I just noticed the other day when listening to "It's All About The Benjamins" the other day that it samples "It's Great To Be Here" by the Jackson 5 on Biggie's verse. It's a great example of how the act of sampling can create a whole new sound when used in its new context. On the original song, the guitar hook used in its intro heralds a joyous outburst by the group. The song as whole celebrates the wholesome party down theme that the Jacksons made a career out of delivering. In the context of "Benjamins" though, the loop is transformed (tuned down slightly) into a paranoid gangsta rap creep. Notorious B.I.G.'s words pound through while the riff skitters over the beat with confidence, yet also with a dreadful cloud hanging over. It's fitting the sample would only be used for the late rapper's verse. The song would be released as the last single off Puff Daddy's debut album No Way Out, just a little over a year after Biggie's death.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
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I always liked the remix. Also, wasn't there a lot of controversy about the way Puff used samples on this album?
ReplyDeleteI heard some people say that it changed the way samples could be used. That it limited the use of samples.
No Way Out wasn't a densely layered album in terms of sampling, as it was made in an era where a liberal use of sampling couldn't be done, as copyright laws had been catching up to the hip hop industry over the course of the 90's. I don't know if it changed the way samples could be used, but but this record and Life After Death were both records where the artists making them (Biggie and Puff Daddy) were making bigger and more expensive deals with those they sampled from ahead of time, because their previous successes could bankroll them.
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