Song Clearance Sheet
5 sources citedScorpio
Funk1970s118BPM
B minKey
More around 120 BPM → · More in B minor →
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
One of the cleanest cases in the catalog: a confirmed songwriter (Dennis Coffey) AND a confirmed current administrator (Universal Music Group, per the track’s official metadata), with 100+ documented samples and no dispute found.
Sampled 100+ times
Used by independents?
Yes — used by Young MC, an independent act on Delicious Vinyl, in 1989 (“Know How”).
Quick Facts
Released1971
AlbumEvolution
GenreFunk, Instrumental
LabelSussex Records
ProducerMike Theodore
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriter — Dennis Coffey
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Universal Music Group (UMG Recordings, Inc.) — confirmed via the track's official metadata
Spotify → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been sampled?
Yes — 100+ per WhoSampled; one of the very first tracks on Paul Winley's pioneering "Super Disco Brakes" breakbeat anthology (1979)
Do they allow sampling?
A confirmed administrator (UMG) and extensive precedent make this one of the more actionable cases for clearance
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
1989 — sampled Coffey's 1974 'Black Belt Jones' soundtrack work
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Dennis Coffey
The recording (current administrator)Universal Music Group (UMG Recordings, Inc.)
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
A confirmed, actionable owner — rare for a break this old
Unlike most entries in this batch, the current administrator is confirmed: Universal Music Group, per the track's own official metadata.
Spotify (official metadata) · read it →
A first-person account from the artist
In a 2008 Red Bull Music Academy lecture, Coffey described witnessing a 2,000-person conga line form during a live performance of the song's percussion break.
Red Bull Music Academy · read it →
A second life well beyond hip-hop
The track found enduring, separate use in house, techno, jungle and drum & bass over subsequent decades — a wider cross-genre reach than most breaks.
Red Bull Music Academy Daily · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
100+
Times sampled
—
Covers
1979
First flip
Big names who used itYoung MC · Public Enemy · Fugees
Who to Contact
DC
Dennis Coffey
The credited songwriter of record
UMG
Universal Music Group (UMG Recordings)
The confirmed current administrator, per the track's official metadata — a real, actionable contact
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
Don't Want the Hassle?
Sample something pre-cleared insteadCheck Tracklib →
Find a similar sound that's 100% freeBrowse the catalog →
References
Every source cited on this page — 5 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (New Discovery batch)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass