Hip Hop's Indie Rock Connections -- Part 2

'Hometown Hero,' Big K.R.I.T.

Samples 'Hometown Glory,' by Adele

Sometimes sampling a known artist is a way to get attention from people who haven't heard of you. Since borrowing British diva Adele's epic 'Hometown Glory' for a tune on his mixtape, 'K.R.I.T. Wuz Here,' Big K.R.I.T. has been in the New York Times and has recently signed to Def Jam. The Mississippi rapper has got talent, but it goes to show that even the talented need a sound strategy.

Indie Cred Boost: Medium. Sampling soul-pop singers isn't an unexpected move, even if they're British and share a UK label with M.I.A..

'Touch It,' Busta Rhymes

Samples 'Technologic,' by Daft Punk

Sure, Kanye flipped a Daft Punk tune and made one of the biggest hits of the decade with 'Stronger,' but producer Swizz Beatz made contact with the robots first. 'Touch It' borrows the robotic (what else?) voice from 'Technologic,' and the stripped-down track proved so popular, the remix had to be nine minutes long to fit all the other rappers and singers (Ne-Yo, DMX, Papoose, etc.) who wanted on there.

Indie Cred Boost: Big. 'Touch It' was Busta's most recent big hit. Maybe for his next album he should try sampling Justice.

'Imma Be,' Black Eyed Peas

Samples 'Ride or Die, by the Budos Band'

Even if you think the Black Eyed Peas are the bane of popular music, it's always nice when an underappreciated group like Afro-funk purveyors the Budos Band -- labelmates of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings -- get sampled, because it means they'll get paid. (Especially if, as with 'Imma Be,' the single goes to No. 1.) And at the risk of inciting a flame war, 'Imma Be' isn't nearly as heinous as, say, 'My Humps.' Then again, neither is swine flu.

Indie Cred Boost: Big ... relatively speaking, that is.

'Frozen,' Slick Rick

Samples 'Seven Months,' by Portishead

Portishead are hip-hop aficionados from way back -- the track list to their 1995 Essential Mix pairs the trip-hop trio with Tribe, Brand Nubian and Black Sheep -- so you know the Bristol icons were chuffed to be sampled on a song by UK-born rap legend Slick Rick. "How can I forget you?" croons Beth Gibbons on the hook, though I think she means, "How can I thank you?"

Indie Cred Boost: Medium. The track's a little generic, but it's still a match made in heaven.

'Dear God 2.0,' the Roots

Samples 'Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.),' Monsters of Folk

Whatever God you worship, he probably doesn't sit by the phone waiting for Jim James, Conor Oberst and the other Monsters Of Folk to call. On the other hand, if He decided to tune in when the Roots address Him directly, even if He didn't have answers to their questions, He'd at least find a lot of grace in the way they're expressed. Do you think God watches videos?

Indie Cred Boost: Medium. It certainly makes up for that track they did with Fall Out Boy.

'Opposite of Adults,' Chiddy Bang

Samples 'Kids,' by MGMT

Give Philly MC Chiddy Bang and producer/band member Xaphoon Jones credit for making a fresh track out of the already-ubiquitous indie hit 'Kids' from MGMT -- and scoring a record deal with EMI out of it in the process. If their debut album, 'Here We Go,' blows up, expect there to be a whole lot more indie sampling goin' on in hip-hop.

Indie Cred Boost: Huge, given that nobody knew who they were before the track blew up.

'Devil's Pie,' Rhymefest

Samples 'Someday,' by the Strokes

When this little album track from Kanye West–affiliated rapper Rhymefest's 'Blue Collar' snuck out onto blogs, it was like the exposing of a big, dirty secret: Rappers can like indie rock, too. It didn't have the effect on Fest's career that he might have hoped, but it's hard not to listen to the Strokes' classic intro without hearing him say, "South side step up, and get you a slice" in your head ...

Indie Cred Boost: Medium. It did give him indie credentials, but not the way he imagined -- Rhymefest was eventually dropped by J Records.

'Little Bit,' Drake

Samples 'Little Bit,' Lykke Li

Listening to Drake crooning over the minimal thump of Swedish indie darling Lykke Li's 'Little Bit,' it's easy to trace where the impetus for the minimal, atmospheric sounds on his 'Thank Me Later' album came from. Drizzy left 'Little Bit' off the official release of his 'So Far Gone' mix tape for obvious copyright reasons, but you've got to wonder if it wasn't also because it sounds too much like the direction he'd soon be traveling in.

Indie Cred Boost: Big. A lot of people couldn't pronounce Lykke Li's name, never mind work their way into her music. Drake's got his ear to the ground as well as to the street.

'Roc Boys,' Jay-Z

Samples 'Made the Road by Walking,' by Menahan Street Band

What would 'Roc Boys' have been without the horns from the Menahan Street Band lifting Hova's verse up on their shoulders? Affiliates of Daptone Records (Sharon Jones, the Budos Band), the Menahan crew brought a vintage feel to a song that was as fresh yet old-school as a brand-new throwback jersey.

Indie Cred Boost: Big. Like most of Jay-Z's smart business deals, both he and Menahan profited from their collaboration. L'chaim!

'Emily Haines,' Saukrates

Samples 'IOU,' by Metric

Veteran Toronto MC Saukrates should finally blow up when his upcoming album 'Season One' is released. First off, he's clearly got great taste in sample fodder, naming this whole track from his and DJ Wrispect's 'Bigg Soxx Versions' EP after Metric singer Emily Haines, and building it atop her feral snarl. Then there's the fact that he's savvy enough to know that the Toronto electro-rockers are beloved by the 'Twilight' nation thanks to their 'New Moon' theme song.

Indie Cred Boost: High. Most Americans probably figure the Canadian rapper shares an igloo with Metric and Arcade Fire. What more cred could you ask for?