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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St. John's chapter.

Music sampling has a rich history deeply rooted in jazz and hip-hop. It began in the early 20th century with jazz artists “sampling” bits and pieces of their peers’ works as somewhat of a homage. This borrowing of pieces became an inside joke between the artists that added a fun twist during live performances. This art form has come a long way since then, with musicians grabbing bits from songs of the past and using them as a twist on modern day music. 

Here is my personal list of the best samples in the music industry: 

  1. Otis (2011) by Jay-Z and Kanye West, sampling Try a Little Tenderness (1966) by Otis Redding

This song by two of the biggest hip-hop artists of our time perfectly selects bits from the classic song by soul icon, Otis Redding. They make the bits flow into the modern song as a backing, bringing a jazz feel to the piece. It is a great homage to Redding, pulling him into the spotlight once again. 

  1. Under the Sun (2019) by Dreamville ft. J.Cole, Lute, and DaBaby, sampling I’ll be Waiting for You (1963) by The Argo Singers 

This 2019 song starts off with its sampled gospel piece, creating an angelic energy that leads us into J.Cole’s verse. The song is about the rappers’ roots, current status, and their families, and it then incorporates an older song into it which brings a nostalgic tone. 

  1. Money Trees Kendrick Lamar ft. Jay Rock (2012), sampling Silver Soul by Beach House (2010)

This is a great example of an artist sampling a modern song. The intro of “Silver Soul” is reversed and used as the intro and backtrack for “Money Trees”. The producer of “Money Trees”, DJ Dahi, breaks down the track in this video. The intro brings such an ethereal feeling to contrast Lamar’s voice, and looking at the song’s success it worked perfectly. Artist, Lil Peep also sampled “Silver Soul” in his song “Downtown”. 

  1. Can I Kick It by A Tribe Called Quest (1990), sampling Walk on the Wild Side by Lou Reed (1972)

Sampling a bass line can truly bring a whole song together. This classic 90s hip-hop track samples Lou Reed’s iconic bass intro, coming together to form this laid-back hit. What is even more impressive is that the band members crafted this song when they were only 19 years old

  1. Paper Planes by M.I.A (2007), sampling Straight to Hell by The Clash (1982)

The memorable early 2000s riff of “Paper Planes” finds its origins in this lesser known song by The Clash. Producer Diplo said that M.I.A is not only a huge fan of The Clash, but cites them as one of the most important bands from London. She wanted to sample an older piece and bring some attention to a fellow London group, as well. 

  1. C.R.E.A.M by Wu-Tang Clan (1993), sampling As Long As I’ve Got You by the Charmels (1967)

The Wu-Tang Clan is an iconic part of New York’s 90s rap scene, and the song they sampled harkens back to another pivotal point in America’s musical history. This piano medley from the 1967 song repeats throughout the entirety of “C.R.E.A.M”, giving the song more of a classic New York jazz feel. 

There are plenty more iconic sampled songs in the music industry. While many think it displays artists as uncreative, the truth is that sampling music pays homage to monumental songs of musical history and the talented artists that crafted them.

Grace Notarstefano

St. John's '26

Grace is currently a freshman at St. John’s University in Queens NY. She is double majoring in History and Italian, with hopes to someday become a professor and enter the world of research. She can be found painting and sculpting, reading, trying new recipes, or writing up a post for her blog on the literature of the world.