Shuggie Otis Inspiration Information

Inspiration Information was Otis' debut project as both an adult and a producer, having been a teenager backed on his two previous solo efforts by his father, R&B pioneer Johnny Otis. His relationship with Epic came under heavy scrutiny as he would take three years to finish Inspiration and fulfill his three-album contract; this would be the final release of Otis on the Epic label.

The utilization of analog drum machines gave Inspiration a newer electric sound that at the time was being used by only a handful of Otis' contemporaries, notably by Sly Stone. The Guardian called the album "an intoxicating blend of psychedelic soul and folky introspection, marked by a prescient use of electronics." Pitchfork describes the sound of the album as a combination of "smooth, organ-driven California funk, quasi-new age psychedelia, loungey jazz instrumentals, [and] string interludes—all propelled by the same kind of analog drum machine that had piqued Ralf & Florian's interest at the same time.".