“They were sampling those records because they heard something in that music that spoke to them.”

When the topic of sampling comes up in modern music, it usually ends in an uproar of controversy due to the legal battles associated with it.  But sampling in electronic and independent hip hop music is an essential part of the production process and something that has been going on since the first sampler hit the market.  So why do people sample if there is such a hassle with major record label lawyers and lawsuits?  Well, Mark Ronson seems to have done a great job of explaining the art in the latest edition of “Ted Talks”.

Ronson – a DJ associated with some of the biggest names in popular music – has been active on the ones and twos for the last decade.  Recently, he was invited to speak at the worlds largest Technology, Entertainment, and Design community gathering (TED) on the history of sampling and the meaning behind the art form. To start off this amazing presentation, Mark decided to sample a number of TED Talks video’s along with the main TED Talks theme song to build his own unique audio/visual performance.  This is a must watch!