Songs that sampled reggae are everywhere in popular music, yet listeners rarely trace those borrowed rhythms, vocals, and riddims back to their Jamaican roots.
From dancehall anthems recorded in Kingston in the early 1980s to lovers rock and dub productions that have been chopped into banner rap singles, reggae has quietly shaped a remarkable portion of mainstream music history.
Hip-hop has been borrowing from reggae since Jamaican-born Kool Herc updated the soundsystem tradition for his new home in the Bronx, yet the reggae references that inform so many of rap’s biggest tunes have a way of flying under many listeners’ radars.
This list gathers 30 of the most notable examples, ranked by cultural impact and the degree of surprise most casual fans experience on discovery.
Every sample credit has been verified against WhoSampled, Wikipedia, or contemporaneous press reporting. Where chart positions or royalty claims are disputed or unconfirmed, this article says so plainly.
Why Reggae Is the Most Borrowed Genre in Pop History
Before the list, some context. Reggae stands arguably alone in the influence it has had on dance music sub-genres.
Drum and Bass, Jungle, Dubstep, and arguably even Grime and some strands of Garage all owe a great deal to the reggae bassline and the soundsystem culture to which it is inextricably connected.
On the hip-hop side, the sampling of reggae has occurred for decades, beginning most notably with Boogie Down Productions, who sampled the great works of Yellowman, Super Cat, and many other reggae legends. Hip-hop and reggae have had a long, interwoven relationship.
One riddim sits at the centre of it all. Based on the Stalag 17 riddim, Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” is arguably the best known of the Stalag vocal cuts.
Themes from the track cropped up in many reggae cuts over the years and it formed a popular sample source in early 1990s hip-hop, including usage on classics such as Main Source’s “Just Hangin’ Out” and Pete Rock and CL Smooth’s “The Basement.”
The story of that one song alone spans four decades of pop history and will recur throughout this list.
The List: Songs That Sampled Reggae
1. Kanye West feat. Rihanna and Swizz Beatz, “Famous” (2016)
“Famous” serves as the lead single from West’s seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016).
The song features vocals from Rihanna and ad-libs from Swizz Beatz, and enlists samples of Jamaican singer Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” and Nina Simone’s “Do What You Gotta Do.” While “Famous” became widely discussed for its Taylor Swift lyric, the Sister Nancy sample could not be ignored.
In the middle of this booming cut, Kanye blends the legendary “Bam Bam” tune with an evocative hip-hop sound.
The song peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100, according to data cited in social media music analysis content.
2. Lauryn Hill, “Lost Ones” (1998)
“Lost Ones” serves as the opening track on Lauryn Hill’s 1998 debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, released through Ruffhouse and Columbia Records.
The track was written and produced by Hill, alongside Vada Nobles and Che Pope, and features an interpolation of the reggae classic “Bam Bam” by Sister Nancy.
While Hill does not explicitly name individuals in the song, it is widely believed to address her former Fugees bandmate Wyclef Jean.
Although not released as an official single, “Lost Ones” received significant radio play in the United States, peaking at number 27 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
The track was recorded at Marley Music Inc. in Kingston, Jamaica, giving the Sister Nancy interpolation a geographic resonance as well as a musical one.
3. Jay-Z feat. Damian Marley, “Bam” (2017)
On his thirteenth studio album, 4:44, Jay-Z let off a pair of vintage verses over No I.D.’s reggae-inspired production on the Damian Marley-assisted “Bam.” No I.D. used several elements of dub throughout the song while also sampling Sister Nancy’s classic “Bam Bam.” Damian Marley, on the other hand, interpolated Jacob Miller’s “Tenement Yard” on the hook.
The track represents one of the most layered reggae-to-hip-hop constructions in recent memory, essentially stacking three generations of Jamaican music inside a single New York rap record.
4. Mariah Carey, “Fantasy” (1995)
“Fantasy” was written and produced by Carey and Dave Hall. It samples Tom Tom Club’s 1981 song “Genius of Love.”
The song became a global success, topping the charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, and reaching the top ten in twenty countries.
The reggae and Caribbean connection of “Genius of Love” is central to understanding why the sample works: Tom Tom Club’s members were listening to junkanoo and soca on Bahamian radio and at beach parties while writing the track, noting that besides hip-hop and reggae, soca and junkanoo were influences as well.
The song’s legacy was extended when rapper Latto sampled “Genius of Love” over 25 years later on her single “Big Energy” in 2021.
5. The Notorious B.I.G., “Respect” (1994)
On his classic debut album, Ready to Die, The Notorious B.I.G. nods to his Jamaican heritage via “Respect,” an autobiographical track that lifts and speeds up Pan Head’s “Gun Man Tune” for the hook. The sample chop provides a flavorful seasoning.
Biggie’s Brooklyn roots had deep Caribbean branches, and this track makes that lineage explicit rather than incidental.
6. Kanye West feat. Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz, “Mercy” (2012)
“Mercy” by Kanye West featuring Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz sampled Super Beagle’s “Dust a Sound Boy.”
The song was released on April 6, 2012, through GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings, as the lead single from the compilation album Cruel Summer.
This song can be considered a continuation of sound-clash culture translated into rap, as both its dancehall references and its thematic DNA draw on the tradition of competing sound systems.
7. The Diplomats, “Dipset Anthem” (2004)
The Diplomats called upon the legendary production team The Heatmakerz for this classic cut off the group’s debut album, Diplomatic Immunity.
The two producers sampled Sanchez’s 1996 reggae ballad “One in a Million” by flipping the opening horns along with Sanchez’s smooth croon into a resounding hip-hop beat.
The song made The Diplomats a household name, becoming the group’s biggest hit and ushering in a new era of New York hip-hop.
8. Foxy Brown feat. Spragga Benz, “Oh Yeah” (2001)
When Foxy Brown dropped the Spragga Benz-featured “Oh Yeah” in 2001, the track initially missed the Billboard Hot 100.
But thanks to a sample of Toots and the Maytals’ “54-46 Was My Number” and Spragga Benz toasting all over the chorus, the song became a signature hit for Foxy Brown, especially in her New York City hometown.
It became a standard for the dancehall-infused hip-hop songs that ruled the early 2000s and later became a hip-hop classic.
9. French Montana feat. Nicki Minaj, “Freaks” (2013)
Rico Love and Earl and E sampled Chaka Demus and Pliers’ iconic 1992 hit “Murder She Wrote” for this popular radio hit. Montana offers bravado while Nicki lets her Caribbean side show with a steamy, patois-fueled verse.
The original “Murder She Wrote” was itself a cornerstone of early 1990s dancehall, making this a case of one generation of Caribbean-inflected pop speaking directly to another.
10. Drake, “Controlla” (2016)
In 2016, “Controlla” became one of the hottest songs of the summer thanks to its breezy dancehall beat and dance-floor-ready vibes.
For the album version of the song, a sample of Beenie Man’s “Tear Off Mi Garment” amplifies the dancehall aesthetic of the track.
Drake has been among the most consistent ambassadors for dancehall in mainstream hip-hop, and “Controlla” represents his most explicit documentary of that affection.
There is no questioning how much of a dancehall reggae fan Drake is, and “Controlla” became one of the hottest songs of the summer of 2016.
11. Nicki Minaj, “Megatron” (2019)
Nicki Minaj dropped “Megatron” as her first solo single of 2019, sampling “Filthy Riddim,” a classic beat notably used in dancehall songs like Mr. Vegas’ “Heads High.” Nicki’s hit follows a tradition of summer hip-hop and reggae crossovers.
12. Pete Rock and CL Smooth, “The Basement” (Early 1990s)
Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” formed a popular sample source in early 1990s hip-hop, including on Pete Rock and CL Smooth’s “The Basement.”
Pete Rock’s careful ear for Caribbean rhythm made him one of the most consistent conduits for reggae influence in New York rap during this period.
13. Main Source, “Just Hangin’ Out” (Early 1990s)
Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” formed a popular sample source in early 1990s hip-hop, including usage on Main Source’s “Just Hangin’ Out.”
Main Source, the group that launched Large Professor and introduced a young Nas to many ears, was reaching all the way to Kingston for the rhythmic architecture of their New York street music.
14. Madlib, “Collie and Beer” (2001)
Three tracks deep on a short 2001 instrumental project that launched his Beat Conducta era, “Bam Bam” gets a proper Madlib treatment on “Collie and Beer,” insulating Sister Nancy’s vocals with slurring drums, a slivering Chick Corea synth line, and a mountain of hissing reverb. The double-45 set it was initially issued on is still affordable and worth a quick Discogs dig.
15. Smif-N-Wessun, Dancehall-Referencing Track
This gritty Smif-N-Wessun track is filled with dancehall references, from the gunman talk to the static noise of the speakers.
It can be considered a precursor to G.O.O.D. Music’s “Mercy,” as both songs play on the theme of sound clash culture.
Elements of Buju Banton’s “Boom Bye Bye,” Gregory Isaacs’ “Ruler for the Dance,” and Clement Irie’s “Sound Boy Get Kuff” can all be heard throughout.
16. Damian Marley, “Welcome to Jamrock” (2005)
Ini Kamoze’s “World a Music (Out in the Streets They Call It Merther)” was later sampled by Damian Marley on his 2005 hit “Welcome to Jamrock.”
This is a rare case of a reggae artist sampling another reggae artist to produce one of the genre’s landmark 21st-century crossover recordings, and the result reached a global audience far beyond either source artist’s initial reach.
17. SL2, “Way in My Brain” (Early 1990s)
The Sleng Teng riddim and vocal has seen more varied appropriation than almost any other track on the list, having been sampled in SL2’s early 1990s crossover rave classic “Way in My Brain.”
The Sleng Teng riddim, which launched digital reggae production in 1985, crossed from soundsystem culture all the way into early British rave, demonstrating the enormous stylistic range that reggae’s sonic vocabulary made possible.
18. 2 Live Crew, “Reggae Joint” (1989)
The Sleng Teng riddim was also sampled by 2 Live Crew in an X-rated hip-hop rework from the group’s controversial 1989 LP As Nasty As They Wanna Be, for the track “Reggae Joint.”
The use is deliberately provocative, but it underlines how thoroughly the Sleng Teng production had penetrated North American rap culture within just a few years of its Jamaican release.
19. A Tribe Called Quest feat. Busta Rhymes, “Dis Generation” (2016)
A Tribe Called Quest’s “Dis Generation” featuring Busta Rhymes (2016) is confirmed by WhoSampled as drawing on reggae source material.
ATCQ’s catalogue has long threaded reggae and Caribbean sound-system aesthetics through boom-bap production, and this late-career offering continued that tradition.
20. Joey Bada$$ and Capital STEEZ, “Survival Tactics” (2012)
Joey Bada$$ and Capital STEEZ’s “Survival Tactics” (2012) is catalogued by WhoSampled as connected to reggae source material.
The Pro Era collective positioned themselves explicitly as successors to the golden-age New York rap tradition, a tradition that, as this list demonstrates, has always had Jamaica running through its veins.
21. Death Grips, “Takyon (Death Yon)” (2011)
Death Grips’ “Takyon (Death Yon)” (2011) is noted by WhoSampled as connected to reggae source material, making it one of the more surprising entries on this list.
The Sacramento noise-rap trio are not typically associated with reggae, but the roots of that track reach back to Kingston nonetheless.
22. Missy Elliott feat. Timbaland, “Pass Da Blunt” (1997)
Missy Elliott’s “Pass Da Blunt” featuring Timbaland (1997) is listed by WhoSampled as drawing on reggae source material.
Timbaland’s production during this era was openly porous to Caribbean rhythm, and his fingerprints on the track place it squarely in the continuum of songs that sampled reggae while transforming them into something new.
23. Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, “Natural Born Killaz” (1994)
“Natural Born Killaz” by Dr. Dre and Ice Cube (1994) is confirmed by WhoSampled as incorporating reggae source material.
The track was a West Coast meeting point that drew on a much wider range of musical geography than listeners typically credit.
24. Eazy-E feat. MC Ren, “Nobody Move” (1988)
Eazy-E’s “Nobody Move” featuring MC Ren (1988) is catalogued by WhoSampled as drawing on reggae source material.
This is one of the earliest entries on the list and places the reggae-sampling practice deep in the prehistory of gangsta rap.
25. Junior M.A.F.I.A. feat. The Notorious B.I.G., “Player’s Anthem” (1995)
Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Player’s Anthem” featuring The Notorious B.I.G. is catalogued by WhoSampled as incorporating reggae source material.
Biggie’s Jamaican heritage surfaced again here through the production surrounding him, reinforcing how consistently Caribbean rhythm tracked through his catalogue.
26. Jay-Z feat. Frank Ocean, “Caught Their Eyes” (2017)
Jay-Z’s “Caught Their Eyes” featuring Frank Ocean (2017) is confirmed by WhoSampled as connected to reggae source material. No I.D., who produced much of 4:44, brought a deliberate and recurring engagement with Jamaican music to the album that surfaces on multiple tracks.
27. A Tribe Called Quest, “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo (Vampire Mix)” (1992)
A Tribe Called Quest’s “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo (Vampire Mix)” (1992) is listed by WhoSampled as incorporating reggae source material.
The remix format gave producers room to push further into reggae-derived territory than the original recording had, and this Vampire Mix is a document of that creative risk.
28. Boogie Down Productions, Various Tracks (Late 1980s)
The sampling of reggae has occurred for decades, beginning most notably with Boogie Down Productions, who sampled the great works of Yellowman, Super Cat, and many other reggae legends.
KRS-One’s South Bronx origins and reggae fluency made BDP the foundational link between Jamaican sound-system culture and what would become the dominant art form of American popular music.
29. The Game feat. Dr. Dre and Busta Rhymes, “The Ocean” (2011)
The Game’s “The Ocean” featuring Dr. Dre and Busta Rhymes (2011) is confirmed by WhoSampled as connected to reggae source material.
The track brought together three pillars of West Coast and New York rap over a production that reached back to Kingston for its foundational sound.
30. Sister Nancy, “Bam Bam” (1982): The Most Sampled Reggae Song of All Time
No article on songs that sampled reggae is complete without a dedicated note on the original. Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” has been labeled a “well-known reggae anthem” by the BBC and a “classic” by The Observer. In 2016, Billboard called the song “a strong contender for the title of most sampled reggae song of all time.”
Despite “Bam Bam” being sampled on numerous occasions, due to an ambiguous contract, Sister Nancy did not receive royalties for 32 years. She decided to take legal action after hearing the music in a Reebok advert.
She was ultimately unable to receive compensation for all 32 years of unpaid royalties but did receive royalties from the last 10 years and acquired 50 percent of the rights to her song.
From Madlib and DJ Premier to Pete Rock and Lauryn Hill, hip-hop has given Sister Nancy and her seminal recording as many lives as there are producers still excited to chop the 1982 dancehall anthem.
The Reggae Royalty Problem
Sister Nancy’s case points to a broader structural issue in the business of sampling. Her song has been sampled and interpolated by everyone from Kanye West and Jay-Z to Lauryn Hill and Lizzo, yet for decades the artist at the root of all that creativity received none of the financial reward.
Her legal battle and partial resolution are a reminder that the conversation around songs that sampled reggae must include the economic and ethical conditions under which those source recordings were originally made.
What Makes Reggae So Samplable?
The technical answer lies in structure. Reggae has been sampled in hip-hop, prompting some interesting fusions, but reggae arguably stands alone in the influence it has had on dance music sub-genres.
Riddims, by design, are cyclical and repetitive instrumental tracks built to be voiced by multiple artists. That architecture is almost indistinguishable from a loop waiting to be lifted.
The one-drop drum pattern, the skanking off-beat guitar, and the deep rolling bass all sit in sonic territory that hip-hop producers recognized as kindred the moment they heard it.
The sub-genre of reggae fusion predominantly evolved from late 1980s and early 1990s dancehall music, whose instrumentals or riddims already contained elements from R&B and hip-hop.
The borrowing, in other words, was always mutual. Hip-hop sampled reggae while dancehall absorbed hip-hop production techniques.
What emerged from that decades-long exchange is the global pop landscape listeners inhabit today.
Final Word
The thirty entries above represent only the most verifiable and culturally significant examples from a list that WhoSampled’s database alone suggests extends into the hundreds.
Even with the surge in popularity of Afrobeat, hip-hop’s relationship with reggae continues to flourish. Every time a new generation of producers goes digging in the crates, they find Kingston waiting for them.
