The Jazz-Hip-Hop Connection: How Classic Jazz Influenced Iconic Hip-Hop Songs

Deeply rooted in African American culture, both jazz and hip-hop have a rich history of giving voice to underrepresented communities. These genres have long been a tool for artistic expression in the Black community, so it's no surprise that these genres are so easily combined in the form of fascinating genre-hopping pieces featuring everyone from Louis Armstrong to Kendrick Lamar. 

The concept of sampling emerged in the 1970s when hip-hop DJs started mixing and scratching records using dual turntables. This technique allowed DJs to create new beats by isolating and looping instrumental breaks. Sampling quickly became a cornerstone of hip-hop music, and acid jazz emerged in the 1980s in London, adding hip-hop and funk beats to obscure jazz records, particularly those from the Blue Note catalog. 

Meanwhile, in the United States, hip-hop DJs were partnering with jazz musicians to develop fresh beats. Jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and DJ Grand Mixer D.ST collaborated to create “Rockit” in 1983. The song won a 1983 GRAMMY for Best R&B Instrumental Performance. In 1988, Stetsasonic released “Talkin' All That Jazz,” which both demonstrates and speaks on the art of sampling jazz in hip-hop with lyrics such as, “Jazz, well you can call it that; But this jazz retains a new format.”

“Jazz Thing” by Gang Starr also speaks directly to the art of jazz sampling, featuring Louis Armstrong's “Mahogany Hall Stomp,” Thelonious Monk's “Light Blue,” and Duke Ellington's “Upper Manhattan Medical Group,” among others. The lyrics discuss the origins and development of jazz in detail, referencing “the sounds of the African,” “the New Orleans groove,” “Basil Street blues,” “the first be-bop,” and “the decade of a jazz thing.”

The best way to appreciate the art of jazz sampling in hip-hop is to listen to some of it yourself. There are several songs that feature some of the best examples of hip-hop jazz sampling.

Nas's “The World is Yours” is considered one of hip-hop's greatest hits. The song features a sample of “I Love Music” by Ahmad Jamal, adding a distinctly jazzy background to the tune. A series of six syncopated piano strikes is looped throughout the song. Jamal's music is no stranger to jazz sampling. “I Love Music” is one of seven songs on the 1970 album The Awakening, all of which have been sampled in rap songs.

“Butter” by A Tribe Called Quest samples “Young and Fine” from The Weather Report. Joe Zawinul's jazzy Rhodes electric piano is a favorite for hip-hop sampling. Though “Young and Fine” is used for the main loop, it's not the only piece sampled in this song. “Butter” also includes samples of “Gentle Smiles (Saxy)” by Gary Bartz and “I Like Everything About You” by Chuck Jackson.

The Pharcyde's “Runnin'” samples “Saudade Vem Correndo” by Stan Getz and Luis Bonfá. The jazz guitar and saxophone from this 1963 song are layered with “Flying Easy” by Woody Herman and “You Follow Me” by James Moody. “Runnin'” became one of the band's most recognizable tracks and is featured in the 2002 film 8 Mile.

The collaboration between jazz and hip-hop goes both ways. In the '90s, established jazz artists began working with hip-hop musicians and rap producers to blend the sounds from the other direction. Jazz artist Roy Ayers featured the funk vocals of Rick James on the 1992 album Double Trouble. Jazz legend Miles Davis sampled the funk song “Summer Madness” by Kool & the Gang on “The Doo Bop Song” that same year. 

Rapper Guru released Jazzmatazz, Volume 1: An Experimental Fusion of Hip-Hop and Jazz in 1993, delivering an in-depth study on the artful blend of these genres. Instead of sampling older jazz pieces, the album features live jazz performances with rap and hip-hop production.

Trumpeter Roy Hargrove is famous for his jazz collaborations as well. His genre-jumping contributions include collaborations with the experimental jazz and hip-hop group Soulquarians and with The Soultronics, a jazz and funk backing group. Between 2003 and 2006, Hargrove led The RH Factor, a band lauded for its “genre-busting” blend of jazz, hip-hop, funk, and soul.

Jazz greatly influenced the styles of some of hip-hop's greatest producers. J Dilla, for example, is known for the use of swing in his rhythms. By cutting his samples down to the most essential pieces, he was able to create new beats and tempos while drawing on classic jazz recordings.

Robert Glasper is considered among the most innovative producers of his generation for his use of hip-hop beats with jazz piano instrumentation. Glasper has also modernized the jazz genre by incorporating electronic music and production techniques. These types of genre-bending techniques expand the possibilities for both hip-hop and jazz.

From the 2010s forward, we've seen a resurgence of jazz in the hip-hop and rap genres. Current jazz artists have grown up in a world heavily influenced by hip-hop music, and today's youth see the jazz and hip-hop collaboration as a natural occurrence. This has given rise to a new generation of genre-crossing musicians who have been fluent in both jazz and hip-hop from a young age. Kendrick Lamar is among the best examples of this, with Kamasi Washington's jazz-fusion sax strains featured prominently on his albums Damn and To Pimp a Butterfly. 

Jazz and hip-hop have a deep and ongoing connection as each genre enriches and expands upon the other. The complex grooves of timeless jazz and influential messages rapped through hip-hop are likely to continue intertwining as today's artists explore both art forms. Keep an ear to the heartbeat of Black culture to find out where these genres will take us next on major radio stations, streaming platforms, and albums.