Sample This - Documentary Observation Paper

Zifeng. Mi

Prof. Parker

11.19.2016

Observation Paper #2

Sample this

     I watched the documentary “Sample This”, and I would say the movie provides a vivid sense of the period, as well as how to reanimate an improbable Hip-Hop being classic. I think this documentary mainly focused on introducing the musical aspects of Hip-Hop culture; which include three elements, DJs, MCs, and dancing.    

     Something I can relate directly to our course material would be the connection to one of our previous discussion post; Pick up one song we know or heard before then talk about it. I wasn’t recognize any of them but the song “Apahe”, and I finally know it is originally appeared on a 1973 album by Michael Viner’s Incredible Bongo Band by watching this documentary. This song didn’t have that much impact initially, but it was later discovered by DJs and hip-hop artists and improbably went on to become one of the most sampled tracks in Hip-Hop music history.

     The documentary had the most impact on me would still be the affection from this song “Apache” itself.  As the percussion break section of "Apache" filled the soundtrack during the opening credits, I just got emotional from all these years where I heard this soundtrack thousands of time from different places (Even some stores in China). That break, and almost every other musical element in "Apache," has been used in countless rap songs over the past 40 years. Also, I felt kind of speechless when I saw Amy Winehouse, who also sampled "Apache," gets enough screen time to remind us of her tragically short life. Joyful documentary like this still can’t avoid the sadness playing through it. Michael Melvoin, to whom this film is dedicated, died after filming his interviews.    

     My major take away from this documentary is even if you lack a wealth of rap knowledge; "Sample This" is still worth seeing. "Sample This" does a competent job of meting out information from studio musicians and the Hip-Hop culture icons their work influenced. A number of surprising people show up to chat, from Rosey Grier and Jerry Butler to Gene Simmons, whose appearance in the opening scene of "Sample This" is as unexpected as the exploding robot cockroaches he sent to kill Tom Selleck in "Runaway."