2 chapters across the catalog
Mo Facts introduces Sam Cooke as the "OG of OGs" who pioneered the transition from gospel to pop. Cooke traveled the "Gospel Highway" in the 1950s, a circuit of churches and tents carefully mapped out to follow agricultural harvests when audiences had money. Even as a child in Chicago, Cooke practiced singing to sticks in the ground to prepare for his future as a star.
Sam Cooke's smooth vocal delivery set him apart from the "throaty" style of traditional gospel singers, allowing him to cross over to white audiences. Mo Facts draws a parallel to the rapper Rakim, who introduced a smooth, rhythmic flow that changed the "hardcore" paradigm of early hip-hop. Cooke's influence extended to the British Invasion, including the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
