Are Sample-Based Beatmakers Musicians?
A “musician” is simply one who creates (makes) music. It’s someone who is conscious of the notion of music as well as at least one type of music-making process. Whether one likes a particular music form, or prefers the methods used to make it, does not disqualify the creator of that form of music as a “musician.”
With regards to sample-based musicians (i.e. beatmakers) and traditional musicians, well, traditional musicians don’t exactly generate music from out of thin air. Instead, they use instruments to grab from the same bag of notes (sounds) that every other traditional musician does. In turn, they take theses notes (tones, sounds) and reconfigure them in ways that suit their creative ingenuity. Isn’t that what sample-based beatmakers do? Oh, I forgot the big argument, you know the one that condemns sample-based beatmakers as thieves because they use pre-recorded music and sounds. But consider this: Musical notes are one of the most recognizable public domain sources, which technically means that every live musician borrows (samples) from the same well of musical notes.
I recognize the fact that sampling from a dormant assortment of public domain music notes is one thing, and sampling a pre-recorded performance is yet another. But is one form of sampling inherrently superior to the other? I mean, I’ve never heard an entire song sampled and looped in hip hop/rap. On the contrary, sample-based beatmakers use segments, fragments, chipped musical pieces and tones that usually measure between 1 to 4 seconds. Regardless of how much and/or what section beatmakers sample from, the intent, structure, and/or scope of their recreation is different than the intent of the artist(s) who originally created the composition that’s being sampled. Isn’t this what separates musicians from each other? Indeed, if all musicians have to rely on the same bag of sounds, if you will, then what are the primary variables that distinguish each musician? Is it not their intent, structure, and overall creative scope?
Furthermore, the idea that sample-based beatmakers simply press a button, and Presto!, a beat (song) is automatically created, is misguided. Like any other musician, sample-based beatmakers must arrange, identify tonal matches, cope with time changes, etc. While traditional musicians use guitars, horns, pianos, and the like as their instruments, sample-based beatmakers use samplers, sequencers, drum machines, and other EMPIs (and somtimes traditional guitars, horns, and pianos as well) as theirs. Today, both groups of musicians rely on electronic recording processors and equipment and modern software applications for minor or major tweaking. So even here the claim of superiority by traditional musicians and their supporters holds little weight.
For me, the foundation of creativity and/or originality, within any artistic medium, is predicated upon arrangement. Writers use words to tell stories and convey feelings and insights that have all been conveyed and told before. They use words that have been used over and over again (i.e. familiar or everyday words). So how do they avoid the exhaustion of these words and stories, while at the same time offer new insight and fresh (and old) feelings? It is through their unique arrangement of words and their meanings, that’s how. Thus all musicians, like writers and any other artisans, distinguish themselves through the intent, scope and structure of their arrangement.
Excerpt from The Art of Sampling: The Sampling Tradition of Hip Hop/Rap Music and Copyright Law
