ABOUT US
Blog

The Most Influential Music Producers Who Sample

In its infancy, hip-hop was viewed as a subculture because it existed on the margins of the mainstream. It was symbolic of young, black Americans trying to create a sound that represented their lived experiences. Like scratching (a turntable technique in which DJs moved a vinyl record back and forth to produce new sounds), sampling allowed younger artists to reinterpret the older music they grew up listening to.

Sampling in music is when a producer uses a portion of a pre-existing song in a new one. The part used can be a drum track, vocals, or a loop of the entire song. Sampling is slightly different from interpolation — when the melody of an original song is re-recorded for a new song. 

Like scratching (a turntable technique in which DJs moved a vinyl record back and forth to produce new sounds), sampling allowed younger artists to reinterpret the older music they grew up listening to.

The earliest use of sampling dates back to the mid-1980s. DJ and producer Marley Marl experimented with ways to create new sounds using his Roland TR-808 drum machine. He attempted to pull a riff from a vinyl record, but he could only isolate the drum track. He loved the drum’s snare so much he used it in a recording. 

Sampling grew more popular in the 1990s and has endured as a staple of modern hip-hop. Some of the best producers in music are known because of their innovations with the technique. Here, we’ll look at a few of these producers and the legacy they’ve built through the art of sampling.

J Dilla

J Dilla, sample

J Dilla was a musical genius. Born to two musician parents, he learned to play cello, piano, violin, trumpet, and drums as a young child. As J Dilla got older, he turned his attention to more timely technology with the Minimoog synthesizer and Akai MPC (both now reside in the Smithsonian Museum). He captured ears and respect when he started producing music for his rap group, Slum Village. But emerged into international recognition, while remaining underground in the U.S., as he produced music for Common, Janet Jackson, A Tribe Called Quest, and Busta Rhymes. In addition, he was regarded for the electronic and jazz sound he brought to hip-hop, which would influence the development of neo-soul and how we experienced time in music.

Listen To This“Didn’t Cha Know” by Erykah Badu (features sample of “Dreamflower” by Tarika Blue)

Just Blaze

Just Blaze

Just Blaze was one of the most prolific producers in the early 2000s. He got his start as an in-house producer for Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records. Along with Kanye West, he is known for introducing the “chipmunk soul” style of sampling, which features pitched-up vocals from the soul and R&B songs being sampled that are then chopped and looped in. 

Listen To This“Breathe” by Fabolous (features sample of “Crime of the Century” by Supertramp)

Kanye West

Kanye West

Before there was Yeezy or Ye, there was Kanye West. In 2000, West was another in-house producer with Roc-A-Fella Records alongside Just Blaze. He composed tracks for artists like Beanie Sigel and Cam’ron, and other artists signed to the label. His breakthrough came when he produced four songs for Jay-Z’s 2001 album, The Blueprint. After its release, West struck out on his own as a rapper, releasing the Get Well Soon… mixtape in 2002. The mixtape was a prelude to his debut album, The College Dropout.

Listen To This“Through the Wire” by Kanye West (features sample of “Through the Fire” by Chaka Khan)

Rick Rubin

Rick Rubin

Rubin is a hip-hop legend. He is the brainchild behind Def Jam Records, founding the company in 1982 when he was just a high school senior. He later met Russell Simmons, and the two teamed up to make Def Jam one of the most important labels in hip-hop’s history. As a producer, Rubin has been noted for blending rock and rap, pulling samples from classic rock songs to give hip-hop more musicality.

Listen To This“Berzerk” by Eminem (features sample of “The Stroke” by Billy Squier)

RZA

Rza

RZA got his start in music as a member of the Staten Island hip-hop group, Wu-Tang Clan. He produced most of the group’s seven studio albums and each member’s solo work. He’s known for combining soul music with bass lines and drums that are edgier and rawer. RZA’s unique approach caught the attention of Hollywood in the 2000s, and he served as lead composer for Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill franchise.

Listen To This“Can It Be All So Simple” by Wu-Tang Clan (features sample of “The Way We Were/Try to Remember” by Gladys Knight & the Pips)

9th Wonder

9th Wonder, sample

Hailing from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 9th Wonder is known for his use of soul and R&B samples. He began his career as the primary producer for the hip-hop duo, Little Brother. He broke through in 2003 after he released God’s Stepson, an unofficial remix album of Nas’ album God’s Son. Since 2007, he’s taught production and hip-hop history courses at North Carolina Central University, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard. 

Listen To This“Without You” by Anderson .Paak feat. Rapsody (features sample of “Molasses” by Hiatus Kaiyote)

If you’re interested in a career in music production or another job in recording, download Yellowbrick’s Ultimate Music Career Guide.

Enter your email to learn more and get a full course catalog!

Share:

More from Yellowbrick

Test Unlocked Resource Page

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

©2024 Yellowbrick · All Rights Reserved · All Logos & Trademarks Belong to Their Respective Owners