Sometimes, a song being sampled in a popular Hip-hop song gives that tune a second life. At other times, an iconic song from the past is so recognizable that sampling it simply proves to be a creative interpretation of a legendary release in music history. While we’ve explored songs that have been rejuvenated thanks to finding their way into a Hip-hop classic, that is not always the case. Some of the greatest sample flips the genre has seen come from award-winning albums and beloved musicians of soul and jazz’s golden age, as if these compositions are so essential they can’t help but live forever.
Such is the case of Isaac Hayes, one of the South’s greatest contributions to the soul boom that dominated the 60’s and 70’s. What started as a humble position at the iconic Stax Records, as an in-house songwriter, producer, and session musician, turned into a wildly innovative, successful solo career. His solo debut, Presenting Issac Hayes, arrived in 1967, but his 1969 sophomore effort, Hot Buttered Soul, would prove to be the true jumping-off point for Hayes’s legacy. The early 70’s would turn out to be a landmark year for both soul music and Hayes, with the artist releasing Black Moses and his original soundtrack to the movie Shaft. The latter brings us to this Golden Age Thursday, as we explore the use of “Theme From Shaft” throughout nineties Hip-hop. The song, which won Hayes the Academy Award for Best Original Song, has become a staple in Hip-hop. Below, you can hear the generational song interpreted by some of Hip-hop’s greatest representatives.
Original Sample: Issac Hayes – “Theme From Shaft”
Produced by Isaac Hayes
Jay-Z Feat. The Lox, Beanie Sigel, & Sauce Money – “Reservoir Dogs”
Produced by Erick Sermon & Darold “Pop” Trotter
LL Cool J – “Get Down”
Produced by L.A. Posse & LL Cool J
N.W.A – “100 Miles and Runnin'”
Produced by Dr. Dre & DJ Yella
