King Combs Says He's Had Too Much Success with Samples to Quit Now

King Combs says he has every intention to carve out a hip hop legacy with his own original music, but when it comes to sampling, he admits ... sometimes it's hard to say no to a hit!!!

We got the Bad Boy Jr. at LAX on Wednesday and asked just how much access he has to his father's iconic tunes for use as samples when he's in the studio.

There's currently a raging debate in the rap world over whether today's samples of popular hits (some that already contain samples themselves) are innovative, or just downright lazy.

KC notes the success he's had with blasts from the past -- his Kodak Black collab "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" borrowed from Lil Kim's "Crush on You" and topped the Billboard rap charts ... while "How You Want It?" with Teyana Taylor used Mase and Total's "What You Want" melody and went Gold.

He recently made it a NYC summer with A Boogie, Fabolous and Jeremih by riding yet another Total wave on the track "Flyest In the City" and tells us he might have to hit the studio for a few more tracks that lean into past songs.

Folks can debate all they want, but for King, the proof is in the public reception.