Sampling in hip-hop has been going on since the genre’s inception, but in 2023, it’s been more prevalent than ever. If everything sounds familiar, it’s because it definitely is. Words: Grant Rindner ...

As we continue to celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, here’s how A Tribe Called Quest helped me appreciate one of the most important aspects of the genre. As a Queens native, my 15-year-old self was ...

Sampling has shaped hip hop’s sound for decades, but today’s legal landscape demands artists understand copyright, licensing, and fair use boundaries. From iconic breakbeats to Creative Commons ...

Sometimes you hear a new hip-hop song and think, “I know this song — I’ve heard these sounds before.” You’re probably right, because hip-hop music is built on sampling, the process of using existing ...

From the Bronx block parties to Twitch streams, hip-hop’s heartbeat has always been community-driven. Sampling, innovation, and cultural connection keep the genre alive across decades. Now, curated ...

When hip-hop first started in 1973 at a party thrown by Clive Campbell, also known as DJ Kool Herc, it might have sounded different from the hip-hop we know today, but much of the groundwork has ...

Hip-hop beat-makers are usually unseen. Not all sample-based producers are as reclusive as the torch-bearing loop artist Madlib, but even the most prominent among them are part of the backdrop. After ...

Sampling has been part of the genre since the beginning. The rapper Busta Rhymes names the songs that artists keep turning to. By Mitchell Kuga Roy Hammond, the lead singer of the Honey Drippers.