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 comes from Peggy Lee’s 1966 version of the classic “Big Spender,” which was originally written for a musical called Sweet Charity. Lee’s version of the song became a hit on the easy listening charts that year.

Peggy Lee was a singer, songwriter, and actress who was born in North Dakota in 1920. At 21 years of age, she joined Benny Goodman’s big band, and enjoyed a diverse career, which included such highlights as 12 grammy nominations, penning the songs for and voice acting for The Lady And The Tramp, and starring in the 1952 remake of The Jazz Singer. “Big Spender” has been covered many times since it was written in 1966 by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields for Sweet Charity, including this version by Peggy Lee and renditions by Shirley Bassey, Queen, and the Pussycat Dolls. In Sweet Charity, Big Spender is sung by dancing hostess girls at a club, propositioning the audience to the beat of a strip-tease. It has a seductive 60’s lounge singer feel, and Peggy Lee’s version of the song is one of the more iconic interpretations.

“Big Spender” was recently sampled by A$AP Rocky and Theophilus London, on the song of the same name, which will appear on London’s upcoming EP Lovers Holiday II: Rose Island.

Quite a few outlets reported that Theophilus London and A$AP Rocky’s version of “Big Spender” samples the Shirley Bassey version of the song, which is understandable since it’s quite similar to Peggy Lee’s, and the sample is pitched up. But if you listen to the instrumentation, the horn stabs are distinctly from Lee’s version. Trapstep (I guess that’s a thing?) Producer DJ Carnage produced the beat, taking large chunks of Peggy Lee’s original track and pitching it up by several steps to act as the chorus, then manipulating the sample through chopping and looping during A$AP Rocky and Theophilus London’s verses. Tossing in some well-placed cash register sound effects is a nice touch on the hook. Stylistically, “Big Spender” is a bit of a surprising collaboration, given Theo’s artsy instincts and Rocky’s contrary rejection of everything non-trill. But these New York rappers obviously found some synergy, as the finishing-move on A$AP Rocky’s verse is quick to point out: “Purple lean, purple weed, got that shit, nigga what you need? / Me and Theo had a trio with these bitches from Belize.” I wonder how much that cost ’em.

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.