Artist artifact
Chaka Khan
Voice of Rufus and solo funk/R&B whose range and improvisational fire made her a bridge from 1970s funk into hip-hop sampling culture.
Biography
Voice of Rufus and solo funk/R&B whose range and improvisational fire made her a bridge from 1970s funk into hip-hop sampling culture.
Influence
'Ain't Nobody' and 'I Feel for You' kept her in clubs and crates for decades; she modeled virtuosic Black womanhood in funk without softening the edges.
Historical context
Voice of Rufus and solo funk/R&B whose range and improvisational fire made her a bridge from 1970s funk into hip-hop sampling culture. 'Ain't Nobody' and 'I Feel for You' kept her in clubs and crates for decades; she modeled virtuosic Black womanhood in funk without softening the edges. Prince wrote 'I Feel for You'—her hit version with Melle Mel brought hip-hop guesting into R&B radio earlier than many recall.
Associated instruments
- Vocals
Specimen note
Prince wrote 'I Feel for You'—her hit version with Melle Mel brought hip-hop guesting into R&B radio earlier than many recall.