Today, I’m exploring how The RZA’s innovative sampling techniques reshaped the art of hip-hop production and set a gold standard for generations to come.
The RZA is a groundbreaking music producer and the creative force behind the Wu-Tang Clan’s iconic sound. Renowned for his raw, cinematic beats, he revolutionized hip-hop production by fusing gritty drum loops, soulful melodies, and haunting vocal snippets into tracks that feel both timeless and avant-garde. A sampling genius, RZA draws from an eclectic palette, including kung-fu film scores, vintage soul records, and obscure jazz cuts, to create sonic landscapes that tell stories as vivid as the lyrics they accompany.
C.R.E.A.M. by Wu-Tang Clan
No list mentioning The RZA’s production prowess would be complete without mentioning Wu-Tang Clan’s smoothest beat from their debut album, C.R.E.A.M. Flipping an Isaak Hayes produced track “As Long As I’ve Got You” by The Charmels, the loop is literally the first two seconds of the track with a couple alternate samples to spice up the intro. Dusted up on an MPC, this effortless sample glides over a slowed down sample of the drum break from “Tramp” by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas, a classic break that has been sampled in hundreds of tracks.
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There’s also a couple subtle samples from “Hey Love” by the Delfonics sprinkled in underneath when the drums and samples cut out, they seem to mainly fill space and provide a bit of ear candy. The ‘oohs’ throughout the song were recorded by Wu-Tang Clan affiliate 60 Second Assassin.
The RZA actually said in an interview that this track has about 4 samples other than The Charmels sample. There’s definitely a hit I can hear each time the sample loops but what it is remains a mystery.
On C.R.E.A.M. The RZA crafted a mournful, self-reflexive tone with this production, a divergence from the rest of the record’s aggressive tone, which has stood the test of time and makes top hip hop lists all over the place. Sometimes it can be all so simple …
Labels by the GZA
This production is a triumph in minimalism. Utilising a simple stab from “Synthetic Substitution” by Melvin Bliss, a track that has been sampled literally over 1000 times mainly for the great isolated drum break at the start, The RZA ignored that and went straight for the piano lick, likely as he’s already sampled the break for “Bring the Ruckus”. Who knows what drums were used on this track, but they knock!
To complement this stab, there’s an atmospheric sample from Thelma Houston’s disco hit “Don’t Leave Me This Way”. The sample comes from the intro, utilising a short moment looped up to create a slowed down string sample with horn-like textures. Very dope.
The RZA shows how to imprint your own style onto a track through creative sampling, turning two tracks that are well known and possess a positive energy into gritty, underground hip hop that allows the GZA to flow off into seemingly infinite puns about record labels.
All I Need (Razor Sharp Mix) – Method Man & Mary J Blige
This might be my favourite of The RZA’s productions. The beat continuously moves with interlocking parts moving in and out of the arrangement seamlessly. Every listen reveals another layer of samples and arrangement that keeps me coming back.
Using an interpolation of “All I Need”, originally by Tammi Terrell on a track with Marvin Gayes, Mary J Blige’s hook combined with the production chops of The RZA pushed this track from an album cut by Method Man to a timeless hip hop track.
The samples from this track are seemingly ambiguous as of right now with the only one identified being the 5 second intro to the track which is “I’ll Never Say Goodbye (The Promise)” by Earl Klugh. There’s some creative sampled hits that are bandpass filtered sprinkled throughout the whole track which makes each loop unique. There’s a short horns loop that changes multiple times throughout
On this track it seems The RZA plays a lead synth (potentially a Nord Lead or Roland 2080 that he’s said he uses) for strings, a short piano lick and to create movement through SFX.
Incarcerated Scarfaces – Raekwon
This track might have the toughest drum sound of the era. The RZA was really on one with this sample, the original— “You’re Getting a Little Too Smart” by the Detroit Emeralds—has none of the weight and grittiness that the finished track has. This is a perfect example of how being creative in how you process your samples can lead to an incredible result.
There’s a sample from “Wang Dang Doodle” by Koko Taylor that uses the first guitar strum of the track which forms the main stab of the beat. There’s an off key piano sample that plays throughout the chorus as a call and response to the stab which for any other genre of music would have to be tuned properly but this discordant combination contributes to the sketchy tone of the track.
It wouldn’t be a RZA produced record without a kung-fu sample on the intro. This one might not be the best one out of his catalogue, but it definitely has his fingerprints on it, sampling a John Woo movie The Killer from 1989. Fun Fact, this track was sampled by The RZA on a track from Kanye and Jay-Z’s collaboration Watch the Throne in 2011 using the “Me and The RZA connect” line from Raekwon.
“Incarcerated Scarfaces” is a timeless beat as it lets Raekwon rap endlessly and sit in the groove which could loop for days without getting tired.
Protect Ya Neck – Wu-Tang Clan
In maybe the only time that a clean version or radio version of a track is better than the uncensored version, the Protect Ya Neck beat is timeless and incredible. When Inspectah Deck says sh-t, there’s a sample from “Rock the Bells” by LL Cool J played over the top that elevates the production rather than takes away from it and is potentially the best sample used in place of censorship of all time (maybe I’ll look into this in another article).
This track contains no less than 10 samples… The RZA went incredibly deep into his bag for this one. There’s two Kung Fu samples as to be expected, the drums are taken from Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle” with the snare from “Impeach the President” layered on top for some extra oomf. There’s what sounds like an old school kettle boiling which is actually a sample from The J.B. ‘s “The Grunt” which is probably the highest note someone has ever reached on a saxophone. This one would’ve been easy to isolate as it’s panned hard left with nothing else over there in the mix.
There’s also subtle samples sprinkled through, like samples from The Incredible Bongo Band’s “Apache”, famously sampled on The Sugar Hill Gang’s “Apache (Jump On It)” in which the positive tone of these hits might not be the first to come to mind when hearing the vicious tone of this track but they’re there and is another insight into how The RZA transforms samples into his own.
The strings in the background are taken from a Delfonics track “Break Your Promise” which glide in and out of the arrangement over the track as well as subtly underneath the main beat. Really a phenomenal showcase of his sampling prowess.
There were many tracks I had to leave off this list including “Liquid Swords” by The GZA, “Snakes” by ODB, “Bring the Pain” by Method Man and literally countless more, but for the sake of keeping this list short I’ll leave them off.
The RZA’s brilliance as a producer lies in his ability to transform familiar sounds into groundbreaking hip-hop classics. From the soulful melancholy of “C.R.E.A.M.” to the minimalist grit of “Labels”, he masterfully layers and manipulates samples to create deeply textured soundscapes. Tracks like “All I Need” showcase his versatility, blending live instrumentation with innovative sampling, while “Incarcerated Scarfaces” and “Protect Ya Neck” highlight his skill in turning raw elements into timeless beats. RZA’s genius redefined sampling, making each track a testament to his visionary artistry.
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