SAMPLED is a 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? We look at the original song with some historical context, and then review the modern-day production that samples the original. For better or worse, this is the process by which a huge portion of contemporary pop music is assembled. On a weekly basis, SAMPLED aims to approach it case-by-case, and examine the dividing practice of using samples in the creation of music.

This week, the sample in question comes from Melvin Bliss’ 1973 song “Synthetic Substitution,” one of the most-sampled break beats in hip-hop history:

Public Enemy. De La Soul. Wu Tang. Naughty By Nature. It’s no exaggeration to say that almost every hip-hop artist or group has directly or inadvertently sampled “Synthetic Substitution” by Melvin Bliss. The song’s two opening bars contain a break beat drum intro that has formed the basis for countless classic hip-hop songs, and it all began with Chicago soul singer Melvin Bliss. “Synthetic Substitution” was written by Herb Rooney in 1973, and recorded as the b-side to another single. The song eventually far-eclipsed it’s Side A counterpart, after being embraced by hip-hop DJs in the mid-eighties. The drum intro on “Synthetic Substitution” can be attributed to session drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, who is credited with creating many of Funk’s most recognizable drum beats. He has played the drums on records by James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, and even The Beatles, but his work on a little-known song called “Synthetic Substition” would become one of the most iconic drum beats of his career. Mel Bliss passed away in 2010, and though he wasn’t well-known in his heyday, his legacy lives on as a lasting part of the foundation of hip-hop.

“Synthetic Substitution” was recently sampled in “New God Flow” by Kanye West featuring Pusha T, which will appear on the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music collaborative album Cruel Summer:

Kanye West is probably one of the most heralded sample-utilizing hip-hop producers of our time, and it’s only fitting that he would eventually use the beat from “Synthetic Substitution” on one of his productions. The beat for “New God Flow” is a pastiche of samples, borrowing a vocal sample from a gospel sermon for the intro, another vocal sample from James Brown’s “Funky President,” and the acapella from Ghostface Killa’s “Mighty Healthy” for the hook. “Mighty Healthy” also utilizes the “Synthetic Substitution” drum break, so it fits nicely layered on top of Kanye’s beat. Pusha T and Kanye West trade heated verses on “New God Flow,” a street anthem that is, at times, spiritual, volatile, and political. Anything less serious couldn’t deserve a home on top of this celebrated and illustrious hip-hop sample.