Song Clearance Sheet
6 sources citedChange the Beat (Female Version)
Hip-Hop1980s97BPM
Camelot 7A (reported)Key
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Among the most-sampled tracks ever, cleared by major labels across four decades — even though no standalone sampling policy is on record.
Sampled 3,000+ times
Used by independents?
Yes — used by Macklemore (famously self-released/independent), plus UTFO (Select) and Mantronix (Sleeping Bag), among 3,000+.
Get the Audio
Streaming isn't enough to sample from — you need an actual file
Discogs
1982 12" single (part of a 5-release series with interlocking Futura 2000 poster art)
Collector's Copies
Original pressings, rare editions, and audiophile reissues
Discogs Marketplace
Master page — all pressings and editions
Quick Facts
Released1982
AlbumChange the Beat (12" single)
GenreHip-Hop, Electro
LabelCelluloid Records
ProducerMaterial (Bill Laswell)
Recorded atOAO Studio (later BC Studio), Brooklyn
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The original label — Celluloid (defunct); current administration is undocumented
Discogs → · checked Jul 2026
An open legal question — whether the ~2-second vocoded ad-lib is even separately copyrightable
909originals → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been cleared before?
Yes — across four decades by major labels, from Herbie Hancock (1983) through Justin Bieber/Drake, Macklemore, and Saweetie
Do they allow sampling?
No standalone policy found — but the sustained record of legitimate major-label clearance is itself strong evidence it clears regularly in practice
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
See every song that samples “Change the Beat (Female Version)” →
1983 · first documented use
1984 · uses the "Ahh" portion
Needle to the Groove — MantronixNot yet on the site →
Uses the "Fresh" portion
Confirmed
Modern mainstream use
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
What's actually sampled — an unusual legal questionThe sampled material isn't a melody or lyric — it's a ~2-second improvised spoken-word impression by Roger Trilling (Bill Laswell's manager), imitating a record executive's catchphrase, run through an EMS vocoder. Whether that constitutes a separately copyrightable composition, versus an incidental studio ad-lib, is a genuinely less-settled question than typical melodic sampling
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
Among the three most-sampled tracks in history
Sampled in more than 3,000 songs as of 2025 per WhoSampled's own published data.
Wikipedia (citing WhoSampled) · read it →
The first use was foundational to turntablism
First sampled on Herbie Hancock's 'Rockit' (1983), featuring scratching by pioneering DJ Grandmixer DXT — a foundational moment for turntablism as a technique.
Discogs · read it →
The sample isn't who you'd think
The famous 'this stuff is really fresh' voice isn't Fab 5 Freddy — it's Bill Laswell's manager Roger Trilling, imitating Elektra executive Bruce Lundvall's real catchphrase, recorded almost as a studio joke.
909originals · read it →
The artist herself later reused it
Beside (B-Side) included 'Change the Beat' — sample intact — on her own 1985 solo album, Cairo Nights.
909originals · read it →
The “Thrift Shop” / Le1f question — resolved as no sample
On the “Thrift Shop” controversy: independent audio analysis confirmed NO actual sample of Le1f’s “Wut” was used — the resemblance is stylistic only. Macklemore said “Thrift Shop” drew from THIS record (“Change the Beat”), and no production credit was extended to Le1f, consistent with that finding. (Le1f’s separate cultural critique remains a real, documented perspective — see the new Wut page.)
Grokipedia (Le1f) · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
3,000+
Times sampled
—
Covers
1983
First flip
Big names who used itHerbie Hancock · UTFO · Mantronix · Justin Bieber · Macklemore · Saweetie
Who to Contact
CR
Celluloid Records catalog (administrator unconfirmed)
Original French label; current catalog administration is undocumented — the practical first step is a Songview/Discogs rights lookup, not a known contact
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
Don't Want the Hassle?
Sample something pre-cleared insteadCheck Tracklib →
Find a similar sound that's 100% freeBrowse the catalog →
References
Every source cited on this page — 6 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created (draft — pending verification)
Jul 2026BPM 97 (reported range 95-100); key Camelot 7A is a single-source reading, marked reported not confirmed