Musicians from a variety of backgrounds and from all over the world have united in paying tribute to legendary Los Angeles producer David Axelrod, who passed away on Sunday aged 83.
The producer was known for his ability to mix and blend a wide range of musical styles, including jazz, soul and rock – leading for many in the industry to deem him the ‘Godfather of Hip Hop’.
Axelrod, who produced some wonderful solo albums – most notably, the William Blake-inspired pairing Song of Innocence (1968) and Songs of Experience (1969) – has been sampled and can claim influence over an enormous amount of artists, including modern hip hop giants Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and 90s UK trip hop outfit Unkle.
In fact, it was one of Axelrod’s proteges, DJ Shadow, who confirmed the legendary producer’s death on Twitter, before Questlove took to Instagram to express his sadness at the event, saying that Axelrod “was so immersed in creativity and so pure with his arrangements, he WAS hip hop.”
So honored to have known you David, you are a bonafide hero to an entire generation of hip-hop kids and musical dreamers. Miss you Axe!!!
— DJ Shadow (@djshadow) February 6, 2017
Axelrod’s final studio album, a self-titled LP containing years of previously unreleased material, was released by Mo’Wax in 2001. Expect an avalanche of retrospectives and mix releases this year, as this famed producer is properly remembered by the community that he helped to build himself.
Just a few of the David Axelrod samples in hip-hop. He was easily one of the most brilliant composers of the last half century. pic.twitter.com/hSnlsPwWx4
— Otto Von Biz Markie (@Passionweiss) February 5, 2017
