Funky drummer

The "funky drummer" break is one of the most used sampled drum loops in hip-hop and drum and bass music, together with the amen break, which is more related to drum-and-bass.

Related Topics:
Break - Sampled - Drum - Hip-hop - Drum and bass - Amen break

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The original song from which the break is sampled is James Brown's song "Funky Drummer" (recorded November 20, 1969 in Cincinnati, Ohio). The drums on the original song are played by Clyde Stubblefield, who was the drummer for Brown's band at that time. Rapper and producer Edan's mix-tape "Sound of the Funky Drummer" features only tracks which use the "Funky Drummer" beat.

Related Topics:
James Brown - November 20 - 1969 - Cincinnati, Ohio - Clyde Stubblefield - Edan

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Rappers who sample James Brown have included references to him and even this song in their lyrics, two examples being LL Cool J in "Boomin' System" ("The girlies, they smile, they see me comin, I'm steady hummin, I got the Funky Drummer drummin") and Public Enemy in "Fight the Power" ("1989 the number, another summer, Sound of the funky drummer.")

Related Topics:
LL Cool J - Public Enemy

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10-second sample of the drum break.

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The following is an incomplete list of tracks that employ the funky drummer break.

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• 2 Live Crew - "Coolin'"
• 808 State - "Pacific 202"
• A Tribe Called Quest - "Separate / Together"
• Atari Teenage Riot - "Start The Riot"
• Beastie Boys - "Shadrach"
• Big Daddy Kane - "Mortal Combat"
• Biz Markie - "Spring Again"
• Coldcut - "Say Kids, What Time Is It?"
• De La Soul - "Oodles of O's"
• Dr. Dre - "Let Me Ride"
• Eric B. & Rakim - "Lyrics of Fury", "Relax With Pep"
• Gang Starr - "2 Deep"
• Geto Boys - "Read These Nikes", "Mind of a Lunatic"
• GusGus - "Purple"
• Heavy D - "Flexin'"
• Ice Cube - "Jackin' For Beats", "Endangered Species"
• Ice T - "Radio Suckers", "Original Gangster", "I Ain't New Ta This"
• Kid 'n Play - "Slippin'", "Foreplay"
• Kool G Rap - "It's a Demo"
• K-Os - "B-Boy Stance"
• Kris Kross - "Jump", "Lil' Boys in Da Hood"
• Lassigue Bendthaus - "Re-Cloned"
• LL Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out"
• Masters At Work - "Jus' a Lil' Dope"
• MC Frontalot - "Good Old Clyde"
• Mobb Deep - "Flavor For the Non-Believers"
• Nas - "Get Down"
• Naughty by Nature - "Hot Potato", "Ready For Dem"
• NWA - "Fuck tha Police", "Quiet on tha Set"
• Pete Rock & CL Smooth - "Go With the Flow"
• The Pharcyde - "Officer"
• Pizzicato Five - "Baby Love Child"
• Prince - "Gett Off", "My Name is Prince"
• Public Enemy - "She Watch Channel Zero", "Bring the Noise", "Rebel Without a Pause", "Fight the Power"
• Redman - "Rated X"
• Run-DMC - "Beats to the Rhyme", "Back From Hell", "Word is Born", "Run's House"
• Salt-N-Pepa - "Let the Rhythm Run"
• Scarface (rapper) - "Born Killer"
• Scorn (band) - "The Wizard" (Black Sabbath cover)
• Sinéad O'Connor - "I Am Stretched On Your Grave"
• Sir Mix-A-Lot - "No Holds Barred"
• Slick Rick - "The Moment I Feared"
• Sublime - "Scarlet Begonias"
• TLC - "Shock Dat Monkey"
• Ultramagnetic MC's - "Give the Drummer Some"
• Vanilla Ice - "Stop That Train"