25 Influential Hip Hop Samples

Beats behind "Work It," "Straight Outta Compton" and more.

Twenty-five Influential Hip Hop Samples - Rap has been criticized for sampling, i.e. looping, chopping and manipulating snippets of other songs to make something new. But rather than disrespect its source material, sampling frequently brings older artists, often forgotten or underrated, some much-needed attention and income. In many ways, hip hop's use of sampling helps promote music history — particularly Black music history. So, in honor of Black History Month, we're taking a look at hip hop's greatest, most influential, most used samples.—Alex Gale(Photos from left: Polydor Records,Ruthless Records)
The Incredible Bongo Band, 'Apache' - The New York Times quoted DJ Kool Herc calling this song "the national anthem of hip hop," and who are we to disagree with the genre's godfather? One of the earliest B-boy breaks, the percussion-filled song from the 1972 album Bongo Rock has been sampled by Nas ("Made You Look"), Missy Elliott ("We Run This") and several key old-school hits.  (Photo: Pride Records)
Skulls Snaps, 'It's a New Day' - The opening bars of this song from funk group Skull Snaps' self-titled 1974 album provided hard-as-nails drums for Pharcyde's "Passin' Me By," Gang Starr's "Take It Personal," Diamond D's "Sally Got a One-Track Mind" and other unforgettable rap breakthroughs.  (Photo: Charley Records)The Winstons, 'Amen, Brother' - Famously known as the "Amen break," this instantly recognizable beat formed the backbone of N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton," Mantronix's "King of the Beats" and many other rap hits. It also later became a vital building block for jungle and drum-and-bass.  (Photo: Metromedia Records)

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Twenty-five Influential Hip Hop Samples - Rap has been criticized for sampling, i.e. looping, chopping and manipulating snippets of other songs to make something new. But rather than disrespect its source material, sampling frequently brings older artists, often forgotten or underrated, some much-needed attention and income. In many ways, hip hop's use of sampling helps promote music history — particularly Black music history. So, in honor of Black History Month, we're taking a look at hip hop's greatest, most influential, most used samples.—Alex Gale(Photos from left: Polydor Records,Ruthless Records)

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