The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Davis & Walters) with clean credit, and one of the most-interpolated vocal recordings in pop — 1,000+ tracks. The layered samples the track itself contains are noted separately.
Sampled 1,000+ tracks (WhoSampled) times
Used by independents?
Yes — used by Naughty by Nature, an independent act on Tommy Boy — among 1,000+ tracks.
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Douglas Davis (Doug E. Fresh) & Richard Walters (Slick Rick)
WhoSampled → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — multiple label associations; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
WhoSampled → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Yes — one of the most-interpolated vocal recordings in pop history: 1,000+ tracks per WhoSampled, incl. Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize,” Beastie Boys, Naughty by Nature’s “O.P.P.,” Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found, but an extraordinarily deep record of legitimate use — Slick Rick has said the resulting royalties are a real, ongoing benefit.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
One of the pre-existing works sampled within “La Di Da Di” itself
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Douglas Davis (Doug E. Fresh) & Richard Walters (Slick Rick)
The track’s own samplesIt contains pre-existing material — “Sukiyaki” by A Taste of Honey, “The Magic Mirror” from Disney’s “Snow White,” and Kurtis Blow’s “8 Million Stories” — a real layered-sampling situation distinct from Fresh/Walters’ own clean credit.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
A $500 B-side that outlasted its own A-side
Recorded in a single take as a throwaway B-side to “The Show,” it dramatically outshined and outlasted its A-side; Slick Rick (then 19, billed “MC Ricky D”) introduced a narrative storytelling style new to a genre focused on boasting.
Filtron · read it →
Sampled or interpolated in 1,000+ tracks
Per WhoSampled, pieces of this recording appear in more than 1,000 subsequent songs across virtually every genre; most famously The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1997 “Hypnotize” interpolated a line from Slick Rick’s verse. No lyrics reproduced.
Songfacts · read it →
Snoop Dogg’s respectful cover
Snoop Dogg recorded a version titled “Lodi Dodi” for his 1993 debut “Doggystyle” — it charted and won Video of the Year at the 1995 Source Awards, and Snoop reportedly acknowledged Slick Rick directly at the start.
Filtron · read it →
National Recording Registry (2024)
Inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2024 — the same year’s class that also included The Notorious B.I.G.’s album “Ready to Die.”
Forbes · read it →
A direct, dual connection to two Notorious B.I.G. tracks
Biggie’s “Hypnotize” (1997) took both its title and hook from this song; separately, Junior M.A.F.I.A. feat. Biggie’s “Player’s Anthem” also directly sampled it.
WhoSampled · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
1,000+ tracks (WhoSampled)
Times sampled
Snoop Dogg “Lodi Dodi”
Covers
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First flip
Big names who used itNotorious B.I.G. · Beastie Boys · Naughty by Nature · Beyoncé · Snoop Dogg
Who to Contact
DF
Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 3 updates
Jul 2026Reconciled (Research Queue Batch 12): added the 2024 National Recording Registry induction and the dual Notorious B.I.G. connection
Jul 2026Page created — full research (SEO Batch)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass