Honors Seminar · Black Digital Humanities

A long time ago, in a decade far, far away…

The Force of the 1970s How one decade built Jay‑Z’s sound

Jay-Z was born in the 1960s, raised in Brooklyn, and took off as a rapper in the 1980s, but his records are built out of other people’s records. Across his 13 solo albums he has borrowed 245 samples, reaching as far back as 1954. This story asks which decade shaped his sound the most, and follows the samples to one answer: the 1970s.

Built with the FLOAT method · by Eliana Anderson

The 13 solo albums: every sample in this story lives on one of these records.

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of 245 samples · from the 1970s

77 of the 245 samples Jay-Z has ever borrowed, 31 percent, come from records made in the 1970s, drawn from 74 artists and touching all 13 of his 13 solo albums.

Then · the 1970s

  • Nixon
  • Watergate
  • Star Wars

One decade’s records, flipped into another decade’s rap.

Now · Jay-Z’s New York

  • Yankees
  • Timbs
  • Lady Liberty

Epilogue · Your turn at the controls

The 77, one square at a time

Every square is one sample from a 1970s record. Pick a filter to light its share of the 77, then click any square.