SAMPLED is a recurring column that examines the skeletal production of a contemporary Rap/R&B/Hip-Hop or Pop song. From what song did the loop, sample, or chopped up vocal providing the backbone for a new interpretation originate? SAMPLED looks at the original song with some historical context, and then presents the contemporary production that utilizes a sample from the original. For better or worse, this is the process by which a huge portion of contemporary pop music is assembled.

This week, the sample in question is from the Boyz II Men slow-jam “Uhh Ahh,” from their debut album Cooleyhighharmony, which was released in 1991.

“Uhh Ahh” was the third single off of Cooleyhighharmony, and it was the first Boyz II Men single that didn’t peak in the top 10 of the Hot 100 (it went as high as 16). This song precedes Boyz II Men’s most massive songs, like “End of the Road,” and “I’ll Make Love To You,” but Cooleyhighharmony still earned the group a Grammy for best R&B performance by a group or duo. The intro of the song features a numbered countdown in 4-part harmony, which caught the ear of at least one modern producer.

“Uhh Ahh” was recently sampled by Beyoncé on “Countdown,” a single that appeared on her most recent effort 4.

Producer Cainon Lamb built the hook for “Countdown” by speeding up the countdown from “Uhh Ahh,” and simply adding some snare taps. “Countdown” only samples the intro of “Uhh Ahh,” and the rest of the beat he built himself. His publishing company showed an early version of this beat to Beyoncé, and she liked the way the instrumental blended 70’s funk and soul with 90’s R&B so much that she immediately licensed the instrumental asked The-Dream to write some verses for it. Just two days later, she went into the studio and cut the final version of the song. The end result is a R&B anthem with plenty of depth, with lyrics about fidelity and a celebration of love. The success of this track is largely owed to a sample taken from the group that actually took Destiny’s Child on their very first national tour.

Some view sampling as a symptom of a lack of creativity, and that’s exactly why it is a polarizing topic in terms of contemporary pop music. Critics liken it to Hollywood’s nasty habit of repurposing old franchises and old ideas, updating and remaking anything that was once profitable. On the flip side, many argue that sampling is an art form not to be discredited. On a weekly-ish basis, SAMPLED aims to take it on a case-by-case basis, and examine the dividing practice of using samples in the creation of music.