Keep the faith in De La Soul
Since our journey began we’ve been focusing on one sample at a time. But it takes various samples to create an astonishing beat.
For instance, let’s try to peel ”Keepin’ the faith”, song from the early 90’s jazzy Hip-Hop band De La Soul in their second album ”De La Soul is dead”. You’ll figure out a sample could be vocal and instrumental as well.
It took five main samples to get ”Keepin’ the faith” a track which doesn’t lose its flavor with time. Twenty years on, and my neck still moving backward every time the sound of this track comes out.
First, let’s find a nice intro with a keyboard which you’ll memorize once you’ve heard it twice. It’s like being in a carousel for children.
Bob James had been used uncountable times by Hip-Hop producers, because he’s a gold mine.
Then you don’t have to be stuck in one musical type. You could sample one of the most famous songs ever, like ”Could you be loved” by Bob Marley and the Wailers for the guitar riff.
After that comes the less obvious samples, like the drums ”stolen” from another great band, Aerosmith with the well-known track ”Walk this Way”, and the bassline with ”Just a touch of love” from Slave released in 1979.
And to finalize your beat, to make it perfect, you could add a vocal sample, just a simple word. As simple as ”Champ” from the Mohawk.
Listening to all those samples, makes us realize the diversity of the musical areas in which the producer of this track Prince Paul came to search.
Now let’s listen carefully the genious of Prince Paul, and the energy and positive lyrics on top of that of De La Soul, and you should recognize all the samples.
Sample Dat 