Heavily sampled soul singer Syl Johnson dies at 85

Syl Johnson, Chicago soul and blues singer, has died aged 85, Pitchfork reports. His 1967 song 'Different Strokes' would go on to be sampled by Public Enemy ('Fight the Power'), Wu-Tang Clan ('Shame on a N---a') Eric B. & Rakim ('I Know You Got Soul'), Jay-Z and Kanye West ('The Joy'), De La Soul ('The Magic Number'), and countless others. WhoSampled cites over 300 songs that utilize portions of Johnson’s original, making it one of the most influential pieces of music in hip-hop.