OK, I wasn't planning to do a section on this but I heard something the other day that really pissed me off. Jessica Simpson has a new song out which samples John Mellencamp's '80s hit "Jack & Diane." I'd be less mad if she just did a cover of it; like I said in the FAQ, I think she has a pretty good voice. Sorry Jessica, but "Jack & Diane" is sacred! Besides, the part of the song you chose doesn't fit very well with the way you sing. If you must sample (a practice I disapprove of), pick some old Whitney Houston songs. Your style is more similar to hers than John Mellencamp's. You have one more chance to do a decent cover/sampled song. After that, it's the shit list for you! But I'm getting off track.
Sampling, putting clips from an old song into a new song, is one of the most heinous practices in music today. Puff Daddy is definitely the biggest offender. Practically every hit he's had has been sampled. One or two sampled songs, fine, no big whoop. But a whole career based on sampling? I think that shows an extreme lack of talent. It's no different from the lame cover band at the local bar. I can forgive "I'll Be Missing You" and "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems." But after that, forget it! "Been Around the World" simply sucked. (One of my readers alerted me to the fact that this is not the first time the song has been a victim of sampling. Lisa Stansfield, who recorded the song in the late '80s or early '90s, sampled David Bowie's "Let's Dance" while making the song.) I've also heard that Puffy has covered a Duran Duran song. Horrors! Will the madness never stop?