Music sampling today: Creative or copycat?
Many hit songs today contain music samples - snippets of big hits from another era or just a few years ago.
They make a new song seem very familiar and keep the listener engaged. A hit song with a sample can also pave the way for a major hit. But some artists and critics are asking "What happened to creativity?"
New York-based Hip Hop artist FIvio Foreign has sampled artists in some of his songs like "What's My Name?" It sampled Beyonce's "Say My Name."
FIvio says sampling has to be done with respect for the original artist and song, otherwise, it just doesn't work.
The original artist also gives to "clear it," which means giving legal permission for its use.
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"If I put out a song, like one of my original songs like "Big Drip" or whatever you know me for, and like an artist will sample it, in order for me to clear that through, it's got to sound right by my ears, you know what I'm saying?" asks Fivio Foreign.
Multi-Platinum music producer and musician Amadeus has created many hit songs with a variety of Hip Hop artists, like Chris Brown and pop artists, including J-Lo. He sampled the Ronnie Foster song, "Mystic Brew" from Papoose's song, "Black Love" featuring Nathaniel.
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Amadeus says music sampling is a matter of personal expression and taste.
"I don't think it ever hurts, it never hurts, we as consumers choose what we like and what we listen to. Music is expression. There's no right or wrong way to do it. Is it something we can like and appreciate or something that we don't feel like it ever hurts it."
Music Executive Joshua "J1" Raiford was named one of Billboard's R&B and Hip Hop power players last year.
He listens to a lot of music and has to decide where to program it. He says sometimes sampling can be a streaming advantage.
"If I'm a new artist, or I'm an established artist and I'm putting out a new song that nobody's ever heard, but they've heard that sample or that hook or that element that they're familiar with, they're more likely to engage with the song than ever before."
INDIO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 17: (L-R) Tyga and Doja Cat perform onstage at the Coachella Stage during the 2022 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 17, 2022 in Indio, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Coachella)
Allhiphop.com's Chuck Creekmur says sampling can actually benefit artists from previous eras.
Doja Cat's chart topper "Paint the Town Red" sampled R & B legend Dionne Warwick's hit "Walk On By." Warwick is having fun with it all, even joking in interviews that now she's a rapper.
But it's about more than recognition, says Creekmur.
"First of all you have the obvious financial benefits. These artists today are making so much more money than in the past, even in the earlier days of Hip Hop, and if you go back further to artists like Dionne Warwick, being sampled by Doja Cat, that's an incredible upside to sampling."
For more on music sampling--be sure to watch the next episode of Street Soldiers, Friday night, after the 10 O'Clock News.