De La Soul-3 Feet High and Rising: Original Samples

This sample set right here is a beast; 76 samples in all! That’s why I enlisted fellow blogger/digger Bulldog to help out. Actually, this set was his idea. I wasn’t interested at first in compiling such a huge set. I figured it’d just be too time consuming. But with Bulldog’s persuasion, I said let’s do it, and here we have the samples for De La Soul’s debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising.

Released in March of 1989, 3 Feet High and Rising is considered one of the most influential hip hop albums of our time. Influential in the sense that it often viewed as the originator of 90s alternative hip hop. The entire album was produced by Prince Paul and features an eclectic mix of samples ranging from old school hip hop, rock, jazz, and funk. Sampling was hardly new at the time of its release, however 3 Feet High and Rising revolutionized the technique and influenced virtually every producer and artist to come. As an interesting side note, De La Soul lost a law suit against The Turtles over the unauthorized sampling of “You Showed Me” on “Transmitting Live from Mars”.

In 2001, this album was re-issued with a second disc of B-sides and alternate versions. We’ve included the samples for those tracks as well. Although this sample compilation may not be one that you listen to over and over again, it’s definitely nice to have as a reference.


Led Zeppelin - “The Crunge”

Sampled in “The Magic Number”
Bob Dorough - “Three Is The Magic Number”
Sampled in “The Magic Number”
Double Dee & Steinski - “Lesson 3 (History Of Hip Hop Mix)”

Sampled in “The Magic Number”
Syl Johnson - “Different Strokes”

Sampled in “The Magic Number”
Johnny Cash - “Five Feet High and Rising”

Sampled in “The Magic Number”
Eddie Murphy - “Hit By A Car”

Sampled in “The Magic Number”
The Jackson 5 - “ABC”

Sampled in “The Magic Number”
Cymande - “Bra”

Sampled in “Change in Speak”
The Monkees - “Mary, Mary”

Sampled in “Change in Speak”
The Mad Lads - “No Strings Attached”

Sampled in “Change in Speak”
Run-D.M.C. - “Hit It Run”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Fearless Four - “Rockin’ It”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
MC Lyte - “Lyte As A Rock”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
LL Cool J - “Rock The Bells”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Richard Pryor - “Crap Game”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
The B-Boys - “Rock The House”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Beastie Boys - “The New Style”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Michael Jackson - “Rock With You”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Gregory Abbott - “Shake You Down”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Treacherous Three - “Body Rock”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Ashford & Simpson - “Solid”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Cutmaster D.C. - “Brooklyn Rocks The Best”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Vaughan Mason & Crew - “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
The Real Roxanne with Hitman Howie Tee - “Bang Zoom (Lets Go-Go)”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Disco Dave - “High Power Rap”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Public Enemy - “Night Of The Living Baseheads”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
Public Enemy - “Cold Lampin’ With Flavor”

Sampled in “Cool Breeze on the Rocks”
New Birth - “Got To Get A Knutt”

Sampled in “Can U Keep a Secret” and “This Is a Recording 4 Living in a Fulltime Era (L.I.F.E.)”
Lyn Collins - “Think (About It)”

Sampled in “Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin’s Revenge)”
Steve Miller Band - “Take The Money And Run”

Sampled in “Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin’s Revenge)”
James Brown - “Funky President”

Sampled in “Ghetto Thang”, “Freedom of Speak (We Got Three Minutes)”, and “‘Brain-Washed Follower”
Kraftwerk - “Trans-Europe Express”

Sampled in “Ghetto Thang”
The Blackbyrds - “Rock Creek Park”

Sampled in “Ghetto Thang”
The Turtles - “You Showed Me”

Sampled in “Transmitting Live from Mars”
Steely Dan - “Peg”

Sampled in “Eye Know”
Steely Dan - “FM”

Sampled in “Eye Know”
Patrice Rushen - “Remind Me”

Sampled in “Eye Know”
The Mad Lads - “Make This Young Lady Mine”

Sampled in “Eye Know”
Otis Redding - “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”

Sampled in “Eye Know”
Sly & The Family Stone - “Sing A Simple Song”

Sampled in “Eye Know”
The Headhunters - “God Made Me Funky”

Sampled in “Take It Off”
The People’s Choice - “I Likes To Do It”

Sampled in “Tread Water”
Jarmels - “A Little Bit of Soap”

Sampled in “A Little Bit of Soap”
Ben E. King - “Don’t Play That Song”

Sampled in “A Little Bit of Soap”
Funky 4+1 - “Thats The Joint”

Sampled in “Say No Go”
Sly Stone - “Crossword Puzzle”

Sampled in “Say No Go”
The Emotions - “Best Of My Love”

Sampled in “Say No Go”
Hall & Oates - “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)”

Sampled in “Say No Go”
Detroit Emeralds - “Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms)”

Sampled in “Say No Go”
The Turtles - “I’m Chief Kamanawanalea (We’re the Royal Macadamia Nuts)”

Sampled in “Say No Go”
Barry White - “I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More Baby”

Sampled in “De La Orgee”
Billy Joel - “Stiletto”

Sampled in “Plug Tunin’ (Last Chance to Comprehend)”
The Bar-Kays - “Son Of Shaft”

Sampled in “Plug Tunin’ (Last Chance to Comprehend)”
The Invitations - “Written on the Wall”

Sampled in “Plug Tunin’ (Last Chance to Comprehend)”
Bo Diddley - “Hit Or Miss”

Sampled in “Buddy”
The Commodores - “Girl, I Think The World About You”

Sampled in “Buddy”
Sly & The Family Stone - “Poet”

Sampled in “Description”
Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick - “The Show”

Sampled in “Me, Myself and I”
Ohio Players - “Funky Worm”

Sampled in “Me, Myself and I”
Funkadelic - “(Not Just) Knee Deep”

Sampled in “Me, Myself and I”
Edwin Birdsong - “Rapper Dapper Snapper”

Sampled in “Me, Myself and I”
Parliament - “Little Old Country Boy”

Sampled in “Potholes In My Lawn”
Melvin Bliss - “Synthetic Substitution”

Sampled in “Potholes In My Lawn”
Eric Burdon & War - “Magic Mountain”

Sampled in “Potholes In My Lawn”
The Sequence - “Funk You Up”

Sampled in “This Is a Recording 4 Living in a Fulltime Era (L.I.F.E.)”
The Rascals - “My World”

Sampled in “D.A.I.S.Y. Age”
Average White Band - “School Boy Crush”

Sampled in “D.A.I.S.Y. Age” and “Strictly Dan Shuckie”
James Brown - “Get On The Good Foot”

Sampled in “Freedom of Speak (We Got Three Minutes)”
Wes Montgomery & Jimmy Smith - “13 (Death March)”
Sampled in “Skip to My Loop”
Wes Montgomery & Jimmy Smith - “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”


Sampled in “Skip to My Loop”
Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band - “Hard Times”


Sampled in “Ain’t Hip to Be Labeled a Hippie”
The Turtles - “You Baby”


Sampled in “What’s More”
Ray Charles - “Booty Butt”


Sampled in “Brain-Washed Follower”
The Moments - “So This Is Our Goodbye”


Sampled in “Brain-Washed Follower”
Ruby Andrews - “You Made A Believer Out of Me”


Sampled in “Brain-Washed Follower”
The Village Callers - “Hector”


Sampled in “The Mack Daddy on the Left”