sTmykal

In all the things that suck, this does not. Courtesy of Boing Boing...
http://www.boingboing.net/2006/02/21/video_explains_the_w.html

Video explains the world's most important 6-sec drum loop

This fascinating, brilliant 20-minute video narrates the history of the "Amen Break," a six-second drum sample from the b-side of a chart-topping single from 1969. This sample was used extensively in early hiphop and sample-based music, and became the basis for drum-and-bass and jungle music -- a six-second clip that spawned several entire subcultures. Nate Harrison's 2004 video is a meditation on the ownership of culture, the nature of art and creativity, and the history of a remarkable music clip.

The video, while more of an artsy narrative, is awesome, with fantastic samples and a solid grasp on the evolution of this sample. It is indeed amazing to think about how a six second loop can influence so much and be re-used so offten that it becomes a cultural staple. It's like hearing Big Mama Thornton's recording of Hound Dog, realizing that no, Elvis did not write the song, and in fact, the guys who did prolly stole it from an ancient folk song.

This is why I love being a music geek.