James Brown - Brother Rapp (Part 1) & (Part 2) / Bewildered

Year Released: 1969
Genre: Funk / Soul

Description:

Issued on King Records in 1969, “Brother Rapp” captures James Brown pivoting decisively from the structured soul of the mid-’60s toward the raw rhythmic minimalism that would define 1970s funk. Driven by interlocking guitar, bubbling bass, and Clyde Stubblefield’s signature snare patterns, the track fuses social commentary with an urgent groove—Brown sermonizing on unity and racial pride over a locked-in rhythm section.

Split into two parts across the single, it’s a study in repetition and intensity, each bar tightening the band’s pocket further. The B-side, “Bewildered,” is its emotional counterweight: a slow, gospel-inflected ballad showcasing Brown’s control and vulnerability.

Sampling Legacy: “Brother Rapp” has been tapped repeatedly for its percussive breaks—sampled by Public Enemy (“Bring the Noise”), Eric B. & Rakim (“Move the Crowd”), and DJ Shadow (“Entropy”) among others. Its stripped-down rhythmic phrasing essentially laid the blueprint for early hip-hop drum programming.