Is it ok to just take a sample as is and run it for a beat?

S

StanleySteamer

New member
Hey FP, so I found this sample that pretty much has everything in it from bass to drums and it even loops correctly for a verse and for a hook how I want it. However, it seems like I don't even need to add anything as in no percussions or snares or claps or kicks or whatever. Basically I was wondering if a lot of professional sample based producers find something like what I have where it already has drums and melodies and baseline and everything I need in it already and basically just pitch it up and chop it up and loop it how they want. Feedback always appreciated thanks.
 
If it sounds good, run with it man.

Even the greats do it.



Death of Autotune is just 2-3 loops pitched down.
 
A lot of people (including the US and other international governments, and especially those that created the track in question) might feel that approach to be considered:

a) Theft

b) Lame

Sorry man, just telling it like it is. Create your own stuff!

GJ
 
I disagree, as long as you're just looping a portion of it, I don't see anything wrong with it. Madlib, arguably one of the best sample based producers often does it. Sometimes he adds little bits here and there but generally he keeps the sample close to the original.
 
rhythmgj said:
A lot of people (including the US and other international governments, and especially those that created the track in question) might feel that approach to be considered:

a) Theft

b) Lame

Sorry man, just telling it like it is. Create your own stuff!

GJ
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That's a lot of people's opinion on sampling in general
 
Understood. But there's a big difference between using a sample, or a number of samples and making it/them your own, versus what I like to call the "P-Diddy Bite" method, which is just wholesale bogging the hook from someone else's popular song. That's not sampling, that's straight-up copying. From the OP's initial description, it sounds like he is using the latter, not the former, method...

GJ
 
StanleySteamer said:
Hey FP, so I found this sample that pretty much has everything in it from bass to drums and it even loops correctly for a verse and for a hook how I want it. However, it seems like I don't even need to add anything as in no percussions or snares or claps or kicks or whatever. Basically I was wondering if a lot of professional sample based producers find something like what I have where it already has drums and melodies and baseline and everything I need in it already and basically just pitch it up and chop it up and loop it how they want. Feedback always appreciated thanks.
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Go for it. They're usually harder to find since sampling's been going on now for close to 30 years but if you find a loop that's already complete, jump on it. Some people have a tendency to overthink. Try and not be one of those people.
 
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Just do what feels right to you man. I've came across certain samples and noticed there's little to nothing done to them when flipped, like Mos Def's "Life Is Real" from his The New Danger album. Me personally, I don't like when classic hip records are basically copied like when J. Cole used the sample Outkast used for "The Art of Storytelling" but that just might be my Outkast bias talking lol
 
JWill716 said:
Just do what feels right to you man. I've came across certain samples and noticed there's little to nothing done to them when flipped, like Mos Def's "Life Is Real" from his The New Danger album. Me personally, I don't like when classic hip records are basically copied like when J. Cole used the sample Outkast used for "The Art of Storytelling" but that just might be my Outkast bias talking lol
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co-signing this. if you're gonna use a sample thats already been used - do it better.
If the loop isnt used - go ahead and just loop it.
 
if it sounds good go for it. I would probably try to add my own drums, snares, or an extra sound of some sort just to make it unique somehow, but as long as it sounds good I don't see a problem
 
2 things to think about:

1, is the loop royalty free?
and 2, if it includes a melody of some sort, could the original artist recognize it and possibly track you down for copyright infringement?

See, drums themselves may not be so easy to recognize if you loop them, but a melody gives it away. It's like the signature on a song. So I'd say:

Fine if no melody involved and you create your own over the drum loop.
Not okay if you're using the same ass melody. That's straight copying.

If you create a new melody and use the drum loop properly, then you are making music.
Otherwise, you're not being original. You're being lazy and probably not even giving credit to the original composer, are you?

Thanks
 
Legally speaking sampling in it's entirety is not ok. if we're talking morally I'd say just go for it.
Art is art, no matter how you created it. If you really look at it, Andy Warhol was basically sampling when he used that picture of the soup can and he is one of the most famous and well respected artists of our time.

Just do whatever the **** feels good to you. You shouldn't have to give two shits about anyone else's opinion.

One of the tracks on my new album basically consists of one loop. Yeah I added the organ sample, the bongo sample and the drums at the end, but it's mostly just that loop.

 
9th Wonder does it a lot he just loops part of a beat, but it sounds like he chop it cause he took multiple loops to give it more variety. If you listen to Rapsody -So High you can tell all 9th wonder did was loop the sample. and added a drum to make it sound clearer. It whatever you feel like other said just make sure the loop hasn't been use. that why I always check whosampled just to be sure I didn't chop it the same like other producers.
 
ALC does this, Madlib does this, NO I.D. did it, Kanye too and many producers too. As long as the sample is rare, why not. If you're not feeling guilty with it, go with it. You can speed it or pitch it a little, add some effects/one shot vocals/whatever over it to be more original if you want, too!
 
>>>>Just do whatever the **** feels good to you. You shouldn't have to give two shits about anyone else's opinion.<<<<

Fantastic! In one hedonistically orgastic sentence, the whole of international legal precedence and civilized good will is wiped-out completely. Who-da-thunk-it??

GJ
 
I think it's all context. Sometimes it's ballsy to just let the sample roll. And it can be creative especially if the song is chosen specifically for a rapper to spit on. The song "Stay" on Nas' last album comes to mind, my fav off that album. But if your goal is to make a beat to show off your sample flipping skills to your friends that won't work as well. There's a lot to be said for someone who has great "selector" skills though and the right song with minimal editing can work.
 
in terms of the song itself, some of the best rap songs were made this way. nothing wrong with it IMO unless someone's already used that loop.

on the legal side, this will get you sued much faster than chopping.
 
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