James Brown, better known as the “Godfather of Soul,” left behind a musical legacy that still captivates listeners to this day. However, the late bandleader could very well be considered the Godfather of Hip-Hop and R&B as well, given how many acts have sampled his funky grooves.
Since the ’80s, hip-hop producers moved from spinning breakbeats and live instruments to the innovative style of sampling small bits of music and looping them in succession. The practice took hold, and it was rare that a hip-hop jam during this time didn’t feature some form of Brown’s influence.
In 1986, the duo of KRS-One and the late DJ Scott La Rock, better known as Boogie Down Productions, used a series of Brown songs for their big single, “South Bronx.” The song used Brown’s “Funky Drummer,” “Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved,” and “Get Up Offa That Thing.:
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In 1987, Eric B & Rakim’s “I Ain’t No Joke” sampled “Pass The Peas,” while Biz Markie made great use of “Papa Don’t Take No Mess” for his 1988 classic, “The Vapors.”
LL Cool J also benefited from Brown’s sound, reigniting his career in 1990 with the hardcore “The Boomin’ System” from his hit album, Mama Said Knock You Out. The track sampled “The Big Payback,” which was also used in MC Lyte’s 1993 hit “Ruffneck.” The same sample made an appearance on R&B trio Total’s smash “Can’t You See” which featured verses from the late Notorious B.I.G.
One of LL’s chief rivals, Kool Moe Dee, sampled Brown’s “Super Bad” for his track, “I Go To Work.”
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s “T.R.O.Y.” (When They Reminisce Over You)” was released in 1992 and still gets plenty of play to this day. Pete Rock sampled Brown’s “A Blind Man Can See It” for the track, which was also applied to Blackstreet’s “No Diggity.”
Even Brown himself rocked over his own samples. His 1988 album, I’m Real, was produced by Full Force and the title track featured samples from the track “Get On The Good Foot” and “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine.”
Over the course of his 50-plus year career, Brown recorded 71 studio albums, 14 live albums, 49 compilation albums and 144 singles. The biopic of his life Get On Up opens Friday, August 1.
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