Reflection on Copyright Criminals

I found the documentary we watched in class last week, Copyright Criminals, very interesting, specifically because it challenged my preconceptions about sampling. I’ve always enjoyed music that made creative use of samples. For me the creation of a song in this format can be as inventive an offering as that of any original work. Despite this, I was moved by some of the arguments put forward by dissenters featured in the documentary - particularly as it relates to Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby”.

In the context of sampling, I think people are right to take issue with a song like this. It takes the bassline of a fairly well known pop hit and loops it without any perceivable manipulation. I would label this as a poor use of sampling. But I think where the critics of sampling featured in the documentary are wrong is in using an example like this to disregard the entire genre. Because their criticisms largely begin and end with songs like these, they never delve into the more inspired regions that this method of making music has to offer.

However, this raises an interesting question. What makes for an interesting use of samples? A few things that come to mind are the employment of obscure samples, the combination of various, unrelated samples to create something entirely original, and the manipulation of elements of a sample.

Obscure samples are interesting if only because of the immense time commitment on the part of the sampler. Sifting through old records at a record shop is almost a prerequisite in this case, and samplers working in this space have often been labeled as “crate diggers”. Oftentimes the samples used in this case are relatively unknown pieces of music. The sampler is almost giving these songs a renewed life.

Though in a genre like hip-hop these samples are often looped and maybe some drums and a bassline are layered beneath it, where it gets even more interesting is when alterations are performed on the underlying sample. Messing with the way certain segments of a song are sequenced (“chopping”) or pitching up/down vocals are all staples of hip-hop production.

Still, what I find most amazing about sample-generated music is when several distinct samples are strung together to create something new. It’s inconceivable how much time it must have taken to find not only one, but a few clips from obscure sources (so as to avoid copyright laws) that perfectly complement one another. It certainly requires a unique talent that is difficult for us to recognize because of the underlying way in which the music is created. Ignorant of the nuance involved, it can certainly feel like stealing or making music off the backs of real musicians. I'll end with some songs that I think use sampling creatively.