Think quick: What’s better than going to a super market and seeing your favourite product on discount? Hmm, getting your least favourite product free. Yes getting a sample.  Everyone loves a good sample. Personally, I love the alcohol flavoured ones, and any edible ones if I’m really hungry.  And because it’s free and that single cheese slice won’t suffice, I`ll admit, I sometimes go back for more.  Too bad that lady with the enthusiasm of a zombie is not having it.  “The sample is for other people too you know!”she says. I try explaining to her that I’m hungry and that the single cheese slice isn’t doing it for me.  Then she hits me with the words I didn’t want to hear, “This is not a meal, just a sample.” Defeated and still hungry, I steal one last cheese slice and leave-totally forgetting what I went to the supermarket to buy.

Here’s the thing though, not everyone is like me. Some people will sample the shit out of the plate if they could and others might track down every representative in the region to find samples.  Not me.  I do know one set of people who seem to be doing this a lot though and they are called Musicians-and it’s your favourite ones too.  True, people have been sampling music from childhood. You know that song you made up as a child, with that one line with the “cow jumped over the moon” scratch? Yeah, that one. Well my friend you sampled a nursery rhyme that Mother Goose sampled. Admittedly, music is a revolving door and sometimes it’s hard to be uninfluenced when there are so many great influences around you. Matter of fact, it’s impossible not to be influenced- especially in the music industry where most of the greatest musicians are either dead or still trying to keep their place on the shelves. One way musicians tend to show that influence is through sampling.

So what is sampling really exactly? As stated on Zvulony &Co`s website (http://zvulony.ca)

Music sampling is roughly defined as lifting a piece of recorded music (a “sample”) from an existing recording and using it in a new recording. Often, a few bars containing a drum beat will be repeated in “looped” sequence to form the backbeat of the new recording. At other times, the sample may be of vocals, other instruments, or even a nanosecond of background noise. The sample may then be manipulated in different ways and combined with other sounds and sound effects to make a new creation. What is common to all of these incidents is the use of someone else’s recording to produce a new one.

Although the legalities of Sampling can be resolved between relevant parties, and others ignored, there seems to be a certain disappointment when fanatics realize that parts of their favourite song from their favourite rappers were taken from else where. There is an even bigger disappointment and skepticism about the originality of such rapper when one discovers that  most of their music depend on samples. Personally, I don`t mind sampling when the original artist is aware of his or her music being used and gives his or her consent, but I definitely think it should have some limitations when it becomes over kill.

That being said, check out a few of your favourite artists and what they sampled according to whosampled.com:

James Brown
Track it: Looks like after The Isley Brother’s ‘Shout’, James Brown and The Famous Flames decided to ‘Shout and Shimmey’ back.

Dr. Dre
Track it: Dr. Dre definitely took it to ‘The Next Episode’ with this one and walked off ‘The Edge’ with David McCallum.

Public Enemy
Track it: Even though they didn’t win, back in the day, Public Enemy decided to ‘Fight the Power’ with James Brown’s ‘Funky Drummer’.

Nas
Track it:  After Nas made this song, kids all over the world were saying ‘I Can’ to Nas, when he was thinking the same about Ludwig Beethoven’s ‘Für Elis’.

Jay-Z
Track it: Although Beyonce is now ‘Jockin Jay-Z’, before they hooked up, Jay Z was jocking Run Dmc’s ‘Dumb Girl’.

The Notorious B.I.G.
Track it: Instead of calling him Notorious BIG, he told ladies to call him ‘Big Poppa’ whenever he was ‘Between the Sheets’ at The Isley Brothers’ house.

Kanye West
Track it: Kanye will be begging for ‘Mercy’ when Super Beagle decides to ‘Dust a Sound Boy’.

Beastie Boys
Track it: When the Beastie Boys told females about their ‘Brass Monkey’ Wild Sugar told them to ‘Bring it Here’.

Snoop Dogg

Track it:   When Snoop Dog wanted a sample for  ‘ Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang’ Congress Alley asked ‘Are you Looking’.

Michael Jackson
Track it: Michael Jackson looks like he didn’t really ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’’ with Manu Dibango`s, ‘Soul Makossa’, but he did.

Lil Wayne
Track it: Around the time he felt “Like Dying” he listened to Karma “Once” more.

Wiz Khalifa

Track it: Wiz, along with Trae, MDMA and Lupe Fiasco feat. Wale, Big Boi were definitely ‘On’ Mark Morrison’s ‘Return of the Mack’ even though they should have been off.

Rick Ross
Ross definitely `Push It` to the limit when he messed around with ` Scarface` without Paul Engemann knowing.

Here are a few websites you can check out for more info on sampling:

http://zvulony.ca/2010/articles/intellectual-property-law/copyright-law/music-sampling/

http://www.whosampled.com/browse/artists/A/1/H/Hip-Hop%20/%20R&B/

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/permission-sampled-music-sample-clearance-30165.html