Rap’s Unsuspecting sample KING | Galt MacDermot

Even if you don’t know who Galt MacDermot is, you know his music. The late composer has been covered by everyone from Cannonball Adderly and Nina Simone to Three Dog Night and Barbara Streisand, but he’s also one of the most sampled artists in hip hop. Kanye West, Mos Def, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Run-DMC, Busta Rhymes, Jay Dilla, Pete Rock, Madlib and DJ Premier are just some of the hundreds of the artists who have used MacDermot’s music over the decades. So how did a Montreal-born music student become rap royalty anyway? Writer, producer: Jesse Kinos-Goodin Editors: Andrew Alba, Krzysztof Pospieszynski Host: Rich Terfry Sr. Producer: Nairi Apkarian Interviews: Vince MacDermot, son and trustee of the Galt MacDermot estate David Ma, hip-hop journalist and co-host of the podcast Dad Bod Rap Pod Additional Resources: Lookin4Galt, a documentary on MacDermot’s impact on hip hop by Gasface