crime
But if'n u wanna hear me y'all say, "One more time."
It's not illegal to commit this crime.
I know that y'all can feel me u say, "One more time"

Vic, yeah, won't u come here quick and play me some of that lickin' stick baby.

What crime is it? That's what crime it is.
What crime is it? That's what crime it is.
What crime is it? That's what crime it is.
What crime is it? That's what crime it is.

Ah, play on Victor, yeah baby, U got the crime, U got the dime, I ain't got no mind.
Yeah, it's all blown out baby!

Hear It!

Bootsy & Me

Bootsy, Aseem, & William "Oui-Wey" Collins 2

That's Park Law in the middle.

Bootsy, Me, "Oui-Way", & JD

ORDER "YIN YANG" !

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Exceptions are noted.