If you are a thirty-something white girl, maybe your first encounter with Clyde Stubblefield’s famous drum break was Sinead O’Connor’s “I Am Stretched on Your Grave.” Maybe years later you dated someone who was really into R&B, and through that person you got a slapdash education in James Brown, Howlin’ Wolf and Israel Cachao Lopez.

Maybe you listened to N.W.A. I dunno.

In any event, this is cultural literacy, people. CULTURAL LITERACY.

If you have four minutes and want some sexy, educational drumming and Clyde Stubblefield interview about the Funky Drummer (Man — it’s just fun as hell to see someone so good at something do the thing they’re good at. It’s like getting close to God):

If you have 20 minutes and want a tasty history of The Amen Break and sampling in general (courtesy random_tangent):

If you have ADD, here are three famous drum breaks in 45 secs: