Where have I heard that before? How Drake, Doja Cat, more sample hits to find chart success

From Donny Hathaway to DeBarge, everything old is new again – at least in some current hip-hop songs.

A glance at the Billboard charts finds a slew of artists borrowing snippets from classic R&B and pop songs to highlight their own work. Doja Cat and Drake rewind to ’80s and ’90s favorites, while Moneybagg Yo and Fat Joe dip into the well of soul-pop. 

Of course, sampling is hardly a contemporary trend. It’s widely accepted that Sugarhill Gang’s indelible “Rapper’s Delight” – often credited as the first commercial rap song in 1979 – shared some DNA with The Fatback Band’s “Kim Tim III.” The song also swiped the bass line from Chic’s “Good Times” and interpolated “Here Comes That Sound Again” from British disco band Love DeLuxe, in "Rapper's" intro. 

“It’s a feeling, an emotion. It’s not the genre you’re looking for, but just a vibe,” says producer-songwriter Drumma Boy, who has worked with hip-hop megastars including 2 Chainz ("Spend It (No DJ)"), T.I. ("What Up, What's Haapnin'"), Future ("Usual") and Gucci Mane ("All My Children"). “You can never get what someone else captured. Whether it’s a bass line, strings, horns, guitars – a lot of music back then was rehearsed over and over before it was captured on tape, so there was a professionalism to the musical sound.”

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The Memphis, Tennessee-born, Atlanta-based Drumma Boy born Christopher Gholson has  “chopped and slipped” songs from Queen, Earth, Wind & Fire and Luther Vandross in his studio work until "it just feels seasoned."

His creations are admired by Rayymon Beatz, a 21-year-old student at Clark Atlanta University who has amassed nearly half a million TikTok followers, who track his dissections of beats behind his DJ turntables.

The college senior, born Jeremiah Dozier, bought his equipment in December 2019 and started developing his interest after a member of the campus activity board approached him about DJing a school event. His attraction to sampling was piqued by his father.

“I’d play new songs around him and he’d say, ‘Hey, I know part of that – that came out in my day,” Beatz said.

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His first TikTok video showing the breakdown of a sample was prompted by his dad as well – Goodie Mob’s 1995 song “Cell Therapy” whittled into a piece of Travis Scott’s 2018 “Astroworld” track, “5% Tint.”

One of Beatz’s earliest – and favorite – videos shows him explaining the mutation of Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T.” into the sample of the song used in Kanye West’s 2007 hit, “Good Life.”

“It’s amazing how the music of yesterday is still carrying the music of today,” he said. “You turn on the radio and you can immediately hear something from the old school. I feel like it’s paying homage to the older artists. This new generation is giving appreciation to the older generation for making this art.”

While some might grouse about the prevalence of sampling, others argue it's an art form when properly attributed and creatively utilized. Record labels and publishing companies such as BMG secure the rights through the original artists or their estate (Drumma Boy says the cost varies, but the $2,500-$7,500-range is typical) and a new creation is birthed for a fresh demographic. 

Here are some current hits and the samples that enhance them:

Moneybagg Yo, 'Wockesha'

Sample: “Stay With Me,” DeBarge. A silken slice of R&B-pop, the song’s simple piano riff is ripe for nestling into a groove, which is exactly where “Wockesha” producers Real Red, YC and Rockamore place it. Already resurrected in 1995 as part of “One More Chance/Stay With Me (Remix)” from The Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans, the 1983 DeBarge release remains a favorite among producers.

Doja Cat, 'Say So'

Sample: “Physical,” Olivia Newton-John. Released in 1981, the cheeky No. 1 smash by the British-Australian sweetheart was nearly offered to Rod Stewart (but would he have donned leg warmers in the video?). Doja Cat integrates the chorus of the song in her own Top 5 hit.

Drake featuring Future and Young Thug, 'Way 2 Sexy'

Sample: “I’m Too Sexy,” Right Said Fred. Inspired by the incessant preening in their London gym, British brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass crafted the ultimate novelty ditty to poke fun at the poseurs. Released in 1991, the satirical song also inspired the cadence of Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” (she officially credited the group). Drake modernizes the production, but otherwise follows Right Said Fred’s blueprint.

Fat Joe, Amorphous, DJ Khaled: 'Sunshine'

Sample: “Never Too Much,” Luther Vandross. The lightly plucked guitar and funky backbeat that power this 1981 gem from one of the most epic voices of soul music also carries this breezy confection from Fat Joe and friends. The late Vandross was regarded as an ace session singer and jingle writer and performer until he released this No. 1 R&B song on his debut album of the same name.  

Wizkid featuring Justin Bieber and Tems, 'Essence'

Sample: “Love Sensation,” Loleatta Holloway. The distinctive yelp of R&B singer Holloway is pronounced throughout this chugging hit. But for a more fully realized sample of the 1980 disco thumper written by Dan “I Can Dream About You” Hartman, check out Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch’s No. 1 hit from 1991, “Good Vibrations.”

Ye (Kanye West) featuring Vory, 'God Breathed'

Sample: “Bell Head (Live)” Liquid Liquid. Leave it to Ye to unearth a snippet of a synthesized vocal to scatter throughout this “Donda” track. The New York quartet Liquid Liquid is best known for its early-’80s track, “Cavern,” which sports the familiar bass line that anchors the Grandmaster & Melle Mel rap classic, “White Lines (Don’t Do It),” a sample that was used without permission and prompted legal action by the band’s record label.

DJ Khaled featuring Post Malone, Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Baby, DaBaby, 'I Did It'

Sample: “Layla,” Derek and the Dominos. The iconic guitar lines played by Eric Clapton and Duane Allman run through the guest-infused track spearheaded by DJ Khaled. Taken from Derek and the Dominos’ only studio album, 1970’s “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,” the ubiquitous classic rock track was partially inspired by Clapton’s crush on Pattie Boyd, the wife of friend George Harrison. The couple divorced in 1977 and Clapton and Boyd married in 1979.