I love hip hop and I teach in the heart of downtown. So I try to bring as much hip hop into my "gym" as possible. Of course, most of the time, it's just not school appropriate. So I started finding the samples that are used in the beats and adding them to a playlist. Turns out the kids loved it.
It's fun seeing who can recognize the tracks. It's also interesting to see different generations listening to the playlist. Play Michael McDonald's "I Keep Forgettin (Every Time You're Near)" for people born in the 80s and later, all they hear is Warren G's "Regulate" but people a generation older get pumped for some Michael McDonald.
All the tracks here pass my lyrical standards, but if you want to make sure they're up to your personal standards, check out Spicy Lyrics. It's a free tool I built for iPhones that shows lyrics with questionable content highlighted (so you can be the judge). When you use it, it looks like this:
Here's the link to Hip Hop Samples Apple Music Playlist
Here's the Spotify Playlist
Preview the tracks here:
The Tracks (and Which Songs Sampled Them)
Why Can't We Live Together - Timmy Thomas; Sampled in: Hotline Bling - Drake
All I Need - Lee Fields & The Expressions; Sampled in: Antidote - Travis Scott
As Long As I've Got You - The Charmels; Sampled in: C.R.E.A.M. - Wu-Tang Clan
Pastime Paradise - Stevie Wonder; Sampled in: Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio
Edge - David McCallum; Sampled in: The Next Episode - Dr. Dre
El Aparecido - Inti Illimani; Sampled in: Tunnel Vision - Kodak Black
Bam Bam - Sister Nancy; Sampled in: Famous - Kanye West; Bam - Jay-Z
I Got the... (2006 Remastered Version) - Labi Siffre; Sampled in: My Name Is - Eminem (starts at 2:31)
Woman to Woman - Joe Cocker; Sampled in: California Love - 2Pac
Rise - Herb Alpert; Sampled in: Hypnotize - The Notorious B.I.G.
I Keep Forgettin (Every Time You're Near) - Michael McDonald; Sampled in: Regulate - Warren G
Try a Little Tenderness - Otis Redding; Sampled in: Otis - Kanye West & Jay-Z (Watch the Throne)
Say You Love Me, One More Time - DJ Rogers; Sampled in: I Don't F*** with You - Big Sean
Do You Mind (essess Remix) - Kyla & Crazy Cousinz; Sampled in: One Dance - Drake
Prison Song - Carlton Williams; Sampled in: Mask Off - Future
Amen Brother - The Winstons; Sampled in: Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A.
Through the Fire - Chaka Khan; Sampled in: Through the Wire - Kanye West
Hit - Section 25; Sampled in: FML - Kanye West
Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan; Sampled in: Champion - Kanye West
It's Too Late - Otis Redding; Sampled in: Gone - Kanye West
Bittersweet - General Johnson & The Chairmen of the Board; Sampled in: Bittersweet - Kanye West ft. John Mayer
Khusara Khusara - Hossam Ramzy; Sampled in: Big Pimpin' - Jay-Z
A Dream - DeBarge; Sampled in: I Ain't Mad at Cha - 2Pac
Can't Stop Loving You - Soul Dog; Sampled in: Tell Your Friends - The Weeknd
Can't Get Used to Losing You (Single Version) - Andy Williams; Sampled in: Hold Up - Beyoncé
Bring It Here - Wild Sugar; Sampled in: Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys
34 Ghosts IV - Nine Inch Nails; Sampled in: Old Town Road - Lil Nas X
Shape of My Heart - Sting; Sampled in: Lucid Dreams (Forget Me) - Juice WRLD
Forget Me Nots (Single Version) - Patrice Rushen; Sampled in: Men in Black - Will Smith
Why You Treat Me so Bad - Club Nouveau; Sampled in: I Got 5 on it - Luniz
Harlem Shuffle (Original Single Version) - Bob & Earl; Sampled in: Jump Around - House of Pain
Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So) - The Chi-Lites; Sampled in: Crazy in Love - Beyoncé ft Jay-Z
You Keep Me Hangin' On - The Moog Machine; Sampled in: Uproar - Lil Wayne
Clean Up Woman - Betty Wright; Sampled in: Favorite Song - Chance the Rapper ft Childish Gambino
Dust a Sound Boy - Super Beagle; Sampled in: Mercy - Kanye West; Half Manne Half Cocaine - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib
The Thorn - Willie Jones III; Sampled in: Rigamortis - Kendrick Lamar
Clear - Cybotron; Sampled in: Lose Control - Missy Elliott (starts at :27)
Le Louvre, la nuit (Générique fin) - Antoine Duhamel; Sampled in: Gravel Pit - Wu-Tang Clan (starts at 2:59)
I Will - John Holt; Sampled in: Encore - Jay-Z
That's How Long - The Chi-Lites; Sampled in: December 4th - Jay-Z
Something for Nothing - MFSB; Sampled in: What More Can I Say - Jay-Z
I'll Play the Blues for You - Albert King; Sampled in: Where the Hood At? - DMX
Be Real Black for Me - Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway; Sampled in: On My Block - Scarface; Bad Idea - YBN Cordae & Chance the Rapper
Bustin' Loose - Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers; Sampled in: Hot in Herre - Nelly
Double Dutch Bus - Frankie Smith; Sampled in: Gossip Folks - Missy Elliott ft Ludacris (starts at 2:16)
Ain't No Love In the Heart of the City - Bobby Bland; Sampled in: Heart of the City (Ain't No Love) - Jay-Z
Smile Happy - War; Sampled in: It Wasn't Me - Shaggy
Before the Night Is Over - Joe Simon; Sampled in: So Fresh, So Clean - Outkast
Pulsion (Thème) - Jacques Loussier; Sampled in: Kill You - Eminem
The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby & The Range; Sampled in: Changes - 2Pac
Take Yo' Praise - Camille Yarbrough; Sampled in: Praise You - Fat Boy Slim
Islands in the Stream - Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers; Sampled in: Ghetto Superstar - Pras
El Rey y Yo - Los Ángeles Negros; Sampled in: The Move - Beastie Boys (starts at :22)
Howling for Judy - Jeremy Steig; Sampled in: Sure Shot - Beastie Boys
Life - Sly & The Family Stone; Sampled in: Insane in the Brain - Cypress Hill
Technicolor (Radio Mix) - Model 500; Sampled in: Baby Got Back - Sir Mix A Lot
Darkest Light (Remastered) - Lafayette Afro Rock Band; Sampled in: Rump Shaker - Wreckx-N-Effect; Show Me What You Got - Jay-Z
Cantaloupe Island - Herbie Hancock; Sampled in: Cantaloop - US3
(You) Got What I Need - Freddie Scott; Sampled in: Just a Friend - Biz Markee
Found a Child - Ballin' Jack; Sampled in: Bust a Move - Young MC
It's Yours (12" Radio Mix) - T La Rock; Sampled in: Paul Never - Beastie Boys
(Take Me To the) Mardi Gras (7-inch Version) - Bob James; Sampled in: Run DMC - Peter Piper; Hold it Now, Hit it - Beastie Boys
I'm Closing My Eyes (feat. Shiloh) - potsu; Sampled in: Jocelyn Flores - XXXtentacion
Martín Fierro - Grupo Vocal Argentino & Chango Farías Gómez; Sampled in: Closed on Sunday - Kanye West
Parce que tu crois - Charles Aznavour; Sampled in: What's the Difference - Dr. Dre
Movin' On Up (Theme from the TV Series "The Jeffersons") - Dominik Hauser & Nayanna Holley; Sampled in: Batter Up - Nelly
Other PE Playlists
Recommended Reading
PhysEd Beats - The Ultimate Guide to PE Music
The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Four Square - Using mini-games to teach all the skills and rules
Ultimate Kickball - Kickball without all the problems that come with Kickball. Also insanely fun.
The Ultimate Sub Plan - A fool proof plan for emergency sub days
A Better Way to Make Teams - Give children the power of choice
