This 5.2 second drum break – one of the most sampled in hiphop history – comes from a 1969 song called “Amen Brother” by The Winstons. It’s part of a drum solo by G.C. Coleman. The song is an up-tempo instrumental of an older gospel classic. “Amen Brother” by The Winstons was actually a B-side of a single called “Color Him Father”.
The “Amen Break and variants of it are used often as sampled loops in hip hop, jungle, breakbeat, and drum and bass music. It has been referred to as the “six-second clip that spawned several entire subcultures”.
Watch this fascinating 18 minute video below that details the history of the Amen Break:
Some of the songs sampling the Amen break are:
NWA – Straight Outta Compton
Mantronix
Yolk – Bish Bosh (appears on Speed Limit 140 BPM+
Apollo Two (LTJ Bukem) – Atlantis (I Need You)
