Scary trivia: Both Isaac Hayes and Bernie Mac just wrapped up filming a movie called Soul Men, along with Samuel L. Jackson. Crazy.

As for Hayes, I’m still at a loss for words. I remember back in the day, going through my dad’s records on Saturday mornings as a young kid and somehow gravitating to all of the the Issac Hayes records in the collection. My favorite record back then when I was 6 was the theme from Shaft–no joke! I remember playing it over and over again for some reason, and I didn’t even see the actual Shaft movie until my teens. There is something about Hayes’ music that is deeply personal, soulful, and yet assessable at the same time.  He was one of the innovators of Black music–a dude who was a songwriter and composer who helmed orchestras at a time when Black people were still struggling for civil rights.

Most recently, Hayes kept himself alive in pop culture by joining the South Park crew as Chef in 1997, and has been sampled countless times by hip-hop and trip-hop artists alike. I decided to create a small playlist to honor his work. This only scratches the surface of Hayes’ career but its a start for people who might not be familiar with him. For more information, check Wikipedia.

Don’t take life for granted. Enjoy your friends and family, becaue you never know when your time will come.