We couldn't let the day go by without raising a lighter for saxophonist, bandleader and funk legend Jimmy Castor, who passed away just about 24 hours ago in Nevada from unknown causes. The creator of the immortal b-boy anthem "It's Just Begun" (think this, not to mention this) as well as other much-sampled tracks like "Troglodyte" (watch the live performance above) Castor's mix of funk and soul with spoken narratives and the Afro-latin elements he absorbed during his teenage years in Spanish Harlem have been identified by many rap historians as key ingredients in the early sound of hip-hop. Or as our own resident historian of the breaks tweeted yesterday: "B-boys in heaven are jammin. The creator of their national anthem has joined them. RIP Jimmy Castor. Essential Hip Hop Ingredient. Peace." Castor was 64.

spotted at PF