Mash up artists and D.J’s, what are they?
Pirates or innovators, thieves or pioneers. When they sample other artists music is it just coping or an innovative idea? Clearly there is no straight answer
as it really depends on who you are and what you think is right or wrong and whether you like it or not sampling plays a huge role in todays music industry.
The second half on the 80’s is when sampling really kicked in. Artists like Public Enemy and De La Soul were probably the pioneers of this art form and they did this with digital music sampling. The digital music sampler may not be a real instrument, however it cannot be ruled out as an important piece of music kit.
(original image - s3.amazonaws.com)
Sampling has been an area of contention
from a legal perspective. Early sampling artists simply used portions of other
artists' recordings, without permission; once rap and other music incorporating
samples began to make significant money, the original artists began to take
legal action, claiming copyright infringement. Some sampling artists fought
back, claiming their samples were fair use (Scholes:2004)
One of the most recent and popular/
commercial a use of sampling is ‘Flo Rida – Good feeling’. When I first heard
this I thought that women’s voice in the sample sounds familiar, then I
realized it was Etta James and the original song ‘Something’s got a hold of me’
(original image -www.musicrow.com)
If you read my first post you will
understand how much I love soul music so when I heard this version I thought
‘what the hell’. Although after hearing it several times I must admit it grew
on me and I realised that this version breathed new life into the original. Jeff
Chang of SoleSides records says that sampling presents us with ‘snatches of
history’(pbs.org).
Now I’m far from saying its better but what
I am saying is the positives of the sampling in this song is that it has now been exposed to
new ears, a new generation that are not just listening but also singing along to a
classic song that was written in 1962. So
- Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), 2013 http://video.pbs.org/video/2331999981/, viewed 13/8
- Scholes, Joseph G. (2004). Making Beats: The Art of Sample-Based Hip Hop, p.36. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press.viewed 13/8
- http://www.musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/etta.jpg(Etta James image)
- http://s3.amazonaws.com/rapgenius/filepicker/sH5WAOiOSBCET781L7XV_De_La_Soul.jpg(De La Soul image)
Cool Post, I really like the way you have given a brief history of music sampling, it is defiant knowledge that is needed when tackling this issue. I also really like the way you have given a recent example of music sampling with Flo Rida and his sample from Etta James. Its good to be able to make a connection with the theory that you have presented. You have used a good number of sources and is evident that you have a clear understanding of the topic at hand. Great Post.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!! On so many occasions we see artworks or hear songs and think to ourselves WOW what an imaginative and original artist, only to find out that it is indeed taken from someone else. The Flo Rida example is very interesting and proves that we are all easily deceived. It is so difficult to determine whether people are evolutionary or copyists. You explanation of sampling was very insightful, as there are strong parallel relationships between sampling and appropriation art. When does it become copying? How much can one artist take from another image?
ReplyDeleteFurther investigation into copyright laws and where Flo rida stood in his situation would have been fascinating, but overall a great read!
You did well in this post. I like the way you explain about when sample other artists music, it's coping or an innovative idea.I agree with your statement that sampling is a legal perspective.You also give an example of your own experience when you heard the new song compares to the original one. I also have the same feeling with you when I heard some remix version of those songs. You have good contents and interesting ideas which attracts me.
ReplyDeleteGood post Jules,
ReplyDeleteI also believe there is no definitive answer to whether sampling is right or wrong. I understand the rights of the original artist but also I believe in many cases the legal landscape of this issue is mainly due to the greed of the record labels. I absolutely agree with samples in modern songs drawing a new audience to a possibly forgotten song and listening to late 80's and 90's rap music is how I became such a fan of 60's and 70's music. I'm sure a lot of artists would be happy for their music to live on in that way. Lastly more stringent application of copyright laws have in my opinion lessened Hip-Hop/rap music, they aren't able to be as creative as they once were.
Hi Jules!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your first paragraph of the blog post. I think it really started the ball rolling and asked the audience several questions to set up the thinking and overall feel of the blog post to come! Your blog sounded really catchy whilst reading it and made me want to continue reading which is the most important thing! Your use of images throughout the post broke up the text, I think the bright images were a good choice as it spiced up the overall blog! The reference which you used within the text really blended in with what you were saying as if it was your own. I agree with your point that sampling can add new life to the song and have found this in my own experiences!
i absolutely love this post! i completely agree with your opinion as well. it is so hard to call somebody a thief or to say someone has original ideas because everything in this world has come from another idea, whether you are aware or not. i have heard so many songs where i have heard the original first and thought 'i swear i now this song from somewhere'. it is a great way to bring back the music that shouldnt be forgotten. i can definitely relate to this post. I would have loved to see more scholarly references throughout your blog. Some of those non-scholarly resources could maybe have been hyperlinked instead for peoples extra reading. Overall, good job.
ReplyDeleteHey Jules,
ReplyDeleteI am very much a fan of the music mentioned within this blog, I agree with you that music sampling is subjective as it differs from person to person. The use of images adds a touch of class to blog as the vibrant colours are very enticing to the reader. Her you have constructed an informative post, which reads well, is insightful and is well researched as it is good to see that you have a nice spread of sources for something that is perhaps understudied. I like how the structure of the post links starts with DJs/producers and then diverges into a little anecdote about a personal passion of your in Jazz music; this clever little anecdote proves that the subjectivism of new music can lead people to rediscover old music, thus suggesting that sampling does have merit as it can both inform and reassure.
Jules,
ReplyDeletereally inquisitive post, i loved the first person and professional (mashup??) tone in which you explored this topic. It would have been cool if you hyperlinked through this post but overall the layout was really sound.
The engaging manner in which you were so successful in making this post was mainly attributed to the personal manner in which you used examples that you were also very passionate about. Loved the "pockets of history" quote you used and think it summarises sampling really well from an unbiased point of view.