The Blackbyrds were a jazz-funk group formed by Donald Byrd from his students at Howard University in Washington, D.C. "Rock Creek Park" (1975) is named after the urban park that runs through the capital, and the track carries the feel of its namesake — a smooth, open groove that breathes and swings with a jazz musician's sense of space and dynamics.

The break's jazz-funk sophistication gave hip-hop producers a sound that was both rhythmic and melodic. The Blackbyrds' Howard University pedigree meant their musicianship was exceptional, and "Rock Creek Park" reflects that: the drums swing with a precision that lesser musicians couldn't achieve, and the overall groove has a sophistication that elevates any production built around it.