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Exclusive analysis of and insight to music sampling, copyright law, and more from The Art of Sampling.
Sample Flips: Big Sean – “How It Feel” (Prod. By Million $ Mano)
Big Sean is a rapper from Detroit, Michigan who made a name for himself through freestyles and mixtapes. Sean started rhyming in high school, and he often freestyled at a local hip hop station called WHTD. In 2005, he freestyled for Kanye…
Source Material: Ryo Fukui – “Early Summer”
Ryo Fukui was a jazz pianist from Biratori, Hokkaido, Japan. In 1970, when Fukui was 22 years old, he taught himself how to play the piano. Six years later, he released his debut album, Scenery. One of the standout tracks from his album…
Source Material: Junior Parker – “River’s Invitation”
Junior Parker is a blues singer who was born on a plantation near Bobo, Cahoma County, Mississippi. As a child, he sang in various gospel groups, and after he moved to Memphis, Tennessee with his mother, he began his blues career. In the…
Sample Flips: Keith Murray – “The Most Beautifullest Thing in This World” (Prod. By…
Keith Murray is a rapper from Long Island, New York who started rhyming in the '90s. In the early '90s, Murray met Erick Sermon of EMPD. Sermon included Murray on his album No Pressure (1993), and their song "Hostile" led to more…
Source Material: Eddy Mitchell – “Je Ne Me Retournerai Pas”
Eddy Mitchell is a singer and actor from Paris, France who began his music career in the late '50s. He recorded with the rock & roll group Les Chaussettes Noires for a number of years before he went solo in 1963. As a solo artist,…
Sample Flips: Sweet Tee – “On The Smooth Tip” (Prod. By Hurby Luv Bug)
Sweet Tee is a rapper from Queens, New York who rose to prominence in the late '80s. In 1986, she released her debut single, "It's My Beat," featuring DJ Jazzy Joyce. The success of her debut led to a record deal with Profile Records. In…
Source Material: Labi Siffre – “I Got The…”
Labi Siffre is a singer, songwriter, and poet from Hammersmith, London, England. In 1970, he made his recording debut with his self titled album, Labi Siffre. He released five additional albums by 1975. In 1975, he released two albums:…
Source Material: The Natural Four – “Try Love Again”
The Natural Four were a soul group from Oakland, California that was formed in 1967. The Natural Four was comprised of: lead singer Chris James, Allen Richardson, John January, and Al Bowden. In 1969, they released their debut single, "I…
Sample Flips: Skee-Lo – “Top of the Stairs” (Prod. By Skee-Lo and Walter Kahn)
Skee-Lo is a rapper from Chicago, Illinois who rose to prominence in the '90s. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was a teenager, and that's also around the time he started rhyming. In 1995, he released his debut album, I Wish. The…
Source Material: Stelvio Cipriani – “Mary’s Theme”
Stelvio Cipriani was an Italian film composer who made the majority of his music throughout the '60s and '70s. In 1966, he composed his first soundtrack; his music was featured in the Spaghetti western The Bounty Killer. In 1969, Cipriani…