Music sampling offers fresh tastes of originals

Anyone who has listened to Kanye West’s Grammy Award-winning “Stronger” may recognize its similarity to another Grammy Award-winning song, Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” And those listeners almost certainly have wondered whether a copyright lawsuit broke out between the two hit artists, considering that “Stronger” consists of West rapping over Daft Punk’s song.

Surprisingly, there wasn’t. In fact, Daft Punk was delighted when it heard the song. “Stronger” was the product of music sampling, an ever-growing trend entwined in the music industry that encourages rather than discourages creativity.

In music sampling, artists take a portion, such as the bass line, of another artist’s song and use it in an “original” production. While it has been the subject of serious cases regarding copyright infringement in the music industry, music sampling is tantamount to an innocuous act: paying homage to another artist’s work.

Take Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda.” Minaj’s rapping, juxtaposed with an exaggerated speaking voice, has turned the song into a global hit. What most people might not know is that “Anaconda” heavily samples the second-most popular song of 1992: Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.”

In fact, the sampled lyrics of “Anaconda” are its most famous: “My anaconda don’t want none unless you got buns, hun.” The song has also borrowed the oft-repeated line, “Oh my gosh, look at her butt,” which formed the opening lyrics of “Baby Got Back.”

Some may argue that artists like Minaj are earning credit they don’t deserve. Yet the new songs are successful precisely because of their combined elements and distinctive style, not the re-hashing of sampled portions.

Even Sir Mix-a-Lot recognized Minaj’s song’s individual merit, telling HipHopDX he had become Minaj’s “fan for life.” Minaj’s record label contacted him before producing “Anaconda,” but he never heard the full song before its release. He stated that the song “is [Minaj’s] creation” and that he “liked the change in feel.”

Unfortunately, original artists like Sir Mix-a-Lot are rarely acknowledged for their contributions to new songs. Even if they did receive credit, however, the point would be moot. Modern listeners would care little for the original work of obscure artists, as it would be overshadowed by more recent versions of popular artists.

Another downside of sampling is that artists, publishers and record companies often sue for copyright infringement. In some instances, the artist chooses to continue the case. Other times, the disputes are settled out of court because the sampling artist prefers to obtain an expensive license and make other concessions rather than face a lawsuit. After releasing their joint album “Watch the Throne,” Kanye West and Jay-Z chose to quietly settle a lawsuit from Syl Johnson over a sample of his song “Different Strokes.”

Still, the fact is that when artists sample, they create three or four minutes of entirely original music. The sampled portions likely comprise less than 10 percent of the total song, and artists often use them to build up a fresh product while honoring the theme of the original song.

Furthermore, the music industry carries so many examples of music sampling that it has generally been accepted as ethical and commonplace. “We Can’t Stop” by Miley Cyrus, which samples from Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick’s “La Di Da Di,” Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love” from Chi-Lites’ “Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)” and Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” from Boney M’s “Ma Baker” are just a few modern examples. Yet these new artists simply borrow a rough sketch of the original and take the music in a different direction, often allowing a wider audience to appreciate it.

Even some beloved classics are brushed by the “taint” of music sampling. Vanilla Ice’s famed “Ice Ice Baby” borrowed from Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.” And Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is essentially “Plaisir d’amour,” a French love song written by Jean-Paul Martini in the 18th century.

Still, Presley gave the melody a more modern arrangement by changing the song’s meaning from tragic heartache to the lighter, less cynical inevitability of love. Most musicians, like Presley, don’t blindly borrow songs to suit their own ends — they let highlights of the original music take on new forms and live on.

So would Martini mind if he was transported to the 20th century and told that his work would be sung by a rock and roll icon? That’s doubtful. Like Sir Mix-a-Lot, he would probably be honored that people are still appreciating what is essentially a tribute to his music.

In short, borrowing a few lines is not stealing, nor is it a copyright violation. Since the days of classical music, people have been sampling and been sampled. There’s no need for drama when “Stronger” starts playing — just lean back and enjoy that vocal line.