PUBLISHED BY JAKE PAINE • MAY 18, 2018

Vibraphonist Roy Ayers is a legend of Jazz, Funk, and Soul music that collectively has had a tremendous impact on Hip-Hop. A product of Los Angeles, California, Ayers would work with flutist (and another prominently-sampled artist) Herbie Mann by the mid-1960s, before going off on his won. In the ’70s, Ayers made a series of albums as his band, Roy Ayers Ubiquity, that continue to influence sound and style today.

While records like “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” and “We Live In Brooklyn, Baby” were sampled (and outright covered) for their sound and soulful vocals, Ayers’ element of cool also inspired a lot of MCs and producers, across genre. Ayers’ spirit in his songs was that of a thoughtful, proud, and soulful artist with confidence and swagger. He played his vibes not unlike a DJ, which is why leaders in Hip-Hop, House, and Funk gravitate towards his records, especially during the Polydor years. Ayers also has a great voice. Guru asked him to work on Jazzmatazz. Pete Rock celebrated him on a mix. Erykah Badu recruited him for Mama’s Gun. Tyler, The Creator worked with Roy on Cherry Bomb, before sampling him on the Grammy-nominated Flower Boy.

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