Isaac Hayes’ music is iconic. Having crafted some of the best albums of all time, it is no surprise to see such an artist being celebrated my musicians, producers and music aficionados alike. His 15th studio album, And Once Again (1980) isn’t amongst his most memorable projects, but it is still a great body of work. Only 4 tracks long, the album contains gorgeous moments, including 14 minutes of blissful meditative soul with “Ike’s Rap VII / This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” and the upbeat disco-funk tune of “I Ain’t Ever” that centre around love and sexuality. It is the sensual, slow-paced soul of  “Wherever You Are” that was picked up by Madlib to sample on his collaborative album with Freddie Gibbs titled Piñata (2014).  

It was on track 12 “Broken,” featuring the legend Scarface that Madlib sampled “Wherever You Are.” The Beat Konducta sampled the first 25 seconds of the Isaac Hayes classic, the slow keys, bassline and subtle string section is perfectly interpolated with Madlib’s drums and Freddie Gibbs’ impeccable and vivid lyricism. The soulful cut is one of the many highlights on their collaborative album, especially Scarface’s brutally honest verse.

Listen to Isaac Hayes’ “Wherever You Are” off his 1980 studio album And Once Again.

Listen to Madlib and Freddie Gibbs’ track “Broken” featuring Scarface off their 2014 critically acclaimed album Piñata. 

You can find more information about the records and purchase details over at discogs.com.

Also, massive shoutout to whosampled.com who have been an essential platform for uncovering and discovering forgotten samples and records. An essential contributor to the online crate digging community.