The Beginning of the End were a Bahamian funk band who brought Caribbean rhythms to international funk when they recorded "Funky Nassau" in 1971. The track's island-inflected groove — looser and more syncopated than its American funk contemporaries — gave it a distinctive character that stood out in crate diggers' collections. It was a hit in the Bahamas and across the Caribbean, and it resonated on American dance floors throughout the decade.

When hip-hop producers discovered "Funky Nassau," they found a break that brought a different flavor to their productions. Its Caribbean swing gave tracks a rhythmic character that James Brown and Parliament breaks couldn't provide. LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out," House of Pain's "Jump Around," and Wu-Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M." all drew from the track — proof that hip-hop's appetite for great rhythm extends far beyond American borders.