Sampling and the ‘New Fela’ Complex

Although the migration of Black music continues to shape and inform the continuous engagement between varied Black cultures across the world, it equally raises concerns regarding the ‘ethical preservation’ of Black music and whether or not this is even possible. In other words, is it too much to ask that Black music is shared, disseminated and explored ethically across the world? Or is ethical preservation an abstract, pipe dream which is divorced from our current reality?

The ethical preservation of Black music requires that our history is reflected and built upon by the musical practices of younger artists. This is particularly evident through the ways that young Nigerian artists sample older records, as seen through Ayra Starr’s sample of the 1970s afrobeat and funk song, ‘Orere Elejibo’ by the Lijadu Sisters on her Don Jazzy produced song ‘Sare,’ Santi and Poco Lee’s interpolation of ‘Oti e le,’ derived from Rebel MC’s ‘Lori Le,’ which is heard on their song titled ‘Show me the way,’ and Odunsi’s sample of ‘Wetin Dey,’ by the Nigerian rap group Ruff Rugged and Raw. Last but not least, Lady Donli’s 2019 Enjoy Your Life album is filled with nostalgic Nigerian music references and samples. For instance, on the chorus of ‘Answers,’ Lady Donli adopts P-Square’s cadence on their hit song, ‘Busy body,’ to create a continuous loop of nostalgia which transports the listener to the early 2000s and on ‘Suffer Suffer,’ she adopts the composition on ‘National Moi Moi,’ a song performed by the Nollywood actress, Patience Ozokwo, otherwise known as Mama G. These examples are significant because they help bridge the gap between the past and present. Through sampling, listeners are exposed to new genres of music and gain a deeper appreciation of an artist’s musical influences.

Sampling is also a tool for education. As the Afrobeats’ subgenre is currently male dominated, the impact and contribution of women artists are often undermined. By sampling the Lijadu Sisters, who played an instrumental role in shaping the genre, Ayra Starr is not only paying homage to women artists before her time but also exposing her audience to a much-needed reference point, when considering legendary women in Nigerian music. Similarly, Rebel MC and Ruff Rugged Raw were often viewed as outcasts in the late 1990s to the mid-2000s due to the ways they branded themselves and the type of music they created, which was a heavy mix of hip-hop and indigenous Nigerian sounds like Afrobeats and Juju music. As recognized by Megan Iacobini de Fazio, writer and contributor to the online record store, Bandcamp, the Mama G sample on ‘Suffer Suffer,’ is ‘an ode to the theatrics of Nollywood’ as the ‘Suffer Suffer’ music video takes direct inspiration from Nollywood film adverts and Nigerian music videos, which were popular in the late 1990s to early 2000s. Sampling reminds us that current musical genres and sub-genres do not exist in a vacuum – it informs us of critical musical histories and references, which laid the foundation for the music we currently listen to.

If it is true that music is a reflection of culture, then sampling also connects different facets of Black culture, genres and artists. African American artists are constantly sampling indigenous African music on pop music, rap and R&B. A popular example of this can be found on Michael Jackson’s ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Something’ which includes an interpolation from ‘Soul Makossa’ by the Cameroonian artist Manu Dibango. A more recent example can be found on the 2019 song, ‘Plenty,’ which is performed by Ambré and produced by Sons of Sonix. The producers sample Ebo Taylor’s highlife classic, ‘Love and Death,’ to create a genre-bending song which reflects elements of R&B and highlife – two genres that have deeply entrenched roots in Black culture. Highlife originated from Ghana and grew to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, whereas the origins of R&B are traced to blues music created in the 1860s by African-American artists in the deep south of North America.

Similarly, on ‘90s Proof’ performed by Smino featuring J. Cole (Luv 4 Rent, 2022), the producers – Groove and Monte Booker – sample ‘E Ma S’eka,’ by the Nigerian highlife, afrobeat and funk artist, Bola Johnson. The continuous loop of Bola Johnson’s vocals throughout ‘90s Proof,’ not only enhances the production by creating cohesion within the song, but also reflects hip-hop’s commitment to merging modernity with tradition.

Sampling also demonstrates the cyclical relationship between the diaspora and African continent, as African artists equally sample Black diasporic music, to create afro-fusion. This is evident through ‘Last Last,’ by Burna Boy which samples Toni Braxton’s 2000 R&B song, ‘He wasn’t man enough,’ and ‘No Doubt,’ by WANI and Odunsi, which samples another early 2000s R&B song, titled ‘Fill me in’ by Craig David. Both examples demonstrate the adaptability of Black music and highlight how cross-pollination brings a refreshing sound and perspective to contemporary music.