God Make Me Funky

Recorded by The Headhunters during the sessions for the Survival of the Fittest album, featuring the band's post-Herbie Hancock lineup with Blackbyrd McKnight, Mike Clark, Paul Jackson and Bill Summers. The track was built around a deep funk groove, layered percussion and ensemble vocals that reflected the group's jazz-funk direction. Released in 1975, it became one of the defining tracks from the later Headhunters period and a standout example of 1970s jazz-funk. Although not a major pop chart hit, it earned a strong reputation among DJs, crate diggers and funk audiences. The drum break and groove became heavily sampled in hip-hop, especially after the release of the Ultimate Breaks and Beats compilation series. It remains one of the most sampled recordings in funk and has influenced generations of producers across hip-hop, acid jazz and breakbeat music.