"Street Life" is closely associated with Joe Sample through the Crusaders, whose 1979 recording featured Randy Crawford's memorable vocal. Sample's keyboard writing and the group's sleek arrangement helped turn jazz-funk sophistication into a song with pop reach. The track moves with urban glamour: smooth on the surface, but driven by a bass line and harmonic feel that keep it from becoming background music. Crawford's vocal gives the lyric its human shape, while Sample's musicianship frames the song with precision. "Street Life" remains a standout example of late-1970s jazz, soul, and disco-era polish meeting in one durable recording.