It’s a shock not only to music lovers, but hip-hop heads too, many of whom were surely hipped to his music by way of rappers and producers sampling him in rap songs. Ever since hip-hop took off in the ’80s, Prince has been heavily sampled by everyone from Nice N Smooth to LL Cool J to 2pac, Hov, Wayne and others.
His music made him a star and his style made him an icon. He was unabashedly brave about showing off his body, even wearing pants with the butt cut out to show the world his ass at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. He showed the world that men could show off a feminine side while still being sex symbols, and to this day that influence resonates not just through hip-hop, but all of music.
And let’s admit it – Prince’s attitude was all the way hip-hop. He gave no fucks what you thought about his approach. He was unapologetic, unafraid, unrelenting in his innovation. Hip-hop will miss him dearly.
But in the immediate aftermath of his death, we can only hope to take solace in the work he left us. His catalog will live on forever and his imprint on the music world will never fade. While we all mourn Prince’s death, here’s a look at 20 rap songs that sampled his work.
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