Syl Johnson

Some people just have more soul than others. For example, when Schoolly D sampled Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” for his song “Signifying Rapper,” Jimmy Page sued him good. When local R&B legend Syl Johnson—who in the early ’80s opened a fish restaurant and then ostensibly retired—found out that rappers like Wu-Tang Clan, Geto Boys, and even the fictitious N.W.H. had all sampled his hit “Different Strokes,” he decided to make a comeback. Johnson has churned out six albums since 1994, and his Complete Mythology box set was recently released in both CD and LP formats by The Numero Group.

Updated 06/28/2011