Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? University Of St Mark and John dBs Music Bristol What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? Benjamin John White 2016/2017 (BA) Hons Music Production & Sound Engineering I confirm that I have fully acknowledged all sources of information and help received and that where such acknowledgement is not made the work is my own. Signed: ………………………. Dated: ………………………. !1 Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? Special thanks to Gill Sargent, Ruth Uprichard, Jarad Huggard, Deanna White, Shaquilla Campbell, Laura Price, Richi Gathu and all participants in this study. !2 Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !3 Contents Statement of Originality 1 Acknowledgements 2 List Of Figures 5-6 Abstract 7 Introduction 8 Aims and Purpose Research Study 9 Literature Review 9 - 19 Personal Connection Between the Producer/Artist and the Sample 9 - 14 Sampling From 1960's-1970's and Sampling In 1980's-1990's 14 - 16 The Role A Sample Plays Within A Hip-Hop Production And The Relation To Sewell (2013) ‘A Typology Of Sampling’ 17 - 19 Methodology 20 - 23 Design 20 Participants 21 Ethics 21 - 22 Data Gathering And Material Use 22 - 23 Procedure 23 Statement Of Results 24 - 32 Interviews 24 - 30 Track Content Analysis 31 - 32 Discussion & Analysis 33 - 41 Personal Connection Between the Producer/Artist and the Sample 33 - 34 Attributed Looked for My Producers/Artists in a Hip-Hop Sample? 34 - 35 Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !4 The Era of Best Samples 35 -36 Sample Placement 37 - 38 Evaluation Of Primary Research 38 - 40 Track Content Analysis 40 Conclusion & Recommendation 41 - 42 Reference List 43 - 47 Discography 47 - 49 Bibliography 49 - 51 Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? List Of Figures Fig 1 - Track Content Analysis Sample Orignal Tracks Pharrell - Blurred Lines #1 Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up BPM (Beats Per Minute) 120 BPM 122BPM Genre Contemporary R&B/HipHop Soul R&B Year 2013 19 Key G Major A minor Sampled Piano stabs, percussion and snare. Sample Orignal Tracks Drake - One Dance #1 Kyla - Do You Mind BPM (Beats Per Minute) 104 BPM 127 BPM Genre HipHop/Afrobeats Deep House Year 2016 2008 Key B♭ minor B♭ minor Sampled Vocals, piano. Sample Orignal Tracks Kanye West- Gold Digger Ray Charles - I Got A Woman #1 BPM (Beats Per Minute) 92 BPM 98 BPM Genre Hip-Hop R&B Soul Year 2005 1954 Key C# Major G Major Sampled Vocal !5 Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? Sample Orignal Tracks Jay Z - 99 Problems #30 Billy Squire - Big Beat BPM (Beats Per Minute) 93BPM 102 BPM Genre Hip-Hop Rock Year 2003 1980 Key E Major C minor Sampled Drums Sample Orignal Tracks Beyonce - Run The World Major Lazer - Pon De Floor #29 BPM 127 BPM 127 BPM Genre Contemporary R&B/HipHop Dancehall Year 2011 2009 Key C Major C Major Sampled Drums, percussion and melody. !6 Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !7 Abstract This paper aims to investigate the question ‘What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample?’ The research was achieved by using two interviews from producers who work with samples on a regular basis and a track content analysis of five Hip-Hop tracks ranging from the year 2000 to 2016; this will be in accordance with the Billboard Hip-Hop 100 Chart. The paper will discuss the connection between the producer/artists and the sample by drawing attention to sampling as a producer/artist’s voice against racial injustice and the personal reasons producers chose specific samples. Sampling from 1960’s-1970’s and sampling in the 1980’s-1990's will also be discussed along with the role a sample plays within a Hip-Hop production in relation to Sewell (2013) ‘A Typology Of Sampling’. The paper concludes that sampling as an art form is a subjective topic. However, the different areas which make samples desirable to producers/artists can be defined beyond subjectivity. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !8 Introduction Sampling as an art form has been used for centuries by musicians, sculptors, painters and other creative artists. One notable example was Marcel Duchamp, a French painter and sculptor, who exhibited a piece of porcelain art called ‘Fountain’ in 1917. “A urinal turned on its back and signed R.Mutt - involved its removal from its usual content, the men’s room and relocation to a new context, the museum” (Laderman and Westrup, p. 60, 2014). The practice of taking an object out of context, whether it be physical or sonic, then relocating it to a new environment became the foundation of an entire music culture in the 20th century known as ‘Hip-Hop’. The reason this paper has a focus on Hip-Hop over other genres is that sampling lays deep into the roots of the genre. Throughout history, sampling within Hip-Hop has proven to be an integral part of the culture. Some of the first DJs such as ‘Kool Herc' and ‘Afrika Bambaataa’ cut drum breaks out of existing tracks and blended them into one another to create a seamless mix. Within academia, scholars have conducted extensive research into the copyright laws and ethics of sampling, but there is an apparent lack of the research on the art of Hip-Hop sampling and the role samples play within a production. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !9 Aims and Purpose Research Study This paper will be investigating three main aims. The first aim will identify the personal connection between artists and samples. The second will be to understand which era produces the best Hip-Hop sample. The third aim will discuss the best placement for a sample within a production. This will be reinforced by primary research from Hip-Hop producers who use samples on a regular basis and an in-depth analysis of ten iconic Hip-Hop songs, in accordance with the American Billboard charts. The laws and copyright of sampling will not be covered in this paper due to the broad scope of the topic. Literature Review This chapter will discuss past research from scholars exploring the question ‘What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample?’ The literature review will be broken down into two main sections. The first section will analyse the different reasons producers/artists used specific samples in their productions and the connection between their music and the music being sampled, along with investigating the importance of samples acknowledging race issues. The next part of the literature review is an analysis of samples used in the 1960's and 1970's and a look into the sonic characteristics which makes these samples appealing. This paper will then go on to discuss sampling in the 1980s and 1990s, and the way samples were treated in the process from being sampled to sampling in the mix. The second part of the literature review will examine the role a sample plays within a Hip-Hop production then categorise the sample by the three categories as mentioned in Amanda Sewell ‘A Typology Of Sampling’ (2013). Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !10 Personal Connection Between the Producer/Artist and the Sample Sampling as an art form is an integral part of an authentic Hip-Hop culture. Using existing content and placing it into a new context allowed producers to have the world of music in their arsenal. More specifically sampling gave African American artists a voice, making them able to talk about their struggles in life along with the ability to form a connection between themselves and past artists. Furthermore, a common narrative through the genres of blues, jazz and slavery songs have been shared between the past and present artists (Boone, 2008). This type of music was classified as Protest Music and has been created by many Hip-Hop artists in the past, such as Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G and Public Enemy. Protest music has also acted as a platform for artists to speak their minds on matters such as the government, treatment of black people in society and race issues (Romano, 2016). Sometimes the samples used in protest music had a strong connection between the old and new; this showed an underlying problem that had either arisen again or had never been resolved. When producers/artists sampled Nina Simone, it's often because there was a strong connection between the context of her music and the current issue being addressed by the artist/producer. This is reinforced by Modell (2013) “The Hip-Hop artists that sample Simone’s work are mobilizing her tradition of social protest and self-definition to varying degrees” (Modell, 2012). The issue of race in Hip-Hop has been addressed by many artists throughout history, among the most popular are Curtis Mayfield, Nina Simone and Charles Mingus. All three of these artists had an outspoken opinion on the inequality of black people in America. Producers/Artists from the 1980’s to 2017 have developed a musical style that Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !11 challenges the issues of racial justice, “a new musical genre that uniquely articulated the rage of the urban underclass and its sense of intense oppression and defiant rebellion” (Best and Kellner, p.2, 2013). These productions can be seen to feature samples from past artists with the same views on race issues. For example, Curtis Mayfield’s music has been sampled countless times throughout Hip-Hop by the likes of Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Beastie Boys and Timbaland, which all speak their mind on certain issues within society. Werner (2007), the author of ‘Higher Ground: Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, and the Rise and Fall of American Soul’ explains Curtis Mayfield’s involvement between the civil right generation and Hip-Hop. “Curtis Mayfield played an even more prominent role in the conversations between Hip-Hop and the civil rights generation. “We’re a winner”, (Don’t Worry) If theres a hell below We’re all gonna go, “Freddie’s Dead”, Pusherman, Superfly” and “Right on For the Darkness” echoes through dozens of cuts by artists representing every corner of the Hip-Hop nation” (Werner, 2007). When artists sample Curtis Mayfield, they are not only sampling an extract of music that is sonically appealing, they are also sampling everything that Curtis Mayfield stood for and his involvement with the civil rights movement. During a Ted Talk in 2014 Hip-Hop producer, Mark Ronson (2014), explains that artists sample music because they want to be part of the narrative spoken in the track and part of the legacy of the production. Sampling Curtis Mayfield also allows artists to bring his music forward to the 20th century which, in turn, educates the youth on the racial issues of the past and present. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !12 Another reason for sampling is that the producer/artist has a personal connection with a specific sample. This could be due to many reasons, such as nostalgia from their childhood or because their music has been heavily inspired by the artist being sampled. ’Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 & 2’ from ‘Kanye West’s’ album ‘Life Of Pablo’ used a sample from a Pastor in his home town of Chicago called ‘Pastor T. L. Barrett’ from his 1976 gospel album ‘Do Not Pass Me By’ (Hoffman, 2016). Kanye’s reason for choosing this sample is because of nostalgia and personal reasons. The sample was used because it represents his relationship with his father and explains his career up to now (Lobenfeld and Bowe, 2016). However, when Kanye starts rapping, during the verse on Father Stretch My Hands Pt.1, the lyrics tell a very different message, stating ”now if I f*** this model and she just bleached her a**hole and I get bleach on my T-shirt I'ma feel like an a**hole” (West, 2016). Although, on the track named Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2, featured on the Life Of Pablo album during the first verse Kanye raps; "Same problem my father had. All his time, all he had, all he had. In what he dreamed. All his cash, market crashed. Hurt him bad, people get divorced for that. Drops some stacks pops is good. Momma pass in Hollywood. If you ask, lost my soul. Driving fast, lost control. Off the road, jaw was broke” (West, 2017). This gives a good insight into Kanye’s past and his life events. Considering the rapper is from Chicago and the sample used is a Chicago Pastor, this allows a connection to be made between himself and the original artist. ‘Pastor T. L. Barrett’s’ sample could Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !13 represent himself as a young boy in his hometown of Chicago and Kanye’s lyrics represent his musical career. One of the most iconic samples, used throughout music, is the Amen Break by the Funk and Soul band ‘The Winstons’ (1969). The sample is a seven-second drum pattern that is recorded at 137 BPM. According to the website ‘Who Sampled’, the Amen Break has been sampled over 1,500 times (Public Radio International, 2015). It is also considered “one of the most sampled pieces of music in history” (1 NA, 2011). Drum n Bass, Jungle and Hip-Hop are all genres which feature the Amen Break by numerous creatives. One of the first Hip-Hop artists to sample the break was ‘Salt-N-Pepper - I Desire’ (1986) then shortly followed by ’N.W.A’ - Straight Outta Compton (1988), Jay-Z - Can’t Knock The Hustle (1996), ’Tyler The Creator’ - Pigs (2013). These are among the many who have sampled the seven seconds of music for their own productions. The sample has many characteristics that would be appealing to a sampling producer/artist. During an interview with the BBC, the Brooklyn artist Nate Harrison stated that the sample is a mixture between something non-synthetic and machine-like all at once. Harrison goes on to explain that the rhythm has a variation that you can obtain from the sample and is easy to rearrange. Sonically, the break also possesses unique characteristics which make it punch through the mix (Otzen, 2017). On the other hand, Hip-Hop music is generally around 90 BPM, but the Amen break is 140 BPM, this was an issue for a producer/artist as it meant the break had to be slowed down. Due to the nature of technology when a producer/artist slows a piece of music down it would also change in pitch, which meant Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !14 the break was played back at a lower frequency which added bass weight (The Economist Newspaper NA, 2011). Sampling From 1960's-1970's and Sampling In 1980’s-1990's. This section will discuss sampled music from the 60’s and 70’s, and how it has been used in the 80's and 90’s. Most new producers would educate themselves by listening to music from the 60's and 70's to get ideas for samples from these eras as well as researching about various artists (Sewell, 2013). According to Schloss (2004), the most popular period for sampling was the 1970's; this was believed to be because most HipHop producers were entering their childhood during these years. The samples would have originated from sublimely hearing, “the mass-mediated friendships…who smiled at us through our TV screens” (Schloss, 2004). Kimble (2013) explains one of the reasons the music of the 60's and 70's is more desirable over any other is because the first minute and the second minute of the song can be completely different from one another. Another reason the 60's and 70's are so popular among producers/artists is that “We like our grooves and rhythms to cook with soul and feeling. And the sound of the late 1960 and mid-1970's represents the sonic audio quality that deeply appeals to us” (Said, 2015). The sound quality of the sample is paramount in making it fit into a production. During an interview with ‘Complex’ Amir and Kon (2013) classed ‘David Axelrod’ (1968) as their number one sample of all time due to the female bassist and her crazy sound on the track (Complex Magazine, 2013). On the other hand, Gordon (2006) believes James Brown Funky Drummer is one of the most influential and significant samples in music simply because of the “hard-knocking grooves” that the track Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !15 possesses. Funky Drummer has been sampled by countless producers throughout HipHop, by none other than Public Enemy, Dr Dre and Jay Z. Another popular era where samples have originated from was the 80's and 90's; this was classed as the “electronic drum machine period” (Said, p.56, 2015). The next part of the paper will go on to investigate samples being used in the 80's and 90's, and the types of samples producers/artists use. Producers/artists throughout the late 80's and 90's had a definitive sound within the genre of Hip-Hop. Producers such as Rick Rubin and Marley Marl were the pioneers of the new electronic drum machine sound. Producers/Artists were still looking back to the 60's and 70's for material to sample but there was a change in the way the samples were treated. According to Said (2015) Marley Marl was the first person to cut individual sounds out of existing breaks from tape then place them into a new arrangement which created a new sound of Hip-Hop. This method of production was one of the first to take away the human rhythm element from the drums. Many different producers adopted this style from the likes of ‘Rick Rubin’ and ‘2 Live Crew’ then in later years ‘Dr Dre’ and ‘Prince Paul’. The mid-1980's saw the development in digital sampling with the E-mu Systems SP-12 digital drum computer which was used on DJ Premier’s first album ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’. This sampler allowed producers/artists to not only sample drums but whole melodies as well (Schloss, 2004). During this time, producers/artists also started sampling music from a diverse range of genres sampling “any and everything ranging from country to heavy metal” (Evans, p.857, 2010), T. Cox (2015) explained that Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !16 Jazz and Soul producer and artist ’George Clinton’ was one of the most sampled artists throughout the 80's and 90's, due to a music catalogue company called ‘Bridgeport’ gaining the rights to the majority of his back catalogue which later lead to a legal battle over “minor sampling and copyright infringements” (Rolling Stone, 2017). In the later years of the 80's, advancements in technology gave producers/artists more options when it came to sampling with the first release of the Akai MPC 60 in 1988. One key feature of the MPC 60 was the fact it gave producers/artists the ability to create their own drum kits from samples that were loaded in on a floppy disks. The MPC 60 also came with 16 playable drum pads which meant producer/artists could make a bigger impact in Hip-Hip with their own style when it came to sample placement. The sales of the Akai MPC 60 was not an instant success but gained interest over time “Slowly but surely its popularity increased” (Wilson, 2017). With the use of the MPC 60 producers/ artists were able to program drum samples instead of solely relying on breakbeat drum patterns (Said, 2013) along with being able to sample a vast variety of music/sounds from any form of media. Although the samples used on an MPC 60 were lo-fi it added certain characteristic to the sample. One development in the 90's was the technique of chopping up samples. In the MPC 60 section of Roger Linn website (designer of the MPC 60), it states “any portion of a sound may be removed and inserted at any point within another sound with single-sample accuracy” (Linn, 2017). This gave producers the freedom to structure samples in any way they wished, which set the trend in sampling for years to come. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !17 The Role a Sample Plays Within a Hip-Hop Production and the Relation to Sewell (2013) ‘A Typology of Sampling in Hip-Hop’. This chapter of the paper will discuss the role a sample plays in a Hip-Hop production along with discussing their categories defined by Sewell (2013). Amanda Sewell holds a PhD in musicology and authored the article ‘A Typology Of Sampling In Hip-Hop’ (2013). In Sewell’s (2013) paper, samples can be seen to be broken down into three main categories: • Structural sample types (Structural samples form the rhythmic and harmonic foundation of a sample-based track and create a track’s groove). • Surface sample types (surface samples exist in a place between the lyrics and the groove because they are not necessarily part of the groove itself but are still an integral participant in the sonic character of a sample-based track). • Lyrical sample types (Unlike surface samples, lyric samples are heard and understood as words in a sample-based track). These categories form a classification for samples and their role within a production. The role of a sample can form part of the lyrics, drums or can even act as the backbone of the production. However, the sample needs to be used for this to work seamlessly as part of a production. Opsahl (2016) states DJs and Producers will hunt for samples that work with the groove of their track or base their production around one specific sample Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !18 they found. Although for a sample to work efficiently in either one of the situations its position within, the track must be well defined for a sample to become a structural part of the production Said (2010). Sewell (p.26,2013) explains a sample needs to possess one of two fundamental elements, either rhythm or harmonics, these two factors are the foundation which creates the groove of the track. The groove is defined as “a repetitive, syncopated, and polyrhythmic pattern onto which other independent rhythms are layered” (Sewell, p.27, 2013). Although the degree of which a groove sample can be classified as a structural sample is determined by the choices, the producer makes. Prior (2013) believes, depending on the characteristics and amount of manipulation undertaken on a sample, the production would be recontextualised as determined by the role of the sample. This means the sample would then need to be placed in a different category in relation to Sewell’s (2013) typology. Using the method of sample manipulation would add an element of originality to the production because it would render the sample unrecognisable to the listener. This theory is backed up by Evens (2011) who explains the creative processes used in Hip-Hop and are fundamental to its aesthetics. These processes allow samples to take on new meanings and roles within the production they are placed. If the sample is intentionally manipulated beyond all recognition then “the sample becomes unnoticed, and the new work takes on a unique expression” (Lubin, 2015). Sample manipulation allows producers/artists to edit the sonic content of a sample to move it from one placement and use it for another, such as manipulating the sonic content of a structural sample so it would act as a surface sample. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !19 Processes such as looping and chopping (mashup) allow beat makers to bring back a sense of nostalgia with samples as well as possessing common attributes (Said, 2013). Samples that withhold these traits can be seen in multiple productions. One example is the track Berzerk (2013) by Eminem. Guitar riffs, lyrics and specially chosen elements of the drums were used throughout the record but in a different pattern to the original. The samples originated from ‘Billy Squire’ and his track ‘The Stoke’ (1981). The chosen sounds represent a pre-1990's production, Billboard sums up the nostalgia within the Eminem track, stating “This Beastie Boys and Billy Squier-sampling single is a throwback cut, recalling '80's-era boom-bap rap.” (Ramirez and Wete, 2013). The samples used were originally part of a classic rock song, but because of the placement and processing of the samples they were transformed into a Hip-Hop production and acted as structural and lyrical samples as defined by Sewell (2013). Williams (2010) explains if a funk horn line is sampled then its old setting would be classed as funk but the sampled horn line in its new environment could be interpreted as a Jazz Sax or Trumpet. The sample could have been classified as a lyrical sample in its original content, but in the new context, the sample could be categorised as a structural sample. This gives the sample a new meaning while still upholding its original identity as well as adding a nostalgic feeling and meaning to the new track. The producer of Eminem’s track Berzerk (2013) was Rick Rubin who was classed as the 4th member of the Beastie Boys so had brought the 80's style of sampling techniques through to the 21st century. According to Said (2013), one of the newest trends in Hip-Hop at the moment is bringing nostalgia from an earlier period while staying within the same tradition. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !20 Methodology Design The primary research for this paper will be undertaken in the form of semi-structured interviews with two Hip-Hop producers. One interview being a face to face discussion and the other being over conducted through email. This will be accompanied by a track content analysis of 5 Hip-Hop tracks from 2000 to 2016 that feature samples. The tracks in the content analysis will be in accordance to the Billboard Top 100 Hip-Hop Chart. The interviews conducted will achieve qualitative data which allows the researcher to gather information that consists of “beliefs, values, feelings, and motivations that underlie behaviours” (Berkwits and Inui, 2017). Due to the nature of sampling, the process is undertaken by individuals and groups of people who have independent and contrasting views on various topics. The questions will cover elements such as the best era for sampling, the method of approach and how both interviewees search for particular types of samples. This kind of valuable data can not be achieved through quantitive methods which in turn would not allow a concise conclusion to be presented. On the other hand, the track analysis will gather quantitive data consisting of track names, BPM, genres, track year, track key and sampled elements. This will prove data which offers statistics and make findings easier to generalise; it also reduces the number of variables to interpret (University Of Surrey, 2017). This mixed method approach ensures good triangulation as it’s looking at the same question from multiple perspectives (Bell, 2005). Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !21 Participants The samples chosen for the interviews were down to their hands on experience with sampling. This expertise in the field of sampling is fundamental to the research and integral to the validity and outcome of the paper. The first interviewee will be referred to as P.1. P.1 is a Bristol based 40-year-old Hip-Hop producer and DJ. Interviewing someone who is around 40 years old means they grew up in the Hip-Hop era of the 80's and 90's. They would have experience from sampling at the start of the period and can provide a real insight into the changes that have occurred over time. This means their commentary will be considered to be valid and reliable. The second interviewee will be referred to as P.2, P.2 is a Hip-Hop DJ and producer that works with samples on a regular basis so his understanding of sample structure and choice would be informed by the many hours spent DJ’ing and producing. The samples used in the track analysis were chosen because the artists who produced/recorded them are leading practitioners in the music industry and have had global success in the Hip-Hop industry. The likes of Jay Z, Kanye West and Pharrell are consistent sample users and have a vast back catalogue scattered with productions featuring samples. One parameter enforced while choosing the songs for the track content analysis was the year and chart rating. The tracks were selected in accordance to the Billboard Hip-Hop top 100 and between years 2000 and 2016, this allows the music to be of the 20th century and arguably classed as modern. Ethics Anonymity has been kept for the two samples who participated in the interview along with the titles of their work. This is due to sampling and copyright laws and production techniques which may not wish to be shared. Considerations were also made on the type of questions asked during the interview to ensure none of the interviewees was compromised in any way. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !22 The ethics concerning the track analysis needed to take into account the usage of any tracks which are involved in an ongoing legal battle. Using a track and stating that it uses a sample from another while a legal battle is happening could have a considerable impact on the validity of the project. Data Gathering and Material Use The questions asked during the interview were open-ended questions with a semistructure in place to allow further questioning. This method was undertaken to allow one topic to lead on to another and let the interviewee talk in as much detail about the specific question asked. One advantage to open-ended questions is explained in a writing guide for Colorado State University stating “Open-ended questions allow respondents to include more information, including feelings, attitudes and understanding of the subject. This allows researchers to better access the respondents' true feelings on an issue” (Colorado State University, 2017). On the other hand, the University Of Waterloo (2017) believes, open-ended questions can become too general for the interviewee and can take up a lot of time and thought, also, comparing and analysing can become a lot harder. The two types of questions both allow the interviewees to respond with a good amount of information, but the open-ended questions give more details and depth on a topic resulting in a broader coverage of the question. In contrast to this, closed questions may lead to a lack of depth and information being left out (Thomas, 2013). Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !23 The track contents analysis conducted is a thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is defined as “a method for identifying, analysing, and reporting patterns (themes) within data … and interprets various aspects of the research topic” (Braun and Clarke, 2006). The track content analysis is laid out on a table with two columns. The first column is the information about the track featuring the sample. The second column is the information about the track which the sample was taken from. The rows are labelled as Tracks, BPM, genres, track year, track key and sampled elements. The content gathered in the analysis will be compared and analysed against themselves and the literature review. Particular attention will be paid to the column labelled ‘Sampled’ because this is musical category each sample falls under. Procedure The findings from the literature review, interviews and track content analysis provide triangulation by noticing patterns with the same data that keeps surfacing. The results from these three different types of research will test the validity of the data and allow connections to be drawn from three different standpoints. Triangulation not only verifies the validity of the research but also eliminates bias views within the paper. This can be achieved by combining two findings from different sources and verify them against each other (Yeasmin and Ferdousour Rahman, 2012). Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !24 Statement Of Results Statement of results from the interview’s conducted with P1 and P2. Particip ant Questions Raw Data - Dialogue Key Words P.1 1. Whilst sampling what do you think works the best as a HipHop sample: human voice, playable instrument, or something different? • “If its a hiphop track then in a way that has already limited you to a certain selection of things such as type of drums, type of pattern of drums, rough tempo and style of genre so usually I am just looking for a musical idea”. “The process of the way a production is made is what makes it Hip-Hop” “When you’re looking for a sample you’re really looking for inspiration, you’re looking for something that catches you”. “It’s to do with latching on and connecting, you hear something beyond that loop and beyond that sounds. It’s starting inspiration and looking for a musical idea”. “I revere the sample as the Oracle, so it tells me what to do” “I let the sample guide the production and where I’m going with it”. “I tap tempo and find the groove of the sample then that’s what I let guide me” Limited, type of drums, inspiration, latching, oracle, groove. “I don’t think that there is any “best sample”. All elements of music or even sound can be used as a sample in the right context. Even sounds or snippets which might not at first seem suitable can be manipulated (in the hands or the right producer) to become usable. For example, a producer may record some traffic noise and time stretch it so that it becomes white noise, usable as ambience in the track. I suppose the “best sample” therefore, is the one that fits at any given moment”. Best sample, right context, manipulated, time stretch, usable, best sample. • • • • • • P.2 • 1. Whilst sampling what do you think works the best as a HipHop sample: human voice, playable instrument, or something different? Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? Raw Data - Dialogue !25 Particip ant Questions Key Words P.1 2. What sonic • “Often its melodic or it could be the sound of the material because its been printed on vinyl elements do you and crackles in such a nice way over a specific think work best as part of the music.”. Hip-Hop • “There are several layers to what makes it samples? (For appealing but over all its sound”. example) • “You could have an amazing bit of melody Percussion, that could be brilliant but if it does not have drums, lyrics, the sound quality that you are after then it just melodies etc? Melodic, appealing, sound quality, nostalgic, pitching down, badly produced, Pitching down, sound manipulation, • 2. What sonic elements do you think work best as Hip-Hop samples? (For example) Percussion, drums, lyrics, melodies ect? “open” samples, cluttered, manipulated, pitched up or down, chopped up does not cut it”. • “The sample could be two notes but they got such a good quality to them that you want to have it”. • “Sometimes I don't want to use any drums I want to use The Beatles drums because of nostalgic links to certain sounds”. • “A production links you into a certain memory just as much as the notes”. • “Sometimes its been badly produced, badly recorded and badly pressed to vinyl but it sounds sick, it’s a bit of a weird one”. • “Pitching down is something I do all the time, I try it on pretty much every sample. I usually do an octave to see what it sounds like because it gives you extra sounds”. • “I find a sample and think how far can I take that with sound manipulation”. P.2 “Again I don’t think there is any “best” elements so to speak as all can be useful at different times. However, if we are talking in general terms, “open” samples are probably more useable in more situations. When I say open, I mean samples that are not cluttered by other instruments or sounds in the arrangement. E.G drum breaks where there are no accompanying instruments, intros or outro’s where only one or two instruments are playing. These samples are more useful to a producer because they can be more easily manipulated, pitched up or down or chopped up for example. The producer can also more easily add their own flavour to the samples by adding their own layers. There are only so many frequencies available to a producer, and if they are all already taken up, there is no more room in the mix left for them to play with”. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? Particip ant Questions Raw Data - Dialogue P.1 3. What era of • music do you feel gives the best HipHop samples and why? • • !26 Key Words “I would never rule any era out but general I am looking between the 50s to late 70's. If you go back further than the 50s you find the recordings are so lo-fi and mid range heavy that you can’t tend to get much out of them. Then as you hit the 80's the recording studios go digital and you end up having a different sound”. “I’m not saying I don't sample that stuff but it has a different quality to it”. “In a sample I am looking for the recording techniques, not the style of music as such but has it been record to tape then put to vinyl and because of that process it gives you all them harmonics and texture … to peel away and play with”. Era, 50s, 70's, lo-fi, digital, different quality, recording techniques, vinyl, harmonics, P.2 • 3. What era of music do you feel gives the best Hip-Hop samples and why? “Generally, I think that most Hip-Hop producers would probably agree that the 70’s has given us the best and most iconic Hip-Hop samples. I think this is to do with the popular styles of music at the time (soul and jazz), high levels of musicianship, as well as the analogue recording techniques that were used. Namely, there is a lot of soul and jazz from that era that features the ‘open’ sonic elements discussed above. After this period, disco became more popular which had less breakdowns and open elements in the songs. We had also not entered the digital era, so the level or recording and producing the tracks was still high, and had the ‘warm’ sound that producers want. On top of this, when we think about the original development of Hip-Hop, it was simply the music that was lying around in people’s houses, ready to be sampled”. 70's, popular styles, musicianship, analogue, breakdowns, open elements, warm sound. P.1 4. When listening • to a track/sample how do you know it will fit in your • production? “I think what am I going to do with this sample not how am I going to get this sample to fit into my production. It’s a complete flip of the process”. “The fact that we had to re-record the sample is what’s cool about it”. “People talk about sampling is stealing but when I play stuff in I don't ever want anyone to know, I cover up my musical skill to be more authentic. Makes my recording sounding like a sample”. Instrumentalists, four bar loop, rerecord, sampling is stealing, authentic, Hip-Hop vibe. • Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? Particip ant Questions Raw Data - Dialogue P.2 4. When listening • to a track/sample how do you know it will fit in your production? P.1 5. When you find a sample what processes do you use to it to make it fit into your production? • • • • • • P.2 5. When you find a sample what processes do you use to it to make it fit into your production? “It depends what part of the production process I am in. If I am starting a song, I often start by looking for samples. Again, I look for open samples with few other elements cluttering up the mix. At this stage, I am just looking for music that I like or that conveys a certain mood. !27 Key Words Certain mood. “If its rhythmic I would tune, play with the • pitch” “If you want to play with the licks of a guitar you need to use something like melodyne to get it in key”. “Frequency shifting instead of pitch shifting especially on drums because it changes the harmonic characteristic of a sample”. “EQ, making sure different elements are sitting in different frequency”. “I also use reverb” “I have made my own breaks, instead of sampling drum break. Use Kontakt or Abbey Road drums, I then program the drums and run it through saturation, tape effects, put record crackle on and EQ match”. • “To make samples fit in my production, the main tools I use on them are probably EQ and compression. As mentioned before, there is limited space in the frequency spectrum, so if a sample takes up too much space, if is often necessary to use an EQ to carve out more space for other samples”. • “Compression is often needed if I am trying to fit together multiple samples from different sources. Obviously, if they are from different sources they were recorded under different conditions and are therefore highly likely to be different volumes too. Using compression, I can get the samples to sound more similar in volume. Reverb is also a useful effect to be used. In this capacity, it makes things sound like they were recorded in a similar space”. pitch shifting, reverb, saturation, EQ, multiple samples, other samples, similar space. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !28 Particip ant Questions Raw Data - Dialogue Key Words P.2 6. When sampling/ selecting a sample what is the first thing you would do after extracting the sample from its original setting? • “The first thing I normally do is put the sample in to a sampler/simpler and chop it up in to small pieces. I then play around with pitching it up or down to see if it makes it sound any better. I then go about “playing” the chopped up samples to see if I can come up with anything that sounds interesting. If the sample has legs, I will go about recording a number of different phrases that could be arranged in to a song. I’ll then go about adding other elements to the sample, usually starting with drums and bass and then later, other instruments”. Sampler, pitching, chopped up, different phrases, other elements, other interments. P.2 7. Under what circumstance would you rerecord a sample or manipulate it? • “I never really re-record samples personally, for me that would defeat the purpose of sampling in the first place”. re-record, defeat, sampling. P.2 8. Do you use an • MPC, Machine or other to chop up/ edit samples? “I use Ableton, sometimes in conjunction with my Push to chop up samples. Within Ableton, I use the simpler and sampler instruments to do this”. chop up, sampler. P.2 9. For what • reasons do you choose to sample instead of using a synth or other instrument? “I like to sample things as it gives a much more organic feel to a song. Synths, drum machines and other instruments can sound very “fake” especially when they are not mixed well. Sampling, gives me access to real life instruments, played by exceptionally good musicians recorded in very good conditions. When you think about the benefits of this, it is obvious why sampling is popular, even though it poses its own set of problems”. Synths, fake, recorded, conditions, problems, virtual instrument. • “Even if I use a sampler to create my own virtual instrument that I can play as a synth, I find that I still get a more organic sounding instrument that if I were to use a straight up virtual instrument”. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !29 Particip ant Questions Raw Data - Dialogue Key Words P.2 10. What does the sample need for you to relate to it or what personal meaning does it need to process for you to use it? • “I think it just needs to sound good, or be able to be moulded in to something which sounds good. No personal meaning needs to be involved, although I am sure a song can take on a new level if there is also this attached”. Sounds good, moulded, new level. P.1 11. Do you think nostalgia is a key reason for sampling within Hip-Hop? • “My album was sampled from my dad’s records and was totally for nostalgic reasons”. “nostalgically it’s fascinating because some of the records that my dad bought before I was born then i’m finding bits in them which I enjoy. Then it’s turned into a production people that would listen to”. “Sometimes I warp samples beyond recognition but its not revering the sample if I do do that”. “If you hear the sample I feel like you wanna know where you got it from because there is something cool about that as well” “When I have to much knowledge on a tune I know it doesn't make me want to sample it”. Nostalgic reasons, warp, to much knowledge. • • • • P.2 11. Do you think nostalgia is a key reason for sampling within Hip-Hop? • “That is a good question. I just looked up nostalgia and found the definition “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past”. As sampling by definition is always taking something from the past (even the recent past) I think there is a strong case for that argument. I personally think that music of old was better in general, and see Hip-Hop as way of taking the old and reimagining it in to something new. For example, many people don’t know that at one point, James Brown’s career had all but ended until Hip-Hop came along. Then, due to him being so heavily sampled a whole new generation of listeners and fans were drawn to him due to Hip-Hop and sampling”. strong case, music of old, reimagining, James Brown, heavily. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !30 Particip ant Questions Raw Data - Dialogue Key Words P.2 12. Does there need to be a personal connection between you and the artist for you to sample them within your production? • Drawn. “No, if I like the sample I will sample it. Obviously for me to find the sample, I must have been listening to that artist, so something must have drawn them towards their music in the first place, but it all depends on how I found out about their music”. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !31 Track Content Analysis. (Fig.1) Each track chosen charted in the USA Billboard Top 10 Hip-Hop charts. # - symbolises the peak chart position. The researcher who conducted the track content analysis is a Hip-Hop producer with six year’s experience and uses samples in his productions on a regular basis. This enhances the validity of the study due to the researcher's background within Hip-Hop, sampling. Sample Orignal Tracks Pharrell - Blurred Lines #1 Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up BPM (Beats Per Minute) 120 BPM 122BPM Genre Contemporary R&B/HipHop Soul R&B Year 2013 19 Key G Major A minor Sampled Piano stabs, percussion and snare. Sample Orignal Tracks Drake - One Dance #1 Kyla - Do You Mind BPM (Beats Per Minute) 104 BPM 127 BPM Genre HipHop/Afrobeats Deep House Year 2016 2008 Key B♭ minor B♭ minor Sampled Vocals, piano. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? Sample Orignal Tracks Kanye West- Gold Digger Ray Charles - I Got A Woman #1 BPM (Beats Per Minute) 92 BPM 98 BPM Genre Hip-Hop R&B Soul Year 2005 1954 Key C# Major G Major Sampled Vocal Sample Orignal Tracks Jay Z - 99 Problems #30 Billy Squire - Big Beat BPM (Beats Per Minute) 93BPM 102 BPM Genre Hip-Hop Rock Year 2003 1980 Key E Major C minor Sampled Drums Sample Orignal Tracks Beyonce - Run The World Major Lazer - Pon De Floor #29 BPM 127 BPM 127 BPM Genre Contemporary R&B/HipHop Dancehall Year 2011 2009 Key C Major C Major Sampled !32 Drums, percussion and melody Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !33 Discussion This section of the paper will discuss the data gathered throughout the literature review, interviews with producers/artist and track content analysis. Themes such as sampling as a form of nostalgia, the era of best samples and sample placement within a production will be discussed in reference to ‘What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample?’. Personal Connection Between Artists and Sample For a musician having a relationship between an artist or specific track can be a form of inspiration or nostalgia which may result in using an extract of their music as a sample. From interview participant P.1 a strong connection can be drawn between himself and his father's record collection, so much so, he produced a seven track album consisting of only samples he could find within the collection of music. P.1’s inspiration behind the collection is categorised as a form of nostalgia for himself and his Father. This allows both individuals to have pre-existing memories with the samples used in the album. On the other hand, Kanye West demonstrates his approach to sampling in ‘Father Stretch My Hands Pt.1’ as an action of expressing his thoughts on a situation where he could not talk himself. The two cases have both stemmed from a form of inspiration which leads them to use the samples in their production. The use of P.1s samples allows him to have a connection between himself and another individual, in this situation his father. However, Kanye used a different approach to sampling where he has used a sample originating from one source. However, Kanye believes the sonic characteristics of the sample explains his personal feelings towards his dad at the moment the track was written. During the interview, P.1 explains, if a sample is going to be used, then it needs Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !34 to spark inspiration and catch his ear. This can be compared to the Amen Break because the producers/artists who have used the sample heard something in the music that caught their ear and sparked inspirations. Otzen, (2017) believes it is associated with the break possessing unique sonic characteristics although, Ronson (2014) believes other producers/artists use the break because they want to be part of its history. Attributed Looked for My Producers/Artists in a Hip-Hop Sample? Understanding which aspects of a Hip-Hop sample appeal to a producer/artist is an integral part of answering the paper's question, although due to the nature of music this is subjective to each. When looking through the interview with P.1, they mention, “When you're looking for a sample you're really looking for inspiration, you are looking for something that catches you” P.1 (2017). Two key phrases are mentioned in his answer, ‘inspiration’ and ‘catches you’. This lends belief that P.1’s approach is not so much about the characteristics of the sample but more about the message, vibe and groove which is attached to the extract of music. This can be compared to a Modell (2012) talking about Nina Simone being sampled “The Hip-Hop artists that sample Simone’s work are mobilising her tradition of social protest and self-definition to varying degrees” (Modell, 2012). Producers/Artists use Simon’s music as a form of inspiration from either the message/cause of which she stood for or the vibe and groove of the sample. On the other hand, the interview with P.2 explains his approach to finding a Hip-Hop sample, “I am just looking for music that I like or that conveys a certain mood” (P.2, 2017). P.2’s answer provides more of insight into his approach to finding samples in Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !35 comparison to P.1. P.2’s response provides a real insight into his process at the start of a production. P.2 explains, at the beginning of the production the samples needs to possess desirable characteristics or portray a feeling. This approach allows P.2 to be able to build the production around attributes of the sample. This is agreed upon by Opsahl (2016), who’s opinion is, DJs and Producers will hunt for samples that work with the groove of their track or base their production around one specific sample they found. Using this approach would make the sample the starting point of the production, this situation can be related to P.1 who stated: “I revere the sample as the Oracle, so it tells me what to do” (P.1, 2017). Unfortunately, P.2’s response does not go into enough depth to explain his approach after the sample has been chosen. The Era of Best Samples The era in which a sample was extracted from can give a good insight into the most popular year for samples. When analysing the year of release for the original tracks in the track content analysis, it is shown the years 1954,1980,1997, 2008 and 2009. This display shows no pattern which would make the 60’s, or 70’s more desirable over any other year. However, Schloss (2014) states “Generally, I think that most Hip-Hop producers would probably agree that the 70’s has given us the best and most iconic HipHop samples.” He goes on to explain, “the popular styles of music at the time (soul and jazz), high levels of musicianship, as well as the analogue recording techniques that were used” (Schloss, 2014). However, P.1 believes the 1950’s - 70’s was an era in which good samples were produced, Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !36 “I would never rule any era out, but generally I am looking in between the 50’s to late 70’s. If you go back further than the 50’s, you find the recordings are so lo-fi and mid range heavy that you tend not to get much out of them. Then as you hit the 80's the recording studios, go digital, and you end up having a different sound” (P.1, 2017). Combining all of the elements of analogue recording, full dynamic range and high levels of musicianship together, adds a natural human characteristic to the sounds that are desired among Hip-Hop producers/artists. Hip-Hop, as a genre and culture, has urban roots, so the analogue way of recording adds imperfections into the music. At the same time, P.1 also agrees with both P.2 and Schloss (2014), but also mentions the 60’s, explaining that “the sound of the late 1960’s and mid-1970’s represents the sonic audio quality that deeply appeals to us”. However, in the ‘Sampling From 1960's-1970's and Sampling In 1980's-1990's’ section of the literature review, Kimble (2013) explains his belief that the 60’s and 70’s are the most popular era “these decades had considerably more variation than the music that we hear today, which in turn means the likelihood of hearing a variety of patterns and instrumentation to sample was a lot higher” (Kimble, 2013). The response from P.1 (2017), P.2 (2017), Schloss (2014 and Kimble (2013) all agree on the 60, and 70's to be the most popular eras. However, it can also be seen that P.1 would consider the 50’s depending on the quality of the recording. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !37 Sample Placement Samples in Hip-Hop play various roles within a production, Sewell (2013) categorisation, labels samples to allow a greater understanding of the production roles. The categories are as follow: • Structural sample types (Structural samples form the rhythmic and harmonic foundation of a sample-based track and create a track’s groove). • Surface sample types (surface samples exist in a place between the lyrics and the groove because they are not necessarily part of the groove itself but are still an integral participant in the sonic character of a sample-based track). • Lyrical sample types (Unlike surface samples, lyric samples are heard and understood as words in a sample-based track). The track content analysis (White, 2017) (Fig 1) shows the different sounds which have been sampled by producers/artists. It can be seen that out of the five tracks analysed three have used samples which can be categorised under Lyrical. Although it can also be seen that another three out of the five tracks can be classified as structural. These statistics show no clear indication which category from Sewell (2013) typology is the most regular used. This pattern is reinforced in the interviews with P.1 and P.2, when asked the question ‘What do you think makes the best Hip-Hop Sample? P.1 replied, “If it’s a hip-hop track then in a way that has already limited you to a certain selection of Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !38 things such as the type of drums, type of pattern of drums, rough tempo, style of genre” (P.1, 2017). From the response of P.1, it can be seen they believe sampling in HipHop comes with certain confines from the producer’s perspective. On the other hand, P. 2 also replied with a similar answer stating “I don’t think there are any “best” elements so to speak as all can be useful at different times” (P.2, 2017). This is a rather general response which does not hold much depth. Although it can be seen that P.2 shares a similar view to P.1, with the same belief that no specific sample type or sample category is more desirable than another. Each type of a sound has its characteristics which can be used where seen appropriate in any production. When analysing the column labelled genre, two out of the five tracks originate from R&B productions. However, Cox (2015) believes sampling from the Jazz and Soul is two of the most popular genres which producers/artists samples from. This statement can be challenged by the Amen break which has been explained by The Economist Newspaper (2011) as being one of the most used samples in history originating from a Funk and Soul tracks in the 1969’s. Evaluation of the Primary Research. The interviews conducted gave a real insight into the way the participants chose and used their samples in a production, along with a description of the different attributes they look for within a sample. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !39 The questions asked during the interview could have related to the literature review more directly. Due to the casual nature of the questions, links between the literature review and the primary research proved hard to analyse at times which was due to the questions being too general and not specific enough about the topic. However, some of the questions asked provided a good response from the participants and had a strong relationship to the literature review allowing the interviewee’s responses to hold weight during the discussion and analysis chapter. P.1’s interview had a semi-structured approach and was conducted in person, due to this approach, P.1 was answering some of the questions before they were asked. This left out the chance to get the participant to expand further on the unasked questions resulting in a lack of information on that topic. This could have been avoided by having more of a structure to the interview and having better control over which topic was talked about at each question. The interview with P.2 was conducted through email which provided excellent in-depth answers to the questions asked, however, expanding on the questions was not an option due to the participant's busy schedule. Another point to take into consideration is the fact that the information gathered through email has a lot more thought behind the answers because the participant does not feel pressured to give a reply straight away. Another factor could have been the way the participant interpreted the questions asked. This could have resulted in the information being invalid and unreliable due to lack of understanding. This is also explained by Meho (2006) stating “Even when questions are Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !40 pretested, because of lack of face-to-face or direct interaction in e-mail interviews, there is always room for miscommunication and misinterpretation” (Meho, 2006). This was avoided by telling the participant to get in contact if they did not understand the questions asked. Track Content Analysis The track content analysis (White, 2017) was conducted by the author of this paper who is a Hip-Hop producer who has over six years of sampling experience, which enhances the validity of the track choice. Although, this does not eliminate the potential of a bias opinion on the tracks chosen. “Selection bias is a kind of error that occurs when the researcher decides who is going to be studied. It is usually associated with research where the selection of participants isn’t random” (Vu, 2014). To eliminate selection bias, confines were placed on the track choices. Firstly the tracks had to be chosen from various the genres within Hip-Hop. Secondly, the tracks had to coincide with the Billboard Top 100 Hip-Hop chart. However, because of these confines, the choice of tracks did not show much consistency between them resulting in difficulty when trying to find common ground. The resources which provided the information in the column labelled sample was taken from ‘Who Sampled’. The validity of the information placed on ‘Who Sampled’ can be deeply questioned, such as, which source do they use to find information about sampled tracks? What qualifies them to be an authority on the topic of sampling? And what evidence is used to support the claims of the original track and the new context? Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !41 Conclusion This paper has set out to answer the question ‘What Make A Good Hip-Hop Sample?’. The understanding of the choices a producer/artist makes are of the utmost importance to reasons why a sample is chosen and used within a production. However, little research has been conducted in this field, so it remains to be a broadly unanswered topic. The findings from this project reveal that a sample needs to process three primary attributes, in no specific order, a type of message or inspiration, a production which has originated from any year during 1960's and1970’s and a sample which can be placed under any category as determined by the producer/artist. However, these three areas can be defined further. Using a sample that has a message allows the producer/artist to express their opinion on the matter which was happening either within their life or society. The inspiration a producer/artist can get from a sample is also based on the message portrayed but also the vibe and groove. This allows the sample to dictate the direction of the production resulting in a cohesive finished track where the sample is fulfilling its role as originally intended by the producer/artist. One of the most important factors behind the choice of a sample is the years which it originated from. The research shows there are two eras which are classed as the most desirable to producer/artists. These eras are between the 1960's and 1970's; this is due to the characteristics gained during the analogue recording process. However, it is also suggested that the high level of musicianship adds human elements to the sample which are found to be desired by producer/artists. The final attribute is the category in which a sample is classed, from the research it can be seen that there is not a particular type which is classed as the most Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !42 desirable. The track content analysis suggests the categories of lyrical and structural are among the most common, but this is challenged by the two interviews suggesting there is no category which is most desirable. This resulted in the research suggesting that any sound can be placed within any category depending on the processes undertaken by the producer/artist, however, searching for a specific sound in a specific category places limitation on the creativity of the producer/artist resulting in limitation in the production. The limitations and weaknesses of this project could be improvements by getting multiple people to choose more than five tracks for the track content analysis, resulting in a more cohesive discussion and conclusion. In addition, a better source than Who Sampled could be used to gather the research on the create the track content analysis resulting in higher research validity. The recommendation for further research would be to investigate the process of sample manipulation and how producers/artists change the sonic content of a sample to make it sound completely different. Another aspect would be to use samples from a wider range of Hip-Hop such as Trap, R&B, Trip Hip and Gangster Rap to give a fairer analysis of the tracks. Conducting the research for this paper proved to be a challenge due to the lack of resources in this area. This resulted in evidence being taken from articles that focus on the copyright of samples or the legal limits of sampling. However, because of this factor, this paper draws on the available resources and contributes to research on the reason why producers use and chose samples. Benjamin John White What Makes A Good Hip-Hop Sample? !43 Reference List Bell, J. (2005). Doing Your Research Project: A Guide For First-Time Researchers. 4th ed. McGraw-Hill Education. Berkwits, M. and Inui, T. (2017). Making use of qualitative research techniques. [online] US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. Available at: https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1496926/ [Accessed 23 Mar. 2017]. Boone, W. (2008). 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