On March 4th, 2025, the music world was shaken by the passing of legendary composer and vibraphone player Roy Ayers. His sound could be described as a seamless fusion of Jazz, Soul, Funk, and Disco, which transcended genres and generations. Ayers' sound has also made him a cornerstone of Hip Hop production and an incredible influence on DJs and producers worldwide. To honor his legacy, we spoke with six influential figures: Skratch Bastid, Supreme La Rock, DJ A L, Toquon the MC, Cutso, and Fabio. They reflected on Ayers' impact, their connections to his music, and the timeless tracks that continue to inspire. They also shared their favorite Roy Ayers selections, the songs that sampled his work, and what his catalog means to them on a deeper level.

Roy Ayers Playlist

A selection of Roy Ayers originals & samples recommended by DJs, producers, vinyl collectors, and music lovers.

Skratch Bastid:

DJ / Producer @skratchbastid

What does Roy Ayers' music mean to you personally? Spiritual...The Vibes... Vibes is the perfect description. He plays the vibes. It is vibes. I think it's a really great entry point into a deeper spiritual, soulful jazz fusion groove music.

What are some of your favorite Roy Ayers tracks as a listener? He has so many, but "We Live In Brooklyn, Baby," "Everybody Loves The Sunshine," "Love Will Bring Us Back Together," "The Third Eye," "Red Black and Green," "2000 Black," "The Lonesome Cowboy," "Running Away," "Tear To A Smile," "Chicago," "What You Won't Do For Love," "For Real" with Wayne Henderson.

How has Roy Ayers' music influenced your musical journey as a producer, DJ, or vinyl collector? I went to see him speak once, and it was interesting to see. He really played down the seriousness of his music. Even though other people found it heavy, he kind of took every chance he could to make it seem less heavy than it was and just that it existed and it was fun. He liked that something could be fun and spiritual at the same time. Good vibes.

Do you have any favorite songs that have sampled Roy Ayers's catalog, and if so, which ones? So many Roy Ayers samples.. I forgot to add to some of my favorite songs, "Searching," of course! "Searching," the way that was sampled in Amerie's "Rolling Down My Face" as well as Ed O.G.'s "Be A Father To Your Child." I think Jeru & Afu-Ra's "Mental Stamina" DJ Premier chopped "Sensitize." That's a crazy, crazy one I loved the way that Preemo chopped those vibes.

What do you think it is about Roy Ayers' sound that resonates so deeply with DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors? Definitely the sound of the vibes. I think that the ringing vibraphone was an attractive sound to Hip Hop producers in the 90's the way that it was shaped through samplers. Specifically, the SP-1200 and MPC60 S950, that kind of sound just always sounded nice when it was lo-fied up a bit. I also think the nice chords and spiritual energy that exist in his music are attractive to producers to bring different soulful vibes to their music.

With the recent loss of Roy Ayers, what do you think his legacy means for future generations of DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors who may just be discovering his music? Roy Ayers is a real gateway into deeper music because it has Pop sensibilities or attractive melodies but takes the listener deeper to where they dig into it. He was really good at catching people and taking them on a little journey. It's almost like cool music hiding right in your face... Of course, "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" is a really attractive melody, and I think that's just a really simple entry point similar to "Ain't No Sunshine" to Bill Withers's music. I think that his music will continue to get discovered in similar ways as it has for the last 40 to 50 years. It just has a special quality around it. It's got the vibes.

Supreme La Rock:

Award Winning International DJ @supremelarock

What does Roy Ayers' music mean to you personally? Personally, his music is some of my favorite, a perfect combination of Jazz, Soul, Disco & Funk

What are some of your favorite Roy Ayers tracks as a listener? I absolutely love “Land of Fruit & Honey,” “Rock Your Roll,” “We Live in Brooklyn, Baby,” and so many more.

How has Roy Ayers' music influenced your musical journey as a producer, DJ, or vinyl collector? He was so influential in the 90s in Hip Hop production, and I would want to find other records he worked on, like Ethyl Beatty, Sylvia Striplin, Ramp, Jamez Bedford, etc.

Do you have any favorite songs that have sampled Roy Ayers's catalog, and if so, which ones? Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's “Searching” & Nomad's “Blessed to Mic Check

What do you think it is about Roy Ayers' sound that resonates so deeply with DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors? The chords, progression, and vibes (literally).

With the recent loss of Roy Ayers, what do you think his legacy means for future generations of DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors who may just be discovering his music? Keep his legacy alive by continuing to play and sample his music.

DJ A-L:

DJ / Producer @dj_a_l_

What does Roy Ayers' music mean to you personally? Over the years, I've found that Roy Ayers' music and message has inspired me as a creative as well as uplifted me as a human.

What are some of your favorite Roy Ayers tracks as a listener? Some of my favorite tracks from Roy Ayers' catalog are “Running Away,” “Searching,” “Take A Look At Yourself (Guru Ft. Roy Ayers),” “We Live in Brooklyn, Baby” and, of course, everybody loves “Everybody Loves The Sunshine!

How has Roy Ayers' music influenced your musical journey as a producer, DJ, or vinyl collector? As a DJ, I've found that Roy Ayers' music is the perfect way to start off or finish any DJ set. As a producer, Roy Ayers' has influenced me to keep "searching" for smoothed-out sounds and jazzy styles of music. As a vinyl collector, it's been a rite of passage to build up my Roy Ayers record collection over the years.

Do you have any favorite songs that have sampled Roy Ayers's catalog, and if so, which ones? I really enjoy ED O.G. and the Bulldog's “Be A Father To Your Child” use of Searching as well Trendz Of Culture's use of “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” on “Valley Of Skinz.”

What do you think it is about Roy Ayers' sound that resonates so deeply with DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors? I think that a lot of modern DJs, producers, and collectors who shaped their musical taste around 90s Hip Hop, R&B, and Neo Soul artists find that Roy Ayers' music directly influenced their favorite artists. It's hard to imagine artists like A Tribe Called Quest, Erykah Badu, J Dilla, and the Roots existing without Roy Ayers.

With the recent loss of Roy Ayers, what do you think his legacy means for future generations of DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors who may just be discovering his music? I think his smoothed-out approach to music and life will resonate with generations to come because, as much as music goes through phases, there will always be people who just want to throw on a record and relax.

CUTSO:

DJ / Producer @cutso

What does Roy Ayers' music mean to you personally? Roy Ayers’ music served as a gateway to Jazz for me when I was starting to dig for original sample records early in my DJ career. He was one of the artists who actually made me stop and listen to a Jazz album in its entirety instead of skimming a record for samples.

What are some of your favorite Roy Ayers tracks as a listener? “Brother Green,” “Searching,” “Simple And Sweet,” “Brawling Broads,” “Running Away,” “Mystic Voyage.” “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” (duh!).

How has Roy Ayers' music influenced your musical journey as a producer, DJ, or vinyl collector? As a producer, it taught me to listen deeper to his sense of arrangement and movement. As a DJ, it taught me to love both sides of the spectrum of his music: his super funky, uptempo work, as well as his more jazzy, mellow work. As a collector, it taught me to pick any record with his name on it.

Do you have any favorite songs that have sampled Roy Ayers's catalog, and if so, which ones? Casual - “Thoughts Of The Thoughtful,” Sway & Tech - “Follow 4 Now,” Junior MAFIA - “Get Money (Ayers produced Sylvia Striplin’s Can’t Turn Me Away),” ATCQ - “Bonita Applebum,” Smif N Wessun - “Home Sweet Home.”

What do you think it is about Roy Ayers' sound that resonates so deeply with DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors? Besides his music being endlessly sampled by a lot of our favorite artists, his music is perfect for many moods and instances: listening bars, b-boy/b-girl functions, disco sets, etc. His music is funky, but intricate, without being too heady. His albums are ones that play well all the way through. Rarely a skipper on any of the albums of his that I own.

With the recent loss of Roy Ayers, what do you think his legacy means for future generations of DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors who may just be discovering his music? There’s a whole world of his music to discover. Pick up anything with his name on it! Pretty much anything that bears his name is quality. All killer, no filler.

FABIODNB:

DJ @fabiodnb 

What does Roy Ayers' music mean to you personally? Roy Ayers was a huge influence on me. I was listening to his music just before I heard he died. He was an icon to me and many others.

What are some of your favorite Roy Ayers tracks as a listener? Too many to mention. “Vibrations” and “A Tear to a Smile” are probably my favorites.

How has Roy Ayers' music influenced your musical journey as a producer, DJ, or vinyl collector? Running Away’ was the first 12" I purchased. My aunt played it to me. I went and bought it the next day with my pocket money.

Do you have any favorite songs that have sampled Roy Ayers's catalog, and if so, which ones? There could be as many as 30+ tracks off the top of my “The Third Eye” & ‘2000 Black.

What do you think it is about Roy Ayers' sound that resonates so deeply with DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors? He resonated with producers, etc, because his music was a lesson in elegant sophistication. With a massive amount of warmth, soul, and funk. He also kept himself relevant. Cleva, which he collabed with Roy Ayers, was a point in case. Great track.

With the recent loss of Roy Ayers, what do you think his legacy means for future generations of DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors who may just be discovering his music? The great thing about music is its universal appeal also, his music will live on and influence generations for decades to come. Right up there with the greatest of all time. No doubt.

Toquon The MC:

Recording Artist / Producer @toquon_tha_mc

What does Roy Ayers' music mean to you personally? It takes me back to my childhood in the living room with my family, playing all the classic soulful hits that resonate in our culture, and I have a joyful feeling as I see the effect they have on them. So, way back then, I knew I wanted to make people feel the same way someday. Also, my mother was a huge jazz fan, so I was exposed very early to the likes of Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, and, of course, Roy Ayers.

What are some of your favorite Roy Ayers tracks as a listener? #1 is the OBVIOUS! “Everybody Loves the Sunshine.” I mean, from start to finish, it's so dope. #2 Would be “We Live In Brooklyn, Baby,” The 3rd is “Searching,” and my 4th is “Running Away.”

How has Roy Ayers' music influenced your musical journey as a producer, DJ, or vinyl collector? Well, I would have to credit that to Hip Hop culture, with groups like Tribe and Brand Nubian showing us we can take it to a Jazzy vibe, so of course, that wave hit like a Tsunami and made us pay more attention to Roy's Sounds and production.

Do you have any favorite songs that have sampled Roy Ayers's catalog, and if so, which ones? Brand Nubian's “Wake Up” to Kendrick Lamar's “good kid.” I'm a big fan of both, so yeah, it's so many we will be all day! Love em.

What do you think it is about Roy Ayers' sound that resonates so deeply with DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors? it's the Heart and Soul that deliver all the right Vibrations that make you feel that ish in your spine, fa sure. It's nothing like great music, man.

With the recent loss of Roy Ayers, what do you think his legacy means for future generations of DJs, producers, and vinyl collectors who may just be discovering his music? Like most great music, I think it's our duty as DJs, Producers, and Music lovers together that are inspired to continue to preserve and push his music to the generation after us and so on and so forth.

Roy Ayers' vibes are undeniable. Whether through his mastery of balancing spirituality and fun or his influence on Hip Hop through sampling, his music remains a vital part of the global soundscape. There is a vast landscape of tunes created by Roy Ayers, so in memory of his legacy, we have created a playlist highlighting all of the music mentioned in this article. Aside from "Land Of Fruit & Honey" because it was unavailable on Spotify. As Supreme La Rock said, "Keep his legacy alive by continuing to play and sample his music." Rest In Peace, Roy Ayers. May your sunshine continue to shine on us all.