The Sto

The Sto | Music Curator & Beat Maker
Finding meaning in samples, stories, and songs.
Where nostalgia meets rhythm. go to our website

[The Sto @TheStoway]

June 30, 1980; Queen released The Game.

The album marked a turning point for the band. It was their first to feature a synthesizer and introduced “Another One Bites the Dust,” a song inspired by Chic’s funk classic “Good Times.” John Deacon built the bassline with funk in mind, and after hearing it, Michael Jackson reportedly urged Queen to release it as a single.

The result? Queen’s biggest-selling hit, and one of the most influential grooves in hip-hop history.

From Grandmaster Flash blending it into “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel,” to records by MC Shan, Hammer, B-Legit, Wyclef Jean, U-God, and others, hip-hop kept finding new ways to flip the record.

That’s the beauty of sampling.

A funk-inspired rock record became a staple of hip-hop production, proving that great music doesn’t recognize genre, it recognizes groove.

The Sto Question:

What’s the greatest rock song ever embraced by hip-hop: “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Walk This Way,” or another record?

[The Sto @TheStoway]

June 30, 1980; Queen released The Game.

The album marked a turning point for the band. It was their first to feature a synthesizer and introduced “Another One Bites the Dust,” a song inspired by Chic’s funk classic “Good Times.” John Deacon built the bassline with funk in mind, and after hearing it, Michael Jackson reportedly urged Queen to release it as a single.

The result? Queen’s biggest-selling hit, and one of the most influential grooves in hip-hop history.

From Grandmaster Flash blending it into “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel,” to records by MC Shan, Hammer, B-Legit, Wyclef Jean, U-God, and others, hip-hop kept finding new ways to flip the record.

That’s the beauty of sampling.

A funk-inspired rock record became a staple of hip-hop production, proving that great music doesn’t recognize genre, it recognizes groove.

The Sto Question:

What’s the greatest rock song ever embraced by hip-hop: “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Walk This Way,” or another record?

[The Sto @TheStoway]

June 30, 2017; Jay-Z released 4:44.

The album arrived with almost no traditional rollout. Produced entirely by No I.D., 4:44 debuted at No. 1 and became one of hip-hop’s defining “grown man” albums. Instead of chasing radio records, Jay-Z rapped about marriage, infidelity, fatherhood, legacy, generational wealth, and the cost of success.

But one of the album’s greatest achievements wasn’t just the writing, it was the sampling.

No I.D. treated every sample like a chapter in Black music history.

“The Story of O.J.” flipped Nina Simone’s “Four Women,” turning a civil rights-era composition into a modern conversation about race, identity, and wealth.

“4:44” introduced millions to Hannah Williams & The Affirmations, whose “Late Nights & Heartbreak” became the emotional backbone of Jay-Z’s public apology.

“Family Feud” drew from The Clark Sisters, grounding the record in gospel before Beyoncé’s verse turned it into a conversation about family, power, and healing.

“Bam” borrowed from Jamaican legends Sister Nancy and Jacob Miller, reminding listeners that reggae has always been woven into hip-hop’s DNA.

The album also reached back to artists like Stevie Wonder and The Fugees, proving that the strongest hip-hop records don’t just sample sounds, they preserve musical lineage.

4:44 wasn’t just a rap album, it was a bridge connecting generations of Black music, proving that every great sample carries a story waiting to be heard.

The Sto Question:

If you had to introduce someone to Black music history using only the samples from one hip-hop album, could 4:44 make the strongest case? If not, which album would you choose?

[The Sto @TheStoway]

June 30, 2017; Jay-Z released 4:44.

The album arrived with almost no traditional rollout. Produced entirely by No I.D., 4:44 debuted at No. 1 and became one of hip-hop’s defining “grown man” albums. Instead of chasing radio records, Jay-Z rapped about marriage, infidelity, fatherhood, legacy, generational wealth, and the cost of success.

But one of the album’s greatest achievements wasn’t just the writing, it was the sampling.

No I.D. treated every sample like a chapter in Black music history.

“The Story of O.J.” flipped Nina Simone’s “Four Women,” turning a civil rights-era composition into a modern conversation about race, identity, and wealth.

“4:44” introduced millions to Hannah Williams & The Affirmations, whose “Late Nights & Heartbreak” became the emotional backbone of Jay-Z’s public apology.

“Family Feud” drew from The Clark Sisters, grounding the record in gospel before Beyoncé’s verse turned it into a conversation about family, power, and healing.

“Bam” borrowed from Jamaican legends Sister Nancy and Jacob Miller, reminding listeners that reggae has always been woven into hip-hop’s DNA.

The album also reached back to artists like Stevie Wonder and The Fugees, proving that the strongest hip-hop records don’t just sample sounds, they preserve musical lineage.

4:44 wasn’t just a rap album, it was a bridge connecting generations of Black music, proving that every great sample carries a story waiting to be heard.

The Sto Question:

If you had to introduce someone to Black music history using only the samples from one hip-hop album, could 4:44 make the strongest case? If not, which album would you choose?

[🎧 @buhloonehead]

Oooh. - De La Soul (feat. Redman) (2000)

[The Sto @TheStoway]

June 29, 2018.

Drake released Scorpion, an album remembered for breaking streaming records, dominating the charts, and introducing one of the defining sounds of modern hip-hop to the mainstream.

“Tay Keith, f* these n****s up!”**

That producer tag on “Nonstop” wasn’t just an intro, it was a changing of the guard.

Produced by Tay Keith, the record gave Drake the Memphis bounce he was looking for. But the song’s DNA runs even deeper. “Nonstop” samples “My Head Is Spinnin’” by legendary Memphis producer DJ Squeeky and Mack Daddy Ju, connecting one of the biggest albums of the streaming era directly to the underground Memphis sound of the mid-1990s.

That wasn’t an accident, it was an acknowledgment of Memphis’ influence.

Scorpion broke streaming records, but “Nonstop” helped elevate Memphis production to an even bigger global stage. Within months, Tay Keith’s hard-hitting drums, sparse melodies, and unmistakable bounce became one of the most imitated sounds in hip-hop.

Sometimes the biggest records don’t create a new sound.

They remind the world where the sound came from.

The Sto Question:
If “Nonstop” introduced millions to Memphis’ production style, which producer deserves the most credit for laying that foundation: DJ Squeeky, DJ Paul & Juicy J, Tommy Wright III, or Spanish Fly?

[The Sto @TheStoway]

June 29, 2018.

Drake released Scorpion, an album remembered for breaking streaming records, dominating the charts, and introducing one of the defining sounds of modern hip-hop to the mainstream.

“Tay Keith, f* these n****s up!”**

That producer tag on “Nonstop” wasn’t just an intro, it was a changing of the guard.

Produced by Tay Keith, the record gave Drake the Memphis bounce he was looking for. But the song’s DNA runs even deeper. “Nonstop” samples “My Head Is Spinnin’” by legendary Memphis producer DJ Squeeky and Mack Daddy Ju, connecting one of the biggest albums of the streaming era directly to the underground Memphis sound of the mid-1990s.

That wasn’t an accident, it was an acknowledgment of Memphis’ influence.

Scorpion broke streaming records, but “Nonstop” helped elevate Memphis production to an even bigger global stage. Within months, Tay Keith’s hard-hitting drums, sparse melodies, and unmistakable bounce became one of the most imitated sounds in hip-hop.

Sometimes the biggest records don’t create a new sound.

They remind the world where the sound came from.

The Sto Question:
If “Nonstop” introduced millions to Memphis’ production style, which producer deserves the most credit for laying that foundation: DJ Squeeky, DJ Paul & Juicy J, Tommy Wright III, or Spanish Fly?

[The Sto @TheStoway]

June 29, 2007 wasn’t just the birth of the iPhone, it was the beginning of the end of music ownership.

The iPhone didn’t kill CDs.

It didn’t kill the iPod.

It changed the relationship between people and music.

Albums became playlists.

Radio became algorithms.

Record stores became apps.

And every artist suddenly had a recording studio, camera crew, and marketing department in their pocket.

The greatest impact of the iPhone wasn’t making music portable, it made music constant. Every moment became a chance to discover, create, or share a song.

Question: Did the iPhone make music better, or did it simply make it more convenient?

[The Sto @TheStoway]

June 29, 2007 wasn’t just the birth of the iPhone, it was the beginning of the end of music ownership.

The iPhone didn’t kill CDs.

It didn’t kill the iPod.

It changed the relationship between people and music.

Albums became playlists.

Radio became algorithms.

Record stores became apps.

And every artist suddenly had a recording studio, camera crew, and marketing department in their pocket.

The greatest impact of the iPhone wasn’t making music portable, it made music constant. Every moment became a chance to discover, create, or share a song.

Question: Did the iPhone make music better, or did it simply make it more convenient?

[CHIEF GOVERNOR GAME @TheStoGovernor]

Set a reminder for my upcoming Space! https://t.co/kb10tjUrJr

[The Sto @TheStoway]

@CLG98264897 Little Child Runnin’ Wild…

[Belly Rowland @OJTheKing]

Do y’all remember this R&B song from N-Toon? Lloyd really been in the game for 30 years!

[Ruben || Check the Rhyme @checktherhyme1_]

Arsenio's final episode (1994) had a cypher that included A Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang, Gang Starr, KRS One, MC Lyte, Naughty by Nature, Yo Yo, and more; over 10 years before Jay performed on Kimmel.

Curated and produced by Queen Latifah

[Laurie @one4laurie65]

The Staple Singers - I'll Take You There🎶

[Vinyl Records🎱✝️🇧🇷👪🗽 @j_c_domingues]

Dr. Dre - Ft. Snoop Dogg
Nuthin' But a G Thang - 1992

[💎❄️ @megan_lassi]

RIP HARDEST PIT IN THE LITTER! Nobody from the southside ever dies we keep them alive!!!!!!!! SENSEI FOREVER!

Flossing! Breaking off the intersection crossing!!!!! SUC IN THE DOOR MOB IN THE PLACE!

#OnASundayNightIMightBangMeSomeMaze

[CHIEF GOVERNOR GAME @TheStoGovernor]

Set a reminder for my upcoming Space! https://t.co/kb10tjUrJr

[The Sto @TheStoway]

@VincentLlewelly

[The Sto @TheStoway]

June 28, 1975: David Bowie released “Fame.”

Co-written with John Lennon and guitarist Carlos Alomar, the record became Bowie’s first No. 1 hit in the U.S. But the soul of the song lived in that funky groove, a groove shaped by Alomar and rooted in the Black funk and soul sounds that were influencing mainstream rock throughout the 1970s.

Then years later, Next Friday gave the song another cultural life by using it as Pinky’s intro music.

That’s what made it perfect.

“Fame” already sounded like ego, flash, movement, and attitude. So when Pinky (played by Clifton Powell) stepped in with that song behind him, it wasn’t just background music, it told you everything about the character before he even finished talking.

A 1975 rock-funk record became the walk-in music for one of the loudest, funniest, most self-important characters in hood comedy history.

That’s the power of a real groove.

It can start on the charts, move through Black musical influence, land in a comedy classic, and still make everybody recognize the moment instantly.

The Sto: Great songs don’t just age, they get recast into new memories.

What movie character had the best intro music ever?