The 10 James Brown Songs Rappers Love to Sample
The Godfather of Soul has contributed much to hip hop.
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The 10 James Brown Songs Rappers Love to Sample - James Brown is both a musical legend and innovator. And when it comes to hip hop, there may be no one out there who wasn't himself an MC, DJ or b-boy who has had a greater impact on the culture. In addition to his vocals serving as a template for rap flows, the singer's songs have been sampled more than any, according to WhoSampled. Here are 10 that rappers love to use. (Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
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"Funky Drummer" - James Brown's 1970 release "Funky Drummer" is one of the most sampled songs of all time, as the drums in particular have been used for decades. Songs by everyone from Dr. Dre ("Let Me Ride") to Nas ("Get Down") to Public Enemy ("Fight the Power") have borrowed sounds from the record. (Photo: Polydor Records)
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"Funky President" - Kanye West must really be a fan of James Brown's "Funky President." Yeezy has sampled the 1974 released multiple times, including on "Live Fast, Die Young," "Clique" and "New God Flow." It's also been sampled in classics like Eric B. & Rakim's "Eric B. Is President" and N.W.A's "Fuck Tha Police."(Photo: Polydor Records)
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"The Payback" - Though "The Payback" sounds like it could be the title of a rap song, it's really just one that's been sampled often in rap songs. The 1973 James Brown release has been used in everything from Joe Budden's "Pump It Up" to 2Pac's "Souljah's Revenge."(Photo: Polydor Records)
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"Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" - James Brown's 1970 anthem "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" became a staple sample for many cuts in the 1980s, including Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise," Big Daddy Kane's "Set It Off" and Boogie Down Production's "South Bronx."(Photo: Polydor Records)
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