A tribute to the late, great soul and jazz singer.
Roberta Flack died on Monday, February 24, at the age of 88, leaving an everlasting legacy of smooth grooves. The storied singer, songwriter, and pianist was a true original whose music spanned R&B to jazz and beyond, and she left an indelible mark thanks to her effortless vocals, lush melodies, and catalog of hits.
While Flack’s music may initially seem unfamiliar to younger ears—besides the obviously timeless “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1973—numerous hip-hop artists ranging from Fugees to Lil’ Kim to Scarface have sampled, interpolated, or covered her music.
Below are eight examples of Flack’s music softly but potently intermingling with hip-hop beats.
“Queen Bitch,” Lil’ Kim
Those eerie keys set off an avalanche of rhymes from the Queen Bee. While Lil’ Kim gets right to it on her song, you will have to practice some patience when listening to Flack’s 1969 track “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye” and searching for the sampled portion. It’s not until slightly before the two-minute mark that you’ll hear the piano riff that producers Carlos “Six July” Broady and Nashiem Myrick looped to create a standout track from Kim’s Hard Core debut.
“2nd Childhood,” Nas
Of course DJ Premier had some Roberta Flack in his crates. In the case of Nas’s “2nd Childhood,” from 2001, the iconic producer chopped up “Born to Love,” the title track from Flack’s 1982 album with Peabo Bryson, and gave it a rugged grittiness for Nas to rap nostalgically over. While the record scratches and drums added depth, the overall melody stuck to the original’s.
“I Know You Don’t Love Me,” Tony Yayo
G-Unit and a Roberta Flack-inspired groove? Why not? On Tony Yayo’s 2005 track “I Know You Don’t Love Me,” which features a hook from 50 Cent, producer Studio 44 sampled and pitched up “Early Ev’ry Midnite” from Flack’s 1975 Feel Like Makin’ Love album.
“Killing Me Softly,” Fugees
It’s not a sample, but when Fugees covered Flack’s signature song, “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” from the album Killing Me Softly, back in 1996, it quickly introduced a new generation of listeners to her work. Lauryn Hill’s vocal tone was the perfect compliment to Flack’s original, while the heavy drums gave the song the hip-hop kick the culture craved. The single reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart and helped to make The Score a massive success.
“What You Know,” T.I.
This song is another testament to the patience of hip-hop producers. DJ Toomp dug up “Gone Away,” a slow burner from Flack’s 1970 Chapter Two album, and found inspiration. The original song reaches a dramatic peak as it hits the three-minute mark, and that’s the part Toomp interpolated for T.I. to deliver his ATL-brewed menace over 36 years later.
“My Block,” Scarface
“Be Real Black For Me” is from Flack and Donny Hathaway’s 1972 album Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway. You’ll recognize the opening chords immediately as the basis for Scarface’s 2002 classic “On My Block.” Face Mob’s happens to be the most popular hip-hop usage, but it’s not the only one. For example, M.O.P. used the same element for “World Famous” in 1996, while Cordae interpolated it for 2016’s “Bad Idea” with Chance the Rapper.
“Spring Again,” Biz Markie
The Biz was one of hip-hop’s most beloved stars when it came to rhyming and beatboxing. But he was also a singer at heart, and in 1989, he sampled Robert Flack and Donny Hathaway’s classic duet “Back Together Again” for his own “Spring Again.” While the Biz’s vocals on the hook couldn’t compare to the original, the heart and respect was there, and those familiar keys scored him another hit.
“Paula’s Jam,” Paula Perry
If you remember this one, your underground hip-hop stripes are official. Paula Perry was a female MC from Brooklyn who had a short-lived buzz in the late ’90s. “Paula’s Jam” was an independently released 1996 single, produced by Masta Ace of Juice Crew fame, that showcased her lyrical dexterity over a punchy four-note loop of the intro from Flack’s “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter,” from her 1977 Blue Lights In The Basement album.
