Before Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg lit up the West Coast with “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang,” Leon Haywood had already laid the foundation, one seductive groove at a time.
Leon Haywood’s 1974 hit “I Want’a Do Something Freaky to You” isn’t just a steamy funk classic but a track transcending generations. Born in Houston, Haywood began playing piano as a child and moved to Los Angeles in the early ’60s, where he played keys for R&B legend Sam Cooke. That gig gave him a front-row seat to soul music’s golden era and set him on a path to stardom.
Haywood found his sweet spot in the mid-1970s after a few chart brushes. His music got funkier, sexier, and laced with string-heavy grooves. Songs like “Come and Get Yourself Some,” “Keep It in the Family,” and “Strokin’ (Pt. II)” earned him steady success, but it was “I Want’a Do Something Freaky to You” that turned heads and hips.
That slow-burning jam climbed to No. 15 on the pop charts in 1975 with its wah-wah guitars, mellow bassline, and hypnotic synth riff. Nearly two decades later, those same elements formed the sonic backbone of “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang,” the breakout single from Dr. Dre’s The Chronic album. The sample wasn’t just background noise; it was the vibe. Haywood’s sultry soundscape amplified Dre and Snoop’s laid-back cool, bridging the gap between ’70s funk and ’90s hip-hop.
And it didn’t stop there.
Artists like 50 Cent (“Corner Bodega”) and Aaliyah (“I Gotcha Back”) also dipped into Haywood’s catalog, showing just how deep his influence ran. Haywood even flirted with hip-hop; his 1980 track “Lover’s Rap” experimented with rap before it entirely won over the R&B world.
Beyond the samples and grooves, Haywood was a creative force. He penned Carl Carlton’s Grammy-nominated “She’s a Bad Mama Jama” and continued to shape music as a producer throughout the ’80s.
Leon Haywood’s fingerprint is all over modern music, from the smoky soul clubs of L.A. to the platinum-selling albums of the ’90s.
Do you remember the first time you heard Dr. Dre’s ‘Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang’? Did you know the beat came from Leon Haywood? Please drop a comment and tell us how that sample hit you back then or how it hits now!