Mike the Visionary 

14 June 2023 

Popular Tracks with Great Sample Choices 

Every rap fan has experienced lack of respect for their generation’s music from older rap fans in some shape, form, or fashion. It happened in the 80s and 90s with gangsta rap, and can also be seen in all aspects of today’s rap music. I genuinely believe that bridging the gap between generations, would simply be today’s artists paying homage to those that paved the way for them. When listening to rap music from the 90s and 2000s, artists generally paid homage to their mentors or idols by collaborating with them on a single; Big L did it with Big Daddy Kane, Nas with Rakim, or even Jay-Z and Jaz-O. Although this is still done today, the main method of paying homage is through the art of sampling, which will serve as the focal point of this week’s It Ain’t Hard to Tell. 

Ghostface Killah: If you were to ask Ghostface Killah what group he loved most as a child, he’d probably answer with “The Delfonics”. Ghost had the honor of actually working with The Delfonics on his debut album Ironman (1996), in which they can be heard on the track “After the Smoke is Clear”. Almost a decade later, Ghostface dropped The Pretty Toney Album (2004), which also consists of an appearance by The Delfonics, this time as a sample. On the track “Holla” Ghostface raps over the famous Delfonics single “La La Means I Love You”. From hearing The Delfonics as a child, to creating art with them, and even getting into a shootout with them was more than enough homage paid to his favorite group. 

Polo Perks: Polo Perks is currently an extremely popular artist within the underground scene, as well as one of the faces of the Surf Gang collective (centered around producer Evil Giane). In 2021, Polo Perks collaborated with producers Evil Giane and Tommytohotty and dropped his project Punk Goes Drill. The concept of the album is evident, drill beats consisting of punk rock samples. Track three “Who Killed Kenny” (produced by Evil Giane & Tommytohotty) samples “MakeDamnSure” (2006) by the punk rock band Taking Back Sunday. I wouldn’t necessarily say that Polo Perks is paying homage to this particular band, but he’s definitely keeping their music alive. More importantly, this project most likely expanded his audience, and possibly turned rock fans into rap fans. 

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