Sampling is a very big part of music and has become even more popular now. You can basically go on YouTube or splice and find a sample maker that can easily sell you their work so you can use it in your compositions.
One of the most popular genres that is known to use a lot of samples is the Rap/Hiphop genre.
Sampling has been a great feature of hiphop even from back in the day and this has continued even to date.
This then brings up the question:
“Why do rappers sample so much?”
This post will basically walk you through the various reasons as to why rappers use a lot of samples in their music..
There’s a lot to learn therefore stick around and read this post in full to get a good understanding of this topic.
With that said, let’s get into the reasons why rappers sample so much or why they use samples in their music a lot.
Culture
Sampling is a huge part of the hip-hop culture and has been one of its distinguishing features. Rappers therefore use a lot of samples in their music because it is part of the hip-hop genre and culture. Therefore to stay true to the art of rap, samples are actually great and keep the culture alive.
Most record producers are known for using samples and they’ve made it part of their signature sounds. For example Just Blaze has been known to use a lot of samples in his production.
Authenticity
One of the great attributes that sample music has is….. that it sort of authenticates music.
Hiphop is one of the genres that uses a lot of samples therefore rappers use them to make their songs sound a lot more authentic and give a more detailed meaning to their songs.
If you’re a person that has worked with samples a lot you can agree with this point because they can serve a certain aesthetic to the audience.
Rappers use samples to give a more detailed and in depth feel to their records.
Easy production
Rappers have become accustomed to the use of samples in their music because most producers these days are using samples in their beats.
Let’s face it… using samples in beats and production makes the whole process that much easier because you don’t have to come up with a lot of original work on your own.
As a music producer, the sample can give you enough context and give you a point to start from which means you’ll only have to build around an already existing composition.
This can be quite easy because you won’t have to compose from scratch or stress to get a song or beat started. Some producers rely heavily on samples and dont even use or add anything more than drums to samples in order to complete or finish the beat.
Most producers use samples because it makes their work easier. Therefore rappers have also become accustomed to using beats with samples because they’re a lot of them plus most producers are working with samples.
Availability of samples
It’s very easy to find samples these days and you can literally find them on so many websites.
Loop and sample makers have made it that much easier and give a lot of access to music producers, composers, artists etc.
Rappers can now easily purchase a sample from a vendor, make a song and be able to sell it without with hustle of dealing with a lot of copyright issues.
This availability of samples has made it very convenient for rappers because they no longer have to solely rely on old records for samples. They are now privy to actual original compositions from sample makers.
Now more than ever sampling has become such a vital part of music across all genres due to the simple fact that you can find sample and loop makers easily.
Appeal
One of the reasons why most people including rappers choose to use samples in their music is because of the appeal that actually comes with working with samples.
Samples allow the artist to have access to different compositions that may have been produced decades ago.
This very reasons makes working with samples appealing because they can improve the music and add a more vintage feel to it.
Final thoughts
Sampling is a very known practice in the hiphop genre and has now become a huge part of music production in various genres.
Rappers tend to use a lot of samples in their music because rap as a genre has its culture deeply rooted in sampling older records. Therefore to preserve this culture and bring authenticity to the table, rappers use samples in their music.
Furthermore, the ease with which samples can be found these days has even made it easier for them to be incorporated in most genres, rap being one of those genres.
You no longer have to look for vinyl to rip your samples, you can easily go to YouTube or resources like Tracklib and find the song you’re looking to sample.
Furthermore, the emergence of sample and loop makers has also contributed to the heavy use in genres like hiphop and rap.
Plus… the pleasing appeal that comes with working with samples is another added attribute that makes a lot of rappers choose to work with samples.
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