Bobby Byrd was James Brown's right-hand man — his bandmate, songwriting partner, and the voice on some of the J.B.'s most important recordings. "Hot Pants (I'm Coming, I'm Coming, I'm Coming)" was a 1971 solo release, but it was unmistakably a Brown production: tight horns, locked-in bass, and the signature JB's rhythm section with John "Jabo" Starks laying down a relentless groove on drums.

The break — featuring Starks' punchy, syncopated pattern with a prominent tambourine riding on top — became essential source material for early hip-hop. LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, and Slick Rick all sampled it. Byrd's contribution to hip-hop through his solo catalog is often overshadowed by Brown's, but producers knew the value of his records.