Rising within the mid-70s and blooming spectacularly within the 80s, hip-hop has been constructed on sampling, with its manufacturers in quest of to inject some old-school grooves into their future-shaping tracks. The Godfather Of Soul, James Brown, used to be a bedrock of early hip-hop, however so too used to be the Blue Note catalogue. Some teams – maximum significantly A Tribe Known as Quest, one among hip-hop’s largest jazz-influenced acts – in particular appreciated a few of the long-lasting jazz label’s extra openly funk-influenced recordings of the overdue 60s and early 70s; their easiest Blue Note samples integrated deep grooves through guitarist Grant Inexperienced, keyboardist Ronnie Foster, flutist Bobbi Humphrey, singer Marlena Shaw, organist Lonnie Smith, and alto saxophone maestro Lou Donaldson.

Different acts to have discovered inspiration within the Blue Note discography come with one of the largest names in hip-hop’s hallowed pantheon: Public Enemy, Dr Dre, De L. a. Soul, 2Pac, Ice-T, Busta Rhymes, Ice Dice, and Beastie Boys.

In hip-hop’s early days, sampling used to be a free-for-all, smash-and-grab state of affairs. Blue Note, then again, below the visionary stewardship of the overdue Bruce Lundvall – who used to be answerable for the label from 1984-2010 – led the way in which in legitimizing sampling through inviting London hip-hop crew Us3 to get entry to the label’s catalogue. The end result used to be their 1992 hit “Cantaloop (Turn Fantasia),” which used to be constructed on a pattern of Herbie Hancock’s vintage monitor “Cantaloupe Island.”

Lately, artists comparable to J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, and Kanye West have persevered to plunder the Blue Note vaults, making sure that the most efficient Blue Note samples stay key construction blocks in hip-hop’s evolution.

Concentrate to the Blue Note’s Maximum Sampled playlist presently, and scroll down for 20 of the most efficient Blue Note samples of all time.



Herbie Hancock: Cantaloupe Island (1964)

London-based crew Us3 had been the primary hip-hop act signed to Blue Note and scored a Best 10 US pop hit, “Cantaloop (Turn Fantasia),” in 1993, which famously reconfigured essentially the most available minimize from Hancock’s fourth Blue Note album, Empyrean Isles. The crowd’s debut album, Hand On The Torch, featured track that sampled a number of vintage Blue Note recordings.

In 2006, the Hancock unique additionally shaped the spine for a Ecu EDM monitor referred to as “Blue Note Tribute” through Congaman. As for Herbie Hancock, the web page whosampled.com lists him because the 3rd most-sampled jazz musician of all time, which makes the pianist chargeable for an astounding quantity of the most efficient Blue Note samples to seem on report.

Grant Inexperienced: Down Right here On The Flooring (1970)

By no means ones to let a excellent groove – and a antique, funky jazz one at that – to visit waste, A Tribe Known as Quest had been so serious about guitarist Grant Inexperienced’s reside model of “Down Right here On The Flooring” (co-written through Argentine pianist Lalo Schifrin) that they sampled it on “Vibes And Stuff” from their 1991 LP, The Low Finish Principle. Inexperienced’s model had gave the impression on his 1970 album Alive!, recorded at a venue referred to as The Cliché Front room in Newark, New Jersey.

The guitarist’s jazzed-up model of James Brown’s “Ain’t It Funky Now,” at the side of “Cantaloupe Lady” and “Sookie Sookie,” too can declare a spot probably the greatest Blue Note samples, whilst Inexperienced’s track continues to seek out new ears. His 1971 minimize “Possibly The following day” used to be sampled through Kendrick Lamar in 2012 for the monitor “Sing About Me, I’m Demise Of Thirst.”

Ronnie Foster: Mystic Brew (1972)

For the reason that, within the 70s, Blue Note became from not easy bop to jazz-funk, it’s no wonder that the label’s 70s discography has been sampled through myriad hip-hop acts. Keyboardist Ronnie Foster’s “Mystic Brew,” a mellow gradual jam taken from his 1972 album Two Headed Freap, used to be famously repurposed through New York crew A Tribe Known as Quest for the monitor “Electrical Rest” from their 1993 LP, Nighttime Marauders. DJ/manufacturer Madlib remixed the monitor, calling it “Mystic Soar,” on his 2003 Blue Note album Sunglasses Of Blue. Extra not too long ago, J Cole sampled it for the monitor “Forbidden Fruit,” that includes Kendrick Lamar, on his 2013 album, Born Sinner.

Lou Donaldson: Ode To Billie Joe (1967)

Simply incomes his position at the listing of easiest Blue Note samples, this North Carolina-born alto saxophonist is it seems that Blue Note’s maximum sampled musician ever (on the remaining depend, his paintings has been repurposed over 200 instances). Donaldson used to be a number one exponent of soul jazz at Blue Note within the 60s, and his quilt of the well-known Bobbie Gentry hit from 1967 became up on his album Mr. Shing-A-Ling later the similar 12 months. Kanye West sampled it for his monitor “Jesus Walks,” which gave the impression on his 2004 debut album, The School Dropout. Eminem adopted swimsuit in 2013 (on “Unhealthy Man” from The Marshall Mathers LP 2) and, extra not too long ago, in 2015, Donaldson’s greasy soul groove used to be a part of the musical DNA of A$AP Rocky’s minimize “L$D,” from the album At. Lengthy. Closing. A$AP. Different Donaldson tunes that jostle for consideration probably the greatest Blue Note samples come with “Turtle Stroll,” “Who’s Making Love,” “Pot Stomach,” “The Caterpillar” and “Brother Soul.” Those that have sampled his paintings come with A Tribe Known as Quest, Mary J Blige, Nas, Dr. Dre, De L. a. Soul, and Pete Rock & CL Easy.

Donald Byrd: Flight-Time (1972)

A famous not easy bop trumpeter of the 50s and 60s, Byrd switched to fusion within the early 70s. His largest album in that vein used to be 1972’s Black Byrd, produced through Larry Mizell. From it got here the laidback groove “Flight-Time,” which used to be utilized by Public Enemy at the identify monitor in their 1990 Def Jam LP, Worry Of A Black Planet. 4 years later, Nas constructed any other new monitor on “Flight-Time”: “NY State Of Thoughts,” from the Illmatic album.

Many different Byrd tunes have discovered their approach into an Akai S900 sampler (the reasonably priced little bit of {hardware} that, within the 80s, modified music-making without end), together with “Blackjack,” “Stepping In The following day,” “Suppose Two times,” “Wind Parade” and “Side road Girl.” Total, his track has been sampled over 100 instances.

Bobby Hutcherson: Ummh (1970)

An atmospheric mid-paced shuffle groove with a robust blues really feel, “Ummh” used to be the killer minimize from vibraphonist Hutcherson’s 1970 Blue Note album, San Francisco, a collaboration with West Coast tenor saxophonist Harold Land. Ice Dice used to be the primary rapper to pattern the track (on “Ghetto Chicken,” from his 1993 LP, Deadly Injection). “Ummh” additionally became up as a part of UK DJ/manufacturer/remixer Photek’s “The Rain” and Madonna’s “Bedtime Tale,” each recorded in 1994. Hutcherson’s “Goin’ Down South” – which additionally gave the impression at the San Francisco LP – used to be utilized by Us3 as the root in their monitor “Lazy Day.”

The 3 Sounds: Repeat After Me (1969)

This Michigan trio, with Gene Harris on piano, got here to epitomize finger-clicking soul jazz within the 50s and 60s. A strutting blues-based minimize ruled through Harris’ outstanding piano, “Repeat After Me” used to be first sampled through US/Canadian hip-hop trio Major Supply for his or her 1991 minimize “Vamos A Rapiar,” which gave the impression on their debut LP, Breaking Atoms. The similar 3 Sounds monitor – which firstly featured on their 1969 LP, Soul Symphony – ended up inspiring The Coup’s “Kill My Landlord” a 12 months later. In 2002, UK jazz-based hip-hop duo The Herbaliser applied the similar pattern on “The Turnaround.”

Reuben Wilson: We’re In Love (1971)

This soul-jazz organ grinder from Mounds, Oklahoma, used to be one of the Hammond heroes on Blue Note’s roster within the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Between 1968 and ’71, Wilson minimize 5 albums for the label, and “We’re In Love” got here from his Blue Note swansong, Set Us Unfastened. A dreamy ballad laced with electrical sitar, percussion and vocals, it stuck the ears of Nas in 1994, who used it on his city meditation “Reminiscence Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park).” Wilson’s unique used to be in truth first sampled two years previous through Scientifik (“I Ain’t The Rattling One”) and, extra not too long ago, in 2011, used to be used by Ace Hood on “Forgiv’n.” In 2018, the rapper Drawback sampled it for his monitor “Stressin’.” Wilson’s Blue Note songs “Orange Peel” and “Stormy” additionally qualify for honorable point out probably the greatest Blue Note samples.

Duke Pearson: Flooring Hog (1969)

Pearson’s jaunty blues track, recorded in 1968 for his Blue Note LP Introducing Duke Pearson’s Giant Band, impressed the “DAISY Age” trio De L. a. Soul’s “Lengthy Island Wildin’,” that includes Eastern hip-hop artists Scha Dara Parr and Takagi Kan. The monitor gave the impression on their 1993 LP, Buhloone Mindstate, and their use of a hard-to-find Duke Pearson extract quickly had crate-diggers taking a look via their Blue Note collections for an identical pattern fodder.

Jeremy Steig: Howlin’ For Judy (1969)

Initially launched at the short-lived Cast State label, which in 1970 changed into a part of the Blue Note catalogue, “Howlin’ For Judy” got here from the Big apple flutist’s 5th LP, Legwork. Steig’s wild jazz groove is ruled through intertwining overdubbed flutes and used to be famously utilized by Beastie Boys on “Positive Shot” in 1994, regardless that a 12 months previous DJ Shadow And The Groove Robbers had sampled it on their unmarried “In/Flux.” Clockwork Voodoo Freaks (aka The Mexican) additionally filched it for a monitor referred to as “Deaf Mick’s Throwdown” in 1997.

Ronnie Rules: Tidal Wave (1975)

Starting as a mellow jam on which tenor sax, electrical piano, and astral synths interlock, “Tidal Wave” briefly grows in emotional depth. The monitor got here from Rules’ vintage step forward debut album, Drive Delicate. Those that admired it sufficient to pattern it integrated Black Moon (“Who Were given Da Props,” 1993), Quasimoto (“Go back Of The Loop Digga,” 2000), and Younger Lean (“Princess Daisy,” 2013).

Eddie Henderson: The Kumquat Youngsters (1975)

Jazz-fusion trumpeter Henderson (who’s additionally a certified psychiatrist) made two albums for Blue Note within the mid-70s, the primary of which used to be Sunburst, which contained the super-funky “The Kumquat Youngsters,” outstanding through a squelchy synth bass. It used to be sampled through British electronica duo Hexstatic on their infectious dance track “Youngsters Can Dance,” in 2000. Henderson’s “Within You” (from his 2nd Blue Note album, Heritage) additionally options probably the greatest Blue Note samples, because of its use through Jay Z on 1996’s “Coming Of Age” and Souls Of Mischief’s 1993 minimize “Inform Me Who Income.”

Gene Harris And The 3 Sounds: E book Of Narrow (1968)

A jaunty however sleek track written and organized through the estimable Arkansas saxophonist Monk Higgins, “E book Of Narrow” got here from the album Sublime Soul, attributed to Gene Harris And The 3 Sounds (it used to be the primary time that Harris’ title won separate billing from the remainder of the crowd). Rapper Guru (one part of Gang Starr) sampled it in 1993 on “Take A Glance (At Your self),” which featured vibes maestro Roy Ayers. Blackalicious (“Lyric Fathom”) and The Herbaliser (“Intro”) additionally borrowed it in 1994 and 1999, respectively. Madlib remixed the monitor on Sunglasses Of Blue, calling it “Narrow’s Go back.”

Stanley Turrentine: Sunny (1966)

Noted for his powerful tenor saxophone sound, Pittsburgh soul-jazz maven Turrentine has been much-sampled through the hip-hop era. In 2016 a snippet from his soulful rendition of Bobby Hebb’s immortal track, “Sunny,” discovered its approach directly to “Foreplay” through California-based MC Jalen Santoy, and, a 12 months later, impressed “Sunny Nights” through younger Dallas rapper LeRoyce. J Dilla, J Cole, and Ice Dice are amongst those that have additionally sampled Turrentine’s track.

Jimmy McGriff: The Trojan horse (1968)

A Blue Note acquisition from the Cast State catalogue, “The Trojan horse” is an infectious slice of soul jazz that used to be the identify monitor of the Philadelphia organist’s fifteenth LP, that includes trumpeter Blue Mitchell. It’s been sampled over 100 instances, maximum significantly through the United Kingdom dance act The Chemical Brothers (on “Chemical Beats” and “Delek”), Norwegian electro duo Röyksopp (“Remind Me”) and Ghostface Killah (at the 2007 Marky & Bungle remix of “Again Like That”).

Marlena Shaw: Lady Of The Ghetto (1973)

Handiest the 3rd singer signed to Blue Note, and the primary to report multiple album for the label, Marlena Shaw had recorded a studio model of the anthemic “Lady Of The Ghetto,” which she co-wrote, for her 1969 Cadet album The Spice Of Lifestyles. But it surely’s her reside model for Blue Note (from the Reside At Montreux LP) that’s observed essentially the most motion, sample-wise. UK dance act Blue Boy took a vocal pattern from it to create “Consider Me” in 1997; in 2000, French manufacturer St Germain used it at the monitor “Rose Rouge,” taken from his Blue Note album, Vacationer. It used to be additionally utilized in 2012 through UK singer-songwriter Daley, who sampled Blue Boy’s Shaw pattern on his music “Consider Me,” that includes Jessie J.

Giant John Patton: Alfie’s Theme (1968)

Patton’s rip-roaring soul jazz organ trio tackle Sony Rollins’ memorable theme to the 1966 Alfie film (starring Michael Caine as an endearing love rat) gave the impression on his 8th Blue Note album, Figuring out, launched in 1968. London hip-hop act Us3 used a phase of the monitor for his or her music “It’s Like That,” launched on Blue Note in 1993. Despite the fact that he’s one among Blue Note’s least sampled artists, Patton’s tasty model of The Meters’ “Cissy Strut” has additionally been utilized by Polish rapper OSTR.

Blue Mitchell: Just right Humor Guy (1968)

Florida horn-blower Blue Mitchell couldn’t learn track and performed trumpet fully through ear. Emerging to repute with The Horace Silver Quintet within the early 60s, he started to make albums below his personal title for Blue Note. “Just right Humor Guy,” sampled through the UMCs in 1991 (“One To Develop On”), and Bloodhound Gang in 1995 (“Mama Say”), used to be taken from a big-band album Mitchell recorded referred to as Heads Up! Some other one among Mitchell’s Blue Note tunes, “Flat Backing,” recorded in 1969, may be price bringing up as one of the most easiest Blue Note samples, because of its use through a number of hip-hop artists, amongst them Del The Funky Homosapien.

Lonnie Smith: Spinning Wheel (1970)

A Tribe Known as Quest indisputably felt that “Spinning Wheel” used to be one of the most easiest Blue Note samples the label had to provide: they appreciated this organ-led soul-jazz retread of Blood, Sweat & Tears’ 1970 pop-rock hit such a lot that they used it two times – first in 1990, on their hit “Can I Kick It?,” taken from their debut LP, Other people’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm, and on the other hand in 1991 on “Buggin’ Out,” from The Low Finish Principle. Smith’s Blue Note model of “Spinning Wheel’” additionally impressed Wu-Tang Extended family’s “Wu Tang: seventh Chamber,” which gave the impression on that crew’s 1993 debut album, Input The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Lonnie Smith’s track has additionally been sampled through Nightmares On Wax, Da Youngsta’s, and Kase.O.

Bobbi Humphrey: Harlem River Power (1973)

A vintage slice of flute-led jazz-funk produced through the influential Larry Mizell, this minimize has been sampled a lot of instances, maximum famously, in all probability, through DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Recent Prince in a 1987 pattern collage referred to as “Contact Of Jazz.” Others who’ve lifted it come with Commonplace (1992’s “Simply In The Nick Of Rhyme”), Younger MC (the next 12 months’s “Again In The Day”) and, in more moderen instances, KD (“Experience Round The town”). Different Humphrey Blue Note recordings that discovered their approach right into a sampler come with “Blacks And Blues,” “Jasper Nation Guy,” “My Little Woman,” “Smiling Faces Occasionally” and “San Francisco Lighting fixtures,” the latter utilized by Flying Lotus on his 2012 monitor “Till The Colors Come.” Humphrey has additionally been sampled through Eric B & Rakim, Ludacris, Ice-T, and Digable Planets.

Apply the Blue Note’s Jazz Meets Hip-Hop playlist for extra very important Blue Note and plenty of extra contenders for the most efficient Blue Note samples.



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