Music

SAMPLED: Karmin - "Crash Your Party"

by Aaron Zorgel

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 Native Tongues Posse affiliated hip-hop duo Black Sheep’s “The Choice Is Yours (Revisited),” which appeared on the 1991 album A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.

This is the definitive single from Black Sheep, a group that was affiliated with A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, but sadly didn’t receive the same kind of widespread acclaim as their peers. The New York duo (comprised of Andres “Dres” Titus and William “Mista Lawnge” McLean) formed in New York, and were active from 1989-1995. “The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)” rose as high as #21 on the Hot 100, and #1 on the Hot Rap Chart. This is a popular song to sample, as it has been used by a growing list of artists including N.O.R.E., KRS-One, Fatman Scoop, Fatboy Slim, and Nas.

“The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)” was recently sampled in a song by another duo, the Youtube-famous kitsch-pop couple Karmin in their song “Crash Your Party”:

Karmin rose to prominence performing covers of popular rap and pop songs on their Youtube channel. Their cover of Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now” has over 65 million views to date, and the success of this cover has led them to a record deal with Epic Records, and a performance slot on Saturday Night Live. You can hear Amy Heidemann’s fast-rapping style from “Look At Me Now” seeping into their original music in “Crash Your Party.” The producers of “Crash Your Party,” Orlando hip-hop production duo The Runners, have taken the intro from “The Choice Is Yours” and looped it as-is in the background of Karmin’s intro. The loop reappears as a pre-chorus and later on, as a full bridge with Amy’s rapping on top of it. There you have it — instant hip-hop cred for a couple of white kids from Brookline, Massachusetts.

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.