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Exclusive analysis of and insight to music sampling, copyright law, and more from The Art of Sampling.
Source Material: Freda Payne – “Band of Gold”
Freda Payne is a singer and a actress from Detroit, Michigan who primarily recorded in the '60s and the '70s. Her biggest song is "Band of Gold" (1970). Here's a brief backstory on the single: The song was composed by the legendary…
Sample Flips: Maxo Kream – “11:59” (Prod. by Groove)
Maxo Kream is a rapper from Houston, Texas, and his career started on the mixtape circuit. In 2012, he released his debut mixtape, Retro Card. The mixtape was led by his cover of Kendrick Lamar's "Rigamortis." Kream followed with two…
Source Material: Jackie Mittoo – “Ghetto Organ”
Jackie Mittoo was a Jamaican songwriter, keyboardist, and musical director who recorded for three decades. In the '60s, he was the musical director at the esteemed Studio One label, and Mittoo was a member of several bands. Studio One is…
Sample Flips: Common Ft. Dwele – “The People” (Prod. by Kanye West)
Common is a rapper and a actor from Chicago, Illinois who has been rhyming since the '80s. In high school, Common was apart of a rap trio called C.D.R. After the trio split in the early '90s, Common pursued a solo career. He started…
Source Material: Avolonto Honoré – “Tin Lin Non”
Avolonto Honoré was a percussionist from Benin, Africa. In 1969, he started his recording career. In the beginning, he only played the conga, but as his career evolved, Honoré started recording his own compositions. As a solo artist, he…
Sample Flips: 2 Chainz – “Threat 2 Society” (Prod. by 9th Wonder)
2 Chainz is a rapper from College Park, Georgia who has been recording since the late '90s. In 1997, he rhymed under the name Tity Boi, and he formed Playaz Circle with his friend and local rapper Dolla Boy. They enjoyed a decent run in…
Source Material: The Edwards Generation – “You’re The One For Me”
The Edwards Generation was a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that recorded in the '70s. The band was led by Chuck Edwards (a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was signed to Duke Records). In the early '70s, Edwards moved to San…
Source Material: Bobby Hutcherson – “Manzanita”
Bobby Hutcherson was a jazz vibraphone and marimba player from Los Angeles, California. Hutcherson started performing in the '50s, but he made his recording debut in the early '60s. In the '50s, Hutcherson performed with jazz artists,…
Sample Flips: Mos Def – “Hip Hop” (Prod. By Diamond D & Mos Def)
Mos Def (Yasiin Bey) is a rapper, songwriter, and actor from Brooklyn, New York who debuted in the '90s. At the beginning of his rap career, he formed two different teams. First, he formed the group UTD (Urban Thermo Dynamics) with his…
Source Material: Mel and Tim – “Backfield In Motion”
Mel and Tim were a soul duo from Holly Springs, Mississppi. The duo featured singers Mel Hardin and Tim McPherson. At the beginning of their career, they relocated twice. First, they went to St. Louis, Missouri. Then, they relocated to…