The 25 best hip-hop samples of all time

After briefly being part of a girl group, fans got to see Missy Elliott debut as a solo star with her first single “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly).” Produced by friend and collaborator Timbaland, the song samples Ann Peebles’ 1973 track “I Can’t Stand the Rain.” Not only did the track give a more upfront introduction of Missy and Timbaland, but it also showcased how creative Missy would get in her music videos.

Stevie Wonder is one of the most decorated singer-songwriters in music history. Almost 20 years after Wonder released his song “Pastime Paradise,” rapper Coolio sampled the track on his 1995 single “Gangsta’s Paradise.” The song was the lead single of the Dangerous Minds soundtrack and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. 

In 1999, Dr. Dre returned to the scene after a seven-year hiatus to release his sophomore solo album 2001. He teamed up with frequent collaborator Snoop Dogg on the third single “The Next Episode” which samples David McCallum’s track “The Edge.”

It goes without saying, but sometimes people need to stop and appreciate the good that happens in their life. That is the sentiment on Ice Cube’s 1993 single “It Was a Good Day,” a song in which the rapper describes his gratitude for the day. The song features a smooth sample of The Isley Brothers’ track “Footsteps in the Dark, Pts. 1 & 2.” 

In 2007, UGK released their fifth album Underground Kingz, which featured the hit single “International Players Anthem (I Choose You).” Teaming up with Outkast, as well as producers DJ Paul and Juicy J, the song samples Willie Hutch’s “I Choose You.” 

It was back in 1991 when DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince released their warm season anthem “Summertime,” and even over 30 years later, the track still gets heavy replay at summer parties. As The Fresh Prince describes the fun people have in the summertime, it was only right that the song sampled Kool & the Gang’s 1974 hit “Summer Madness.” 

There’s no doubt about it that LL Cool J made arguably one of the best rap love songs to date with his 1995 single “Hey Lover.” Joined by R&B group Boyz II Men, the song samples Michael Jackson’s “Lady In My Life.” On the track, LL describes his attraction to a woman that is currently committed to someone else, but he’s secretly hoping that relationship will dissolve so she can be with him. 

Hip-Hop just wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for the legendary soulful group The Isley Brothers. In 1983, they released their quiet storm single “Between the Sheets,” and just over ten years later, rapper The Notorious B.I.G. sampled it for his hit song “Big Poppa.” Even decades later, the song has become one of The Notorious B.I.G.’s classic anthems. 

In 2012, Kendrick Lamar released his debut studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, which featured the hit single “Don’t Kill My Vibe.” The song features a sample from Danish electronic group Boom Clap Bachelors’ song “Tiden Flyver.” 

After producing for a number of hip-hop artists, Kanye West was ready for fans and the industry to take him seriously as an artist. He did just that when he released his 2003 debut single “Through The Wire,” which takes on the sample of Chaka Khan’s 1985 track “Through The Fire.” The song title draws listeners in as it’s in reference to the wires Kanye had to hold his jaw together after enduring a car accident. 

In 1996, rap group the Fugees released their sophomore album The Score, which featured their hit single “Ready or Not.” While the production samples Enya’s 1987 track “Boadicea,” the hook is an interpolation of The Delfonics’ “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love).” 

In 2000, Common released his fourth album Like Water for Chocolate, which featured the hit single “The Light.” Using a sample of Bobby Caldwell’s “Open Your Eyes,” Common uses the track as a love letter to his partner. As the rapper says in the second verse, “If Heaven had a height, you would be that tall / Ghetto to coffee shop, through you I see that all / Let's stick to understandin' and we won't fall / For better or worse times, I hope to me you call."

Producer Just Blaze added his hip-hop essence to The Diplomats’ 2003 single “I Really Mean It.” With a sample of Major Harris’ track “I Got Over Love,” the song sounds more like a freestyle since it doesn’t have a hook, but two verses from Cam’Ron and an interlude from Jim Jones. 

In 1996, Foxy Brown released her debut album Ill Na Na, led by the hit single “Get Me Home.” Produced by the duo Trackmasters, the song samples “Gotta Get You Home Tonight” by Eugene Wilde. The smooth vocals from Blackstreet help sell the song that Foxy is ready for a private rendezvous. 

MC Hammer was the type of rapper who crossed over to pop, when it wasn’t a popular thing to do in the ‘90s, compared to today’s music climate. One of Hammer’s most iconic singles came in 1990 with “U Can’t Touch This,” which samples Rick James’ 1981 track “Super Freak.” While “U Can’t Touch This” became a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, it was also the first rap song to earn a Grammy Award nomination for Record of the Year. 

In 2014, J. Cole released his third album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, which featured the standout track “January 28th.” While the album is named after the address of his childhood home, the song is in reference to his birthday. However, the standout of the song is the sample from the Japanese group Hi-Fi Set and their 1975 track “Sky Restaurant.” It is probably one of the most obscure samples, but it works so fluidly. 

Rap duo Outkast is all about encouraging confidence and self-love on their 2001 single “So Fresh, So Clean.” With a sample of Joe Simon’s “Before the Night is Over,” the group highlights how confident they are in their style and fashion. As they say on the hook, “Ain’t nobody dope as me, I’m just so fresh, so clean / Don’t you think I’m so sexy, I’m just so fresh, so clean.” 

Snoop Dogg is often credited with heralding the ’90s G-funk hip-hop sound, and it was part of how much he was inspired and utilized music from the soul and funk eras that came before him. That sound was all over Snoop’s debut single “Who Am I” which features samples of George Clinton’s 1982 track “Atomic Dog” and Funkadelic’s “(Not Just) Knee Deep.” “Who Am I” became a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1995, The Pharcyde released their sophomore album Labcabincalifornia, which featured the hit song “Runnin.’” On the track, they took different elements from jazz artist Stan Getz and his 1963 song “Saudade Vem Correndo.” Eight years later, R&B singer Mýa sampled The Pharcyde’s version for her song “Fallen.” 

With hip-hop samples in the ‘90s, it was always interesting to hear how far back in music history producers would go to implement them into songs. Rap group Wu-Tang Clan sampled The Charmels’ 1967 track “As Long As I’ve Got You” on their 1994 single “C.R.E.A.M.” On the track, Wu-Tang details just how much “Cash rules everything around me,” focusing on the hustle culture of trying to make it. 

Hip-hop duo Luniz came onto the scene in 1995 with her debut single “I Got 5 On It.” With vocals from Michael Marshall, the song is a drug anthem regarding how much people can pay. The song is loaded with more of a slower version of Club Nouveau’s 1987 track “Why You Treat Me So Bad.” 

Mos Def is ready to tell how much he was in love with a woman on his 1999 single “Ms. Fat Booty.” The song uses a sample of Aretha Franklin’s 1965 track “One Step Ahead,” as Mos defines the attraction he has to his lover.

On Juice WRLD’s 2018 single “Lucid Dreams,” he describes the aftermath of dealing with a breakup, like thinking about his ex-lover after so much time has passed. The song samples Sting’s 1993 hit single “Shape of My Heart.” Not only did “Lucid Dreams” peak at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it reached diamond-selling status just a couple years after its release. 

In 1992, Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth released their debut album Mecca and the Soul Brother. The lead single “They Reminisce Over You” samples the bassline and saxophone from Tom Scott’s “Today.” 

Warren G’s 1994 song “Regulate” was not only the first single from his debut album Regulate… G Funk Era, but it was also the first single on the Above the Rim soundtrack. The rapper also served as producer of the track which samples Michael McDonald’s 1982 single “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near).” “Regulate” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of Warren’s classic songs in his discography. 

Sometimes, rappers take samples from artists that aren’t always necessarily in their typical sample wheelhouse. This was the case for Lupe Fiasco’s debut single “Kick Push” which sampled the classical sample of Celeste Legaspi’s 1982 track “Bolero Medley.” It’s always interesting how rappers can take music from a completely different genre and make it unique to their own. 

There’s a reason Diddy deemed himself as a remix king, because on his Bad Boy roster, a lot of his artists used samples. The Notorious B.I.G. was no different on his 1997 track “Mo Money, Mo Problems.” He samples Diana Ross’ 1980 single “I’m Coming Out” in order to give his stance with issues that come into play when people start making more money. 

Throughout Kanye West’s career, he’s been known to sample soul legends for other artists, as well as his music. He continued his reimagining of the song “Otis,” a collaboration alongside Jay Z, which samples Otis Redding’s hit track “Try a Little Tenderness.” In the song, Jay and Kanye trade bars about their craft and lavish lifestyles. 

Tupac seems to be a bit surprised by the ups and downs of his relationship in his 1998 single “Do for Love.” Using a sample of Bobby Caldwell’s 1978 single “What You Won’t Do For Love,” Tupac takes the song to describe the flaws, confusion, and sometimes jealousy that come with a relationship. 

In 2000, hip-hop duo Slum Village released their sophomore album Fantastic, Vol. 2. In addition to the four singles, one of the album’s standout tracks is “Players.” Produced by J. Dilla, the song samples “Claire” by the jazz group Singer’s Unlimited.