Informer

Vintage preservation over at DoNotDestroy.


Vintage preservation over at DoNotDestroy.

Rapper T.I. sentenced to one year and one day in prison on weapons charges.


Rapper T.I. sentenced to one year and one day in prison on weapons charges.

The Nothing Office, made of cardboard.


The Nothing Office, made of cardboard.

Meme Warfare: a non-article about the future of brands.


Meme Warfare: a non-article about the future of brands.

Official Trailer: Where The Wild Things Are.


Official Trailer: Where The Wild Things Are.

Juarez: Running the most dangerous city in the Americas.


Juarez: Running the most dangerous city in the Americas.

CSM: American forces may not leave key Iraqi cities.


CSM: American forces may not leave key Iraqi cities.

Old school letterpress: Yee-Haw Industries.


Old school letterpress: Yee-Haw Industries.

U.S. military effort in Afghanistan escalates.


U.S. military effort in Afghanistan escalates.

Queer, black photog Alvin Baltrop's work come to life post-death.


Queer, black photog Alvin Baltrop's work come to life post-death. 

Dave Eggers on the importance of oral histories.


Dave Eggers on the importance of oral histories.

Retrurning from Iraq, the damage done.


Retrurning from Iraq, the damage done.

Boxed Water: Better than bottled water?


Boxed Water: Better than bottled water?

Interview with designer Matt Pyke, founder of Universal Everything.


Interview with designer Matt Pyke, founder of Universal Everything.

End of an era: Michael Jordan 10 years later.


End of an era: Michael Jordan 10 years later.

Mayor Ravenstahl, idiot savant?


Mayor Ravenstahl, idiot savant?

No Pants Day 2009.


No Pants Day 2009.

Yipes: Eddie Murphy to play Riddler in next Batman film.


Yipes: Eddie Murphy to play Riddler in next Batman film.

A heartwarming yuletide tale of a Neo-Nazi kid and his cake.


A heartwarming yuletide tale of a Neo-Nazi kid and his cake.

Las Vegas strip covered in snow.


Las Vegas strip covered in snow.

The photos of Filippo Minelli.


The photos of Filippo Minelli.

Adam Walsh murder case finally closed.


Adam Walsh murder case finally closed.

WTF: Obama chooses Pastor Rick Warren to deliver inaugural invocation.


WTF: Obama chooses Pastor Rick Warren to deliver inaugural invocation.

Headbanging: Hazardous to your health.


Headbanging: Hazardous to your health.

Punk's not dead at Christie's.


Punk's not dead at Christie's.

Anthony Lister: Art + Superheroes.


Anthony Lister: Art + Superheroes.

Raymond Leon Roker blogs on culture and media.


Raymond Leon Roker blogs on culture and media.

Os Gemeos vs. Cuba.


Os Gemeos vs. Cuba.

Remix magazine goes the way of the DoDo.


Remix magazine goes the way of the DoDo.

The musings of David Thorne.


The musings of David Thorne.

The Muppets Whatnot Workshop at FAO Schwarz.


The Muppets Whatnot Workshop at FAO Schwarz.

TTS Mag: New Music Tuesdays


TTS Mag: New Music Tuesdays.

The Big Picture: Barack Obama.


The Big Picture: Barack Obama.

Former Power Ranger sentenced to death.


Former Power Ranger sentenced to death.

First Dog Barney bites White House reporter.


First Dog Barney bites White House reporter.

CNN gets its hologram on.


CNN gets its hologram on.

Let's Talk, ESM Artificial.


Let's Talk, ESM Artificial.

Stay classy Pittsburgh


Stay classy Pittsburgh.

The downside of election 2008.


The downside of election 2008.

Ron Paul: The party's over.


Ron Paul: The party's over.

Jeff Chang: It's a new day.


Jeff Chang: It's a new day.

The anti-Obama hate continues to spew.


The anti-Obama hate continues to spew.

Obama Nation: A Call To Arms.


Obama Nation: A Call To Arms.

Great interview with Christian Rex van Minnen.


Great interview with Christian Rex van Minnen.

Mike Watt to be honored with lifetime achievement award at Key Club.


Mike Watt to be honored with lifetime achievement award at Key Club.

The design work of Marta Cerdà Alimbau.


The design work of Marta Cerdà Alimbau.

Bad news: Radar magazine folds.


Bad news: Radar magazine folds.

Radiohead's In Rainbows success revealed.


Radiohead's In Rainbows success revealed.

Bikes in the Bailout.


Bikes in the Bailout.

The art of Max Kauffman.


The art of Max Kauffman.

Andy Martin: Poisoning the well.


Andy Martin: Poisoning the well.

Is there a link between creativity and mood disorders?


Is there a link between creativity and mood disorders?

American Airlines blocks porn from its in-flight Internet service.


American Airlines blocks porn from its in-flight Internet service.

Puma Table Tennis Tournament 08.


Puma Table Tennis Tournament 08.

Esquire: What I learned looking for Steve Fossett.


Esquire: What I learned looking for Steve Fossett.

Remember when Che was torturing Cuban dissidents? Hollywood doesn't.


Remember when Che was torturing Cuban dissidents? Hollywood doesn't.

Paris: Honda's Prius killer.


Paris: Honda's Prius killer.

Check it out: Angela Boatwright's blog.


Check it out: Angela Boatwright's blog.

Forbes says: Hipsters recession-proof.


Forbes says: Hipsters are recession-proof.

New issue of The Citrus Report.


New issue of The Citrus Report.

Matt Stroud reports on the state of man.


Matt Stroud reports on the state of man.

Mark Jenkins' hobo polar bear attracts the D.C. bomb squad.


Mark Jenkins' hobo polar bear attracts the D.C. bomb squad.

Sarah Palin's Facebook.


Sarah Palin's Facebook.

Beliefnet: Spiritual guidance, Internet style.


Beliefnet: Spiritual guidance, Internet style.

Adventurer Steve Fossett's belongings found.


Adventurer Steve Fossett's belongings found.

Mark Ecko's Star Wars cut and sew collection.


Mark Ecko's Star Wars cut and sew collection.

Berlin artist to smoke Kurt Cobain's ashes.


Berlin artist to smoke Kurt Cobain's ashes.

David Foster Wallace, dead at 46.


David Foster Wallace, dead at 46.

CAUSECAST helps you bone up on your philanthropic endeavors.


CAUSECAST helps you bone up on your philanthropic endeavors.

Swoon: Swimming Cities of the Switchback Sea.


Swoon: Swimming Cities of the Switchback Sea.

End of world scheduled for next week?


End of world scheduled for next week?

Don LaFontaine dead at 68.


Voice of God: Don LaFontaine dead at 68.

Shepard Fairey arrested at the DNC.


Shepard Fairey arrested at the DNC.

Girl fight: Elton John Vs. Lily Allen.


Girl fight: Elton John Vs. Lily Allen.

The new Cold War?


The new Cold War?

Good Magazine: Blogging the 2008 DNC.


Good Magazine: Blogging the 2008 DNC.

At home with John and Cindy McCain.


At home with John and Cindy McCain.

Ten things you need to know about Joe Biden.


Ten things you need to know about Joe Biden.

Clinton does her best to unite Dems.


Clinton does her best to unite Dems.

A Jihad grows in Kashmir.


A Jihad grows in Kashmir.

Theme Magazine redesigns its website.


Theme Magazine redesigns its website.

Three IRC aid workers killed in Taliban ambush.


Three IRC aid workers killed in Taliban ambush.

Bigfoot corpse found, then stuffed in meat locker.


Bigfoot corpse found, then stuffed in meat locker.

World War II OSS files made public.


World War II OSS files made public.

Arkansas Democratic chairman killed in shooting.


Arkansas Democratic chairman killed in shooting.

Sandy Allen, the tallest woman in the world, dies at 53.


Sandy Allen, the tallest woman in the world, dies at 53.

Anderson Cooper: "These people are atrocious."


Anderson Cooper: "These people are atrocious."

Masked U.S. cyclists arriving in Beijing take heat.


Masked U.S. cyclists arriving in Beijing take heat.

The Trooper: Danny Way X-Games crash.


The Trooper: Danny Way X-Games crash.

NY Times columnist Frank Rich on Obama.


NY Times columnist Frank Rich on Obama.

Tagger MFONE gets prison time.


Tagger MFONE gets prison time.

Will Eisner's The Spirit.


Will Eisner's The Spirit.

Gnarls Barkley: "Who's Gonna Save My Soul."


Gnarls Barkley: "Who's Gonna Save My Soul."

Clay Felker, Magazine Pioneer, Dies at 82.


Clay Felker, Magazine Pioneer, Dies at 82.

Insurgents in Algeria gain a lifeline from Al Qaeda.


Insurgents in Algeria gain a lifeline from Al Qaeda.

Leandro Erlich: The Swimming Pool.


Leandro Erlich: The Swimming Pool.

Oliver Stone tackles George W. Bush in forthcoming biopic.


Oliver Stone tackles George W. Bush in forthcoming biopic.

Pitchfork poo poos the new Bobby Digital album.


Pitchfork poo poos the new Bobby Digital album.

Black Lawmakers Seek Restrictions on Menthol Cigarettes.


Black Lawmakers Seek Restrictions on Menthol Cigarettes.
Syndication

Features

Journalist

Is Sampling Dead? | SPIN Magazine | by Matthew Newton

Is Sampling Dead?

Simple beats and Auto-Tuned vocals form the foundation of 808s & Heartbreak, Kanye West’s latest release. As the title implies, it’s a breakup album. But perhaps the split is deeper than even West realizes. His new sound is a bold departure from his previous efforts, but also a challenge to the parameters of what many listeners would consider hip-hop. 808s & Heartbreak doesn’t rely on an element once pervasive in the genre: samples. The album doesn’t contain any prominent samples, while West’s previous release, Graduation, featured them on 10 of its 13 tracks. He is not alone in this change: Young Jeezy’s last album, The Recession, boasts just three samples, and T.I.’s latest, Paper Trail, features only four.
Published December 1st, 2008 in
  • Published Work
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Blood, Sweat, and Years


Published work
An archive of articles documenting society, culture, and politics in the 21st century.

Projects
Books and zines, grand schemes, and other random output.
Essays
True life tales of mayhem, mischief, and mediocrity, set in pre- and post-millenial
America.
About
Find out what the hell is going on around here.
Interviews
Uncut, unpublished, and site-specific interviews with musicians, artists, and other assorted people of interest.
Music
Exploits with a guitar: speed metal to hardcore; post-rock to noise.

 

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