The Second Track

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

Episode Summary

A forgotten B-side from 1969 by a little-known funk band called The Winstons contains six seconds of drums that would accidentally become the foundation of entire musical genres. We trace how the 'Amen Break' went from gospel-tinged funk to breakdancing soundtrack to the DNA of drum & bass, jungle, and hip-hop itself.