{"id":1427,"date":"2019-03-24T20:56:24","date_gmt":"2019-03-24T20:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/?p=1427"},"modified":"2019-03-24T20:56:25","modified_gmt":"2019-03-24T20:56:25","slug":"how-drakes-nice-for-what-and-taylor-swifts-september-show-the-differing-implications-of-sampling-and-covering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/writing-project-2-voice-in-its-cultural-contexts-and-consequences\/how-drakes-nice-for-what-and-taylor-swifts-september-show-the-differing-implications-of-sampling-and-covering\/","title":{"rendered":"How Drake\u2019s \u201cNice for What\u201d and Taylor Swift\u2019s \u201cSeptember\u201d Show the Differing Implications of Sampling and Covering"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most of the music one listens to today is unoriginal. With the changing landscape of the music industry, and the struggle artists face to sound different, most of the music heard today draws from many previous songs. The most obvious forms of artists\u2019 use of other songs are samples and covers. Samples use only parts of older songs, whether it is lyrical, musical, or the direct copy and paste of a sound bite from the song. Covers, on the other hand, rework the entirety of the song: keeping the same lyrics but usually changing the music behind them, recreating an entirely new sounding song. The difference between the two is obvious; however, the implications each bring can be cloudy. Samples are inherently less risky: taking only a section of a song and placing it within a larger piece of work comes with less scrutiny, and in some cases, requires more creativity. However, with covers, keeping the exact lyrics and changing the feeling and sound behind them often times leads to controversy and subsequently requires more thought. Songs like Drake\u2019s \u201cNice for What\u201d and Young Thug\u2019s \u201cHigh\u201d<\/a> effectively sample the brilliance of both Lauryn Hill and Elton John, bringing the best out of their work and making it sound unique. However, covers like Taylor Swift\u2019s \u201cSeptember\u201d not only makes a fun-loving song a tear-jerking one, but also brings with it some serious cultural connotations that leave many listeners feeling uncomfortable due to its racial implications. These examples affirm the notion that covers are riskier than samples, and as a listener or an artist, one must think critically towards a piece and ask if it truly honors the song used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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