Al Green’s soul is ingrained in hip hop’s DNA. From samples and interpolations of his songs, he’s not only helped define the genre but played a role in hip-hop that can not be understated. Some of the biggest names in music have sampled his vocals, making them a staple in the sounds of today. Many legendary hip-hop classics have reimagined Green’s illustrious discography, injecting the emotion of his unique vocals into their music. Last year, Rolling Stone ranked the music icon as the tenth greatest singer of all time — a testament to his legacy. Today, we are looking at the best Al Green samples in hip hop. Take a look at the list below.
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“Eye For A Eye (Your Beef Is Mines)” – Mobb Deep Feat. Nas & Raekwon (1995)
One of Mobb Deep’s most iconic tracks creatively flips Al Green’s “I Wish You Were Here.” The New York rap duo completely transformed its sample. The song builds on top of its melancholic string section to make one of hip-hop’s filthiest beats. The strings become the spooky backing for the thumping drum break on “Eye For A Eye.” The verses from Havoc, Prodigy, Nas, and Raekwon are so tough that one might not even think of Al Green when they hear the beat for the first time. Mobb Deep later sampled his music once again on their final studio album. Additionally, Raekwon, his fellow Wu-Tang Clan members, and Nas sampled Al Green on numerous tracks.
“Shootouts” – Nas (1996)
Nas sampled Al Green’s music for multiple tracks on Street’s Disciple as well as “U Wanna Be Me” from the 8 Mile soundtrack. Out of the many times he has repurposed Green’s music, his first is easily the best. His 1996 song “Shootouts” samples the exact part of “I Wish You Were Here” that “Eye For A Eye” did a year prior. Unlike “Eye For A Eye,” Nas’s track turns its Al Green sample into a clean loop that is not as menacing. Producers Poke and Tone slowed and chopped “I Wish You Were Here” into a polished boom-bap instrumental, embodying the mafioso theme of It Was Written.
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“What’s Beef?” – The Notorious B.I.G. (1997)
Biggie sampled Al Green’s “I’m Glad You’re Mine” on three separate occasions. Two of these songs, “What’s Beef?” and “I Got a Story to Tell,” ended up on Life After Death. The posthumously released “Dead Wrong” also sampled the track as well. While all three tracks made a classic rap songs out of the famous drum break, “What’s Beef” is easily the most creative.
Producers Nashiem Myrick and Carlos Broady did not alter the loop, but added the ominous strings on top to create a hip-hop classic. Biggie’s commanding delivery fits comfortably within the pockets of the drums, making perfect sense as to why he rapped over them so much. In comparison to the other uses of “I’m Glad You’re Mine,” the additional production on “What’s Beef?” fits the sample better. Life After Death features multiple Al Green samples, including this track, the aforementioned “I Got a Story to Tell,” and “My Downfall.”
“Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)” – JAY-Z(2001)
JAY-Z’s The Blueprint album closes with “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me),” sampling Al Green’s “Free At Last.” Producer Bink! flipped his vocals into a motivational outro layered with slow drums and an organ melody. He sampled such a small portion of the song but it lends itself nicely to the rest of the track. The additional instrumentation combined with the tasteful Al Green sample makes for a soulful beat on an album known for its brilliant sample flips. The beat on “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)” was later repurposed for “Mamma Knew Love,” the opening track from Anthony Hamilton’s debut album, 2003’s Comin’ From Where I’m From.
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“Living This Life” – UGK (2007)
UGK’s “Living This Life” stands out as one of the best uses of Al Green samples in hip hop. It samples not one, but two different songs from Green. “Living This Life” incorporates the aforementioned drum break from “I’m Glad You’re Mine” and the vocals from “Free At Last.” These prominently sampled Al Green songs, along with Goodie Mob’s “Free,” display how various elements of preexisting songs can create a brand new sound. While both of these Al Green samples have been reworked for several hip-hop songs, UGK and the track’s producers, N.O. Joe and Joe Scorsese, managed to make them fit together seamlessly.
“Are We Still Friends?” – Tyler, The Creator (2019)
On IGOR, Tyler, The Creator beautifully modified Al Green’s “Dream” into a compelling album closer. Throughout its instrumental, “Are We Still Friends?” notably features a slightly sped-up loop “Dream,” incorporating multiple elements of the track. Tyler does not modify it too much. Instead, he created a completely new song out of it, exhibiting that a good loop is sometimes all one needs. “Are We Still Friends?” experiences multiple embellishments in its production throughout the song, adding Tyler’s own style of instrumentation to Al Green’s original version. It remains one of Tyler’s most soulful songs to date.
“Crowns For Kings” – Benny The Butcher Feat. Black Thought (2019)
In hip hop, many producers heavily chop Al Green samples, while others simply loop a portion of the song. Benny The Butcher’s “Crowns For Kings” opts for the latter. Green’s “Look What You Done To Me” is featured as the basis for the track. Produced by the late DJ Shay, the sample is met with a traditional drum pattern, over which Benny and Black Thought deliver bars with conviction. Adding to the sample and the rest of the track is the triumphant brass between the verses. The way “Crowns For Kings” transformed “Look What You Done To Me” shows the power of a good loop.
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