Roy Ayers' "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" (1976) is one of the most sampled records in hip-hop, and it's not hard to understand why. The track is pure warmth — Ayers' vibraphone shimmers over a mellow, mid-tempo groove, and his vocal delivery is relaxed to the point of being hypnotic. It sounds like the musical equivalent of a perfect summer afternoon, and it has soundtracked countless hip-hop tracks looking for exactly that feeling.

Mary J. Blige's "My Life," A Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum," and Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya" all sampled the track, using its warmth to add emotional depth to their productions. Ayers' ability to create mood — to make a listener feel something specific through sound — is what makes his music so valuable to hip-hop producers. They're not just sampling rhythm; they're sampling an atmosphere.