I love intertextuality so this one was really fun for me.
First off, "R&B Junkie" makes a lot of references, so It's a fun intro track to set the scene for references across tracks.
From one Jackson to another, then into an MJ sample (Human Nature) with Nas, from what I consider to be one of the most important recordings of the popular music era, "Illmatic."
One element that makes Illmatic so important is the who's-who roster of producers on that album. That's why I picked another Large Professor / Nas match up with "Live at the Barbecue" to follow it.
At this point in the list, I'm trying to get back to the Jennifer Lara sample in "R&B Junkie," so I make a weak link from one rap track to another, which gets me into Freaks which has a lot of reggae samples in it. Maybe the most famous (aside from the foghorn blare) would be the plucky guitar line from the Bam Bam Riddim, made famous by Chaka Demus & Pliers with ther dancehall staple, "Murder She Wrote."
While I'm not in love with their cover of "Billie Jean," it is important here in this list to demonstrate the cultural exchange between Jamaican and American R&B, while also calling back to the Michael from track two.
We arrive, finally, at the Jennifer Lara track sampled in Janet's "R&B Junkie." I like a long last track with a nice groove.
