Sample This - Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:16-21

Isaiah 61:1-2: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Luke 4:16-21: And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

A hallmark of hip-hop music is the art of sampling. Sampling occurs when a producer refashions a snippet, a drum pattern, a break beat, or maybe a melody from a previous record to create a new production. The history of hip-hop and sampling has had many iterations. During the late 70’s and early 80’s, a DJ would continuously loop the break portion of a record as the MC rapped over it. As the 80’s progressed, the process needed to be codified, as noticeable portions of songs were used to create the foundation of the distinct, new hip-hop songs. It was necessary to legally define how much (and what type) of an interpretation of a previous song constituted a sample. There were instances of lawsuits, as older artists were rightfully upset that their work inspired new creations, but they either did not approve of it and/or receive payment for the work they originally created. Newer artists argued that they kept those records, and by default older artists’ names and works, alive when sampling. It was a way to pay homage. At any rate, by the late 80’s/early 90’s there were more established rules for sampling and penalties when new artists failed to gain clearance for samples. Sometimes, older artists just let the sample slide, or the new producers were so creative with the samples that it would be difficult to detect the source. But older artists at least had legal recourse at their disposal, if they chose to pursue the uncleared samples.

Things seem to have gotten to a sweet spot, at present. There are more rules to the game, and everyone seems to benefit based on established formulas for royalties. Sampled artists receive credit and compensation when it is obvious or provable that their work is the source or the inspiration for a new composition. Present artists get to demonstrate creativity through taking elements of something older to make something new. There are various platforms highlighting the musical inspirations for hip-hop classics. For example, websites like whosampled.com and YouTube series like Wax Only shed light on some of the musical origins of beloved hip-hop classics.

Recently, Grammy-award winning hip-hop producer 9th Wonder had an interview with the massively-sampled jazz keyboardist, arranger, and producer, Bob James (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na8YD63Juck). It was a mutually appreciative exchange, in which the 9th Wonder visibly thanked and honored James’ work for its impact on hip-hop. In kind, James seemed genuinely moved and humbled for the recognition of his art and its influence on hip-hop. Hearing an unknown sample to a known hip-hop record for the first time is often a cool experience. One often learns to appreciate the precursor of a song one already knows and enjoys. It is reminiscent of when studying Old Testament passages, and seeing where a New Testament text found its source, or example. It’s that "oh, so that's where that came from" discovery of something familiar in the text you’ve already enjoyed. Here are but a few “samples”:

· Luke 4:17-18 and Isaiah 61:1-2

· Matthew 27:46 and Psalm 22:1

· Acts 2:16-18 and Joel 2:28-29

Often times, once hearing the sample of a favorite hip-hop song, the listener begins to enjoy the original inspiration and appreciate it for its own musical merit (at times, even moreso). Likewise, sometimes a New Testament sample of an Old Testament passage is a gateway to another world, context, and time. It can lead to further study and understanding of the Hebrew scripture, that Jesus and the early disciples and apostles studied. It’s like the biblical equivalent of DJ’s "digging in the crates." The Old Testament helps to inform the New, and the New Testament helps to interpret the Old. Jesus stated in Matthew 5:17, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." He wanted to complete rather than abolish the law. In music, a sample is an interpretation of a previous record, Jesus is the interpretation/meaning/fulfillment of the law. So in His case at least, the new definitely exceeds the old.

Reflect: Why is it important to learn more about Old Testament texts? How does it help to inform and make New Testaments scriptures more meaningful?