The life and legacy of R&B icon Luther Vandross was finally displayed when the long-awaited documentary “Luther: Never Too Much” premiered on CNN on New Year’s Day 2025. Born on April 20, 1951, in New York City, Vandross began his career as a backing vocalist for iconic artists like David Bowie, Diana Ross, and Roberta Flack before stepping into the spotlight to claim his place as one of the greatest R&B singers of all time.
Vandross’s career was defined by a series of unforgettable hits such as “Here and Now”, “A House Is Not a Home”, and “Dance with My Father”, the latter of which earned him four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004. His music often carried love, heartbreak, and aspiration themes, making it universally relatable and deeply moving.
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Beyond his commercial success, Vandross influenced generations of artists across genres, from R&B and pop to hip-hop. His songs have been sampled extensively in hip-hop, with his soulful melodies lending depth and nostalgia to tracks by artists like Kanye West, Twista, and Fat Joe.
Recently, Kendrick Lamar sampled Vandross’ work on the aptly titled song “Luther” Featuring SZA. The song samples one of the legend’s most memorable songs, “If This World Were Mine” by Cheryl Lynn featuring Vandross.
Hip-Hop has always loved R&B and Vandross. Here are some tracks highlighting Luther’s connection to Rap music.
“A House Is Not a Home” (1981) – Sampled in “Slow Jamz” by Twista featuring Kanye West and Jamie Foxx (2003).
“Never Too Much” (1981) – Sampled in “Sunshine (The Light)” by Fat Joe featuring Amorphous (2021)
and “1,000 Kisses” by Will Smith featuring Jada Pinkett Smith (2002).
“Better Love” (1982) – Sampled in “No Better Love” by Young Gunz featuring Rell (2004).
“Don’t You Know That?” (1981) – Sampled in “Got Me Waiting” by Heavy D & the Boyz featuring Crystal Johnson (1994)
and “Love Me” by 112 featuring Mase (1998).
“So Amazing” (1986) – Sampled in “So Wat Cha Sayin’” by EPMD (1989).
“So Amazing” (1986) – Sampled in “True Love” by Lil’ Romeo featuring Solange (2002).
“Superstar/Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” (1983) – Sampled in “It’s Alright” by Saigon featuring Marsha Ambrosius (2011).
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