Hip Hop Culture Remixed?

Every different form of remix comes with a cultural history that informs how we understand and view the remix, whether we recognize its influence or not. For me, the process of music sampling is deeply embedded in the emergence of hip hop in New York in the 1970s and brings to mind artists such as Public Enemy, Run DMC, Dr. Dre and N.W.A. who have all used samples in their music. Even using the word "sample" instead of using terms such as remix or mashup changes how we think about certain instances of remix, because the words themselves have inherent cultural histories that they carry with them, even as concepts of remix expand.

Music sampling carries with it a history of African-American identity and culture, born out of issues of racism, class and violence. When I think sampling, one of the most obvious examples would be "Mo Money, Mo Problems" by Notorious B.I.G featuring Puffy Daddy and Mase, which uses a sample of Diana Ross singing "I'm Coming Out" repeated on loop throughout the whole song. There are millions of other examples, some with samples that are nowhere near as recognizable, but it is an example of a song where the sample is easily identifiable. It also serves as reference to the violent history of hip hop, as Notorious B.I.G was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in 1997.

But what if that history is disrupted? Is it possible to remix the cultural history of hip hop?

In December 2010, Swedish band jj released the album Kills, a mixtape full of samples from popular hip hop and R&B songs. The track "New Work" samples the identifiable beat of "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, while "Angels" samples Notorious B.I.G's vocals from "Angels" by Diddy-Dirty Money featuring Notorious B.I.G. But the members of jj are not rappers, they are not R&B artists, they make music which can best be described as "dream pop", which combines electro, synth and alternative to make eerie, haunting music. (To hear some of their original music, check them out here)

However, it was the song "Still" off Kills that got me thinking about the possibility of remixing the history of hip hop, using the very same technique of sampling which helped to define it as it emerged in New York in the 1970s. "Still" samples the very distinct beat from "Still Dre" by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg which was released in 2001, with the haunting vocals of jj band member Elin Kastlander sung over top.

Does this change how the process of sampling is culturally understood if jj has used the very same cultural practice that defined hip hop culture in its beginnings? Is this an example of a historical remix, as well as a musical remix? Take a listen to both "Still Dre" by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg and "Still" by jj below.

(WARNING: Offensive Language)