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 KoRn’s nu-metal hit “Falling Away From Me,” which appears on their 1999 album Issues:

I never thought I’d be able to write about KoRn for Pop Hunter, but here I am, pouring over their Wikipedia page and reflecting on the two years I played bass in a nu-metal cover band in high school. Nu-metal is to the late nineties what dubstep is to now-ish, and if you look at it that way, the KoRn dubstep album isn’t that big of a stretch. KoRn formed in Bakersfield, California in 1993, which means they’re quickly approaching their 20th anniversary as a band. Their emotional, tribal approach to heavy music was unprecedented, and the success of their debut self-titled album gave birth to an entire genre tailor-made for suburban teen angst. They’re one of the few bands who survived the demise of nu-metal’s popularity, and they’ve managed to record 10 studio albums since 1993. “Falling Away From Me” is still one of KoRn’s most recognizable singles, largely thanks to that creepy (but memorable), ethereal riff in the song’s intro and breakdown. It was produced by Rage Against The Machine-producer Brendan O’Brien, and is sonically, a far more slick version of the KoRn sound established by nu-metal godfather Ross Robinson on the first two KoRn albums.

“Falling Away From Me” was recently sampled by hip-hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, on their second studio album, titled Welcome To: Our House:

Slaughterhouse is a hip-hop supergroup comprised of Crooked I, Joell Ortiz, Royce da 5’9″, and Joe Budden. They formed in late 2008, after they appeared together on the song “Slaughterhouse” on Joe Budden’s album Halfway House. There was a certain level of group chemistry between the four rappers on that single, and they all felt it could extend to a permanent group situation. After recording their self-titled debut album to moderate acclaim in 2009, the group thought that their follow-up could benefit from the involvement with a major label. In 2011, Eminem signed both Yelawolf and Slaughterhouse to Shady Records at the same time. A year later, and Slaughterhouse will release their second album, Welcome To: Our House, on August 28th. Getting Shady Records involved in the release provided access to top-shelf producers, and so it should come as no surprise that “Hammer Dance,” the first single from Welcome To: Our House, is produced by araabMUZIK. araabMUZIK borrows that creepy, ethereal riff I was talking about earlier from KoRn’s “Falling Away From Me,” pitches it up a few steps, doubles it with a synth, and fills it out with that off-the-cuff MPC drum programming he’s known for. It even sounds like they got Jon Davis to yell “Slaughterhouse!” in his signature anguished wail right after the intro. I have no idea what gave araabMUZIK the idea to sample a KoRn riff, but in this context, it works; it evokes a creepy, foreboding atmosphere that matches well with the Slaughterhouse aesthetic.