Where do songs come from?

[Xzinum]

I've always had this hobby of finding where artists get their inspiration to write their songs. Which samples they used, and who wrote the original song. I have a few examples. I found this 18min documentary that talks about the most important drum beat. It not only was over-used, it is the foundation of the jungle genre. It's a very interesting piece meant to those who enjoys music. Please feel free to share your own findings, no need to keep it strictly to rap, i'm always interested to know more.





Here are some examples from a rap perspective, i'll start with a fairly known one used by Dead Prez and Kanye

Shirley Bassey - Diamonds are Forever '71


Here is the more recent songs with the sample.
Dead Prez - Psychology


Kanye West - Diamonds of Sierra Leone




Here is another one from Kanye, this one is from one of my favorite artist from the funk era.

Curtis Mayfield - Move on up


Kanye West - Touch the Sky



Another from a great group from the funk bunch,
Sly and the Family Stone - Everyday People


Kardinal Offishall - Everyday Rudeboy




One of my favorite Biggie songs, this one's from the Isley Brothers.
Isley Brothers - Between the Sheets


Notorious B.I.G. - Big Poppa



I found this one a while ago by mistake. Quite a hilarious song at it too. This has to be the most used sample from the west coast, from NWA to Snoop Dogg
Ohio Players - Funky worm


It was specifically used for Xzibit - Shroomz



Sometimes a song is composed of more than one original sample, best example is Tupac and Dre's California Love song. It used two sample from two very different artists combining into one of the popular rap song of the 90's.

Joe Cocker - Woman to Woman

and
Ronnie Hudson - West Coast Poplock


Both combined into this



I have many more examples, but this trend does not limit itself to one genre of music. Daft Punk is know for sampling and adapting music to make their own.

[Onawire]

I own the original Amen Brother LP, also original nuttah is one of the best songs eva.

[cujo]

hiphops/pop is always rippin' off the beats of other genres.

Vanilla Ice, anyone?
then theres Rihanna ripping off Tainted Love.

Although the saying does go "you're only as good as the last artist you copied"

[DevilShootsDevil]

exactly why I don't listen to any of the commercial music they show on MTV these days.

[Crayola]

i love it when you call me big pah-pah

and why are like, half the videos unavailable

[Krythos]

well dude, hate to break it to ya, but "rap" isnt music. music is instruments playing a melody with a person singing to said melody if theres any vocals atall.

A. rap does not play a melody, just a beat
B. rap does not sing, only rhyme to said beat

hence, rap has no qualities of music, and is not music.

Also, real music does not sample. hence music doesnt come from sampling.

if you really want to know where music comes from, get 3 or 4 others around, get a bass, guitar, drum set and a microphone and try to do something origional, if it sounds good and the person on the mic isnt talking to a basic beat with no melody to it, then its music.

[cujo]

i have to disagree...

50 cent isn't music, but Kanye DOES have quite a fresh sound to him

hate to break it from you kryt, but if you ask any band 'what are your influences' they can list off 50 bands and you can HEAR those bands in their music :P

[marvel]

well dude, hate to break it to ya, but "rap" isnt music. music is instruments playing a melody with a person singing to said melody if theres any vocals atall.

Hate to break it to ya, but you are lost, wayyyyy lost and a rap hater. Don't forget, there's rap and there's hip hop

A. rap does not play a melody, just a beat
B. rap does not sing, only rhyme to said beat

hence, rap has no qualities of music, and is not music.

Also, real music does not sample. hence music doesnt come from sampling.

Dude, a beat is the same in every genre of music, it always loop but they may change the sound for some measures, people in hiphop will use a drum machine since it's easier and cheaper to create what they want. The only difference between a beat that Celine Dion sings on and a beat from any hip hop group is that hip hop will add more tempo and more bass and drums. Thats it. That's what differences the music genres.

Also, according to your statement, dub, electronic, reggae, samba, accapella, acid, ambient, groove, alternative, pop and etc...(cant list them all and its a lonnnng list) aren't consider music???

if you really want to know where music comes from, get 3 or 4 others around, get a bass, guitar, drum set and a microphone and try to do something origional, if it sounds good and the person on the mic isnt talking to a basic beat with no melody to it, then its music.

Well don't you know The Roots? They are a band of 4-5 guys and they each play an instrument and they are considered one of the best since they've been in the biz for so long. So you gonna tell me they aren't making real music even though they play instruments. I better start finding the phone number for Daft Punk and tell them that they spent the last 21 years making 'fake' music.

Krythos, don't listen what you hear on tv/radio, it's garbage.

P.S.
Daft Punk in concert is the best

[Xzinum]

I own the original Amen Brother LP, also original nuttah is one of the best songs eva.

Awesome, do you have anything else i may be interested in? Original Nuttah is in fact a great song.

hiphops/pop is always rippin' off the beats of other genres.
Vanilla Ice, anyone?
then theres Rihanna ripping off Tainted Love.

Not just Hip-Hop or Pop, but i'll get to that.
Good point on Vanilla Ice, i forgot about that one.

Hate to break it to ya, but you are lost, wayyyyy lost and a rap hater. Don't forget, there's Hip-Hop and there's Hip Pop

Well don't you know The Roots? They are a band of 4-5 guys and they each play an instrument and they are considered one of the best since they've been in the biz for so long. So you gonna tell me they aren't making real music even though they play instruments.

I fixed you first statement to reflect (more accurately) what you were trying to say. The Roots are in fact a prime example of what hip-hop was meant to be, instruments or not. Better find Quest Love's number and tell him he doesn't play the drums

well dude, hate to break it to ya, but "rap" isnt music. music is instruments playing a melody with a person singing to said melody if theres any vocals atall.

A. rap does not play a melody, just a beat
B. rap does not sing, only rhyme to said beat

hence, rap has no qualities of music, and is not music.

Ok, lets break down your "statements". I'll get the definitions from a dictionary to help us go through this.

Music (2.the tones or sounds employed, occurring in single line (melody) or multiple lines (harmony), and sounded or to be sounded by one or more voices or instruments, or both.) is instruments (Music A device for playing or producing music: a keyboard instrument. ) playing a melody (1.musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.) with a person singing (4.to compose poetry) to said melody if there is any vocals (2. Uttered or produced by the voice.) at all.

A. Rap does not play a (1.musical sounds in agreeable succession or arrangement.), just a (rhythm: the basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music)
B. Rap does not (4.to compose poetry), Only rhyme (3.verse or poetry having correspondence in the terminal sounds of the lines.) to said (rhythm: the basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music)This is the "statement" i have the most problems with. They contradict themselves to a point that is laughable.

Also, real music does not sample. hence music doesnt come from sampling.

This is by far the funniest "statement" you made. It also shows the lack of knowledge you have about music. Just because "real music" does not sample, it does not mean that everything is original. I cannot count how many times i listen to Classic Rock stations and hear clearly that the songs aren't original. Copyrights were created to prevent authors to take someone else's work and make it as their own to profit from them. So in sense, it's somewhat true that real music is not sampled, it just so happens that two completely different artists from different times played the same notes in the same harmony to make a song. What's fake music now? Ever heard of Led Zepplin? Let me rephrase that, Ever heard of the biggest thieves in Rock?

if you really want to know where music comes from, get 3 or 4 others around, get a bass, guitar, drum set and a microphone and try to do something origional

Many well recognized bands fail at this. So, no thanks.

[gOOCH]

rap is music, but thank god its gone back to its place for now, and mtv ruined music


as much as i hate rap and sometimes hiphop theres still real and decent music that comes out of it
and dont forget that a ton of crap comes out of bands these days