The lauded ‘golden age‘ of hip-hop was rich with amazing samples. The genre and culture were still relatively early in their inception, so the potential for sampling was abundant. Moreover, copyright laws weren’t nearly as stringent, so artists had more creative flexibility. With a wild variety of artists in different regions, there were endless flavors coming from hip-hop in the 90s. How rappers and producers used sampling expressed that the best.
Consequently, in the loaded field of rap classics at the time, Noisey has selected six of the best samples in 1990s hip-hop. In doing so, it shows how hip-hop re-contextualizes and utilizes classics of the past and creates it into something fresh and exciting.
Six of the Greatest Samples in 90s Hip-hop
“The World is Yours” by Nas
Over timeless Pete Rock drums, “The World is Yours” curbs from the Ahmad Jamal Trio’s “I Love Music”. The classy chords feel like seeing your breath in the frigid New York weather, buildings towering to create the concrete jungle. Illmatic is the kind of album that defines NY living even today, and “The World is Yours” does so beautifully. A song so classic, Jay-Z nabbed a line from Nas, though he’d argue he elevated it by making a hot song out of it.
“They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” by Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
Pete Rock channels warm nostalgia and the dizzying passage of time on “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”. Sampling Tom Scott and The California Dreamers’ “Today”, you get the soul-stirring saxophone riff that exists in rap fans and basketball fans alike.
“It Was a Good Day” by Ice Cube
DJ Pooh didn’t reinvent the wheel when he sampled the Isley Brothers’ “Footsteps in the Dark”. But sometimes, less is more, and he managed to make a classic out of the bones of another classic. The sunny guitar lick, addictive drums, and Ronald Isley’s soulful crooning are the foundation for so many all-time records. Stitched together by a brief sample from “Sexy Mama” by The Moments, Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” took on a life of its own.
“Mind Playing Tricks On Me” by Geto Boys
Scarface pulled off an impressive feat with “Mind Playing Tricks On Me”. The Isaac Hayes “Hung Up On My Baby” sample lures you in with sweetness, soulfulness, and a child-like levity. Then, the drum break on Graham Central Station’s “The Jam” feels light and breezy, like playing hopscotch on the playground. Juxtaposed with Scarface, Willie D, and Bushwick Bill’s overwhelming sense of paranoia, it’s a masterful use of sampling from the Southern rap greats.
“Hey Lover” by LL Cool J and Boyz II Men
Similar to DJ Pooh, the Trackmasters were known to leave records relatively untouched and loop them instead. Sometimes, a song is just too good to chop, rearrange, and reconfigure. Instead, they let the original sample do the heavy lifting and alter the context accordingly.
That’s what happened when LL Cool J made “Hey Lover” with Boyz II Men, sampling “The Lady in My Life” by Michael Jackson and “All Night Long” by Mary Jane Girls. It wasn’t an overcomplicated Frankenstein effect. Instead, with the Mary Jane Girls’ drums and Michael Jackson’s romantic intro, you get an all-time yearning anthem.
“Electric Relaxation” by A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest turned a mellow, brooding jazz record by Ronnie Foster into the sexy, cool “Electric Relaxation”. Produced by Q-Tip and co., they took the groove of “Mystic Brew” and combined it with samples from Ramsey Lewis and Brethren to orchestrate an entirely new composition. Ever since, rappers couldn’t help but sample what Tribe put together.
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