Drake is an artist who has mastered taking samples of songs and making them his own without taking away from the original song. Drake has been sampling music since his mixtape days and he is still doing it with the help of Noah "40" Shebib, Boi-1da, Detail and other producers.
1. Madonna – Drake (So Anxious – Ginuwine)
The background of the song uses parts of "So Anxious "Soon as your shift is over and I'll be waiting ' cause I can't sleep for reminiscing." He also used parts of this song in “Legend.”
2. U Wit Me – Drake (What these B----es Want? & How’s It Goin Down– DMX, 1998)
At the beginning of the song the intro is actually DMX saying " What these B---es want from a n----a" and it goes into Drake rapping. He then uses "What type of games are being played, how's it going down? /It's on till it's gone, then I gots to know now / Is you wit' me, or what? ”which is directly from "How's It Goin Down. Drake took that part of the songs and turned it into a love ballad.
3. Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2 – Drake Feat. Jay-Z (C.R.E.A.M. – Wu-Tang Clan)
Everyone knows that Wu-Tang holds a special place in most Hip-hop fans lives and that sampling them isn't to be taken lightly. "Cash rules everything around me, CREAM get the money dolla-dolla bills yall” in the hook of the song. The hook is about getting money and also keeping it. Pound Cake is about the same thing.
4. 4pm in Calabasas – Drake (Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down- Puff Daddy feat. Mase)
Some people would call this sampling while others would call it beefing, but in the case of this article, let’s say that Drake was paying homage to Diddy by using his popular phrases. He used "Can't nobody hold me down" and “I'mma make you dance to this.”
5. How Bout Now – Drake (My Heart Belongs to U – Jodeci)
Drake has said multiple times that Jodeci has given him a lot of inspiration and in "How Bout Now", Jordan Evan, Boi-1da and Ransom made this possible. The instrumental is parts of "My Heart Belongs to U". Later in the song "my heart belongs to you" is clearly used as the interlude and in the outro.
Most people either love or hate how much Drake samples music but in actuality he is just embracing the culture. It's a current reminder that music in the 90's was amazing.
