Sampling: Creativity or theft?

Synthesizer keyboard [Photo: Unsplash]

"Trap and drill music sampling the old school classics sucks. I have tried to listen to akina Ice Spice and some new Gen Z music with some 90s samples, but I just can't. Lots of bass and auto-tune and dragging bass beats. I think the best era of sampling soul and old classics was during the Puff Daddy and Jermaine Dupri era," wrote photo journalist, Moses Matiba on his Facebook page.

Many upcoming artistes have been going over and beyond on matters of sampling music. Once in a while, you may hear a familiar tune or hook, but in an entirely different song. As an artistic technique, sampling allows for creative reinvention of existing works, but it also raises legal issues regarding copyright and intellectual property. Where is the line between creativity and outright infringement in this long-standing practice?