Junie Morrison's Mark in Hip-Hop and Beyond [Playlist]

Funk flags are at half-mast this afternoon as reports of Walter "Junie" Morrison's death are now flooding the web. It's a hard one to take down, as r&b and hip-hop are caked with his bright and braggadocios touches.

Morrison's legacy in music is as uncommon as it is uncelebrated. A founding member of Ohio Players, Morrison split time and songwriting credits between two of hip-hop's most beloved sources of (not just) knee-deep funk, contributing to some of Parliament and Funkadelic's most readily-identifiable anthems from late-seventies and early-eighties . Of course, those bones have been used and abused over the years, but today we're happy to gather some of Morrison's sounds and those inspired by them into one place, as a salute to the late legend and a reminder of just how pivotal the man was to The Funk Mob and its myriad disciples.

Below you'll find a playlist that explores Junie Morrison's impact on hip-hop, from Digital Underground to Ice Cube to Geto Boys to J Dilla and well beyond (not to mention a few rare edits and requisite bookends.) Hit play down below and subscribe to our new Spotify channel for more selections in the weeks to come.