David Axelrod, whose seminal work has been sampled by many hip-hop artists, including De La Soul, Dr. Dre and Madlib, and influenced many more has died, aged 83.
DJ Shadow, one of those who liberally employed Axelrod samples, leading the producer's 90s rediscovery, and who was in turn remixed by the producer, led the tributes.
David could be incredibly intimidating, & he did not suffer fools...but if he liked & respected you, he was the most loyal friend on earth.6 February 2017
Producer, musician and DJ Questlove also paid fulsome tribute to a man he said was "immersed in creativity".
Axelrod's debut album Songs of Innocence, release in 1968, remains perhaps his best known individual release, but his body of work as a producer and arranger is considerable in its own right. He released a series of solo efforts through the '70s, but came to new prominence in the 90s thanks to patronage by the likes of DJ Shadow and Lil Wayne.
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