The Art of Sampling (and the right ways to use it)

BY DREW DANIELS

         Taking previously recorded music and using it in another piece is hardly a new idea. Sampling tracks, instruments or parts or recordings has been around since disk jockeying and electronic music became popular in the 1970s and ‘80s.

         Even though legal issues and arguments about artistic integrity have arisen due to the increasing popularity of sampling, I believe that, when used properly, sampling adds to the originality of the song.

         When does a sampled track cease to be original music? Is sampling a song in another track still considered an original work of art? Many old-school musicians view sampling as a form of cheating and a lack of creativity. Instead of creating an original beat or rhythm, artists use someone else's.

         Others view sampling as innovative and revolutionary. Most hip-hop and electronic tracks use samples and producers such as Kanye West and 9th Wonder use samples to boost their artistic expression, either by taking their own spin on a popular beat or using only small parts of a track to give their song an influential flair.

         While using samples does take other artists’ recorded tracks, I have seen it used in imaginative ways that give the music a signature and memorable sound.

           Kanye West’s song “Power” is completely based around the King Crimson song “21^st Century Schizoid Man” as well as many other minor samples that West makes work together. The result is an original, creative piece that helped West realize the emotion of his song.

         Many artists misuse sampling and it has caused serious criticism. In the late ‘90s, parody newspaper The Onion published an article titled, “New rap song samples ‘Billy Jean’ in its entirety, adds nothing.”

         Producer and Grammy winner 9th Wonder discussed the “art of sampling,” in a video interview on YouTube and how he uses sampling to enhance his music. He describes the talent and creativity needed to properly use samples creatively, and I agree. Taking samples from a song and completely reimagining it into an original work of art is a talent that very few people possess.

            Rapper Mac Miller is currently being sued by legendary rapper Lord Finesse over Miller’s song “Kool Aid and Frozen Pizza.”

According to Rolling Stone the lawsuit reads: "This is a case about a teenage rapper – Mac Miller – copying the music from a song written, produced and performed by Lord Finesse, a hip-hop legend, changing the title and then distributing it under his own name in order to launch his music career."

         Sampling is not about cheating or stealing other artist’s music. It’s about reimagining it into something creative and completely new. Unfortunately, many artists miss this purpose.

         The legality of sampling is another issue throughout the music industry. Even with today’s regulations, new copyright laws and intellectual property laws, the argument on the legality of sampling and the proper ways to gain clearance are highly debated.

          Since clearing a sample generally involves paying a large sum of money to the rights holders, many artists simply bypass clearance. Though today most professionals clear samples, many lawsuits have been filed in recent years.

         Artists such as Biggie Smalls, Danger Mouse and the Beastie Boys have been sued over the use of samples in their music. Though the courts have ruled that the use of some samples that haven’t been cleared is legal, a large dispute still exists on both sides.

         Finding a fair balance between using sampling and creating original material is imperative when keeping musical integrity. It is very easy to overuse sampling and lose the originality in a song; however, the use and increasing popularity of sampling is an original form of musical expression and inspiration.