The Drum Break That Built Hip-Hop (And Why Your Turntable Matters) episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 22, 2026 · 16 MIN

The Drum Break That Built Hip-Hop (And Why Your Turntable Matters)

from The Second Track · host Podcaster

One six-second drum break from a forgotten 1969 funk track became the most sampled beat in music history, launching hip-hop and changing how we make music forever. We'll dig into how the "Amen Break" went from a B-side nobody cared about to the backbone of entire genres—and why the drummer who created it died broke. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 22, 2026

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One six-second drum break from a forgotten 1969 funk track became the most sampled beat in music history, launching hip-hop and changing how we make music forever. We'll dig into how the "Amen Break" went from a B-side nobody cared about to the backbone of entire genres—and why the drummer who created it died broke.

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The Drum Break That Built Hip-Hop (And Why Your Turntable Matters)

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