Drake’s 15 Best Sample Flips

40 & Boi-1da’s crates are deeper than you think.

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One of the major keys to Drake’s ongoing success is beat selection. Even when he was assembling early mixtapes from borrowed beats and instrumentals from then-unknown bedroom producers, the always guy had a clear-cut knack for putting a project together. Nearly a decade later, it’s still something we can count on from Drizzy—when he drops a project, you can rest assured it’s going to be a cohesive, meticulously sequenced work of art.

Drake’s sound has evolved since he dropped Room For Improvement in 2006, from backpack worshipper, to Weezy impressionist, to the emotional luxury rapper we know and love. On this maturative journey, Drakes’ right-hand producers, Noah “40” Shebib and Matthew “Boi-1da” Samuels, did the bulk of the sonic heavy lifting, giving Aubrey full access to their catalogues of original synth melodies and crate-scouring sample flips. Drake is by no means known as a sample-based rapper—there are plenty of royalty-free beats in Future The Prince's Serato. But, when Drake blesses a sample-driven instrumental with his vocals, it's bound to be an inventive flip. 

Drake’s go-to producers are masters at seeking out obscure sample loops, or warping hugely popular songs into an unrecognizable state, and then seamlessly incorporating them into an instrumental. From the funk and soul samples that defined his early sound, to the ‘80s vibes and orchestral drones that pop up in more recent material, it’s not always easy to identify a sample in one of Drake’s songs.

With the help of every obsessive beatmaker’s best friend WhoSampled, we took a closer look at some of our favourite sample flips in Drake’s catalogue, focusing on the work of 40, Boi-1da, Frank Dukes, 9th Wonder, and many more. Check them out, in no particular order, below. You have license son us in the comments if we overlooked anything. 

“Started From The Bottom”

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Contains A Sample Of: Bruno Sanfilippo & Mathias Grassow, “Ambessence Piano & Drone 1”

Producers: Mike Zombie, Noah “40” Shebib

The plinking piano melody that germinates Drake’s ascension anthem is a patchwork of microsamples from Argentinian Composer Bruno Sanfilippo’s collaboration with German drone artist Mathias Grassow, “Ambessence Piano & Drone 1.” Produced by New Jersey rapper/producer Mike Zombie (with help from 40), “Started From The Bottom” marked a sonic shift for Drake, opting for discordant drones and ominous synths in a post-Take Care world. 

Listen to "Started From The Bottom" here

“Know Yourself”

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Contains A Sample Of: Network, “Tinted Glass”

Producers: Boi-1da, Vinylz, Syk Sense

Every time you run through the 6ix with your woes, you have this 1980 song by Network to thank. Network is an ambient electronic project by Dutch recording artist Peter Milray, who goes by more aliases than the Wu-Tang Clan combined (Jack Trombey, Julius Steffaro, Jan Stoeckart, Willy Faust, etc.). The xylophones of “Tinted Glass” have an ominous feel that's distinctive of ‘80s Krautrock, proving that Peter Milray was working on excellence long before Drake was sellin' Girbaud jeans.

Listen to "Know Yourself" here

“6 God”

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Contains A Sample Of: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest OST, “Haunted Chase”

Producers: Boi-1da, Syk Sense

This is probably the strangest sample flip in Drake’s discography. The only explanation for this is that Drake has a SNES on the tour bus. Hey, inspiration can strike anywhere.

Listen to "6 God" here

“Miss Me”

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Contains A Sample Of: Hank Crawford, “Wildflower”

Producers: Noah “40” Shebib, Boi-1da

Hank Crawford’s “Wildflower” is a sampler’s goldmine. Kanye West, 2 Pac, J. Cole, and Eminem have all borrowed Crawford’s sax riffs, so cribbing his melodies on “Miss Me” is somewhat of a rite of passage for Drake. “Miss Me” originally took shape as a Bun B collab titled “All Night Long,” until Lil Wayne fell in love with it and it was reworked as a Bun-less single for Thank Me Later.

Listen to "Miss Me" here

 

“HYFR”

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Contains A Sample Of: ESG, “Swangin and Bangin”

Producer: T-Minus

Drake’s fondness for Houston shows up again on the beat for “HYFR,” borrowing the instrumental from Screwed Up Click affiliate E.S.G.’s 1995 hit “Swangin and Bangin.” The one-time Boi-1da protege, Ajax’s T-Minus lifts the instantly recognizable synth lead from E.S.G.’s original on this Take Care heater.

Listen to "HYFR" here

“0-100/The Catch Up”

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Contains A Sample Of: Adam Feeney and Chester Stone Hansen, “Vibez”

Producer: Frank Dukes, Boi-1da

BadBadNotGood bassist Chester Hansen and producer Frank Dukes (born Adam Feeney) collide on the eerie jazz original that became “0-100.” Frank Dukes gave the track to Boi-1da, who chopped the sample, sped it up, and added drums. He then played the instrumental for Diddy, who passed on it, and then got pissed when “0-100” blew up. ALLEGEDLY. Don't come after me, Diddy.

Listen to "0-100/The Catch Up" here

“Practice”

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Contains A Sample Of: Juvenile, “Back That Azz Up” feat. Lil Wayne and Mannie Fresh

Producers: Noah “40” Shebib, Aubrey Graham

This might be one of the most audacious sample flips in Drake history. Drake’s interpolation of “Practice” gives “Back That Azz Up” new life, slowing it to a point where it would sounds fit for Aubrey’s boudoir. “Practice” is successful on two levels: 40 and Drake managed to recontextualize a #1 hit, and they did it without making us think about Juvenile.  

Listen to "Practice" here

“Draft Day”

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Contains A Sample Of: Lauryn Hill, “Doo-Wop (That Thing)”

Producer: Boi-1da

“Draft Day” borrows a section of another #1 single, seeing Boi-1da grabbing a vocal run from “Doo-Wop (That Thing),” and adding boom-bap-influenced drum proramming and a minimal bassline. With lyrical references to Money Manziel and The Hunger Games, it’s safe to say that “Draft Day” will stay as timeless as its sample source. 

Listen to "Draft Day" here

“Heat Of The Moment”

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Contains A Sample Of: Avant, “Phone Sex (That’s What’s Up)”

Producer: Noah “40” Shebib



The dead giveaway that “Heat Of The Moment” contains a sample of “Phone Sex (That’s What’s Up)” is the conspicuous snare that sounds like a digital teardrop falling into a white wine spritzer. This Nothing Was The Same castaway also samples PARTYNEXTDOOR’s “Her Way.”



Listen to "Heat Of The Moment" here. 



 



“Best I Ever Had”

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Contains A Sample Of: Dan Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, “Fallin' in Love”

Producer: Boi-1da

Arguably, this is the sample flip that started it all. The slick bass crescendo on “Best I Ever Had” comes courtesy of Dan Hamilton, Joe Frank Carollo, and Tommy Reynolds’ “Fallin’ In Love.” The Los Angeles soft rock trio were mostly active in the ‘70s and ‘80s, but it’s was by random chance that Boi-1da found the sample on his computer. He told Complex that he made the beat in just twenty minutes, and the rest is history.

Listen to "Best I Ever Had" here

“Star67”

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Contains A Sample Of: Novalis, “Nimm Meine Hand”

Producers: Vinylz, Most High, Amir Obè

Here’s another Krautrock-sampling cut from If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. German prog-rock outfit Novalis provide the swirling electronic progression for the refrain on “Star67,” and it sounds exactly the same in 2015 as it did in 1984. Drake was born in Toronto, but sometimes it feels like Hamburg adopted him.

Listen to "Star67" here

“Uptown”

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Contains A Sample Of: Billy Joel, “Uptown Girl”

Producer: Boi-1da

Drake is to this generation what Billy Joel was to the ‘70s and ‘80s, in the sense that they’re both unapologetic cornballs who have more hits than Jeets.You might not hear the Billy Joel sample in “Uptown” at first, but once you do, you won’t be able to hear anything else. This is by no means the best Billy Joel sample flip in hip-hop—that honour goes to “You Oughta Know” by The Diplomats, obviously.

Listen to "Uptown" here

“November 18th”

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Contains A Sample Of: DJ Screw, “June 27th” feat. Big Moe and Big Pokey

Producer: DJ Screw

November 18th is the date that Drake flew to Houston after getting the all-important call from Lil Wayne, but that’s not the only reason Drizzy gets wistful when he hears this track. The Boy has also made it known (like, throwing-multi-day-events levels of known) that he’s heavily influenced by the Houston sound, especially the Screwed Up Click movement. Suffice to say, to grace a production by the legendary DJ Screw is not something he’d take lightly. “November 18th” borrows from “June 27th,” a chopped and screwed version of Kris Kross’ "Da Streets Ain't Right."

Listen to "November 18th" here

“Think Good Thoughts”

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Contains A Sample Of: Anita Baker, “Sweet Thoughts”

Producer: 9th Wonder

Drake and 9th Wonder connected in 2007 on “Think Good Thoughts,” a standout from Comeback Season. This Anita Baker flip is prototypical 9th Wonder, a soulful sample with a hard-hitting backbeat. It’s as close to ‘Ye-worship as Drake ever gets, complete with a feature from Little Brother’s Phonte.

Listen to "Think Good Thoughts" here

“Lust For Life”

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Contains A Sample Of: Perry & Sanlin, “I'm So Glad There's You”

Producer: Noah “40” Shebib

The opening track from 2009’s So Far Gone mixtape, “Lust For Life” is one of the first collaborations between 40 and Drake, and it perfectly showcases the way these two creative minds click. A cascading synth intro from Perry & Sanlin’s “I’m So Glad There’s You” (paired with a drum sample ripped Tears For Fears’ “Ideas As Opiates”) kickstarted Drake’s meteoric rise, and established a signature sound that still defines hip-hop today.

Listen to "Lust For Life" here

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