Song Clearance Sheet
3 sources citedPeter Piper
Hip-Hop1980s105BPM
G majKey
More around 110 BPM → · More in G major →
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Run, DMC), no dispute found — a foundational, richly-documented sample chain: it samples Bob James’ “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” and was itself later sampled by 300+ tracks (most famously Missy Elliott’s “Work It”).
Sampled 300+ times
Used by independents?
No — no independent use documented so far; only major-label artists.
Quick Facts
Released1986
AlbumRaising Hell
GenreHip-Hop
LabelProfile Records
ProducerRussell Simmons · Rick Rubin
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Joseph “Run” Simmons & Darryl “DMC” McDaniels
Songfacts → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — originally Profile Records; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Songfacts → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Yes — itself sampled in 300+ tracks (most famously Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” 2002), a multi-generational chain since it itself samples Bob James’ “Take Me to the Mardi Gras.”
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; a deep, documented sample record and no dispute found.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
The 1975 Bob James break this song is built on
Work It — Missy ElliottNot yet on the site →
Missy Elliott’s 2002 hit that samples “Peter Piper”
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Joseph “Run” Simmons & Darryl “DMC” McDaniels
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
A multi-generational sample chain
Per WhoSampled, “Peter Piper” has itself been sampled in 300+ songs — most notably Missy Elliott’s “Work It” (2002), which samples this song, which in turn samples Bob James: a real sample-of-a-sample chain.
WhoSampled · read it →
Built from public-domain nursery rhymes
The lyrics are layered from long-public-domain source material — the Peter Piper tongue-twister, Humpty Dumpty, Little Bo Peep and Rip Van Winkle. No lyrics reproduced here.
Songfacts · read it →
Wide connections through the shared Bob James break
Via the same “Take Me to the Mardi Gras” sample it connects to Beastie Boys’ “Hold It Now, Hit It,” LL Cool J’s “Rock the Bells,” will.i.am’s “I Got It from My Mama,” and Wu-Tang Clan’s “Take It Back.”
JazzSkool Fandom · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
300+
Times sampled
Missy Elliott “Work It” (2002)
Covers
2002
First flip
Big names who used itMissy Elliott
Who to Contact
RD
Run & DMC (Run-D.M.C.)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 3)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass