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Bring That Beat Back: How Sampling Built Hip-Hop
How sampling remade hip-hop over forty years, from pioneering superstar Grandmaster Flash through crate-digging preservationist and innovator Madlib
Sampling—incorporating found sound and manipulating it into another form entirely—has done more than any musical movement in the twentieth century to maintain a continuum of popular music as a living document and, in the process, has become one of the most successful (and commercial) strains of postmodern art. Bring That Beat Back traces the development of this transformative pop-cultural practice from its origins in the turntable-manning, record-spinning hip-hop DJs of 1970s New York through forty years of musical innovation and reinvention.
Nate Patrin tells the story of how sampling built hip-hop through the lens of four pivotal artists: Grandmaster Flash as the popular face of the music’s DJ-born beginnings; Prince Paul as an early champion of sampling’s potential to elaborate on and rewrite music history; Dr. Dre as the superstar who personified the rise of a stylistically distinct regional sound while blurring the lines between sampling and composition; and Madlib as the underground experimentalist and record-collector antiquarian who constantly broke the rules of what the mainstream expected from hip-hop. From these four artists’ histories, and the stories of the people who collaborated, competed, and evolved with them, Patrin crafts a deeply informed, eminently readable account of a facet of pop music as complex as it is commonly underestimated: the aesthetic and reconstructive power of one of the most revelatory forms of popular culture to emerge from postwar twentieth-century America. And you can nod your head to it.
Sampling—incorporating found sound and manipulating it into another form entirely—has done more than any musical movement in the twentieth century to maintain a continuum of popular music as a living document and, in the process, has become one of the most successful (and commercial) strains of postmodern art. Bring That Beat Back traces the development of this transformative pop-cultural practice from its origins in the turntable-manning, record-spinning hip-hop DJs of 1970s New York through forty years of musical innovation and reinvention.
Nate Patrin tells the story of how sampling built hip-hop through the lens of four pivotal artists: Grandmaster Flash as the popular face of the music’s DJ-born beginnings; Prince Paul as an early champion of sampling’s potential to elaborate on and rewrite music history; Dr. Dre as the superstar who personified the rise of a stylistically distinct regional sound while blurring the lines between sampling and composition; and Madlib as the underground experimentalist and record-collector antiquarian who constantly broke the rules of what the mainstream expected from hip-hop. From these four artists’ histories, and the stories of the people who collaborated, competed, and evolved with them, Patrin crafts a deeply informed, eminently readable account of a facet of pop music as complex as it is commonly underestimated: the aesthetic and reconstructive power of one of the most revelatory forms of popular culture to emerge from postwar twentieth-century America. And you can nod your head to it.
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 9, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 2, 2020
I liked it, but hoped for more.
Bring That Beat Back: How Sampling Built Hip-Hop (2020), by Nate Patrin, is a very detailed, informative take on the history of hip-hop and its relation with the art of sampling. In a way, this is a good thing: Patrin did a smart choice by electing the four protagonists - Grandmaster Flash, Prince Paul, Dr. Dre and Madlib – to guide the complex and intricate history of hip-hop, going from a niche cultural expression to one of the most popular genres today. In this aspect, producers take the spotlight and sampling is, primarily in the first and last chapters of the book, showed as the backbone of Hip-Hop’s sonic power. On the other hand, though, perhaps to escape the trappings of repeating already deeply explored themes involving sampling in hip-hop production by his antecessors – such as technologic, social and legal aspects in Making Beats: The Art of Sample-Based Hip-Hop (2004) by Joseph G. Schloss or The Art of Sampling: The Sampling Tradition of Hip Hop/Rap Music and Copyright Law (2013) by Amir Said – and focusing in the historical milieu, Bring That Beat Back does not at all dissimilar from other researchers, such as Ed Piskor’s comics Hip Hop Family Tree (2013) or the TV show Hip-Hop Evolution (2016-). In this sense, the factual history of hip-hop clearly overshadows the sampling history, especially in the second and third chapters: the feud of Biggie and Tupac, in one example, gets much more attention than George Clinton’s defense of the new craft producers were using. But the most obvious example of the problem with this choice happens when Patrin says that “If ‘The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel’ was the definitive record when it came to capturing the spirit of scratching on wax, hip-hop's reckoning with sampling is a bit blurry”: I finished the book and it's still blurry.
Since Bring That Beat Back was published by the University of Minnesota Press, I also expected some philosophical and theoretical development, historiographically speaking, which didn’t happen.
In general, however, I did enjoy reading Patrin’s sometimes fun, sometimes acid, but always meticulous prose.
On a more particular note, I missed the mention of some producers who, although they don't really get into the great canon of Hip-Hop, have carried (and still do) the tradition of the art of sampling. So, shout-out (in U.S.) to 9th Wonder, Blockhead, Kid Koala, Cut Chemist, DJ Nu-Mark, DJ Dahi and Salaam Remi, RJD2, Quantic and also to (internationals) The Architect, L’entourloop, Wax on Tailor, Chinese Man, Coldcut, Kognitif, Gramatik and Nave Beatz.
Bring That Beat Back: How Sampling Built Hip-Hop (2020), by Nate Patrin, is a very detailed, informative take on the history of hip-hop and its relation with the art of sampling. In a way, this is a good thing: Patrin did a smart choice by electing the four protagonists - Grandmaster Flash, Prince Paul, Dr. Dre and Madlib – to guide the complex and intricate history of hip-hop, going from a niche cultural expression to one of the most popular genres today. In this aspect, producers take the spotlight and sampling is, primarily in the first and last chapters of the book, showed as the backbone of Hip-Hop’s sonic power. On the other hand, though, perhaps to escape the trappings of repeating already deeply explored themes involving sampling in hip-hop production by his antecessors – such as technologic, social and legal aspects in Making Beats: The Art of Sample-Based Hip-Hop (2004) by Joseph G. Schloss or The Art of Sampling: The Sampling Tradition of Hip Hop/Rap Music and Copyright Law (2013) by Amir Said – and focusing in the historical milieu, Bring That Beat Back does not at all dissimilar from other researchers, such as Ed Piskor’s comics Hip Hop Family Tree (2013) or the TV show Hip-Hop Evolution (2016-). In this sense, the factual history of hip-hop clearly overshadows the sampling history, especially in the second and third chapters: the feud of Biggie and Tupac, in one example, gets much more attention than George Clinton’s defense of the new craft producers were using. But the most obvious example of the problem with this choice happens when Patrin says that “If ‘The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel’ was the definitive record when it came to capturing the spirit of scratching on wax, hip-hop's reckoning with sampling is a bit blurry”: I finished the book and it's still blurry.
Since Bring That Beat Back was published by the University of Minnesota Press, I also expected some philosophical and theoretical development, historiographically speaking, which didn’t happen.
In general, however, I did enjoy reading Patrin’s sometimes fun, sometimes acid, but always meticulous prose.
On a more particular note, I missed the mention of some producers who, although they don't really get into the great canon of Hip-Hop, have carried (and still do) the tradition of the art of sampling. So, shout-out (in U.S.) to 9th Wonder, Blockhead, Kid Koala, Cut Chemist, DJ Nu-Mark, DJ Dahi and Salaam Remi, RJD2, Quantic and also to (internationals) The Architect, L’entourloop, Wax on Tailor, Chinese Man, Coldcut, Kognitif, Gramatik and Nave Beatz.
May 27, 2020
When you see that Nate Patrin's new book is subtitled How Sampling Built Hip-Hop, you might wonder, how can you have a history of sampling in hip-hop that's not just a history of hip-hop? Isn't that like calling a biography How the Piano Built the Music of Chopin?
Well, yes. You'll want a comfortable chair, a tasty beverage, and a pair of headphones connected to your favorite streaming service before you dig into Bring That Beat Back...and don't expect to rip through the whole book in one sitting, even though sections of it may read like page-turners for music heads.
I reviewed Bring That Beat Back for The Current.
Well, yes. You'll want a comfortable chair, a tasty beverage, and a pair of headphones connected to your favorite streaming service before you dig into Bring That Beat Back...and don't expect to rip through the whole book in one sitting, even though sections of it may read like page-turners for music heads.
I reviewed Bring That Beat Back for The Current.
December 22, 2020
Patrin examines the history of hip-hop over the past 40 years from its advent in the 70s through the early 2000s. The title and the description suggested to me that it was going to be a lot more about sampling than it actually was. It does touch on sampling of course, but it felt like more of a history of various hip-hop artists that sometimes touched on how they used sampling rather than a book specifically about sampling's influence on hip-hop. It wasn't exactly what I was hoping it would be, but would be great for anyone interested in a concise but extensive history of hip-hop.
June 30, 2024
Den her utgjor nesten halve mastern min:) kjenpe bra !
May 28, 2020
Bring That Beat Back: How Sampling Built Hip-Hop by Nate Patrin is a history of hip-hop using sampling as the thread with which he weaves the story.
I came to this book unsure what to expect. I have been listening to what is now known as hip-hop from just after the beginning (I wasn't living in NYC at the time so I missed the actual beginning) and was familiar with many of the songs that were sampled and/or spun almost in their entirety. In addition, I took a couple of MOOCs on hip-hop and rap so I learned a little more about it. I used to use The Message in some college courses I taught. So I wasn't sure if this was going to be a dense and informative book but perhaps a bit of a slog to get through or if it would be a fun read about the music and the artists. Turns out these two things are not mutually exclusive. The book is packed with information and connections between people, technology, and locations but it is also a fun and entertaining read as well. This is the kind of book I expected to want to read again so I could absorb more of the info, I just didn't expect to be looking forward to my second reading.
While the book description almost makes it sound episodic because of the emphasis on four people, there are not a lot of gaps in the overall history. Patrin covers the artists, the technology, the styles, and in doing so never loses sight of the reason we are reading the book: the music. In fact, on the University of Minnesota Press page for the book there is an extensive Spotify playlist. Between the book and the playlist, I felt like I was reliving some of those days, as well as being introduced to many songs I only knew from a few beats.
So far, I have concentrated on how fun the book is. But it is a thorough and very well researched history. The fact that it is written in a manner that is often lacking in academic books does not detract from the wealth of details.
I would recommend this to fans of music and especially those who like hip-hop.If you don't already have an appreciation for the genre, you will after reading this. Understanding breeds appreciation and Patrin makes all of the technological as well as the legal history understandable all in service to better understanding the music. Understand?
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
EDIT: I just saw that somebody who didn't read more than a page of the book decided to make demonstrably false comments about both the book and the artists. Ignore the idiot, he knows not of what he spews. One hit wonder is such a moronic concept when applied to a genre that for a long time had NO hits. Even if he had had no national hits it would not matter, it is the influence he had on the progression of the genre. Lawsuits are mentioned and analyzed in the book, just not in the 2% of the book the "reviewer" supposedly read. He also does not understand what "dawning of" means. If he had read the book before going full Trump he would know that labels came along at different times but what came before the labels is part of the history, thus the "dawning of." In other words, just ignore the little guy, he has issues and just likes to pretend to know what he is talking about. But it stinks just like anything else that is body waste.
I came to this book unsure what to expect. I have been listening to what is now known as hip-hop from just after the beginning (I wasn't living in NYC at the time so I missed the actual beginning) and was familiar with many of the songs that were sampled and/or spun almost in their entirety. In addition, I took a couple of MOOCs on hip-hop and rap so I learned a little more about it. I used to use The Message in some college courses I taught. So I wasn't sure if this was going to be a dense and informative book but perhaps a bit of a slog to get through or if it would be a fun read about the music and the artists. Turns out these two things are not mutually exclusive. The book is packed with information and connections between people, technology, and locations but it is also a fun and entertaining read as well. This is the kind of book I expected to want to read again so I could absorb more of the info, I just didn't expect to be looking forward to my second reading.
While the book description almost makes it sound episodic because of the emphasis on four people, there are not a lot of gaps in the overall history. Patrin covers the artists, the technology, the styles, and in doing so never loses sight of the reason we are reading the book: the music. In fact, on the University of Minnesota Press page for the book there is an extensive Spotify playlist. Between the book and the playlist, I felt like I was reliving some of those days, as well as being introduced to many songs I only knew from a few beats.
So far, I have concentrated on how fun the book is. But it is a thorough and very well researched history. The fact that it is written in a manner that is often lacking in academic books does not detract from the wealth of details.
I would recommend this to fans of music and especially those who like hip-hop.If you don't already have an appreciation for the genre, you will after reading this. Understanding breeds appreciation and Patrin makes all of the technological as well as the legal history understandable all in service to better understanding the music. Understand?
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
EDIT: I just saw that somebody who didn't read more than a page of the book decided to make demonstrably false comments about both the book and the artists. Ignore the idiot, he knows not of what he spews. One hit wonder is such a moronic concept when applied to a genre that for a long time had NO hits. Even if he had had no national hits it would not matter, it is the influence he had on the progression of the genre. Lawsuits are mentioned and analyzed in the book, just not in the 2% of the book the "reviewer" supposedly read. He also does not understand what "dawning of" means. If he had read the book before going full Trump he would know that labels came along at different times but what came before the labels is part of the history, thus the "dawning of." In other words, just ignore the little guy, he has issues and just likes to pretend to know what he is talking about. But it stinks just like anything else that is body waste.
September 13, 2021
What if Paul's Boutique was a book? The amount of information and detail in Bring That Beat Back is astonishing. Honestly, this book is worth keeping for the discography in the back alone. Like a lot of these type of books, things sort of fall apart when talking about contemporary rap. (And the East Coast bias is very real.) But this is a must-read if you want an understanding of hip-hop's foundation.
December 27, 2020
A thorough but focused look at how sampling technique has evolved over hip-hop's history. Patrin is good at both musical and economic analysis, and he tells great stories. Thanks to this book, I looked up music I'd never heard, and I heard familiar songs with new ears.
Want to read
May 10, 2020I got 2% into this book and had to stop. I do not know this author never read a bio on the author but I can already tell you this author never existed during the "Dawn of Hip Hop" because in the late 70s there was no dawn of hip hop. Hip Hop wouldn`t arrive for almost a decade later . Chapter 1 Dj GrandMaster Flash is in the terms of the music industry a one hit wonder. As far as NEW YORK STREET MUSIC actual name for hip hop pre 1985 Herc Flash Bambada etc were not even RAPPERS term used post 1985 hence titles from Will Smith like "IM THE RAPPER HE is the DJ" This is why I fail to believe this author even has a clue. Second FLAG... to try to make it sound like early rappers weren't hit with law suit after law suit because of intellectual property right theft during the sampling error is the final nail in the coffin. Why new authors seem to want to sensationalize the 80s instead of reporting the facts is beyond me. Next it will be Ice Cube didn`t write fuck da police after being physically forced to the pavement while recording their first album outside the studio...….
0 star rating unreviewable
0 star rating unreviewable
May 15, 2021
A pretty thorough detailing of the history of hiphop makers who use and create samples. However, since that was pretty much all of hiphop in the 80s and 90s, this book overlaps (but does not surpass) "The Big Payback" by Dan Charnas, which is the better telling of how hiphop came to be over those two decades. The strength in Patrin's book lies in Part 4, where he covers those who did more sample creation and song building in the 2000s - with a special focus on J Dilla and Madlib that was very enjoyable to read. Also like the shout out to Serengeti in the acknowledgements - clearly Patrin did his research, even if his telling is on the dry side.
November 13, 2023
Impressively detailed -- will satisfy music geeks who want to learn a ton of esoteric facts on how samples have been layered over time to create some of the 20th century's best works of music. That said, I feel it veered off-mission -- the beef between Biggie and Tupac was given too much ink and didn't add to the sampling discussion. I think the book would have been stronger had it stuck to delivering on the title.
January 1, 2021
This book was like a journey through my record collection, shedding some much-needed light on a variety of musicians, record labels and music scenes that were completely vital to the history of sampling in hip hop. I could’ve used a whole book alone on Prince Paul/De La Soul or Stones Throw/Madlib/Jay Dilla/MF Doom. What a great read, really hard to put down.
September 24, 2025
Really really really good.
Patrin excels at connecting dots. At least for me, that was the joy of this reading experience. It offered me context for so many different bits of information that were lone, floating synapses in my brain. Chock full of great things to listen to - I loved this book.
Patrin excels at connecting dots. At least for me, that was the joy of this reading experience. It offered me context for so many different bits of information that were lone, floating synapses in my brain. Chock full of great things to listen to - I loved this book.
Want to read
March 17, 2024Abandoned, but not forgotten. I will get back to this, at least for the DOOM episodes.
August 4, 2024
I really enjoyed who they got to do the audio book he had a nice voice. I also liked getting to hear about a genre of music I like and how it came to be and learn more about the people who made it.
April 1, 2025
Fine as a broad overview of hip-hop history, but as several other reviews have mentioned, it doesn't deliver on its (sub)title.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews