Jay-Z’s “Upgrade U” (2006) sample of “Girls Can’t Do What Guys Do” (1968) The end result is more regal than Wright even could’ve imagined.īeyonce feat. Lee- and Bun B-produced southern rap classic takes just one measure of the song’s thunderous horns and loops it, screwing it down for more dramatic effect. Bun B & T.I., “3 Kings” (2005) sample of “Secretary” (1974)Īnother song swiping the mighty intro to “Secretary” - although rather than lifting it wholesale, this Mr. Not a direct sample, certainly, but it’s hard to imagine the peerlessly thick bass-and-keys strut to Nikka Costa’s breakthrough hit without the similarly slapping up-the-stairs, down-the-stairs intro to Wright’s “Secretary.” Producer Mark Ronson, a lifetime acolyte of American soul music, was undoubtedly a fan. Nikka Costa’s “Like a Feather” (2001) interpolation of “Secretary” (1974) In 1993, SWV hit the Hot 100’s top 10 with “I’m So Into You,” which borrows a lithe guitar lick from the “Clean Up Woman” post-chorus for its own irresistible groove, just showing how seamless a fit Wright’s sound still was on the radio decades later. Blige scored a hit remix taking the immediately recognizable guitar intro from “Clean Up Woman,” but that song had funky riffs to spare. SWV’s “I’m So Into You” (1992) sample of “Clean Up Woman” (1971) The remix also featured a budding MC in Biggie Smalls, who won listeners over with his gruff presence on the mic. Though she sampled Wright’s 1971 single “Clean Up Woman” - a song about losing out on love to a partner’s new lady in the relationship - Blige maintained her song’s optics and focused on the story of securing true romance.
The Notorious B.I.G’s “Real Love” (Hip-Hop Remix) (1992) sample of “Clean Up Woman” (1971)Īfter earning her first Hot 100 top ten hit with “Real Love” in 1992, Mary J. In the early ’90s, legendary West Coast rapper-producer DJ Quik borrowed the song’s titular hook for his decidedly less-innocent G-funk anthem “Tonite,” scoring his biggest Hot 100 hit (No. As a result, she emerged victoriously and was awarded 35% of the song’s royalties.ĭJ Quik’s “Tonite” (1991) sample of “Tonight Is the Night” (1975)īetty Wright’s sweet ode to a lover about to spend the night for the first time has proven a recurring sample source over the years in its various incarnations. Later that year, Wright sued the group for illegally sampling her live version of “Tonight Is the Night” without her clearance. Freeze sampled Wright’s “Tonight Is the Night” for their 1991 debut single “I Wanna Sex You Up.” The titillating jam worked in their favor, as they stormed up the Billboard Hot 100 to No. ’90s vocal quartet Color Me Badd struck gold when producer Dr. With news of the beloved singer-songwriter’s death at age 66 this week, Billboard pays tribute to the way Betty Wright’s music has lived on through its repurposing by future generations here, with a list of our 10 favorite samples of her classic jams.Ĭolor Me Badd, “I Wanna Sex You Up” (1991) sample of “Tonight Is the Night (Pts. Betty Wright’s legacy of soul, funk and disco hits in the ’70s and ’80s is one that’s continued to echo throughout popular music - somewhat literally, in the case of the many, many artists who have sampled her crisp grooves and peerless vocals over the years.
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