If you know of a good referene book or web site that will give a comprehensive listing of popular songs that have been “sampled” by rap hits, I’d be much obliged. If not, what well-known examples can you think of?
OBVIOUS examples include:
One of the first samplings was Chic’s “Good Times,” which was sampled in “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang.
Record companies are way ahead of you – there are four double-CD albums available in the UK (Sampled 1 - 4) that feature original songs used in later songs. I can’t link directly to the track listings since bloody HMV uses non-HTML navigation, but you can see for yourself at http://www.hmv.co.uk by searching for “sampled” as a title.
“Forget Me Nots” by I forget who (hehe) became Wil Smith’s “Men In Black”
“I Wish” by Stevie Wonder became Wil Smith’s “Wild Wild West”
“Every Breath You Take” became Puff Daddy’s (I think) “I’ll Be missing you”, the Notorious B.I.G. tribute song
Aerosmith’s “Dream On” was used in an Eminem song whose name escapes me at the moment
And perhaps most ludicrously, a rap song (I don’t know which) samples Bruce Hornsby’s “The Way It Is”, quite possibly one of the whitest songs ever. Go figure.
Why the fuck is sampled in inverted commas?
It’s like saying ‘this artwork is composed of “collage”,’ or ‘this artwork is composed of “mixed media”.’
In Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” the “ahhhh” sound is the “I” from Bob Marley’s song “I Shot the Sheriff.” I also know that PE samples James Brown’s “ooooowww!” quite frequently.
The song was by Tupac Shakur, though i can’t remember the title. As for the original being a “white song,” I give you a sample lyric:
*They say hey little boy you can’t go
Where the others go
'Cause you don’t look like they do
Said hey old man how can you stand
To think that way
Did you really think about it
Before you made the rules
He said, Son,
That’s just the way it is
Some things will never change
That’s just the way it is.
But don’t you believe them.*
The song is actually one of deep regret and protest against racism.
As for other samples, Bone Thugs & Harmony has a hit on the charts right now called “Home” that samples Phill Collins’ “Take Me Home.” It’s quite good.
The song title is “Changes”
A few more Tupac sample uses:
“Starin’ through my rearview” samples “In the air tonight” by Phil Collins
“Until the end of time” samples “Broken wings” by Mr Mister
“Keep ya head up” samples “Ooh child” by the Five Stairsteps
There’s a song out by Nas right now, called “I Can” that samples a classical piano song. For the life of me, I can’t remember the name of the classical. I want to say “A Little Night Music”, but I could be wrong.
It’s actually Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”
One of my favorite albums is De La Soul’s “3 Feet High and Rising.” About a decade after I started listening to that, I got into Parliament. Just about every one of their more popular songs was sampled by De La Soul on that album.
Wow, Bruce Hornsby did a protest song? Thanks Lizard, ya learn something every day on the Dope.
Part One (A to K) of a Large (Though Hardly Comprehensive) List
Song Doing the Sampling in Bold Song(s) Being Sampled in Plain Text
"Back in the Day," Ahmad “Let’s Do It Again,” The Staple Singers
"Daydreamin’," Tatyana Ali “Black Cow,” Steely Dan
"Head Over Heels," Allure featuring Nas “The Bridge,” MC Shan
"People Everyday," Arrested Development “Everyday People,” Sly and the Family Stone
"Planet Rock," Afrika Bambaata “Trans-Europe Express,” Kraftwerk
"Rhymin’ and Stealin’," The Beastie Boys “The Ocean,” Led Zeppelin
"Slow Ride," The Beastie Boys “Low Rider,” War
** “Time to Get Ill,” The Beastie Boys** “Down on the Corner,” Creedence Clearwater Revival; “Theme from ‘Mr. Ed’”
"Shadrach," The Beastie Boys “Loose Booty,” Sly and the Family Stone
"Intergalactic," The Beastie Boys “Prelude in C# Minor,” Les Baxter
"Super Disco Breakin’," The Beastie Boys “Sucker MC’s,” Run DMC
"Dub Be Good To Me," Beats International “Guns of Brixton,” The Clash
"Loser," Beck “I Walk On Gilded Splinters,” Dr. John
"Where It’s At," Beck “Needle to the Groove,” Mantronix
"Devil’s Haircut," Beck “Soul Drums,” Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie
"Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of…)." Lou Bega “Mambo No. 5,” Prez Prado
"How to Dance," Bingoboys “Dance (Disco Heat),” Sylvester; “Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah),” Chic
"Alone Again," Biz Markie “Alone Again (Naturally),” Gilbert O’Sullivan
"Booti Call," BLACKstreet “Atomic Dog,” George Clinton; “Heartbreaker,” Zapp
"No Diggitty," BLACKstreet “Grandma’s Hands,” Bill Withers
"Be Happy," Mary J. Blige “You’re Too Good To Me,” Curtis Mayfield
"I Can Love You," Mary J. Blige “Queen Bitch,” Lil’Kim
"Everything," Mary J. Blige “You Are Everything,” The Stylistics; “The Payback,” James Brown; “Sukiyaki,” A Taste of Honey
"Tha Crossroads," Bone Thugs N Harmony “Make Me Say It Again,” The Isley Brothers
"MyBabyDaddy," B-Rock and the Bizz “Best of My Love,” The Emotions
"I’ll Be," Foxy Brown featuring Jay Z “I’ll Be Good,” Rene and Angela
"If You Love Me," Brownstone “Spellbound,” K-Solo
"Hoo-Hah! Got You All in Check," Busta Rhymes “Space,” Galt McDermott
"Dangerous," Busta Rhymes “E.T. Boogie,” Extra T’s
"Knockin’ Boots," Candyman “Tonight Is the Night,” Betty Wright; “Ooh Boy,” Rose Royce
"Dreamlover," Mariah Carey “Blind Alley,” The Emotions
"Fantasy," Mariah Carey “Genius of Love,” Tom Tom Club
"Honey," Mariah Carey “The Body Rock,” The Treacherous 3
"Heartbreaker," Mariah Carey “Attack of the Name Game,” Stacy Lattisaw
"Touch Me, Tease Me," Case “PSK–What Does It Mean?,” Schooly D
"Better Days (and the bottom drops out)," Citizen King “(Intro To) Radar,” The Legendary Stardust Cowboy
"Wait Til I Get Home," C-Note “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” Hall and Oates
"Slow Motion," Colour Me Badd “Spinning Wheel,” Blood Sweat & Tears
"Fantastic Voyage," Coolio “Fantastic Voyage,” Lakeside
"Gangsta’s Paradise," Coolio “Pastime Paradise,” Stevie Wonder
"1,2,3,4 (Sumpin’ New)," Coolio “Thighs High,” Tom Browne; “Wikka Wrap,” The Evasions
"Legend of a Cowboy," Imani Coppola “Sunshine Superman,” Donovan
"Funkdafied," Da Brat “Between the Sheets,” The Isley Brothers
"Sittin on Top of the World," Da Brat “Mary Jane,” Rick James
"Ghetto Love," Da Brat featuring T-Boz “All This Love,” DeBarge; “Public Enemy No. 1,” Public Enemy
"Me, Myself and I," De La Soul “(not just) Knee Deep,” Funkadelic
"Transmitting Live from Mars," De La Soul “You Showed Me,” The Turtles
"Tres Delinquenties," Delinquent Habits “The Lonely Bull,” Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
"The Humpty Dance," Digital Underground “Let’s Play House,” Parliament
"Kiss You Back," Digital Underground “(not just) Knee Deep,” Funkadelic
"Nuthin’ But A G Thang," Dr. Dre “I Wanta Do Something Freaky To Ya,” Leon Haywood
"Let Me Ride," Dr. Dre “Mothership Connection,” Parliament
"Genius Rap," Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde “Genius of Love,” Tom Tom Club
"Things’ll Never Change," E-40 “The Way It Is,” Bruce Hornsby and the Range
"Rapper’s Ball," E-40 “Playboy $hort,” Too $hort
"We Want Eazy," Eazy-E “We Want Bootsy,” Bootsy’s Rubber Band
"Sock It 2 Me," Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliot featuring Da Brat “Ready Or Not (Here I Come),” The Delfonics
"My Name Is," Eminem “I Got The,” Libbi Saffire
"Stan," Eminem “Thank You,” Dido
"I Know You Got Soul," Erik B and Rakim “I Know You Got Soul,” Bobby Byrd
"Paid In Full," Erik B and Rakim “Im Nin’Alu,” Ofra Haza
"Love Like This," Faith Evans “Chic Cheer,” Chic
"All Night Long," Faith Evans “I Hear Music in the Streets,” Unlimited Touch
"AM Radio," Everclear “Mr. Big Stuff,” Jean Knight
"Praise You," Fatboy Slim “Take Yo’ Praise,” Camille Yarborough
"The Rockafella Skank," Fatboy Slim “Sliced Tomatoes,” The Just Brothers; “Beat Girl,” The John Barry Seven
"I’ll Do 4 U," Father MC “Got To Be Real,” Cheryl Lynn
"Everything’s Gonna Be Alright," Father MC “Good Times,” Chic
"A Rose Is Still A Rose," Aretha Franklin “What I Am,” Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
"Fu Gee La," The Fugees “Ooh La La,” Teena Marie
"Stupid Girl," Garbage “Train in Vain,” The Clash
"Six Feet Deep," Geto Boys “What’s Going On,” Marvin Gaye; “Easy,” The Commodores
"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel," Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five “Good Times,” Chic; “Another One Bites the Dust,” Queen; “Rapture,” Blondie; “8th Wonder,” The Sugarhill Gang; “Monster Jam,” Spoonie Gee
"It’s Nasty," Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five “Genius of Love,” Tom Tom Club
"Got Me Waiting," Heavy D and the Boyz “Don;t You Know That,” Luther Vandross
"Ex-Factor," Lauryn Hill “Can It All Be So Simple,” Wu Tang Clan
"Every Ghetto, Every City," Lauryn Hill “Jack Your Body,” Steve ‘Silk’ Hurley
"Jump Around," House of Pain “Jump,” Kriss Kross
"Freak Like Me," Adina Howard “I’d Rather Be With You,” Bootsy Collins
"It Was A Good Day," Ice Cube “Sexy Mama,” The Moments; “Footsteps in the Dark,” The Isley Brothers
"You Know How We Do It," Ice Cube “The Show Is Over,” Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King
"Bop Gun (One Nation)," Ice Cube “One Nation Under a Groove,” Funkadelic
"Check Yo Self," Ice Cube “The Message,” Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
"Shorty (You Keep Playing With My Mind)," Imajin “Dance with Me,” Peter Brown
"We Got It," Immature “Girl Callin,” Chocolate Milk
"That’s The Way Love Goes," Janet Jackson “Papa Don’t Take No Mess,” James Brown
"If," Janet Jackson “Someday We’ll Be Together,” The Supremes
"And On And On," Janet Jackson “Family Affair,” Sly and the Family Stone
"Got 'Til It’s Gone," Janet Jackson “Big Yellow Taxi,” Joni Mitchell
"Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," Jay-Z “Hard Knock Life,” The Cast of Annie
"Summertime," DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince “Summer Madness,” Kool and the Gang
"Boom! Shake the Room," DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince “Funky Worm,” The Ohio Players
"The Party Continues," JD and Da Brat “She’s Strange,” Cameo
"This Is How We Do It," Montell Jordan “Children’s Story,” Slick Rick
"Something 4 Da Honeyz," Montell Jordan “Summer Madness,” Kool and the Gang
"Get It On Tonite,"Montell Jordan “Love for the Sake of Love,” Claudja Barry
"Here Comes the Hotstepper," Ini Kamoze “Hot Pants,” Bobby Byrd; “Heartbeat,” Taana Gardner
"I Feel For You," Chaka Khan “Fingertips Pt 2,” Little Stevie Wonder
"Let Me Clear My Throat," DJ Kool “Hollywood Swinging,” Kool and the Gang; “The 900 Number,” DJ Mark
"Tic Tac Toe," Kyper “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” Yes
Snoop Dogg’s What’s My Name samples George Clinton’s Atomic Dog.
Blue note put out some albums under the name “Straight No Chaser” that featured sampled songs. I think they’ve since put out other editions in a sort of a series…but I’n not sure.
What was the annoying piece of rap that sampled “Hard Knock Life” from Annie?
That was LL Cool Jay (stupidest name in rap, next to P Diddy), and I think the title is actually “Hard Knock Life” or something like that.
Doesn’t Eminem have a recent song that samples Dido’s “Thank You”?
I heard a tune this weekend that sampled Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sundown” (if you can imagine). I am completely ignorant of rap though, so I couldn’t say who it was (or if it was strictly rap).
The name is LL Cool J. (Just the letter, not the word spelled out.)
He also didn’t do that particular song.
Jay-Z did.
It is actually titled “Hard Knock Life”
What about Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and Puff Daddy’s “Come With Me”? I’m sure about that one since they performed it together on SNL.