On May 26, 1926, Miles Davis was born in small-town Illinois. He would go on to change the course of music with a nearly 50-year career centered in jazz.
Although jazz is what has become synonymous with Miles' name, his influence didn't stop there. Blues, funk, psychedelia, and rock were later added into his repertoire and helped to birth the jazz fusion movement. Miles Davis passed away in 1991, right as hip-hop was really starting to take on its own identity.
Rooted in samples from the prior generation, hip-hop beat-makers weren't shy about sampling Miles Davis' music. You can hear his sounds peppered in tracks by Notorious B.I.G., Outkast, Mobb Deep, Madvillain, Diddy, Queen Latifah, Fat Joe, and many many more. To commemorate this legend's birthday, we're going to dive into some of these samples.
Miles Davis' "A Night in Tunisia" was sampled by Gang Starr on "Manifest"
It should come as no shock that DJ Premier is the first subject on our list. Sampling the piano part from Charlie Parker and Miles Davis' collaborative track "A Night in Tunisia," Premo flipped it into a boom-bap instrumental for Guru to flow on. It came in form of the hit "Manifest."
Miles Davis' "Lonely Fire" was sampled by Notorious B.I.G. on "Suicidal Thoughts"
After Diddy's introduction on "Suicidal Thoughts," you'll hear an eerie sound loop to create the foundation of the beat. That sound comes from none other than Miles Davis. Taken from his 21-minute, tripped-out "Lonely Fire" excursion, it was perfectly repurposed for Biggie's debut album.
Miles Davis' "Sivad" was sampled by Outkast on "Ain't No Thang"
At the 26-second mark in the Outkast track "Ain't No Thang," you hear a screechy sound affect that doesn't sound too far off from other '90s sounds you may recall. However, this sound was taken from Miles Davis' "Sivad" track, and it was used to provide depth and time to Outkast's stellar debut LP.
In his later years, Miles was all about experimenting with sounds. The cool jazz and hard bop eras were over and he induced a great bit of freedom in his jazz, leading to wild noises that were perfect for samples like this one.
Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" was sampled by The Roots, Mobb Deep, The Beatnuts, Black Moon, Heavy D & The Boyz, and more
"Bitches Brew" is one of the most legendary songs from Miles Davis. Released on the album of the same title, the 27-minute jam might sound as if it was completely plucked from Outer Space. The free jazz sound resonated with many, though, and this one in particular has been sampled time and time again by hip hop greats. See if you can pick up on the samples on these cuts...
Miles Davis' "Out of Nowhere" was sampled by NehruvianDOOM's "Caskets"
For the second part of their two-part track "Caskets," Bishop Nehru and MF DOOM relied on a piano part from Miles' "Out of Nowhere." The sample appears at 2:54 on the NehruvianDOOM song.
Miles Davis' "Flamenco Sketches" was sampled by Trademark Da Skydiver on "Super Sticky"
A lot of times sampling the total classics can be a bit of a taboo practice, but when it's done properly there is no denying the greatness. On the Curve Your Enthusiasm mixtape, Trademark Da Skydiver and Smoke DZA flow about their beloved Mary Jane over an epic Miles Davis sampled by none other than Ski Beatz.
Miles Davis' "Feio" was sampled by Madvillain on "Cold One"
Madlib and MF DOOM are a couple of tasteful dudes, so when they take on Miles Davis, you know it's nothing but respect. Check out their repurposing of "Feio," off Miles' Bitches Brew album, for their cut "Cold One."
Miles Davis' "Spanish Key" was sampled by Diddy on "Get Off"
Diddy probably isn't best known for the music he's made in this millennium, but 2006's "Get Off" did feature a sweet drum beat from Miles' "Spanish Key." This one is easily distinguished as the sample lies at the beginning of each track.
Miles Davis' "Calypso Frelimo" was sampled by Fat Joe on "You Must Be Out Of Your Fuckin' Mind"
Under the gun shots and smack talk, you can hear Miles' horn screechin' in the background. Fat Joe enlnisted Kool G Rap and Apache for this 1993 banger, but the special ingredient is that Miles Davis sample.
Miles Davis' "Water Babies" was sampled on Lord Finesse's remix of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Party & Bullshit"
Here's a little bit of a deeper cut for your summer playlist: Lord Finesse's remix of Biggie's "Party & Bullshit." Everyone knows the original, and we all love it, but drop the remix on them to perk their ears up. When you drop the knowledge that it's a Miles sample that's making them dance, they'll worship you for the well of knowledge you are.