James Brown released "Funky President (People It's Bad)" in 1974, a track that fused his signature funk with sharp social commentary about the economic struggles of Black America under the Nixon administration. The recording features the J.B.'s at their tightest — Fred Wesley on trombone, Maceo Parker on saxophone, and a drum break that would become one of Brown's most sampled grooves.

The break landed heavily in golden-age hip-hop, appearing in tracks by Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim, and Big Daddy Kane. Its punchy, authoritative feel made it a natural fit for politically charged and lyrically dense rap — exactly the kind of music that would define hip-hop's late-1980s peak.