i KNOW [FLY] GOD DiD SAMPLE THE SCORPiON

At Fresh News Now, we are suckers for soul. There is nothing better than hearing the countless hours poured into finding that exact moment on an old dusty vinyl. That exact moment translates to only one millisecond of the track yet altogether the sample can come out so smoothly granular and refined. 

On DJ Khaled’s recent album, “God Did” there were only a few standout tracks. Obviously, the title track where Jay-Z completely dominates and spits what seems like 3 verses in 1 is the highlight highest title numero uno. 

The other song that really stood out for the sample suckers was “Way Past Luck” with 21 Savage. This sample is interesting as it seems to blend Slick Rick (orig. + Snoop’s “Lodi Dodi” [you took your ___ away from me] with Barbara Jean English’s “All This.”

Now, 21 Savage is typically not our cup of tea. There are times though when he hops on something very soulful like the song “a lot” with J Cole where the sample says, “I love youuu – for so many reasons.” 

First let me explain what I mean by sample suckers. We are suckers for the samples and often times find the melodic singing aspect of the song stuck in our head more than the lyrics. Artists know what they’re doing while digging in the crates as the production may outweigh the lyrics in terms of catchiness. 

It is all subjective based upon taste, but we are hooked to those songs that have enough soul to the point of almost sadness. Those crooning smooth samples strike a chord when they blend just enough to create an impactful type of tempo (not too slow, not too fast)

Let us be very clear – the 21 Savage song on God Did is decent. The reason why it deserves mentioning is because it elicited one of our favorite music-listening moments. That moment being – when you hear a sample and keep singing it in your head until you remember where you originally heard it.

Sure, you could look up the original sample and match it to the other artist that you know sampled it through a Google search. But that is not as fun as letting the rhythm ride in your head all day until that AHA moment comes to you and you throw the song on the speakers.

Either way, Nicholas Craven and Westside Gunn sampled Barbara Jean English, “All This” in 2017. They did it much more tastefully and grimier than Khaled did on “God Did.” That is neither here nor there.

Salute to old school classics still making their way into modern music! There isn’t anything in this world that hasn’t already been done. It ain’t about who did it first – it’s about who did it right! Just make sure that you pay homage, pay your dues and put a refreshing spin on it. That way, your art will live on past your physical form for generations to come.