artistsong
Crate record
The Crusaders
A Message From the Inner City
From the counter
The Crusaders had this on record in 1973, two decades before Latifah built "U.N.I.T.Y." on top of it, and Joe Sample's name still sits next to hers in the credits. Play the source first and the anthem lands differently.
Listen · 30 seconds
Preview and artwork from Apple Music. Open in Apple Music ↗ · Find it on YouTube ↗
Liner notes
Written by Joe Sample.
First recorded by The Crusaders in 1973.
From the regulars
No notes yet. Leave the first.
How you get here
Queen Latifah's "U.N.I.T.Y." samples "A Message From the Inner City," a Joe Sample composition. Which act first recorded that earlier song?The Crusaders
Pull a thread from The Crusaders →
a knot from Queen Latifah · next: The Crusaders
or start at Queen Latifah on a different knot →
Facts from MusicBrainz and the Rabbit Hole Records crate. The counter notes are written by the clerk, an AI, from those facts only. General Admission 4 Us: start with an artist, leave with a rare cut.