It’s not as though I’ve been anxiously awaiting Watch The Throne, the collaboration between Jay-Z and Kayne West, first tipped last fall. I like both of the hip-hop giants enough, I guess (Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” and his guest-rap on Mariah’s “Heartbreaker,” much of Kanye’s oeuvre), but a great sample always catches my ear.

And so it is with “Otis,” the second single from the coming-in-August Watch The Throne, which prominently samples Otis Redding’s “Try A Little Tenderness.” Killed in a 1967 plane crash at 26, the Georgia-born soul man’s plea has lived on for future generations, thanks to pop-culture moments like this famous scene from Pretty In Pink.

While Jay-Z and Kanye trade verses on “Otis” — featuring quotable boasts like “I made ‘Jesus Walks,’ so I’m never going to hell” — it’s Redding who really steals the show. As Jay-Z says the start of the the track, “It sounds so soulful, don’t you agree?” With the legendary Redding backing the duo with his southern grit, there was never any doubt. Hear here:

Otis feat. Otis Redding by watchthethrone

Calling themselves The Throne, Jay-Z and Kayne West have announced a fall tour. Watch The Throne hits iTunes on August 8, with a physical release scheduled for August 12.

Purchase Jay-Z & Kanye West feat. Otis Redding – “Otis” via iTunes.