Joe Tex was a Southern soul singer known for his humorous, storytelling vocal style, and "Papa Was Too" (1966) showcases his gift for wringing maximum personality from a funky groove. The track is built on a tight, propulsive rhythm section — classic mid-60s Southern soul with a Memphis influence — and Tex's animated delivery gives it an energy that transcends the recording's modest production values.

The drum break from "Papa Was Too" found its way into hip-hop through the crates of producers who valued Southern soul's raw, unprocessed sound. The break's simple, driving quality made it easy to loop and build on — exactly the kind of no-frills rhythm that boom-bap production thrived on.