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 is taken from, of all things, the ubiquitous iPhone “Marimba” ringtone:

Chances are, any time there’s a cellphone ringing in a film, the sound you end up hearing is the iconic (iConic? sorry) iPhone “Marimba” ringtone. And if you’re anything like me, every single time, you nervously grab your pocket, just to make sure you’re not the asshole with his phone ringing in a movie theatre. It just might be the most popular ringtone of all time, simply due to the fact that it has always been the default ringtone on every iPhone generation. The only artist or composer attributed to the three second piece of music is “Apple Inc.,” so I hope whoever is the real melodic mind behind the “Marimba” tone had some kind of royalty share worked into his/her agreement with apple. It’s one of the most recognizable sounds of the 21st century, and it’ll always have a place in the pop lexicon.

The iPhone “Marimba” ringtone was recently sampled by T-Pain on “Going Off,” a track from his recent mixtape Stoic:

T-Pain certainly isn’t the first artist to sample the “Marimba” ringtone, but he’s certainly the most well-known artist to do it thus far. T-Pain knows a thing or two about mobile audio technology, given that his “I Am T-Pain” auto-tune app has been downloaded millions of times for three bucks a pop. T-Pain just dropped Stoic, his new mixtape, three days ago, and the personnel included is a laundry-list of who’s who of the hip-hop elite. T-Pain scored beats from Boi-1da, T-Minus, Bei Maejor, Tha Bizness, and Ryan Tedder, with guest features from Pitbull, Mistah Fab, Tech N9ne, Travie McCoy, and Big K.R.I.T. Not bad for a mixtape, T-Pain. T-Pain handled production duties himself on 7 out of 22 tracks, including the iPhone-sampling “Going Off,” featuring Big K.R.I.T. The track opens with the recognizable Marimba melody, and when T-Pain’s beat comes in, it fits seamlessly around the ringtone. It’s cheesy, but it’s a pretty appropriate sample choice, since the song is about how often T-Pain’s phone rings (“My shit be going off!”). But since you can’t go a single day without hearing that melody as it is, will this track have any replay value? One benefit: play the song, and if someone asks you if your phone is ringing, you can say “Oh, it’s just T-Pain” and it wouldn’t be a lie.