Who Sampled Spandau Ballet True?

Ballet

Who Sampled Spandau Ballet’s “True”?

When it comes to classic 80s songs, none are more beloved than Spandau Ballet’s “True.” The song was the band’s biggest hit, and it remains a popular staple of radio stations around the world. It is no surprise then, that it has been sampled by numerous artists over the years.

The first artist to sample the song was rap artist Mellow Man Ace on his 1989 album Escape From Havana. He used the opening keyboard riff from “True” for his song “Mentirosa,” which was a huge hit in Latin America and reached number one on the Billboard Latin chart.

In 1995, hip-hop group Digable Planets sampled the chorus of “True” for their song “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat).” This song also became a hit, reaching number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1997, soul singer Maxwell sampled the chorus of “True” for his song “Sumthin’ Sumthin’ (Mellosmoothe).” This song was also a hit, reaching number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2002, rapper Fabolous sampled the chorus of “True” for his single “Can’t Let You Go.” This single became a hit as well, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

Finally, in 2011 rapper Lupe Fiasco sampled both the chorus and verses of “True” for his single “Lightwork.” This single was not as successful as previous samples of “True,” only reaching number fifty-one on the Billboard Hot 100.

In conclusion, Spandau Ballet’s classic 1980s hit “True” has been sampled by numerous artists over the years with varying degrees of success. Mellow Man Ace was the first to sample it in 1989 with his track “Mentirosa,” followed by Digable Planets’ “Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” in 1995 and Maxwell’s “Sumthin’ Sumthin’ (Mellosmoothe)” in 1997; Fabolous used it for his 2002 track “Can’t Let You Go,” while Lupe Fiasco’s 2011 effort “Lightwork” incorporated both verses and choruses from this iconic tune.