10 Forgotten R&B & Soul Hits From the 1970s That Secretly Built Hip-Hop (The Real Stories)

That bassline in your favorite hip-hop song? It wasn't born in a studio in the '90s. It was born in 1973, on a record almost nobody remembers. These are 10 forgotten R&B and soul records from the 1970s — songs so obscure even soul collectors argue over them — that quietly became the DNA of the music you listen to every day. No filler, no guesses: every story in this video is sourced and verified. From a seventeen-year-old Miami singer whose song wasn't even written for her, to a government draftsman who paid $900 of his own money to make a hit, to the drum break behind more than 800 hip-hop songs, played by a high schooler his own producer said needed coaching — this is the real history behind the samples you already know. The 10 songs in this video: 10. Betty Wright — "Clean Up Woman" (1971) 9. William DeVaughn — "Be Thankful for What You Got" (1974) 8. Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band — "Express Yourself" (1970) 7. Shuggie Otis — "Strawberry Letter 23" (1971) 6. Minnie Riperton — "Les Fleurs" (1970) 5. Eddie Kendricks — "Girl You Need a Change of Mind" (1972) 4. MFSB feat. The Three Degrees — "Love Is the Message" (1973) 3. Timmy Thomas — "Why Can't We Live Together" (1972) 2. The Honey Drippers — "Impeach the President" (1973) Willie Hutch — "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" (1973) ⏱ Timestamps (estimated from script pacing — swap in your real cut points once edited) 0:00 — Intro 0:30 — #10 Betty Wright 2:22 — #9 William DeVaughn 4:14 — #8 Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band 6:06 — #7 Shuggie Otis 7:58 — #6 Minnie Riperton 9:50 — #5 Eddie Kendricks 11:42 — #4 MFSB feat. The Three Degrees 13:34 — #3 Timmy Thomas 15:26 — #2 The Honey Drippers 17:18 — #1 Willie Hutch Which one didn't you know? Drop it in the comments — I read every one. 🔔 Subscribe to Soulframe R&B for more deep-dive, fact-checked stories from the songs that built the sound of Black American music. #RnB #SoulMusic #70sMusic #HipHopHistory #MusicHistory #ForgottenMusic #SoulTrain #ClassicSoul #VinylCollector #MusicSampling