Sampling and Hypertext

In keeping with the subject of digital assemblage I am reading two interesting books: The Language of New Media by Lev Manovich and Hypertext 3.0 by George P. Landow.

First, data is sampled, most often at regular intervals, such as a grid of pixels used to represent a digital image. The frequency of sampling is known as resolution. Sampling turns continuous data into discrete data, that is data occuring in distinct units: people, the pages of a book, pixels.

This is Manovich's description of digitization, specifically sampling. Although you can find sampling in all forms of music I find it most apparent in rap music (hip-hop). The-Breaks is a web site that has a huge of samples and their sources, including old school rap.

The rapper is accompanied by an instrumental track, usually referred to as a "beat" because of the emphasis on rhythm, performed by a DJ, a record producer, or one or more instrumentalists. This beat is often created using a sample of the percussion break of another song, usually a funk, rock, or soul recording. In addition to the beat, other sounds are often sampled, synthesized, or performed. Sometimes, a track can be made up of just the beat by itself, as a showcase of the skills of the DJ or producer. - from Wikipedia

I think hip-hop is a great example of sampling as it relates to media. From it's beginnings sampling (break beats) has helped to popularize rap and define a musical genre.