Even after years of paralysis and a long bout with colon cancer, it was still a tragic news to hear of Teddy Pendergrass's death last night. And we know we're not the only ones mourning right now. The man put in serious work throughout the '70s, becoming one of the decade's preeminent voices of soul music, even in the face of the disco invasion (not that there's anything wrong with that, BARRY WHITE)—and in the process became a favorite target of sample-happy producers. And it was no wonder; TP gravitated toward tracks that kept the bass funky and were layered without being overly orchestrated (not that there's anything wrong with that, BARRY WHITE).
So in deference to the late big homie with the golden voice, we got our Wax Poetics on and went diggin' in the greats (ayo!) for some of his most lasting audio treats. Read on for a breakdown of some of Teddy's most popular tracks, and the hip-hop classics they spawned...
"And if I Had" (1977)
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