If there’s one thing many Nigerians can collectively concur on, it’s the fact that music stands proudly as the Nation’s heartbeat. Its piercing brilliance, moving beauty, and rich cultural essence are a few of the numerous reasons it holds a special place in the lives of Nigerians, both at home and abroad. Over the past few years, the rise of Afrobeats has given Nigerian music the loudest global voice the country has experienced in decades.
In light of this resurgence, many Nigerian artists are remodelling how pop music, among other genres, is perceived globally. Musicians worldwide now find inspiration in the rich vaults of sound that contain Nigeria’s musical past and present. Through sampling the diverse indigenous genres from Afrobeat to Apala, Nigerian music has found another way to have groundbreaking moments in the global music scene.
You might have heard a recent song with certain elements that immerse you in another record. Sampling could explain that. It revolves around the practice of using portions of an existing song to create a new record, involving snippets of verses, choruses, and instrumentals.
Sampling reveals a transcontinental appeal that has led musicians globally to incorporate Nigerian tunes into their work for a worldwide audience.
In today’s world, sampling has built a time machine for artists to travel between the past and the present with music. This phenomenon upholds the greatness and enduring value of art that has shaped society while capitalizing on nostalgia to cook up a delicious cocktail of genres, such as rap and Afrobeats, Hip-Hop, and Apala, to mention a few.
Travel with us as we take on a revealing of 5 songs that use remarkable samples of classic Nigerian music. Let’s dive in, shall we?
- “Let Nas Down” by J. Cole samples “Gentleman” by Fela Kuti
When it comes to iconic samples of Nigerian music, Fela Anikulapo Kuti stands tall among the artists whose music gets explored for that. There are too many examples to list them all. The Afrobeat icon is credited with inspiring some of this decade’s biggest hits. Numerous contemporary Nigerian artists such as Wizkid and Burna Boy are well known for infusing Fela’s samples in their projects. Wizkid sampled Fela’s “Lady” on “Jaiye Jaiye.” On the other hand, Burna Boy sampled Fela’s “Sorrow, Tears, and Blood” in his song “Ye.” Fela’s “Shakara” was sampled in Wizkid’s “Sweet Love.”
However, beyond these glaring instances, international acts such as J-Cole have also waded in the known Fela sample waters. In the famous rapper’s sophomore album, Born Sinner, he samples the hook and riff off Fela’s “Gentleman” in “Let Nas Down.” This exemplifies the attraction to other cultures that samples help highlight. J. Cole is not the only one on this list. Hip-hop icons like Nas, Missy Elliot, The Roots, and others have also heavily incorporated Fela’s inspirations in their music.
- “Freak Me” by Ciara samples “Before Nko” by Tiwa Savage
Way before R&B artists like Chris Brown began collaborating with Nigerian artists, Ciara already had her foot on the Afrobeats pedal with her song, “Freak Me,” featuring Tekno. It didn’t take much listening to pick out the striking similarities between the song and “Before Nko” by Tiwa Savage, which is off her second album, RED. However, the presence of this sample on this project didn’t go without any hitches as allegations rolled out that the sample was not given the necessary permission before being released.
In light of this discovery, Ciara put out a public acknowledgement on social media stating the song’s inspiration on hers. She said, “Shout out to Tiwa Savage on the inspiration and sample used in #FreakMe! She’s a beast! I fell in love with the melody when I first heard it in Africa 3 years ago. So good. ”
- “Hitman” by Kelly Rowland samples “Mr Follow Follow” by Fela Kuti
2020 witnessed the release of “Hitman” by American vocalist and member of the popular girl group Destiny’s Child Kelly Rowland, featuring the strong presence of Fela Kuti’s “Mr Follow Follow” through the song’s moving beats and instrumentals. “Hitman” is included in the NFL Song of the Season for the 2020 season. Even though the two songs deal with different subjects, the Nigerian classic’s reverence was maintained.
In a video where she gushes over the single, Rowland pays tribute to Fela Kuti, saying, “I love this song one, because of this amazing sample by the legend, the icon that is Fela Kuti, and the fact that it has so much energy to it, and it just feels amazing, it feels alive…“
- “Everyday Life” by Coldplay
While several international musicians feature Nigerian samples in one track, Coldplay shows us their big love for African music in their eighth studio album, EveryDay Life, by featuring three songs—”Arabesque,” “Champion Of The World,” and “Èkó,” which all drew inspiration from and were imbued with Nigerian rhythms.
On a fascinating note, “Champion of the World” opens with a sample from an Igbo gospel song, “Otuto Nke Chukwu N’ojija Aha Ya” by Harcourt Whyte. Harcourt Whyte was hailed as the “Father of Igbo church music” during his era of performing religious songs. Igbos found solace and bravery in Whyte’s songs during the Civil War.
In “Arabesque,” Femi Kuti and his band’s Afrobeat groove and horn sections were incorporated. The outro features a sample of Fela Kuti towards the end, with the renowned pioneer of Afrobeats chanting “Music is the weapon” seven times. “Èkó,” on the other hand, pays homage to Lagos and features Tiwa Savage.
- “A Million” (feat. Quavo) by Veronica Vega samples “Ise Oluwa Ko Seni Toye” by Musiliu Haruna Ishola
The rich lyrics and melodious tone of the Apala pioneer, the late Sir Haruna Ishola, serenaded many Yoruba households in the 90s. It’s no surprise that his son Musiliu Haruna Ishola also picked up the baton in the race to make timeless music. Following his father’s lead, he achieved enormous success in the 1990s and the first part of the 2000s. “Ise Oluwa Ko Seni Toye” stands as a true testament to that.
One thing about timeless music is that it continues to live on in different ways. Sampling guarantees that, and that’s what Veronica Vega did with her song “A Million” which opens with the Musiliu Haruna Ishola’s “Ise Oluwa Ko Seni Toye.” However, after this song was released, Ishola’s estate filed a motion to obtain the record’s proper clearance before Vega could release the video.
Later on, an acknowledgement of the sample surfaced in a social media post saying “I feel incredibly honoured to be able to clear the sample especially because of the message of God that was in the original record.”
