The Second Track

The Drum Break That Ate Hip-Hop: How 20 Seconds of 'Amen, Brother' Became the Most Sampled Song in History

Episode Summary

A forgotten B-side by a obscure funk band called The Winstons accidentally provided the rhythmic DNA for entire genres. We dive into how a 20-second drum break from 1969's 'Amen, Brother' became hip-hop's secret foundation, spawning everything from N.W.A. to jungle to modern trap—and why the drummer who created it never saw a dime.