MadameNoire Featured Video

Tragically, Brooklyn-born producer and recording artist Kashif Saleem was found dead in his Los Angles home on Sunday. Updated reports state that he was actually 59, not 56, at the time of his death.

Kashif was an artist, producer and composer who played multiple instruments. At 15, he toured internationally as a member of B.T. Express, whose hits include the funky “Do It.” In 1996, he added author to his list of accomplishments with the best-selling book Everything You Better Know About the Record Industry.

As an artist, Kashif had 17 Top 10 hits. As a producer/songwriter, he sold over 70 million records worldwide, earning him six Grammy nominations in multiple categories. Saxophonist Kenny G credits the multifaceted Kashif for launching his career.

A product of eight foster homes, his later years were spent developing educational music programs for children and aspiring artists. He also taught at UCLA.

Although the height of his solo career came during the ’80s, his musical influence and legacy remained relevant decades later. The artist’s music was sampled by artists of all genres. Here are just 11 tracks you probably didn’t know Kashif was responsible for:

 

 

Play

“You Give Good Love”

Originally, “You Give Good Love” was written with the incomparable Roberta Flack in mind. But as the producer of the song, Kashif eventually thought it was better suited for Whitney Houston. He convinced Arista Records to let her have it and the song became her third single from her self-titled debut. It also went on to be a pop crossover hit on the Billboard 100.

Comment Disclaimer: Comments that contain profane or derogatory language, video links or exceed 200 words will require approval by a moderator before appearing in the comment section. XOXO-MN