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 Labi Siffre’s much-sampled 1975 R&B/soul song “I Got The”:

Born in 1945, Labi Siffre is a British musician, songwriter, and poet, best known as the writer and singer of “(Something Inside) So Strong”, “It Must Be Love” and a song containing the sample of the day, “I Got The.” With jazz and blues records by the likes of Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Billie Holiday as his inspriation, Siffre aspired to become a full time musician in the early ’60s, playing in trios and ensembles in London’s jazz clubs. In 1969, his original music secured a publishing and management deal with British radio DJ Dave Cash, which would see the release of over ten albums of material over a career spanning over thirty years. Siffre had several moderately successful hits on the charts, but the act of hip-hop artists sampling his songs has made Labi Siffre’s musical legacy more widespread than he ever could have imagined. In 1998, Dr. Dre expressed an interest in sampling “I Got The,” a song recorded by Siffre in 1975, on a debut single for a rapper named Eminem. Siffre is openly gay, so when he heard Eminem’s lyrics, he refused to clear the sample. In the liner notes for the remastered version of Remember My Song (the record “I Got The” appears on), Siffre remarked that when he first heard “My Name Is,” he told them “[a]ttacking two of the usual scapegoats, women and gays, is lazy writing. If you want to do battle, attack the aggressors not the victims.” In response, Dr. Dre and Eminem recorded a different version of the song with altered lyrics, in order to appease Siffre and get his blessing. In the end, Siffre’s music played a huge role in launching the career of one of the most successful rappers of all time.

“I Got The” was recently sampled by Miguel on the title track from his new album Kaleidoscope Dream:

Miguel borrows a sample from “I Got The” on the title track from his second studio album Kaleidoscope Dream, which is set to be released October 2nd, on RCA Records. Miguel has been making waves in the R&B world with his brand of Prince-meets-Kanye new-school R&B. On Kaleidoscope Dream, experimental and electronic production techniques are fused with classic grooves, with Miguel’s smooth and sensual voice taking center stage, showing he can go note-for-note with fellow new-era R&B artists like Frank Ocean, The-Dream, and The Weeknd. The title track was produced by Salaam Remi, a producer known for his work with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and Nelly Furtado. Remi borrows the same section of “I Got The” that Dr. Dre did, but aside from the intro, there’s very little association between the two tracks. Ambient synths, and layered harmonies complement the sample, and bring the listener to a place where you’re not even thinking about sticking nine inch nails through each one of your eyelids. And that’s a good thing.