Lessons From Three 6 Mafia
Sample projects. Buzzy business, like me on two sour beers, minus a few thousand cool points.
How do we make samples cool? Hip hop has the answer.
In hip-hop, sampling means an existing piece of work is memorable and inspiring, so much so that it’s worth paying for. When samples are taken without due respect, lawsuits ensue.
When it comes to copywriting, I'm anti-sample (project) but not rabidly so. In fact, a sample was a catalyst in my career.
Memphis, Tennessee. 2007. I became a FT agency copywriter. Until that point, my experience had been mainly copyediting, with a few small copywriting gigs and a ton of creative writing (my minor in college).
That is to say, my writing portfolio at age 31 was like my post-motherhood boobs at age 48: virtually nonexistent. In a calculated risk, I wrote a brief sample to apply for the job. Regular pay. Benefits. A husband and a house with a picket fence … just kidding … a rental guesthouse with two pit bulls.
Strange men upon meeting me and my dogs on the street: Are they friendly?
Me: Only to the right people.
I might be a small-town West Virginia girl, but I know a few things, like how to guard my safety and how to do what feels right. I’d been playing life fast and loose for a while, so I decided to give 9-5 normalcy a shot.
The job would involve writing for banking, fashion, healthcare, and more. The agency didn’t ask for industry-specific samples to show I was up for the challenge of shifting gears; it was one assignment to show overall ability. They gave me the job, so obviously they saw something in me. Regardless, hiring is never a sure thing. You never know what you’re going to get until you get it.
I didn’t know what I was getting either, and after less than a year, I knew it didn't feel right. So I returned to rogue life, aka freelance. While building my portfolio, I side-gigged in tv/film production. A standout: serving as production office coordinator on the video for Three 6 Mafia’s “Lil Freak.” It’s not my favorite in their catalog. That's “Stay Fly,” which samples badass 70s songwriter Willie Hutch, with The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, and the Foxy Brown soundtrack to his credit.
Aside from downtime for motherhood, I have 20 years both FT and freelance in marketing, advertising, and publishing (I was a magazine managing editor too). Along the way, I’ve done a few tailor-made samples, some paid, some not. Only one resulted in a paycheck to speak of. Since I don’t do math, I can’t say how that plays out statistically, but I can tell you what has worked far better: relationships.
From my POV, situated high on an Appalachian hill and low on perimenopausal patience, the only excuse for requiring a tailor-made sample is the absence of a portfolio. When a creative has a body of work, get up on it. (It’s the only kind of body you’re allowed to scrutinize, btw.)
Hip hop gets samples right. May more of you learn to catch a beat ... preferably "running like Randy Moss" (iykyk).
