Mark Ronson is nothing short of a production powerhouse. Though often slept on, he nurtures a massive bed of wisdom when it comes to the whole sampling thing, as his generation saw the birth of the technology and proliferation of its utility in some of our tradition's greatest works. In a recent TED Talk, the multi-intrumentalist/producer/DJ delivered a wholly educational history of sampling, both digitally and vocally, putting forth a comprehensive theory as to why people people sample in the first place. As he puts it : "to feel part of the same musical moment."
Ronson cites various instances of strict vocal jacking, tracing ties from Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick's "La Di Da Di" through generations of hip-hop and contemporary derivatives, specifically citing Biggie's "Hypnotize" and then later, Miley Cyrus' "We Like To Party" as bearers of Doug and Rick's DNA. For a proper lesson in the sampling tradition, head down below and watch Mark Ronson give a 15-minute dissertation on where the sampling techniques we use came from and where they might be headed for TED.
