10 Rap Songs That Sampled Classical Music

Sample: Für Elise by Beethoven

Producer: Salaam Remi

Helen Lovejoy can rest easy, someone finally thought of the children.

If you've just listened to Hate Me Now two entries ago, it's quite the contrast to go from those harsh and raging verses to feel-good, big-brotherly lyrics about dream jobs requiring much practice, staying away from the wrong people and the importance of literacy.

Hip Hop doesn't have many good children-friendly songs, but this sure is one (aimed-at-children doesn't mean childish though, and Nas still namedrops the words cocaine and hoe).

Sampling one of Beethoven's most known tunes was a challenge (not that easy a beat to flow to) but it was clever for two reasons. First, the familiarity of the sample meant the public was always going to find the instrumental easy on the ear, and indeed, I Can was God' Son's most popular single, reaching #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Secondly, those notes have a carefree, happy-go-lucky vibe that goes well with the primary school atmosphere of the song, turning it into a kind of nursery rhyme (but a nursery rhyme written by Nas, so of course one that mention rape and slavery).