I don’t understand why sampling is so frowned upon in the music community, especially hip-hop. I didn’t see people complaining when all of their favorites back in the day, like Jay Z or Kanye, were doing it, but now it’s suddenly a problem. Hip-hop is basically built on samples, so when did the conversation shift? Star G4A, a artist out of Alabama has shown countless times that there is a right way to do it and mastered the art of sampling.
Destined To Be a Star
With a name like Star G4A, he didn’t have much of a choice but to be great, and that’s what he did. My first introduction to his music was a song from his last project called Flood Da Spot. It featured a guest appearance from ATL’s Tony Shhnow. Similar to how Detroit and Oakland have a kinship, Georgia and Bama are locked in because of the proximity. To say the least, their chemistry was A1 on this track, easily one of my most revisited songs this year.
Sampling Done Right
One thing that stuck out to me about Star was his ability to give old songs new life through the use of sampling. I’m a huge Stevie Wonder fan and to see him flip a classic like “All I Do”, gives me hope for the next generation. Proving that he’s not a one-trick pony, Star showed his ass on his new release “Grease”.
While this project may be lengthier than your average project at 15 songs, it is still worth checking out. For one, all the features on here go hard. So often features feel forced and are only there to boost streams. But every feature on here blew my mind away. I wonder how he found a way to be on the same page as all these unique artists? But 10K Dunkin’s feature on “Dizzy”, is one I’ll never forget. This is why I love this new genre “Plug-n-B”. It’s genius to include some speaker-thumping bass, over the smooth R&B beat.
Taking Risks
Another thing dope about this project is the artistic risks he takes. For example, in a song like “Juggin Exotic”, instead of using the same flow, his auto-tune vocals sound like they came from the future. Throughout the project, he prevents himself from being boxed in by not being afraid to be experimental. It would be criminal for me to discuss this project and not talk about track #9, “Like Pops”. For old time’s sake, he links up again with Tony Shhnow to do what they do best, and that’s flip old-school samples. Between Star G4A’s fast-paced, rapid flow and Tony’s “too cool for school” attitude, I couldn’t tell you who had the better verse. Because they both did their thing by paying homage to Earth Wind’ n’ Fire.
Little do people know, through sampling,that artists like Star are helping preserve the legacy of these oldies.There’s so many kids who don’t even know who Stevie Wonder or Verdine White is, but thanks to Star G4A’s music, he is unintentionally educating the youth and putting them on game.
So if you have an old soul like me, you will appreciate what “Grease” has to offer. Let us know your favorite song below.
And follow Star G4A on Instagram too.
View this post on Instagram
