f unk ▁group , ▁the ▁World ▁Class ▁W reck in ' ▁Cru . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁Dre ▁began ▁his ▁use ▁of ▁sampling ▁in ▁hip - h op ▁when ▁he ▁produced ▁the ▁N . W . A ▁album ▁Stra ight ▁Out ta ▁Com pton , ▁a ▁land mark ▁in ▁the ▁genre ▁of ▁gang sta ▁rap . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁Jazz - sam pling ▁pione ers ▁Gang ▁St arr ▁followed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁by ▁P ete ▁Rock ▁& ▁CL ▁Sm ooth ▁and ▁A ▁Tri be ▁Cal led ▁Qu est ▁both ▁appeared ▁on ▁the ▁scene , ▁popular izing ▁their ▁brand , ▁and ▁sampling ▁took ▁on ▁a ▁full ▁role ▁in ▁hip - h op , ▁spread ing ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁in ▁high - profile ▁projects ▁like ▁the ▁Wu - T ang ▁Cl an ' s ▁Enter ▁the ▁Wu - T ang : ▁ 3 6 ▁Ch amb ers , ▁Dr . ▁Dre ' s ▁The ▁Chron ic , ▁Nas ' ▁Ill m atic ▁and ▁Not orious ▁B . I . G .' s ▁Re ady ▁to ▁Die . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s , ▁sampling ▁began ▁to ▁reach ▁an ▁all - time ▁high ; ▁Jay - Z ' s ▁album ▁The ▁Blue print ▁helped ▁put ▁produ cers ▁K any e ▁West ▁and ▁Just ▁Bla ze ▁on ▁the ▁map ▁for ▁their ▁sampling ▁of ▁soul ▁records . ▁K any e ▁West ▁himself ▁scored ▁early ▁hits ▁with ▁" T hr ough ▁the ▁W ire