Celebrated jazz record label Blue Note recently released 'Droppin' Science: Greatest Samples From The Blue Note Lab', a collection of jazz tunes that have been sampled by important hip hop artists and djs. The way in which this type of musical influence functions in hip hop fascinates me, especially as so much of my professional work deals with how the same issue has unfolded in a variety of music over the past four centuries.
J Rocc is a legendary dj, formerly of The Beat Junkies and now with Stones Throw Records. His mixes and live sets are unparalleled in hip hop today. Don't trust me, check him out – here is J Rocc spinning a set of Blue Note selections [mp3, right- or control-click to download] along with bits from the hip hop tunes in which they were sampled. More info at Stones Throw.