Song Clearance Sheet
5 sources citedThink (About It)
Funk1970s112BPM
G♯ minKey
More around 110 BPM → · More in G♯ minor →
Tempo/key via GetSongBPM →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
A confirmed songwriter of record and extensive legitimate clearance (famously the “Yeah! Woo!” break in “It Takes Two”). The nuance — possible uncredited co-authorship, and the sample reviving Collins’ own career — belongs in the Receipts.
Sampled 4,000+ (WhoSampled; disputed) times
Used by independents?
Yes — used by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, an independent act on Profile Records, in 1988 (“It Takes Two”).
Quick Facts
Released1972
AlbumThink (About It)
GenreFunk, Soul
LabelPeople Records
ProducerJames Brown
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriter (of record) — James Brown's estate
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The master administrator — Not confirmed — originally People Records; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been sampled?
Yes — extensively; the "Yeah! Woo!" vocal break famously powers Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock's "It Takes Two" (1988), among many others
Do they allow sampling?
No standalone policy found, but the track has a long record of legitimate major-label clearance
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
1957 — Think (About It) interpolates its vocals; James Brown covered it in 1960
1988 — the most famous use of the "Yeah! Woo!" break
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)James Brown (estate)
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
A rare positive twist: the sample revived her career
Per NPR, the massive recognition "It Takes Two" received specifically revitalized Lyn Collins' own career and helped canonize her name — a genuinely different outcome from Funky Drummer, where sampling brought fame to the recording but not to the person behind it.
NPR · read it →
One of hip-hop's most reused vocal performances
Lyn Collins died March 13, 2005, at age 56; her recorded legacy remains one of the most reused vocal performances in hip-hop and drum and bass.
Last.fm (cross-ref. Wikipedia) · read it →
A widely-cited sample count, with a documented caveat
WhoSampled reportedly lists over 4,000 samples of this track, but at least one music scholar cautions that "this list is full of inaccuracies" — so the 4,000 figure is real but should not be treated as a solid confirmed number.
Ethan Hein's Substack · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
4,000+ (WhoSampled; disputed)
Times sampled
—
Covers
1988
First flip
Big names who used itRob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
Who to Contact
JB
James Brown estate
Songwriter of record — the credited party for the composition
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 (catch-up batch)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass