Kanye West’s new album Vultures 1 alongside Ty Dolla $ign made for great listening and saw the Chicago native take a new direction with his music. Although the producer had a lot of original material, it wouldn’t be a Ye project without samples. Over the years, Kanye West has utilised different genres to capture excitement. From 1960s Motown to 1990s funk, West’s selections come from far and wide.
Unlike many of his previous projects, Vultures 1 is bass-heavy and sees Kanye re-work some older hip-hop songs and make them fit for purpose in 2024. Regardless of the type of music a producer samples, it has always been an integral part of hip-hop production and is an art form that has been on the decline in recent years.
Many producers have signature sounds that make their sampling choices predictable. Dr Dre’s G-funk sonic is hip-hop’s answer to P-funk tracks, with George Clinton and Parliament at the centre. Timbaland’s 2000s saw classic Arabian compositions get refashioned. However, with Kanye, it has always been unpredictable.
Kanye has delivered a lot with Vultures 1. Aside from incredible guest appearances, the project also sees West use some obscure, exciting samples from decades ago and some more recent. Below, you can see the five best sample moments from West’s latest body of work.
Five best sample moments from Kanye West’s new album:
5. Kanye West – ‘Hell Of A Life,’ My Beautiful dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
Kanye has always been a self-proclaimed genius, and halfway through the track ‘CARNIVAL,’ the Chicago emcee and producer went as far as to sample a song he made over a decade ago. Entitled ‘Hell Of A Life,’ the track was a standout single from his 2010 project My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
The sample used in ‘CARNIVAL’ is the intro of the 2010 single, which hears a heavy distorted guitar-like synth play a catchy riff that all Kanye fans know too well. The rest of the segment appears briefly. However, the sub-bass of the song continues to play the riff. The sample appears at 1:43.
4. Run-DMC – ‘Rock Box,’ Run-DMC (1984)
Run-DMC is hip-hop royalty, and if any collective deserves to get sampled by Kanye, it’s them. The Queens trio made history alongside Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons as part of Def Jam. However, one song shines brighter than the rest, and that is ‘Rock Box’.
The 1984 single appears in ‘BACK TO ME’, where listeners can hear Kanye sample the intro of the old-school track where Rev Run proclaims “Run!” The vocal is pitched down slightly. The sample appears at 1:06.
3. Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Crazy Train’, Blizzard Of Ozz (1980)
Earlier this month, Sharon Osbourne, the wife and manager of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy, insisted there would be legal action if Kanye sampled his music and Vultures 1. However, it seems Kanye has anyway, as the 1980 Black Sabbath song ‘Crazy Train’ appears on West’s song ‘KING’.
The sample is simple yet effective, during the intro, a young man laughs then screams, ‘Aight!’ West has used this shout as part of his song’s drum loop, and the vocal appears throughout the track. The sample first appears at 0:08.
2. Cajmere ft Dajaé – ‘Brighter Days’ (Goodie Mix), Brighter Days (1992)
Cajmere ft Dajaé – ‘Brighter Days’ (Goodie Mix) is a classic house song that is instantly recognisable. The 1992 song is still popular to this day and has been sampled an unfathomable amount of times including on Vultures 1.
This sample, West, uses some of the drums as well as the iconic vocals, which play on a loop in the background. The house-inspired is catchy and features a four-to-the-floor style drum beat. The vocal sample first appears at 0:23.
1. Backstreet Boys – ‘Everybody’, Backstreet’s Back (1997)
This selection is both the funniest and most obvious sample that appears on Vultures 1. The riff, which is known worldwide is used, and the vocals are interpolated by Ty Dolla $ign as he sings, “Everybody rock your body right!”
The melody is extremely well-known as, upon release in 1997, the pop song reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and three on the UK singles charts, so it’s far from obscure. Regardless of this, it makes for nice listening. The sample appears at 0:13 and throughout.
