There are a ton of songs out there that use samples from other, amazing songs that came before them. No song is safe from being sampled, and often times, the song that it ends up in completely desecrates the original song. There are some samples that I will admittedly enjoy, but there are those that I hear, and I completely cringe, because the song they are sampling is brilliant, and their song is anything but. Worst of all to me, is that many times, the sampled song will be much more obscure, and most people will just think that the brilliance of the sample lies with the artist who crafted the “new” song.
Here are just a few of the songs that I’ve heard recently, that sample amazing songs to make them more popular, and in doing so, completely tarnish the original song:
Jason DeRulo – Whatcha Say (Imogen Heap’s Hide and Seek) (horrible mention: The Game – What You Say)
Kid Cudi – Make Her Say (Lady GaGa’s Poker Face)
Tinchy Stryder – You’re Not Alone (Olive’s You’re Not Alone)
Specifically, the most egregious of offenses to me, especially lately, is Jason DeRulo’s catapulting to fame off of the superior talent of Imogen Heap. Her amazing Hide and Seek didn’t come anywhere near the top 10, even though it should have, and this idiot’s song that completely rips off her talent is sitting pretty, making it seem as if he has even a shred of talent; when clearly, it lies with Imogen. Overall, I know that this is a common practice in hip hop, and I know that it won’t be ending any time soon, but as is the case with the aforementioned tracks, I can’t stand them, and I won’t be getting used to the idea of these rip offs dominating the airways anytime soon.