The drum loop appears in loads of songs we all know. That is because of the art of sampling, which I really like. Artists can get really creative while sampling. They can use vocals, drum loops, melodic parts, ... Basicly anything from other songs to use as building bricks for their own creation. They can process them, throw audio effects at them, time stretch them, manipulate them in every way possible and get really creative to make something new.

But it's not all that easy, when you sample you 'steal' others peoples creative work, and these creative works are protected by copyright law. But how come, people can sample? Well that's because they pay a certain amount of money to the owner of the original song and make up contracts which indicate that they are permitted to use the sample.

There are loads of artists that sample in very creative ways. For example: Kanye West, Daft Punk, DJ Shadow made an ENTIRE ALBUM consisting only of samples, and the list goes on and on. I think sampling is also an artform within the art music. It takes a special amount of skill to do it right. We recycle older songs into new ones, and it's not like it's a copy. Mostly when samples are used in a song the context of the sample changes. Kanye uses vocal samples and transforms them into melodies, Daft Punk takes a 1 second drum fill and loops it on and on to create a whole different effect to it. That's why I think sampling is not just 'stealing' from the ones before you, it is creating something new and original. (Ofcourse there are expetions where sampling has gone too far)

On the other had sampling should not be rule-free. You are using someone else's creation and that creation is protected under law. So without doubt you will have to deal with these law's and try to clear the sample. You wil have to ask the copyright owner if you are permitted to use the sample and pay them.

It's good the art of sampling exists, because it creates a whole new creative output for artists. But there have to be rules, because you're using someone else's property.