--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was a time when hip-hop was its own…" description: "\"There was a time when hip-hop was its own musical principle, aside from sampling. Like the entire Wild Style break is instrumental. Kurtis Blow's earli..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/mos-def-3481_arrangements_there-was-a-time-when-hip-hop-was-its-ow_842580.png" --- # There was a time when hip-hop was its own musical… ![“There was a time when hip-hop was its own musical principle, aside from sampling. Like the entire Wild Style break is instrumental. Kurtis Blow's earliest stuff was studio musicians playing. Whodini had a real clear sound, things like "five minutes of funk," stuff that you could write really…” quote by Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/mos-def-3481_arrangements_there-was-a-time-when-hip-hop-was-its-ow_842580.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/mos-def-3481_arrangements_there-was-a-time-when-hip-hop-was-its-ow_842580.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/mos-def-3481_arrangements_there-was-a-time-when-hip-hop-was-its-ow_842580.png) > “There was a time when hip-hop was its own musical principle, aside from sampling. Like the entire Wild Style break is instrumental. Kurtis Blow's earliest stuff was studio musicians playing. Whodini had a real clear sound, things like "five minutes of funk," stuff that you could write really beautiful, lush string and horn arrangements around, stuff that was just music.” [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hip‑hop originally emphasized original musical composition, not just sampled beats, allowing rich instrumentation and artistic depth. **In simple terms:** Hip‑hop began as original music, not just samples. Key Takeaway Appreciate the genre’s musical roots. Themes music history creativity hip‑hop artistic integrity Mood reflective appreciative Type analytical historical When to use this quote - music production - educational workshops - documentary narration Key Concepts instrumentation sampling genre evolution Questions to Reflect On - How does sampling affect originality? - Can modern hip‑hop retain its compositional spirit? A Different Perspective Commercial pressures can push artists toward formulaic sampling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arrangements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrangements/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blow/) [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Five minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-minutes/) [Funk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funk/) [Funk Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funk-stuff-657280/) [Hip hop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hip-hop/) [Hips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hips/) [Hops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hops/) [Horns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horns/) [Instrumental Kurtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instrumental-kurtis-657278/) [Kurtis Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kurtis-blow-657276/) [Lush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lush/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [Minutes Funk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes-funk-657279/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Playing Whodini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-whodini-657277/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rapper/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Really beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-beautiful/) [Sampling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sampling/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Strings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strings/) [Studios](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/studios/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a huge hip hop fan going way back, like, back to '83. I had my Gemini mixer listening to Run-DMC and Kurtis Blow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/i-m-a-huge-hip-hop-fan-going-way-back-like-back-to-83-i-had-my-gemini/) [Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/) > [I was called Kool Dj Kurt Walker... but they wanted tocall me Kurtis Blow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurtis-blow/i-was-called-kool-dj-kurt-walker-but-they-wanted-tocall-me-kurtis-blow/) [Kurtis Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurtis-blow/) > [In the very beginning, I kind of had this hip-hop, cut-and-paste approach to music. The first record, especially, was from looking at people like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonobo/in-the-very-beginning-i-kind-of-had-this-hip-hop-cut-and-paste/) [Bonobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonobo/) > [“Friendship is a totally biased sample of the population: we only pick out the best ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-bello-accioly/friendship-is-a-totally-biased-sample-of-the-population-we-only-pick/) [Victor Bello Accioly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-bello-accioly/) > [I love sampling, and RZA loves sampling, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-younge/i-love-sampling-and-rza-loves-sampling-too/) [Adrian Younge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-younge/) > [People still talk about sampling as this new, progressive problem in music. There are technologies now where you can glean the polyphonic information out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hecker/people-still-talk-about-sampling-as-this-new-progressive-problem-in/) [Tim Hecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hecker/) > [I am very conscious of first sampling the music and then getting it out for fans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himesh-reshammiya/i-am-very-conscious-of-first-sampling-the-music-and-then-getting-it/) [Himesh Reshammiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himesh-reshammiya/) > [I've wanted to do it for years, but every attempt at it has turned into another tune. We have actually taken a different approach,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-banks/i-ve-wanted-to-do-it-for-years-but-every-attempt-at-it-has-turned/) [Peter Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-banks/) > [I've mainly been sampling jazz because the tone of the chords are expressive in itself, so it's quite nice to write over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/i-ve-mainly-been-sampling-jazz-because-the-tone-of-the-chords-are/) [King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/) > [I had a little more freedom when I started sampling because you could actually do what you wanted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakim/i-had-a-little-more-freedom-when-i-started-sampling-because-you-could/) [Rakim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakim/) > [Sampling is kind of prehistoric, given the technology and the textures you can create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macklemore/sampling-is-kind-of-prehistoric-given-the-technology-and-the-textures/) [Macklemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macklemore/) > [As I do with most films, I try and find some music that you could use throughout, not just a sampling of lots of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/as-i-do-with-most-films-i-try-and-find-some-music-that-you-could-use/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [I was listening to a lot of hip hop, music like Public Enemy that was about raising consciousness, and I realised I could feed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ofili/i-was-listening-to-a-lot-of-hip-hop-music-like-public-enemy-that-was/) [Chris Ofili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ofili/) > [The purely random sample is the only kind that can be examined with confidence by means of statistical theory, but there is one things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-huff/the-purely-random-sample-is-the-only-kind-that-can-be-examined-with/) [Darrell Huff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-huff/) > [I am ultimately comfortable with what I'm sampling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/girl-talk/i-am-ultimately-comfortable-with-what-i-m-sampling/) [Girl Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/girl-talk/) ## More by Mos Def > [I have mad brims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-have-mad-brims/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [And from the moment that I saw you, I knew you was trouble, But I disregarded detour signs, And did not stop til you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/and-from-the-moment-that-i-saw-you-i-knew-you-was-trouble-but-i/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [But even creeps deserve to live someplace halfway decent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/but-even-creeps-deserve-to-live-someplace-halfway-decent/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [If you're going to do Chuck Berry, you got to, you know, go all out, and the duck walk is just kind of you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/if-you-re-going-to-do-chuck-berry-you-got-to-you-know-go-all-out-and/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [The ability to have somebody read something and see it, or for somebody to paint an entire landscape of visual imagery with just sheets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/the-ability-to-have-somebody-read-something-and-see-it-or-for/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I'm growing as an individual, but your always growing. All of my albums are snapshots of where I am artistically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-m-growing-as-an-individual-but-your-always-growing-all-of-my-albums/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I don't want to waste anyone's time or money. I want to give people some truth and positive heart lift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-don-t-want-to-waste-anyone-s-time-or-money-i-want-to-give-people/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [Man, I smashed her like an Idaho Potato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/man-i-smashed-her-like-an-idaho-potato/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I'm blacked than midnight on Broadway and Myrtle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-m-blacked-than-midnight-on-broadway-and-myrtle/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I'm not shy about heated debate or passionate discourse, but when people get crazy or rude, that's a buzz kill. There's got to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-m-not-shy-about-heated-debate-or-passionate-discourse-but-when/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I was taught when there's somethin' you can change around keep quiet, you got nothin' to complain about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-was-taught-when-there-s-somethin-you-can-change-around-keep-quiet/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [I don't hate nobody. I hate certain conditions that are inflicted upon the people - and they're helpless with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/i-don-t-hate-nobody-i-hate-certain-conditions-that-are-inflicted-upon/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [It’s one thing to be the greatest; it’s another thing to be necessary. The best are the most necessary: those who take less than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/it-s-one-thing-to-be-the-greatest-it-s-another-thing-to-be-necessary/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [We can be beautiful and feel beautiful about who we are everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/we-can-be-beautiful-and-feel-beautiful-about-who-we-are-everyday/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) > [Fame is like getting across the street. It's like, if there's nothing to be across the street for, it's a pointless destination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/fame-is-like-getting-across-the-street-it-s-like-if-there-s-nothing/) [Mos Def](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) [Explore all 129 Mos Def quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/) ## More Arrangements quotes > [for the obvious reason that nature - unadulterated and unimproved by man - is simply chaos. In fact, the camera proves that nature is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-weston/for-the-obvious-reason-that-nature-unadulterated-and-unimproved-by/) [Edward Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-weston/) > [Order is a prerequisite of survival; therefore the impulse to produce orderly arrangements is inbred by evolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-arnheim/order-is-a-prerequisite-of-survival-therefore-the-impulse-to-produce/) [Rudolf Arnheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-arnheim/) > [If you are any competent musician, if you have creative ideas, ideas of songs, of arrangements, in a band like the Stones, where these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-wyman/if-you-are-any-competent-musician-if-you-have-creative-ideas-ideas-of/) [Bill Wyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-wyman/) > [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [Conservatism defends those coercive arrangements which a still-lingering savageness makes requisite. Radicalism endeavours to realize a state more in harmony with the character of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/conservatism-defends-those-coercive-arrangements-which-a-still/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [The Beatles have a deeper appreciation of all music. There's a humor, there's a Broadway sense, and later on, the Indian stuff came in.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-vivino/the-beatles-have-a-deeper-appreciation-of-all-music-there-s-a-humor/) [Jimmy Vivino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-vivino/) > [Marriage must cease to be a matter of arrangement made by parents for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/marriage-must-cease-to-be-a-matter-of-arrangement-made-by-parents-for/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Abundance, like everything else in the universe, is simply a specific arrangement of energy and information. With our intention, we can change the energy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/abundance-like-everything-else-in-the-universe-is-simply-a-specific/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [One of the proven ways of getting workers more involved with their jobs is by dovetailing employee profit-sharing and stock ownership plans with greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-k-javits/one-of-the-proven-ways-of-getting-workers-more-involved-with-their/) [Jacob K. Javits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-k-javits/) > [Much of a behavior acceptable today would be socially offensive in a saner or more logical arrangement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/much-of-a-behavior-acceptable-today-would-be-socially-offensive-in-a/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [Any new legal measures, or cooperative arrangements between government and companies meant to keep people from organizing violence or criminal actions, must not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/any-new-legal-measures-or-cooperative-arrangements-between-government/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [But since the Modernists (as they are commonly and rightly called) employ a very clever artifice, namely, to present their doctrines without order and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-pius-x/but-since-the-modernists-as-they-are-commonly-and-rightly-called/) [Pope Pius X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-pius-x/) > [There must be a judicious arrangement of all the parts. Considered conversely, the artist's task is to fill his panel with a design that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-j-phillips/there-must-be-a-judicious-arrangement-of-all-the-parts-considered/) [Walter J. Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-j-phillips/) > [Autonomy means women defining themselves and the values by which they will live, and beginning to think of institutional arrangements which will order their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerda-lerner/autonomy-means-women-defining-themselves-and-the-values-by-which-they/) [Gerda Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerda-lerner/) > [Donald Trump has the media wrapped around his little finger. And this is a contributing factor to why so many people are bothered and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-has-the-media-wrapped-around-his-little-finger-and-this/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) [Browse all 536 Arrangements quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arrangements/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There was a time when hip-hop was its own musical principle, aside from sampling. Like the entire Wild Style break is instrumental. Kurtis Blow's earliest stuff was studio musicians playing. Whodini had a real clear sound, things like \"five minutes of funk,\" stuff that you could write really beautiful, lush string and horn arrangements around, stuff that was just music.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mos Def" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/there-was-a-time-when-hip-hop-was-its-own-musical-principle-aside/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arrangements" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/there-was-a-time-when-hip-hop-was-its-own-musical-principle-aside/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/mos-def-3481_arrangements_there-was-a-time-when-hip-hop-was-its-ow_842580.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/mos-def-3481_arrangements_there-was-a-time-when-hip-hop-was-its-ow_842580.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/mos-def-3481_arrangements_there-was-a-time-when-hip-hop-was-its-ow_842580.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There was a time when hip-hop was its own musical principle, aside from sampling. Like the entire Wild Style…” — Mos Def", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mos Def", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mos-def/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There was a time when hip-hop...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/there-was-a-time-when-hip-hop-was-its-own-musical-principle-aside/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mos-def/there-was-a-time-when-hip-hop-was-its-own-musical-principle-aside/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```