A History of Otis Redding Samples in Hip-Hop

Otis Redding is one of the greatest singers ever. His role in soul music and R&B is legendary. Sadly, he died at the age of 25 in a tragic airplane accident en route to a show in Wisconsin. One of his most well-known singles, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of The Bay," became the very first posthumous record to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100.

His mark on music will never be forgotten and with the release of the Watch The Throne single "Otis" last summer, Kanye West and Jay-Z introduced the icon to an entirely new generation. However, looking back, they were not the first nor the last to sample Redding's work.

Artists like Slick Rick, EPMD, Wu-Tang Clan, and Grand Puba are just a few of many musicians who've released records that sample Redding's work. Take a look at our rundown of the best Otis Redding samples and learn a little hip-hop history in process. [Otis Scream] 

Written by Lauren Nostro (@LAURENcynthia) and Max Goldberg (@goopygold)

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