Sampling: Hip-Hop 101

Ice Cube – It Was a Good Day

Uploaded by ibiabou89

Ice Cube’s ‘It Was a Good Day’ record is from his The Predator album, which was produced in 1992. DJ Posh produced the record. DJ Posh sampled The Isley Brothers’ “Footsteps in the Dark.’ The Isley Brothers sample sets the foundation of Ice Cube’s record. Ice Cube tells The Huffington Post the concept behind ‘It Was a Good Day’:

You know — it’s a song. It’s a fictional song. It’s basically my interpretation of what a great day would be. Do you know what I’m saying? So, you know, it’s a little of this and a little of that. I don’t think you can pinpoint the day.

The sample appears at the 0:10 mark of the record and throughout.

The Isley Brothers – Footsteps in the Dark

Uploaded by LRyder79

The Isley Brothers created ‘Footsteps in the Dark’ in 1977 for their Go for Your Guns album. The sample is taken from two parts in the record, 0:07 and 0:43.