While I'm digging for samples to chop, it's always a delightful surprise when you recognize a song that has been sampled. What heightens this experience is when the sampled song sounds better than the song that it was sampled for.
"Rise" from Herb Alpert is one of those cases. Alpert is an American jazz musician that had elements of disco, funk, pop, and R&B in his discography. Besides being a composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, and record executive, he was primarily known as a trumpeter. In October 1979, Albert's instrumental hit, "Rise", won a Grammy Award.
The record starts with a hypnotizing bassline that's eventually supported by percussions and other instruments. At the 0:33 mark is when Alpert makes his "voice" heard.
Herb Alpert - Rise (1979)
Those familiar with the late great Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie Smalls, will immediately recognize the bassline riff that was sampled for Biggie's 1997 single "Hypnotize", which won Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards.
I should note that my opinion about Alpert's original being better than Biggie's is obviously subjective. That doesn't take away from the fact that "Hypnotize" is an outstanding record.
Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize (1997)
Nas' "Power, Paper, & Pussy" sampled "Rise" as well, which also sampled the drum break from Billy Squier's The Big Beat.
Nas - Power, Paper, & Pussy (2010)
Last but not least, another song that sampled Alpert's "Rise" is Monica's "I'm Back", track one from her 2002 third studio album "All Eyez on Me".
Monica - I'm Back (2002)
Previous Song of the Day
- Lamont Dozier - The Picture Will Never Change (1974) / Shine (1974) / Prelude & Rose (1974)
- Charles Manson - Unplugged 9.11.67 Volume 1 (1967)
- Hodges, James, & Smith - Sexy Ways (1975) / Signal Your Intention (1973)
- DeBarge - "I Like It" (1982)
- The Roots feat. Bilal - It Ain't Fair (2017)
- Lonnie Liston Smith - Summer Nights (1975) / A Garden of Peace (1983)
- The Avalanches ft. Sonny Cheeba of Camp Lo - Because I'm Me (2016)