DJ Paul Cleared 4 Samples Per Week in 2018

Plus a playlist of rap records that sample rap records.

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Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of interviews on YouTube while I do dishes, cook, etc. It’s an incredible resource for music and production-focused discussions.

I enjoy listening to interviews with DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia. He’s laid-back and thoughtful in his interviews. He has a sense of humor. And he tells lots of interesting stories about his career.

In one clip I watched from 2018 he told DJ Vlad that he and Juicy J clear three to four samples per week. The duo co-produced all the Three 6 group albums and solo/side/offshoot projects together. This means that in 2018, as many as 16 people reached out to them every month who wanted to sample their music. I would guess that number is even higher now.

It’s a pretty staggering figure and it speaks to the massive influence Three 6 has had both historically and currently. Their entire group catalog and the vast array of solo projects from group members have all become sample sources of major significance.

At 10 minutes in length, the interview is well worth a watch regardless of your feelings on DJ Vlad. A few key points stood out to me.

• Jermaine Dupri was the first person to clear a Three 6 Mafia sample way back in 1997.

• DJ Paul rarely, if ever, rejects sample requests. He doesn’t feel it’s his place to determine the quality or worth of the song that will sample his catalog. He also doesn’t want to crush someone else’s dreams.

• His lawyer hired additional employees to keep up with all the various sample requests.

• Paul talks about the value of artists keeping their own publishing to maximize monetization when other people sample or repurpose their work. This is something Three 6 Mafia was able to do, even when they were signed to Loud Records.

Over the years I’ve been fascinated by the way rap records became just as important of a sample source as any other genre. It’s something I wrote about a bit in this long-form piece for Roland a few years back. And it’s something I think this DJ Paul interview helps further underscore.

Look at the 150-plus records that sample EPMD’s early classic “You’re A Customer.” The drums from that track have become as essential as the percussion from many early breakbeat classics. See one of my favorite uses of “Customer” below.

DJ Paul’s interview inspired me to start a playlist of rap songs that sample and interpolate other rap songs. It’s an endlessly fascinating rabbit hole to go down. I wanted a big sandbox to play in, so I decided to make it YouTube-only for now. This lets me explore more obscure and out-of-print examples of rap record sampling that I want to share.

There are 11 original songs and 11 songs that sample them so far. I hope you’ll take the time to give the playlist a listen and let me know what you think. I’ll keep adding more to it over time.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for listening.

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