Two songs off the record sample “Think (About It),” albeit sourcing from different elements of the song. His opus lifts sounds from acts ranging all the way from Bon Iver to Aphex Twin. Kanye’s masterpiece My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, like all of his albums, is known for its daring sampling choices. Speaking to NPR, Rob Base said, “First, we picked out the breakbeat… but then when I listened to the whole song, I was like, ‘Yo, this song is dope.’” Eventually, they ended up using a line from “Think (About It)” as the main vocal hook as well, but asked vocalist Rhonda Paris to re-record it for the final mix.

Possibly the most well-known use of the sample, Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock’s hip hop classic went Platinum in the 90s. Read on in this first entry of One Shots, a series where we break down music’s most iconic samples. Whether it be the snare sound, the tambourine loop, the vocal stab, or any other bits of Lyn Collins’ performance, “Think (About It)” contains some of the most important samples in hip hop, dance, and pop production history.

The break (heard at 1:21 in the song) has been sampled thousands of times, thanks in no small part to its inclusion on “Ultimate Beats and Breaks Volume 16.” The one drum break in the middle, performed by John “Jabo” Starks, includes vocal yells from Bobby Byrd (who yells, “Yeah!”) and Brown (who yells, “Woo!”). The ubiquitous “Yeah! Woo!” vocal break in the middle of the track, courtesy of producer and arranger James Brown, is sampled by everyone from Kanye West to Carly Rae Jepsen to Run the Jewels. You may think you don’t know Lyn Collins’ 1972 single “Think (About It),” but you’ve definitely heard it.

Kanye west dark fantasy acapella