In the realm of old-school R&B (I mean, really old-school), there’s Isaac Hayes, and then there’s everybody else. If the name doesn’t sound familiar, I guarantee you’ve heard a couple of his songs sampled by today’s hip hop musicians. (My personal favourite? Shad sampling Hayes’ Never Gonna Give You Up in Compromise.)
If Black Moses has one flaw, it’s its length. But a disc that’s epic enough to spawn genres, influence Quentin Tarantino’s films, and provide the soundscape for dozens of future artists is allowed to run as long as it wants.
Somehow, Black Moses is forgotten amongst its peers and contemporaries. To me, this is tragic. If you haven’t heard it yet, give it a couple hours and a listen. It’s worth it.