The Jazz-Funk Keyboardist Who Mentored Hip-Hop Legends
Keyboardist Weldon Irvine was not only frequently sampled (Earl Sweatshirt, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, Drake), he also fully embraced hip-hop himself. That went as far as mentoring the likes of Q-Tip, Common, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli, and heavily inspiring Madlib who recorded a tribute album after Irvine's untimely passing.