The Golden Era of Sampling
70s Funk Samples in Hip-Hop
The 1970s produced the most sampled decade in music history. Funk, soul, and R&B records from James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly Stone, and The Isley Brothers became the backbone of hip-hop from the mid-1980s through today. Producers dug through crates of vinyl to find the perfect drum break, bass line, or horn riff -- and these 70s funk records delivered endlessly.
The source records
James Brown -- Funky Drummer
1970 from In the Jungle Groove
What was sampled
Clyde Stubblefield drum break
Sampled in
- 1989Public Enemy -- Fight the Power
- 1988N.W.A -- Straight Outta Compton
- 1990LL Cool J -- Mama Said Knock You Out
The Winstons -- Amen, Brother
1969
What was sampled
AYmen break drum loop
Sampled in
- 1988N.W.A -- Straight Outta Compton
- 1988Salt-N-Pepa -- I Desire
Funkadelic -- Can You Get to That
1971 from Maggot Brain
What was sampled
Guitar riff and vocal hook
Sampled in
- 1989De La Soul -- Me Myself and I
- 1990A Tribe Called Quest -- Can I Kick It?
Sly and the Family Stone -- Sing a Simple Song
1968
What was sampled
Drum break and bass line
Sampled in
- 1987Eric B. & Rakim -- I Know You Got Soul
- 1993Ice Cube -- It Was a Good Day
Related sample eras
Want to hear these samples side-by-side? Goat Music makes short videos showing exactly how each flip was made -- source and derivative, together.
Explore sample breakdownsDig the crates on Goat Music.