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The 8 Most Over-Used Samples In Hip-Hop

audiotuts.com — In the early days of hip hop, when it was just two turntables and a microphone, having a ready collection of samples and drum breaks was mandatory. But over the years, improved sampling technology and the introduction of live instrumentation made using the same songs over and over less necessary. Nevertheless, some samples refused to die...

Who dugg this? Made popular Nov 14, 2008

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  • djlaptop, on 11/13/2008, -5/+67Cool list, but...no "Amen Break?"
  • mecharabbit, on 11/14/2008, -3/+39How about Chic's "Good Times", sampled by:

    * "2345meia78" by Gabriel, O Pensador
    * "Around the World" by Daft Punk
    * "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen[2] [3]
    * "Back to the Old School" by Just Ice
    * "Basic Mega-Mix" by DJ Shadow
    * "B-Boy Bouillabaisse" by The Beastie Boys
    * "Birthday Party" by Furious Five
    * "Body Hot" by Joe Budden
    * "Dangerous" by Busta Rhymes (in the Soul Society remix)
    * "Doowutchyalike" by Digital Underground
    * "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by Father MC
    * "Glow Of Love" by Change
    * "High Tension" by SPK
    * "Hit Me with That *****" by G.P. WU
    * "It's All Good" by Will Smith
    * "Just the Two of Us" by Chubb Rock
    * "Made It Back '99" by Beverley Knight
    * "Monster Jam" by Spoonie Gee
    * "Music to be Murdered By" by Dan the Automator
    * "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" by Grandmaster Flash
    * "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang
    * "Rapture" by Blondie
    * "Refugees on the Mic" by Fugees
    * "The Reverend" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
    * "Rhapazooty in Blue" by Sicle Cell & Rhapazooty
    * "Rip It Up" by Orange Juice
    * "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'" by De la Soul
    * "Steppin with..." by Justin Warfield
    * "SuperGood" by Club House
    * "13 and Good" by Boogie Down Productions
    * "Tripple Trouble" and "A.W.O.L" by The Beastie Boys
    * "Underground Blues" by College Boyz
    * "Wildstyle" by Timezone featuring Afrika Bambaata
    * "MC's Delight" by Grandmaster Caz
    * "Wot?" by Captain Sensible

    courtesy of this site called Wikipedia
  • mnortei, on 11/14/2008, -0/+27and on one page, ftw
  • ponchoandy, on 11/13/2008, -0/+21Of course you could go on all day about glaring omissions, but I have to say: I don't know how any list like this could omit Lyn Collins' "Think (About It)", which has that insufferable "Woo! Yeah!" vocal hook:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_(About_It)
  • borez, on 11/14/2008, -1/+20Where's the Amen, Apache, funky drummer, black grass, Q65 etc. etc. etc.

    better list:

    http://www.cratekings.com/the-30-greatest-hip-hop- ...

    In fact, if you want them all buy Zero G "Jungle warfare" and slow all the breaks down.

    http://www.zero-g.co.uk/index.cfm?Articleid=140
  • inactive, on 11/13/2008, -2/+18Excellent submission. Thanks.

    Although there is one glaring ommission, Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks," as heard in Beastie Boys "Rhymin' and Stealin," Ice-T's "Midnight," and Dr. Dre's "Lyrical Gangbang."

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-AanPHMbC4&feature ...
  • wingo123, on 11/14/2008, -2/+17Yeah, seriously... it's like number one of all time - but maybe more for genres other than hip hop, I guess.

    Anyway, this video about it freaking rocks:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SaFTm2bcac
  • SRSco, on 11/14/2008, -0/+12The Amen Break is used more than any of these.
  • RileyCourage, on 11/13/2008, -0/+10I figured "Magic Carpet Ride" would have been played out by now. Happy to be proved wrong.
  • junglist1319, on 11/14/2008, -1/+10Good submission. Some people didn't realize hip hop existed before Puffy started rapping about champagne and ice.
  • depro9, on 11/14/2008, -1/+8Love the Amen break, no one could ever over-use it!
  • lordwow, on 11/14/2008, -0/+6Michael McDonald - I Keep Forgettin'
  • SolubleFish, on 11/14/2008, -0/+6The author/s of the article had a hard time branching outside of late 80s early 90s gangsta rap.

    "Contemporize, maaaaan!"
  • docbells, on 11/14/2008, -2/+8For those not familiar:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amen_break
  • playuhh, on 11/14/2008, -0/+5I think we should have a beatmaking competition on Digg... who is down?
  • JustinPM, on 11/14/2008, -0/+5Yes, why hate on hip hop when you can hate on country.

    I'm actually with you on that one. But not everyone that hates on hip hop would necessarily be country listeners. They've got this new fangled thing, the rock and roll they call it.

    In the words of Master Shake, "I don't know. All that rap is, is clicks and whistles."
  • killakl, on 11/14/2008, -0/+5Billy Squier - Big Beat

    ehhh, Dizzy Rascal - Fix up look sharp
  • krisscofield, on 11/14/2008, -1/+5I can't believe they left out "O.P.P." for that one sample, and the Amen, Brother break.
  • machocheese34, on 11/14/2008, -0/+4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_(The_Shadows_s ...
  • aroundtown, on 11/14/2008, -0/+4Bob James - Take Me To The Mardi Gras
    Nautilus too...

    plus mostly everything above mentioned, especially that amen brother break.
    if you know your breaks you've already been to the-breaks.com
  • burnin8r28, on 11/14/2008, -2/+6I think the winner of most un-original music goes to ice cube.
  • DevilInPgh, on 11/14/2008, -0/+3Um, Queen didn't "sample" Good Times, per se. Rather, they based the song around the rhythm, took a bit of underlying harmony, and put in their own music. All the others, on the other hand, did truly sample Good Times by its very definition.
  • joelafalconer, on 11/14/2008, -0/+3Sampled very frequently indeed - but almost never in hip-hop.
  • 4NDr01D, on 11/14/2008, -1/+4actually they are copyrighted and a violation if sampled

    there is no 20 second sample limit

    every sound must be licensed


    thats why we dig(g) for obscure beats

    and hide your samples, so only real headz are in the know
  • superpaulio, on 11/14/2008, -1/+4They're all used and reused, mainly because they're great grooves!
  • PPCG4, on 11/14/2008, -0/+3Got me. *****.
  • IRAcarbombs, on 11/14/2008, -0/+3Dugg for "Billy Squier - Big Beat" the drum sample off this album is sooooo nice.
  • TheMoniker, on 11/14/2008, -0/+3Amen, brother.
  • awfulgrace, on 11/14/2008, -0/+3They missed Dizzie Rascal's sample of Billy Squire's "Big Beat" in his song "Fix Up, Look Sharp." It isn't so much of a sample, but rather one of those Puff Daddy type deals where he just basically raps on top of the unedited original song.

    Oh yeah, and what about Apache?? Definitely one of the most sampled tunes ever...
  • ZephyrNinety, on 11/14/2008, -1/+4Amen Break reminds me of Bomberman 64 ah =)
  • Exclip, on 11/14/2008, -0/+3Wow that was informative, I really enjoyed it.
  • inactive, on 11/14/2008, -2/+5RIP good Rap
  • inactive, on 11/14/2008, -0/+3holy crap, Good Times is hip hop gold
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJaVAuIavxA&feature ...
  • innocentsinner, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2Don't forget the greatest version of that song ever:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFGzGfym-7Y
  • andrews240, on 11/14/2008, -2/+4One of the most digg-able articles ever.
  • eloestea, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2left out
    bob james - take me to the mardi gras
    7th wonder - daisy lady
    cameo - bounce skate rock roll
    foster sylvers - misdemeanor
    kraftwerk - man machine
    afrika bambata - planet rock

    but as long as a ***** makes a hot ass track out of whatever sample or break he/she uses............so be it.
  • GreatMan05, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2Oh tic toc you don't stop!
  • kanabiis, on 11/14/2008, -6/+8I think this article can also be cited as definitive proof that Big Daddy Kane or EMPD has pretty much never used a beat of his own ever.

    Jesus, what hacks....
  • mrfunktastic, on 11/14/2008, -1/+3Yeah, but it sounds like ass.
  • SketchaMPM, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2:whistles 'Regulate'::
  • apophenic, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2It's much less obvious when it's used, since it's usually chopped up.
  • MightyLime, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2That's what I was thinking of! It was bugging me, I knew it was really prominent in a relatively recent song.
  • hardcrocodile, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2AMEN!
  • bluefirestarter, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2Take Me to the Mardi Gras by Bob James (as mentioned above) was sampled like crazy in the late 80's.. Should have been on the list
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9I3GEA1BlM
  • krisscofield, on 11/14/2008, -4/+6You do it, then. Go ahead, spit some rhymes that will put Mos Def and Jay-Z to shame.

    I'll wait.
  • bobdigi, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2Well I learned that Big Daddy Kane lacked the personnel to make beats for him.
  • uncleosbert, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2somebody needs to take the next step and make a song with ALL of them.
  • ProKid, on 11/14/2008, -4/+6You really can't say they're overused. When you think about it, how many possible combinations can you make with drums and a snare that will sound pleasant to the ear. And since you can't copyright them there isn't much change.
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