Hip-Hop & Film: Art of the Sample

Throughout the years, feature film scores have provided rich sources of cross-genre experimentation for hip-hop artists.

David Liu | 27 December 2011

Song: “Blueprint²” by Jay-Z 
Sample: “The Ecstasy of Gold” by Ennio Morricone
Film: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly (Sergio Leone, 1966)

Producer Charlemagne preserves the grandeur of Morricone’s iconic opening piano riff and ensuing operatic sweep. (See also: samples by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony on their 2007 track “We Workin’” and by David Fincher for an NFL commercial starring LaDainian Tomlinson and Troy Polamalu.)

Song: “Burnt Offering“ by Blue Scholars
Sample: “Moon River” by Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer
Film: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Blake Edwards, 1961) 

The Seattle-based duo of Prometheus Brown and Sabzi are self-professed cinephiles, and their jazz-tinged re-interpretation of the Mancini classic resonates with cosmopolitan refinement.

Song: “RoboCop” by Kanye West 
Sample: “Kissing in the Rain” by Patrick Doyle
Film: Great Expectations (Alfonso Cuarón, 1998)

After skillfully juxtaposing string instruments with rap vocals on 2005’s “Gone,” West pushed the envelope further with this lush, angst-ridden arrangement of Doyle’s score.

Song: “It’s Mine” by Mobb Deep & Nas
Sample: “Tony’s Theme” by Giorgio Moroder
Film: Scarface (Brian De Palma, 1983) 

Larger than life: Queensbridge’s most illustrious products join forces over a prominent instrumental tribute to one of cinema’s most celebrated underworld figures.

Song: “Dance with the Devil” by Immortal Technique
Sample: “(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story” by Francis Lai
Film: Love Story (Arthur Hiller, 1970) 

Drenched in irony, Technique’s 10-minute tale of a young would-be gang member’s vanishing illusions elevates its melancholy source material to unsettling heights.