Hip Hop Breaks
The short drum sections of old funk and soul records that became the building blocks of dance music.
History
Hip hop breaks are the short drum parts of old funk, soul and rock records s1. DJs in New York in the 1970s played these parts again and again. They used two copies of the same record to make the break last longer s1. The Winstons' 'Amen, Brother' (1969) contains the 'Amen break', probably the most used drum break in history s1. James Brown's 'Funky Drummer' (1970) features a drum part played by Clyde Stubblefield that was sampled thousands of times s1. The Incredible Bongo Band's 'Apache' (1973) became a favourite break for early hip hop DJs s1. These breaks were later sampled with drum machines and computers s2. They are the rhythmic base of hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, breakbeat hardcore and much more s2. Producers still search for rare records that contain unheard drum breaks s1. The same breaks appear in thousands of songs across many styles s2.
Sound
- Short, repeating drum sections from old records
- Live drum sounds with swing
- Heavy kick and snare patterns
- Distinctive, recognisable breaks
- The raw material for sampling
Key figures
- The Winstons — Group behind the Amen break
- James Brown — Artist behind 'Funky Drummer'
- Clyde Stubblefield — Drummer on 'Funky Drummer'
- Incredible Bongo Band — Group behind the 'Apache' break
Labels
- Metromedia Records — New York City , 1969
- King Records — Cincinnati , 1943
- Pride Records — Los Angeles , 1971
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Funk and Boogie
Led to: Breakbeat Hardcore , Darkcore , Jungle , Hip House , Electro
Sources
- Amen break — Wikipedia
- 10 things you need to know about the Amen break — UKF