I love music! Seriously, I think it’s such an efficient language that’s not only universal, but channels any emotion, though, and feeling one person may have. No matter what the genre is, most people can agree that a good piece of music can change the attitude of almost anyone, even if for a split second.
However, one major criticism of music in today’s world is the authenticity. I mean, we need look no further than Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” fiasco to see that. And more and more artists are sampling from others, making their own pieces a little less original. And some of these artists, like Thicke, are being sued for it.
Why are they being sued? Well, mostly because they don’t obtain the permission or copyright from the original artists. But then there are some who sample and, regardless of whether or not they get permission to use it, make a hit and a ton of money on their sample. And most of these songs people don’t even realize are actually centered around samples.
What are some of these songs? I’m glad you asked. Here, let me show you.
1. Drake and Timmy Thomas
So…remember when people were making fun of Drake’s dance moves in his 2015 music video for ‘Hotline Bling’? Well, they had every right to do so because his dancing was awful. BUT did you know that ‘Hotline Bling’ is actually a sample for a song from 1972? Just take a listen "Why can't we live together" by Timmy Thomas, and see if you can hear it.
2. Justin Bieber and White Hinterland
Now, unlike Drake, Justin Bieber sampled a song from an Indie artist and is now being sued for it, along with companion Skrillex. The ‘ooo ooo ooo’ (lol) background that you first hear when the song opens up was taken from the song “Ring The Bell”.
Most of Biebers listeners agree that he’s only being sued by the songstress because his song was better than hers, as it's only a small piece taken from her music. It’s true, most of his song is actually his own original work minus that one sound, and therefore, a lot of people don’t believe White Hinterland has much of a case. Decide for yourself!
3. The Game and Florence + the Machine
If you ever played Grand Theft Auto V, then you’ve probably heard the song ‘Ali Bomaye’ while driving your car over innocent people walking the sidewalks.
Well, that background track reads as the following:
“Holy water cannot help you now. See I’ve come to burn your kingdom down. And no rivers and no lakes can put the fire. I’m gonna raise the stakes. I’m gonna smoke you out.”
Then the chorus in Ali Bomaye, the part that no one can understand, is the last part of “Seven Devils” at the 3:55 mark in the video. It reads:
“They can keep alive til I tear the walls. Til I slave your hearts and to take your soul, for what has been done can't be undone in the evil’s heart, in the evil’s soul.”
Both lines come straight from “Seven Devils” by Florence + the Machine. Shocker, I know.
4. Jason Derulo and Imogen Heap
Jason Derulo’s first debut single, “Whatcha Say”, was not only number 1 on the charts, but also a sample from lesser known artist Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek”. Now, the entire song itself wasn’t sampled, but just one part. To hear it, fast forward to about 2:45 in the video below. But here are the actual lyrics:
“Mmmm, whatcha say, mmm that you only meant well? Well, of course you did. Mmmm, what you say? That it’s all for the best? Of course it is!”
5. Evanescence and Mozart
Okay, so Mozart isn't necessarily 'lesser known' than Evanescence. And this song isn’t as well known as the others on this list. But anyone who has ever listened to an Evanescence album knows that they are not only heavy on guitar, but on classical pieces as well, seeing as their lead singer, Amy Lee, is trained on the piano. One of her first songs she heard was Mozart’s “Lacrimosa”, which literally translates to "tearful" and alludes to the Catholic Requiem Mass. a song about the judgment of man when Jesus returns.
She loved it so much that she made a sample to it called “Lacrymosa”. The meaning of the song itself is unclear as Lee wrote it initially to be part of the “Chronicles of Narnia” album, though the producers of the movie said they never asked her to do it. Most people say it’s just another break up song while others, who know the background track and recognize it as Mozart’s original piece about the sings of man, believe it’s Amy Lee speaking for God. Supposedly, God is telling sinners that He’s not going to force them to follow Him and they can blame all their issues on Him if they want to, but, basically, He’s the Judge of all things.
So what did you think about list? Where you surprised by any of the tracks?
Well, if you weren’t, just be aware, there will be a part II in this Take series coming soon!
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