Chipmunk soul

Chipmunk soul is a style of hip hop that features sped-up vocal samples, originating in the 2000s. The genre was popularized by Kanye West in his albums The College Dropout, Late Registration and Graduation, which notably were heavy in high-pitched vocals, especially in the singles "Spaceship" and "All Falls Down". Early users of the style included Just Blaze, RZA, and DJ Premier. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

The name "chipmunk" is a reference to Alvin and the Chipmunks, a 1960s musical act featuring sped-up vocal recordings. ^[4]

Although the style originated by sampling soul music recordings, the term "chipmunk soul" now includes the use of samples from other musical genres including reggae, rock and world music. ^[4]

References

1. Hardy, Caleb (2023-05-22). "How Kanye West Helped "Chipmunk Soul" Define An Era Of Hip-Hop". hotnewhiphop.com. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
2. Nobbs, Dan (17 December 2022). "Kanye West and 'Chipmunk Soul': A Graduation retrospective". theboar.org. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
3. "Kanye West and Chipmunk Soul: The Ultimate Guide". Loop Kitchen. 2025-01-15. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
4. Brimmers, Julian (August 10, 2018). "What Was Chipmunk Soul?". daily.redbullmusicacademy.com. Retrieved 2023-11-08.