I'm a big fan of Nas's, but recently my students introduced me to a song by him that I didn't know, "I know I can:"
The song features a very positive message directed to children (a rarity in today's hip-hop milieu). It uses an altered version of Beethoven's "Fur Elise." When considered in light of the song's message--you can be what you want to be--I began to think about the choice of this sample. Sampling classical music is uncommon in rap, but it does happen on occasion. But why sample this piece for this song? "Fur Elise" strikes me as the quintessential student piano piece: virtually everyone who has ever pursued the piano to some degree has probably played this piece. It represents the discipline of daily practice, and what is possible through hard work, which resonates with the content of Nas's lyrics. There are clips throughout of a young girl playing the piano, and the video concludes with images of children playing various "classical" instruments while Nas encourages us to "Save the Music."
Two other songs that sample classical music prominently include Diddy's (Puff Daddy at that point, along with Faith Evans and 112) used Barber's Adagio for strings (actually, its choral arrangement as "Agnus Dei") as the introduction to his "I'll be missing you," an elegy for Biggie Smalls. (I can't find a recording on YouTube of this version.) I suspect the Adagio's function as a tool for collective mourning in our country inspired Diddy's use of the work.
Busdriver's "Imaginary Places" is probably my favorite example:
I have some theories on his use of the Bach orchestral suite, but you'll have to wait for the article...
The song features a very positive message directed to children (a rarity in today's hip-hop milieu). It uses an altered version of Beethoven's "Fur Elise." When considered in light of the song's message--you can be what you want to be--I began to think about the choice of this sample. Sampling classical music is uncommon in rap, but it does happen on occasion. But why sample this piece for this song? "Fur Elise" strikes me as the quintessential student piano piece: virtually everyone who has ever pursued the piano to some degree has probably played this piece. It represents the discipline of daily practice, and what is possible through hard work, which resonates with the content of Nas's lyrics. There are clips throughout of a young girl playing the piano, and the video concludes with images of children playing various "classical" instruments while Nas encourages us to "Save the Music."
Two other songs that sample classical music prominently include Diddy's (Puff Daddy at that point, along with Faith Evans and 112) used Barber's Adagio for strings (actually, its choral arrangement as "Agnus Dei") as the introduction to his "I'll be missing you," an elegy for Biggie Smalls. (I can't find a recording on YouTube of this version.) I suspect the Adagio's function as a tool for collective mourning in our country inspired Diddy's use of the work.
Busdriver's "Imaginary Places" is probably my favorite example:
I have some theories on his use of the Bach orchestral suite, but you'll have to wait for the article...