Hello!
This week on Sampl’d, we’ll be discussing a track that I’m sure most of you have heard in Ashanti’s 2002 song, “Foolish.” The song is from her self-titled debut album, Ashanti.
Going #BackinTime, this beat was introduced to audiences in 1983 on the musical group DeBarge’s third studio album, In a Special Way. If you listen closely to the eight-note piano line under El DeBarge’s voice, you will hear how it is brought to the forefront as the introduction to “Foolish.”
Sandwiched in between those two songs is, yes, a Notorious B.I.G.’s sample. Biggie incorporated the piece as a mashup in a remix of his 1995 song “One More Chance” from the Ready to Die record I reported on last week’s post. It is pretty clear by now that early 80’s R&B influenced Biggie’s songs.
It is in the “One More Chance/Stay With Me (Remix)” where Ashanti got the idea to emphasize that piano line in “Foolish.” Due to the inclusion of the sample, band member Mark “Marty” DeBarge is credited as a songwriter, along with Ashanti herself.
Below you will see links to each of these tracks and the exact moments where you can compare and contrast the underlying beats:
Stay With Me: (skip to 0:09)
One More Chance/Stay With Me (Remix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=542Am04RsDs (skip to 0:05)
Foolish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0a95VseJTA (play from the beginning)