Ranked #181 in the Soul Strut 200

Debut from Donald Byrd's cast of Howard University understudies.  The Blackbyrds came on to the scene in the mid 70s meshing sleazy funk grooves with the slickness of smooth jazz, a sound that can be credited to super producer Larry Mizell.  1974's The Blackbyrds stands out as a gold mine for golden era hip hop samples with cuts like "Runaway" , "Reggins", and the party starter "Do It, Fluid."  The band would later refine their sound for the radio enjoying considerable commercial success with tracks like "Walking in Rhythm" and "Happy Music".

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