While Music World mourns Roy Ayers, the godfather of Neo-Soul and a jazz-funk pioneer who died at the age of 84 on March 4, the hip-hop community will always remember him as one of its brightest inspiration.
“Everyone loves the sunshine,” the sustained hit from Roy Ayers Ubiquity’s 1976 album of the same name became the highlight of his heritage – and everyone loved it so much that they couldn’t avoid borrowing a little of its brilliance. New York Times‘Obituary for Ayers reported that’ Everybody Loves The Sunshine ‘has been sampled almost 200 times.
“Well, I have more sampled hits than anyone else,” he said in a 2004 interview with Wax poetics. “I may have no more tests than James Brown, but I’ve had more sampled hits. Oh man, and there are a couple I don’t know about. “
Mary J. Blige – Who sampled “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” for “My Life” from her 1994 album with the same name, which was later interpolated on “MJB da MVP” with 50 cents, on her 2005 LP The breakthrough – Opened up about the unpaid influence of the song in her documentary from 2021 My life. “I don’t know what’s in that record, but it was something in it that just cracked everything in me. It was the first music as a child to sit with me because it made me forget that we lived where we lived, ”said Blige in the film. “‘My life in the sunshine’ was something I wanted.” The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Share my world.
Like Blige, Dr. Dre, TLC, Juvenile and Joe Budden also songs entitled “My Life”, while Scarface and Naughy of Nature have songs called “Sunshine.” Thirty years after he sampled “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” on “Book of Life” from his 1994 album ResurrectionPlainly dug back into the boxes and dusted by the sample to the grammy-nominated song “When the Sun Shines” with posdnuos, from his and Pete Rocks 2024 Grammy-nominated Common LP Auditorium vol. 1.
Outside of being sampled and interpolated by hip-hop heavyweight, Ayers also collaborated with Tyler, the Creator of “Find Your Wings”, also with South and Kali Uchis, from Tyler’s album in 2015 2015 Cherry Bomb; Erykah Badu on “Cleva” from her 2000 lp Mama’s gun; The roots of “Proceed II” from the Deluxe version of the band’s album from 2005 You want more? !!! ??!; and Talib Kweli on “In The Mood”, also with in (formerly known as Kanye West) from his 2007 album The eardrum as well as on “something special” from Kweli and Madlibs 2024 Joint LP Liberation 2.
“Roy Ayers called me as’ Tyler, Hello Man, these changes are amazing, your chord selection is just beautiful my husband ‘omg my heart melted,’ Tyler twited in 2015. The Chromakopia Rapper Flower boy. Later that year, Ayers performed at his Camp Flog Gnaw Festival. Questlove paid tribute to him as “the cat who gave birth to us all in the movement ‘Vibes’. The soundtrack that all the incense you have ever burned was really made for. Thanks Roy Edward Ayers JR for everything you gave us. taught us. showed us. reassured us. “
Billboard Rounded 21 hip-hop and R&B songs that have sampled and interpolated Roy Ayers Ubiquity’s “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” to get the latest to the elders.
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Common & Pete Rock Feat. Posdnuos, “When the Sun Shines Again”
Plain and Pete Rock’s “When the Sun Shines Again” with Posdnuos, the word “Sunshine” in the introduction and Bilal and Posdnuos’ choir for some extra luminance. “When the Sun Shines Again” was ready for best rap performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards, while its parent company album Auditorium, Vol. 1 was nominated for best rap album.
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Joey Bada $$, “Shine”
Joey Bada $$ ‘s “Shine” from his EP in 2020 The light pack Trying the sprayed piano chords and high synths as well as the word “shine” and “my life, my life, my life, my life” as I cut the last verse of “Everybody promises the Sunshine” in the choir: “Skin when I do what I do when I do/ … brilliance when I feel what I feel when I feel when I feel.”
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Larry June, “watering my plants”
Larry Junes “Watering of My Plants” from his album in 2020 Adjust to the game Inject his signature West Coast Bounce to the instrumental from “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” and tries “My Life, My Life, My Life, My Life/ In The Sunshine” hook throughout the lively track.
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Snoop Dogg feat. Eric Jaye, “I have been looking for you”
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DREEZY, “Ready”
DREEEZY’s “Ready” from her album in 2016 No hard feelings Puts down the remarkable drone -synthriff from “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” throughout the track.
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Teedra Moses, “You are so different”
TeaReaRa Moses’ “You are so different” from her 2015 -album Clair Voyant Chopping chipper piano chords of “Everybody Loves The Sunshine.”
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The-Dream, “Outkast”
The-Dream’s “Outkast” from his EP in 2014 Royalty: Prequel Lifts the quiet piano tune of “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” while gently harmonizing with the drone synthriff.
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Z-Ro-Feat. Mýa, “tired”
Z-Ro’s “Tired” with Mýa from his album from 2008 Crack Interpolates the line “My Life, My Life, My Life, My Life” in the second verse: “My life, my life, my life, my life, dug into once.”
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Joe Budden, “My Life”
Joe Buddens “My Life” from his mixtape from 2007 Mood Muzik Vol. 3.5 Trying “My Life, My Life, My Life, My Life” line twice in the hook.
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J. Cole, “Rags Two Wealth (By Bip)”
J. Coles “Rags to Riches (at Beep)” from his mixtape from 2007 The Come Up Mixtape Vol. 1 Trying the Vibey instrumental of “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” throughout the course and its “My Life, My Life, My Life, My Life/ In The Sunshine/ Everybody Loves The Sunshine” hook as well as “People come down in the sunshine” and “Bare Bier and Flowers” Lines in Outro.
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Mary J. Blige Feat. 50 Cent, “MJB DA MVP”
Mary J. Blige’s “MJB DA MVP,” with 50 cents, from her 2005 Billboard 200-topping, Grammy-winning album The breakthrough Interpolates “My Life” and many of her other hits (“Real Love”, “I go down” and more) on the bridge: “You remind me of a real love (you don’t have to worry)/ Real love/ all night I go down/ Minde of the love we have/ you are everything, love without a limit/ what you want to do without my life, my life, my life, my life?”
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Mos Def, “Life is real”
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Juvenile Feat. TQ, “My Life”
Juvenile’s “My Life” with TQ, from his album from 2001 Project English Interpolates the line “My Life, My Life, My Life, My Life” in the choir, while adding its “Sunshine” from another soulful 70s traces of a late legend: Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.” “My life in my life my life my life/ my life my life my life my life/ is not a sunshine until they have gone/ are no sunshine until they have passed,” TQ sings in the choir.
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2PAC & OUTLAWZ, “TATTOO TEARS”
2pac and Outlawz’s “Tattoo Tears” from their joint album from 1999 Still i get up Borrows “My Life, My Life, My Life, My Life/ In The Sunshine” hook in Napoleon’s third verse.
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Tlc, “my life”
TLCS “My Life” from Girl Group’s Billboard from 1999 200-topping, Grammy-winning album Fanmail Interpolates the line “My Life, My Life, My Life” in the third verse of the late Left.
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2pac feat. Outlawz, “Lost Souls”
2pacs “Lost Souls” with Outlawz, from Gan -related – soundtrack For the crime film in 1997 Gang related Interpolates the line “My Life, My Life, My Life, My Life” I 2pac’s intro and Chorus: “Because I hate spending my life/ my life, my life, my life Duckin ‘disposable.”
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Scarface, “Sunshine”
Scarface’s “Sunshine” with Lisa Crawford from his album from 1997 The pristine Lifts the hook of “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” in the choir: “Sunshine/ Everyone needs/ Sunshine/ My Life, My Life, My Life/ Sunshine/ Everyone needs/ Sunshine/ My Life, My Life, My Life.”
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Naughty of nature’s “sunshine”
Naughty of Nature’s “Sunshine” from the trio’s grammy winning in 1995, Top R&B/HIP-HOP albums No. 1 LP Poverty Paradise Trying the word “sunshine” throughout the golden track.
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Mary J. Blige, “My Life”
Mary J. Blige’s “My Life” from her Top R&B/ HIP-HOP album from 1994 No. 1 LP with the same name tries the hot, feel-good instrumental of “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” and “My Life, My Life, My Life, My Life/ In The Sunshine” Kroge throughout the grapple. My life Was nominated for best R&B album at the Grammy Awards 1996.
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Dr. Dre, “My Life”
Dr. Dre’s “My Life” from his not -released album Dretox Raise it groovy instrumental of “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” before throwing it up and chopping it up in front of the introduction and trying “My Life, My Life, My Life, My Life/ In The Sunshine” hook in the choir.