On November 20, 1969, James Brown and his band recorded "Funky Drummer" at King Studios in Cincinnati. Partway through the nearly eleven-minute track, Brown calls out to his drummer: "Fellas, one more time I want to give the drummer some of this funky soul we got here." What follows is a two-bar drum solo by Clyde Stubblefield — a deceptively simple groove built on a syncopated hi-hat pattern, a snapping snare, and a deep, slightly behind-the-beat kick drum. Brown himself called Stubblefield "the best drummer in the world."

When hip-hop producers began sampling records in the 1980s, Stubblefield's break became the go-to rhythm. Its sparse, open feel made it perfect for looping — the kick and snare sat perfectly in the pocket while leaving plenty of space for MCs to rap over. Public Enemy's Hank Shocklee and the Bomb Squad built much of their sonic revolution around it. Eric B. & Rakim, LL Cool J, De La Soul, Run-DMC, and dozens of other golden-age artists used the break as the rhythmic backbone of their productions.

The "Funky Drummer" break is the second most sampled piece of music in history, behind only the Amen break. It has appeared in well over 1,000 documented songs across hip-hop, electronic music, pop, and rock. Stubblefield, like many session musicians of his era, was paid a flat session fee and never received royalties for the sampling. He continued performing until late in life and passed away in 2017. His contribution to popular music — those two bars of drums — shaped the sound of modern rhythm more than almost any other single recording.