The Six Best Movie Samples In Rap Songs

The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place - lots of times, you're even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good- so once a week we're going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted to ask a rapper? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com.

​This Week's Rapper: Fullmetal FDot

This Week's Subject(s): Picking Out The Best Movie Samples From Rap Songs

Ask A Rapper: In the beginning of your "Open the Door" video, you're standing there watching - what's the name of that movie? Anyway, you then take a line from that, or from Robin Hood, really, and flip it into the chorus. So here's the question: Lots of rap songs use samples from either songs, but what are the best rap songs that use samples from movies? Give me the best six.

Fullmetal [laughs]: Y'know, the funny thing about that song in relation to the film clip in the beginning of the video is that I actually wrote and recorded that record before I was introduced to the film. Which, by the way, is a brilliant short film called Death To The Tinman. I actually caught the film by chance, and once I saw it I knew I had to incorporate it into the video somehow.

As for my list of the six best rap songs with movie samples in my opinion, well, the very first record that came to mind, which is probably because I literally just finished jamming this, is:

​Jay-Z's "What More Can I Say," with the sample from Gladiator in the beginning. It seems like a lot of people have mixed feelings about the Black Album, but I've always dug it. I mean, it ain't no Reasonable Doubt... but it's dope. And he murdered the song itself. That song single-handedly could have made his retirement incredible... if he would have actually retired. Nonetheless, the way he ended that song was perfect.

Staying on the topic of Reasonable Doubt, I don't know if it counts as a legitimate "sample," but Jay's recreation of Tony Montana's initial dope-dealing offer scene from the almighty Scarface during the intro to "Can't Knock The Hustle" is getting that record put on my list. I mean, it's the intro song to one of my favorite and best hip-hop albums ever. Need I explain further?... Exactly, moving on...

[laughs] In case that song doesn't count since it's not an actual sample, this next record is nothing but audio from movies...and another Jay. [laughs] Electronica's "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind (The Pledge)," that joint blows my mind every time I listen to it. I'm convinced that dude has some sort of mystical rap powers.

The fact the song is, like, nine minutes of him spazzing out over memorable pieces of the score to arguably my single favorite movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in between random audio clips from another personal favorite of mine, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, makes this one a no-brainer.