Today, April 2, would have been the 75th birthday of the late legendary Marvin Gaye, one of the most influential and talented artists of his generation. His death 30 years ago yesterday was one of the biggest losses in American music history, but luckily for us, he left behind a legacy that has continued to be the gift that keeps giving. One of the most sampled men in hip-hop—alongside James Brown and George Clinton—Marvin's legacy has been filtered through the rap ranks for decades, with artists as diverse in content and time as Kool G Rap and Lil B flipping his songs to make beats. To commemorate what would have his 75th birthday, XXL pulled together a list of 75 of the greatest hip-hop songs that sample Marvin Gaye. —Dan Rys, Michael Carlos, Kyle Kramer, Tim Larew and Eric Thurm
