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Hip hop acts that utilize jazz elements are a particular favorite of mine. This playlist looks at tracks that sample the music of the legendary Herbert Jeffrey Hancock. Herbie was notable part of Miles Davis’ “second great quintet” and he helped transform the role of the rhythm section in the world of jazz.  He was also one of the first serious jazz musicians to consider the synthesizer a valid instrument and you may remember his song "Rockit" from the 1983 album Future Shock, which used the synthesizer heavily. This song also has the honor of being one of the first to include turntable scratching techniques. 

Hancock is the proud owner of 12 Grammy awards, an Academy Award, 5 MTV Awards and many others too numerous to mention. His influence spans not only across the world of jazz, but has crossed into popular music as well. There are not many musicians alive today more respected than Herbie Hancock.

This playlist include a CD's worth of hip hop tracks that sample the music of Herbie Hancock. If you like these be sure to dig deeper into the music of the artist that inspired them.

Songs That Sample Herbie Hancock

1. Cantaloop (Flip Fantasio) - Us3

2. Fantastic - Slum Village 

3. Pacin' The Floor - Peanut Butter Wolf

4. Rhymes Like A Scientist - Third Sight 

5. Decompression Chamber - The Dyno Spectrum

6. Inner Eye - Nobody 

7. No More Worries - Del Tha Funkee Homosapien

8. Escapism (Gettin' Free) - Digable Planets

9. Famous And Dandy (Like Amos 'N' Andy) - The Disposable Heroes Of HipHoprisy

10. Underwater Rimes (Remix) - Digital Underground

11. 8 Ball - DJ Quik 

12. Money On My Brain - Kool G. Rap

13. Get Up Get Down - Coolio 

14. 100 Miles And Runnin' - N.W.A.

15. 1-900 L.L. Cool J - LL Cool J 

16. 231 Ways To Fry An Egg - Mr. Dibbs

17. Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-Lite 

18. Lesson 4: The Radio - Cut Chemist

19. Dolly My Baby - with Trevor Sparks - Super Cat 

20. Forth & Back (Rock Music) - Slum Village