NCIS Actor David McCallum Is Partly Responsible For One Of The Greatest Rap Songs Ever

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Actor David McCallum had an interesting career, first gaining appreciation and fans as the incredibly suave Russian agent Illya Kuryakin on "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." in the 1960s, then gaining a whole new set of fans for playing quirky medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard on the procedural series "NCIS" throughout the 2000s and 2010s. There's another truly excellent credit on his resume that people would probably be shocked to discover, however, as McCallum is partly responsible for one of the greatest rap songs ever: Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode." 

That's right, no need for a "hold up," because David McCallum composed the instrumental song "The Edge" for his 1966 album "Music: A Bit More of Me," produced by David Axelrod. The now-unmistakable beats and grooves of "The Edge" became a part of not just music history, but hip-hop history, injecting Dre's West Coast vibes with a bit of vintage flair. It's kind of wild to think of the goofy guy in the bowtie from "NCIS" composing what is arguably one of the coolest beats ever made, but clearly Ducky contains multitudes.

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