People just realising late actor David McCallum wrote ‘most iconic’ hip hop sample ever

While the acting world mourns the death of the late, great David McCallum, the more astute hip hop fans are grieving too.

That’s because as well as starring in cult TV shows including The Man From U.N.C.L.E and NCIS, he was also responsible for writing one of the most iconic hip hop samples of all time. Back in 2000, Dr Dre unleashed rap banger, The Next Episode.

But 23 years later, people are only just realising that it wasn’t Dre who wrote the instantly recognisable riff. The N.W.A rapper pinched the lick from an unlikely source: a 1960s jazz song called The Edge.

READ MORE: NCIS star David McCallum dies as tributes pour in for ‘gifted and beloved’ actor

For more touching tributes, click here.

Long before Dre was blasting his West Coast beats from his Californian studio, McCallum was lighting up the world of televisions, and writing a few jazz tunes on the side. The British actor died at the age of 90 in New York on Monday after making his mark on the world of television and film, also starring in The Great Escape.

And when one X user, Canadian Mike Beauvais, told rap fans that the Emmy-nominated actor was behind Dre Dre’s beloved sample – they were left absolutely baffled. One person commented that they were “totally mind blown”, with another adding “that’s all sorts of epic”. A third said: “Such an iconic piece of music. Keep waiting for Snoop to come in with the, ‘La da dada dah.’”

David McCallum was responsible for one of the most iconic samples in hip-hop history.

RIP https://t.co/GL2baWzH8A pic.twitter.com/odhF1anmUt

— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais)

Another grieving fan wrote: “Hold up. Hold up. Stop everything. I knew David McCallum and The Edge. But you’re telling me that’s DUCKY FROM NCIS?!? I never bothered to look for a pic of David McCallum, and I never knew the actor’s name.”

Rewind to 1967, and David and producer David Axelrod were working on his second album for record label Capitol, Music: A Bit More Of Me. A classically trained musician, David created atmospheric arrangements of popular songs – including the Batman theme.

Despite not blowing up in the charts, nor having much commercial success, one song seemed to catch Dre’s attention that others missed: The Edge.

The Death Row Records producer has the late Scottish star to thank for creating one of the world’s most revered rap songs. Today, more than 40 artists have used The Edge’s infamous intro as a sample in their songs.

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk