Imagine sitting in your car, listening to the radio and hearing yet another song that sounds strangely familiar—only this time, it’s a sped-up version of a ’90s R&B track or a drill beat layered over a vintage soul record.
Lately, music fans have been vocal about their frustration with the rise in sampling, calling it lazy, uninspired and proof that the industry has run out of ideas. But is it really just copy-pasting history or is there more going on beneath the surface?
Sampling isn’t about rehashing old hits just to trigger nostalgia—it’s about reimagining music that already exists and making it accessible to a new generation. At its best, it’s a true art form that involves borrowing elements from an existing song—a melody, rhythm, vocal or even an instrumental—and transforming them into something new. This practice has shaped entire genres, from electronic and Hip-Hop to R&B and pop.
Sampling has grown in popularity over the years, starting with DJs looping breakbeats at block parties and eventually laying the foundation for Hip-Hop. Through the ’80s and ’90s, legendary producers like J Dilla, The Bomb Squad and DJ Premier pushed the craft forward, chopping up and layering samples to create entirely new sonic experiences.
Without sampling, some of the greatest producers of all time—The Alchemist, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and others—might never have become household names. Sampling has given us some of the most iconic moments in rap history. Take Kendrick Lamar’s verse on “Like That” from We Don’t Trust You, where he raps over samples of Rodney-O & Joe Cooley’s “Everlasting Bass” and Eazy-E’s “Eazy-Duz-It.” That one track sparked a cultural moment and became the centerpiece of his high-profile rap beef with Drake last year.
Beyond Hip-Hop, sampling has been crucial in crafting timeless records across genres. Kanye West’s “I Wonder” from Graduation breathes new life into Labi Siffre’s “My Song,” pairing it with booming 808s that amplify its message of chasing dreams. Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER and RENAISSANCE albums honor the Black roots of house and country music, interpolating and sampling underground icons like Kilo Ali on “America Has a Problem” and referencing Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” on “Ya Ya.” Sampling narrows the generational gap and introduces audiences to music they might never encounter otherwise.
Music is an ongoing conversation. Artists don’t create in a vacuum—they build on what came before. Just as Shakespeare’s plays inspire modern films and Renaissance paintings are reimagined through digital art, music continues to evolve by reshaping the past.
Of course, not all samples are created equal. Some feel lazy—cut-and-paste efforts that bring nothing new to the table. That’s where much of the criticism comes from. It’s not sampling itself that frustrates people; it’s poor execution. But when done right, a sample becomes something fresh. In an era of shortened attention spans, sampling offers instant recognition while allowing artists to inject their own creativity. Case in point: Jordan Aletunji’s “Kehlani,” a track that blends familiar elements in such a powerful way that it earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song in his debut year.
Rather than seeing sampling as a shortcut or a lack of originality, artists should embrace it as a form of musical reclamation—an act of honoring and reshaping the sounds that came before. But with that comes responsibility. Artists need to know the history behind what they’re sampling.
Especially for Black artists, sampling isn’t just nostalgia—it’s legacy. It’s storytelling, innovation and reverence all rolled into one. It’s a way of ensuring our music—created by us, for us—continues to evolve and live on.