Top 10 R&B Songs that sampled Classic Hip-Hop Songs

One of the songs I’ve always hated with a passion was Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It”. Maybe it’s because of where I was living, but it seemed like that song was everywhere from the radio to the clubs to people’s cars for like five years straight. The reason that it was such a big hit was that it sampled Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story”, an all-time hip-hop classic that was a hit itself back in 1989. So we decided that we should let ya’ll know that there are better songs that sampled hip-hop classics than Montell Jordan’s, and we ranked them and added video links just for heck of it. Enjoy!

10. Jenny from The Block – Jennifer Lopez (sampled “Watch Out Now” by The Beatnuts) – J. Lo’s little homage to the Bronx. Too bad it was the only good song off that album.

9. The Things You Do (Bad Boy Remix) – Gina Thompson (sampled “Peter Piper” by Run-DMC) - This was nearing the end of the “sample classic hip-hop for R&B” phase in the late 90’s when The Neptunes and Timbaland were coming up with original beats and getting hits out of them. This song was still good though.

8. Heartbreaker (Remix w/ Da Brat & Missy) – Mariah Carey (sampled “Ain’t No Fun” by Snoop Dogg) – I liked this joint. Kind of a response to the Snoop song. I rather would have Mariah sing over the whole thing instead of Brat and Missy adding to it though.

7. Touch Me, Tease Me w/ Foxy Brown – Case (sampled “P.S.K. What Does It Mean” by Schoolly D) – This is the song that kind of launched Foxy Brown’s career coupled with “Ain’t No N*gga” with Jay-Z. I remember she was doing shows before her album came out performing nothing but her cameos on other artists’ songs. But sampling Schoolly D was a good look.

6. Can’t Believe – Faith Evans & Carl Thomas (sampled “Phone Tap” by The Firm) – It was a little awkward at first because there are no chords to “make it” R&B, but the beat hot regardless if Nas and Foxy Brown are spitting over it or if Faith singing to it.

5. Dreamlover – Mariah Carey (sampled “Ain’t No Half Steppin’” by Big Daddy Kane) – It was weird when this came out. Most folks were like, does she know she’s singing over a Kane beat? Nonetheless, it was the beginning of the end for Mariah’s “good girl” steez.

4. Think of You – Usher (sampled “Who Got the Props?” by Black Moon) – People always slept on this joint, actually, they slept on Usher’s entire first album. Puffy tried to do to usher what he did to Mary J. It didn’t work, but he had some nice joints on his debut album.

3. Candy Rain – Soul For Real (Sampled “Check the Rhime” by A Tribe Called Quest) – They tried to be the new Jackson 5 or something, but this song was always hot, especially if you were a Tribe fan.

2. Love Thang – Intro (sampled “Slow Down” by Brand Nubian). They also had a song, “Let Me Be the One”, that sampled Ed O.G. & The Bulldogs’ “I Got To Have It”. They really ran with the R&B/hip-hop thing, even sporting Carhartt vests and timberland boots in their videos.

1. Real Love – Mary J. Blige (sampled “Top Billin’” by Audio Two) – This song really changed the face of R&B forever. After Mary J and Puffy did this there was no going back. For real though, Mary J is the Queen of this ish.