George McCrae - Rock Your Baby

Year Released: 1974
Genre: Soul / Funk / Miami Sound

Description:

“I Get Lifted” by George McCrae is a quintessential slice of mid-1970s Miami soul and funk, released in 1974 and is featured here on McCrae’s debut album, the track stands as one of the defining recordings of the Miami Sound — a regional funk-soul hybrid shaped by warm grooves, smooth falsetto vocals, and the rhythmic craftsmanship of Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC and the Sunshine Band.

Built around a syncopated rhythm section, rolling congas, and shimmering rhythm guitar, “I Get Lifted” exudes a deep, hypnotic groove. McCrae’s light, soaring vocals glide above the pocket, while a supple bassline and hand percussion keep the energy fluid and danceable. Lyrically, its refrain — “I get lifted, lifted, lifted” — embodies the spiritual and emotional elevation found through love, rhythm, and connection.

Recorded at T.K. Studios in Hialeah, Florida, the production by Casey and Finch typifies the Miami sound: clean, sun-drenched, and irresistibly funky. Though overshadowed commercially by McCrae’s global hit “Rock Your Baby,” “I Get Lifted” became a DJ favorite and crate-digging essential thanks to its crisp break sections and open instrumentation.

Its influence later exploded through hip-hop and R&B sampling, where its bass and rhythm lines became source material for multiple generations of producers. The track was notably sampled by Rampage feat. LL Cool J on “I Get Lifted” (1997), Christión on “Full of Smoke,” and inspired grooves used by Mary J. Blige, Keith Murray, and Snoop Dogg.

Crucially, “I Get Lifted” was selected by Breakbeat Lou for inclusion on Ultimate Breaks & Beats Vol. 23 (Street Beat Records, 1989), cementing its place in hip-hop history. Its appearance in that influential DJ compilation helped introduce the song’s warm analog groove and tight drum pocket to a new generation of beatmakers, ensuring its continued legacy on dancefloors and in studios worldwide.

Collectors prize original T.K. Records pressings (catalog no. TK 1004) for their pure analog mix and early-Miami mastering, while the Ultimate Breaks & Beats issue remains a key reference point for anyone tracing the roots of funk-driven sampling culture.

“I Get Lifted” endures as a soul-funk essential — a timeless groove that bridges 1970s dancefloor euphoria with the birth of hip-hop’s golden-age sampling aesthetic