Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon" was the centerpiece of his 1973 album Head Hunters, a record that single-handedly created jazz-funk fusion as a viable commercial genre. At over fifteen minutes, the track is a sprawling groove odyssey built on one of the most recognizable bass synthesizer lines in music — a bubbling, elastic Arp Odyssey pattern that locks in with Harvey Mason's crisp, funky drumming.

Head Hunters was the first jazz album to go platinum, and "Chameleon" was the reason. Its success proved that jazz musicians could make music that was funky, rhythmic, and accessible without sacrificing sophistication. For hip-hop producers, the track was a goldmine — its length meant multiple sections to sample, and its rhythmic precision made the breaks clean and easy to loop. The influence extends beyond direct sampling: Hancock's embrace of synthesizers and electronic instruments on Head Hunters foreshadowed hip-hop's own technological evolution.