A Tribute to Sly Stone

Sly Stone changed the course of music. As the architect behind Sly and the Family Stone, he led the first major racially integrated, gender-integrated band in popular music. That unity showed up not only on stage but in the music itself: a fusion of funk, soul, rock, and resistance. His influence threads deep within hip hop including LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out” (which flips a deep cut from Sly’s Trip to Your Heart), through the DNA of Arrested Development’s “People Everyday” (a cultural update of Everyday People), and through his own timeless masterpiece “If You Want Me to Stay.” Today, we honor a visionary whose sound and spirit continue to shape generations.

Yesterday, the world lost a legend in Sly Stone. He passed away at the age of 82 but not before leaving his mark on the world with his groovy, soulful psychedelic pop rock anthems that spread like wildfire in the 60’s.

“If You Want Me to Stay” was written and recorded entirely by Sly himself. He played the drums, bass, guitar, keys and sang on the track. All him. It’s a one-man groove factory built on a bassline that has become required listening for generations of musicians. It’s been covered by Etta James, flipped by Red Hot Chili Peppers, sampled endlessly, but the original is still the best.

Rest in peace to this legend.

Listen on all major streaming platforms here!

In honor of Sly Stone, I’m sharing this song from Arrested Development. The song draws its bones from Sly and the Family Stone’s “Everyday People,” not by copy-paste sampling but by reframing the message for a new generation.

In the early ‘90s, when hip-hop was largely defined by bravado, violence, and East vs. West Coast tension, Arrested Development showed up as the goodie two shoes of rap. “People Everyday” was their response to the hyper aggressive rap that was beginning to take form and provided a laid-back, reggae-soaked funk track.

The version most people know, the ‘Metamorphosis Mix’ (shared below) was what launched them into stardom. They won a Grammy for it in ‘93.

Throw this one on your summer playlist. I promise you it won’t disappoint.

Listen on all major streaming platforms here!

In 1990, LL Cool J was being written off. People thought he’d gone soft and in hip-hop, that’s a death sentence. But LL wasn’t done.

Mama Said Knock You Out was his fuck you moment. Built on a fierce beat from the legendary Marley Marl, the track fused old-school funk with golden-era grit. At the heart of the beat is a sample of Sly & the Family Stone’s “Trip to Your Heart”, a deep cut that injects psychedelic soul into the muscle of the track.

But here’s the kicker: the title? It came from LL’s grandmother. After hearing him vent about his critics, she told him plainly: “Baby, knock them out.” That offhand advice turned into one of the most iconic hooks in rap history.

The track would go on to win LL his first Grammy, and solidify his legacy.

Listen on all major streaming platforms here!

In honor of Sly, I’m sharing this video of him and the band performing "I Want To Take You Higher" on The Ed Sullivan Show, December 29, 1968. The vibes are immaculate. Energy on 100. Fits are fly as fuck. I mean look at the sideways spacewalk from the guitar and bass players. The energy and swag bleeds through the video.

You guessed it…Sly Stone. I believe this is a Jim Marshall photograph, but I could be wrong because Richard Avedon and Ethan Russell were also known to photograph Sly. Anyways, the photograph is just incredible. It almost looks fake. This is one of those shots that only exist for a split second. Unless, of course, it was posed, but if it was a Jim Marshall photography then it was most definitely not posed.

Pour one out for Sly tonight.

Rest in Peace.