The Cowbell That Conquered Hip-Hop episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 20, 2026 · 18 MIN

The Cowbell That Conquered Hip-Hop

from The Second Track · host Podcaster

A forgotten 1973 James Brown B-side containing six seconds of perfect drum break became the most sampled recording in music history, launching hip-hop and reshaping how we think about musical ownership. We trace how 'Funky Drummer' went from throwaway studio jam to the DNA of an entire genre. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A forgotten 1973 James Brown B-side containing six seconds of perfect drum break became the most sampled recording in music history, launching hip-hop and reshaping how we think about musical ownership. We trace how 'Funky Drummer' went from throwaway studio jam to the DNA of an entire genre.

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The Cowbell That Conquered Hip-Hop

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This episode was published on April 20, 2026.

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A forgotten 1973 James Brown B-side containing six seconds of perfect drum break became the most sampled recording in music history, launching hip-hop and reshaping how we think about musical ownership. We trace how 'Funky Drummer' went from...

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