A Short History and Sample Platter of the “Think” Break Leander Cohen
There is no thirty seconds in music more iconic than the “Think” break. A section of Lyn Collins’ 1972 single “Think (About It)”, it has been sampled over 3,000 times. But how can one sample be so popular? What makes “Think” great? “Think” is a textbook example of a drum break, an instrumental, usually drums-only section of a song. In the late 1970s, DJ Kool Herc revolutionized popular music by taking drum breaks from funk music, particularly James Brown, and looping them to create beats. At block parties in the South Bronx, Kool Herc used this technique to create hip hop. In 1987, well into the so-called “Golden Age” of hip hop, the “Think” break was included on the 16th edition of the break compilation Ultimate Breaks & Beats. After it was sampled in “It Takes Two”, a platinum hit by New York hip hop duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, “Think” was everywhere. By the 1990s, it achieved near-ubiquitous use in hip hop and dance tracks, spawning a brand new style known as breakbeat. Originating in the UK, breakbeat is less of a genre and more of an indication that the artist is sampling a break, often the “Think” break. It encompasses rapid rave bangers, also known as Jungle, mid-tempo, shuffled UK garage beats, and slow, mellow trip hop. Breakbeat began to fade from the mainstream in the 2000s, but the “Think Break” has remained a powerful force, showing up in a wide range of styles and musical contexts. Kanye West, Flume, and Pop Smoke – far from typical breakbeat artists – have all sampled “Think.” “Think” is raw and raucous, with a dusty snare, clattering tambourine, and raspy shouts of “Woo!” and “Yeah!” It’s a perfect balance of rhythmic simplicity and funk bombast. This is why it lends itself so perfectly to sampling. It’s warm and familiar, it adds a sense of rawness and intensity, but it’s moldable: you can speed it up, add reverb, or add other effects to make it something completely new. If we think of hip hop and dance music as two related cuisines - let’s say Chinese and Japanese food - the “Think” break is like soy sauce. It’s a basic, signature flavor; something that feels familiar, but also something that you can build on. Building on our food analogy, I’ve put together a “sample platter” (pun intended) of 10 tracks which make particularly creative use of “Think.” (Note: A playlist containing all 10 tracks in order is available on Lele Beats’ Spotify). 1. “The Burial” (1994) - Leviticus Perhaps the most quintessential jungle track, Leviticus pairs a sped-up “Think” break with brooding synths and NF009 | 9
