From Ne-Yo to Rihanna & Biggie Smalls: Some of the best use of samples in Hip-Hop & RnB

12 May 2026, 11:34 | Updated: 12 May 2026, 12:35

From Diana Ross to Eminem, music creation takes equal parts inspiration and originality, with artists reusing parts of songs that they love and transforming them into something completely different. But do you recognise these samples?

By Shanai Dunglinson

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Hip-Hop and RnB are genres that have such a deep history of sampling, whether that be deep cuts or successful songs in their own right, the likes of artists like Tupac and Rihanna, it has given us some of the best tracks the genre has to offer.

While less common in other genres, Hip-Hop simply wouldn’t sound anything like it does today without the use of referencing other songs.

So, what are some of the best uses of samples? & What are some tracks that you didn’t even know were samples?

Here is a full list.

Kendrick Lamar, Diana Ross, Vybz Kartel. Picture: Getty Images

Diana Ross ‘I’m Coming Out’ (1980) > ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’ The Notorious B.I.G (1997)

Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out

‘I'm Coming Out’ became one of the most iconic sample flips in hip-hop history when it was reworked into ‘Mo Money Mo Problems’ for Biggie’s last album ‘Life After Death’.

Originally a disco anthem produced by Nile Rodgers for Diana Ross in 1980, the bright bassline and energetic vibes were transformed into a heavy, rap record about the dark side of fame and wealth.

The Notorious B.I.G. - Mo Money Mo Problems (feat. Puff Daddy) (Official Audio)

The contrast is what made the sample legendary: a joyful dance record became the soundtrack to Biggie reflecting on how success brought more pressure, jealousy, and danger.

Stevie Wonder ‘Pastime Paradise’ (1976)> Coolio ‘Gangsters Paradise’ (1995)

Stevie Wonder - Pastime Paradise

‘Pastime Paradise’ was transformed into one of the most defining rap songs of the 1990s when Coolio reimagined it as ‘Gangsta's Paradise’.

The original was a deep and reflective track.

Coolio and producer Doug Rasheed kept the haunting choir melodies and dramatic atmosphere but turned it into a bleak portrait of street survival and violence.

Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) [Official Music Video]

Both songs hold a similar theme but speak to different generations.

The track became a global phenomenon and one of the most influential examples of conscious rap crossing into mainstream pop culture.

**Ne-Yo ‘Miss Independent’ (2008) > Vybz Kartel & Spice ‘R*mping Shop’ (2009)**

Ne-Yo - Miss Independent [Official Video]

‘Miss Independent’ found an unexpected second life in dancehall when Vybz Kartel and Spice flipped its melody and emotional core into ‘R*mping Shop’.

Originally released in 2005, Ne-Yo’s track was a smooth R&B anthem about emotional exhaustion after a breakup.

Vybz Kartel Ft Spice Ramping Shop ( Official Video )

Kartel and Spice transformed that same recognizable melody into a raw and playful, dancehall duet that became instantly controversial and wildly popular across the Caribbean.

Sister Nancy ‘Bam Bam’ (1982) > Beyonce ‘Hold Up’ (2016)

‘Bam Bam’ became one of the most influential dancehall records ever, and its legacy reached a new generation when Beyoncé incorporated elements of it into ‘Hold Up’ from her iconic album, ‘Lemonade’.

Sister Nancy - Bam Bam | Official Audio

Originally released in 1982, Sister Nancy track was also built on a sample, featuring the legendary “Stalag” riddim and became a cornerstone of dancehall culture.

On ‘Hold Up’, Beyoncé blended that Caribbean influence with pop, reggae, and soul to create a song about betrayal, anger, and resilience.

Hold Up (Homecoming Live)

Santana ‘Maria Maria’ (1999) > Rihanna ‘Wild Thoughts’ (2017)

‘Maria Maria’ became the foundation for one of the biggest summer records of the 2010s when DJ Khaled, Rihanna, and Bryson Tiller reworked it into ‘Wild Thoughts’.

Santana - Maria Maria (Official Video) ft. The Product G&B

The original 1999 hit by Santana blended Latin rock, hip-hop, and soul, driven by Carlos Santana’s featuring the instantly recognisable guitar riff.

‘Wild Thoughts’ kept that signature instrumental almost intact but transformed it into a modern tropical-infused R&B and dancehall crossover record.

DJ Khaled - Wild Thoughts (Official Video) ft. Rihanna, Bryson Tiller

Chaka Demus & Pliers ‘Murder She Wrote’ (1992)> Omarion ‘Post to Be’ (2014)

‘Murder She Wrote’ helped shape the sound and energy of ‘Post to Be’, as producer DJ Mustard borrowed the bounce and rhythmic feel of the classic dancehall hit to create a club anthem.

Chaka Demus, Pliers - Murder She Wrote

Both club tracks in their own right, the use of certain melodies and lyrics is used as a calling card by Omarion to throw it back to a track we all know and love, but isn’t immediately distinguishable as a sample.

Omarion Ft. Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko - Post To Be (Official Music Video)

Labi Siffre ‘I Got The’ (1975) > Eminem ‘My Name Is’ (1999)

‘I Got The’ became one of the most recognisable sample flips in hip-hop when Dr. Dre transformed it into the foundation of ‘My Name Is’, the breakout single of Eminem.

Labi Siffre - I Got The... (1975)

Originally released in 1975, Labi Siffre’s track featured a funky bassline and smooth groove rooted in soul and jazz-funk, but Dre isolated and reshaped the song’s quirky guitar and bass elements into a playful, cartoonish beat that perfectly matched Eminem’s chaotic humor and offbeat storytelling.

It became a defining example of how hip-hop producers could take overlooked records from earlier decades and reinvent them into something completely new for a different generation.

Eminem - My Name Is (Official Music Video)

Chic ‘Good Times’ (1979) > Sugarhill Gang ‘Rappers Delight’ (1979)

‘Good Times’ played a foundational role in hip-hop history when its infectious bassline was recreated for ‘Rapper's Delight’ by The Sugarhill Gang in 1979.

Chic - Good Times (Atlantic Records 1979)

Originally released by Chic, “Good Times” was a disco-funk anthem driven by the legendary bass and Nile Rodgers’ sleek production.

At a time when hip-hop was still mostly a live DJ culture in New York block parties, ‘Rapper’s Delight’ used that groove as the backdrop for one of the first rap records to reach mainstream audiences.

The track helped introduce rap music to the world, proving that MC-driven music could break into the mainstream.

The Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight (Official Video)

Leon Haywood ‘I Want To Do Something Freaky to You ‘(1975) > Snoop Dog & Dr. Dre ‘ (1992)’

‘I Want Do Something Freaky to You’ became one of the defining sounds of West Coast hip-hop when Dr. Dre sampled it for ‘Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang’ featuring Snoop Dogg.

Leon Haywood - I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You (1975)

Leon Haywood’s track carried a smooth, seductive funk groove that perfectly embodied the warmth and bounce of 1970s soul music.

Dre slowed and polished the sample into the centerpiece of that sound— the sample’s relaxed groove matched Snoop’s effortless flow and helped define the sound of West Coast rap in the 1990s.

Dr Dre - Nuthin' But A "G" Thang [Official Music Video]

Debbie Deb ‘When I Hear Music’ (1983) > Kendrick Lamar ‘Squabble Up’ (2024)

‘When I Hear Music’ was revived for a new generation when Kendrick Lamar sampled it on ‘Squabble Up’ from his Grammy-winning album ‘GNX’.

When I Hear Music

Debbie Deb’s track carried an energetic club rhythm that became a staple of early dance culture.

Kendrick flipped the song’s instantly recognisable “When I hear music, it makes me dance” vocal into a modern West Coast rap anthem, blending G-funk, hyphy, and aggressive battle-rap energy.

The sample gave “Squabble Up” a nostalgic but futuristic feel.