Depending on your age and level of music knowledge you may only know Kool & The Gang as the band that enjoyed success on the pop charts in the late 70s and throughout the 80s with songs like "Celebration," "Cherish" and "Joanna." As the band celebrates the 50th anniversary of their 1973 hit, "Jungle Boogie," and Hip-Hop celebrates its 50th birthday, we reflect on Hip-Hop's love of Kool & The Gang's sound as they are one of music's most sampled bands.

Their music has been incorporated into Hip-Hop long before rap records existed. 1971's "N.T.," 1969's "Give It Up," and "Sport" from 1973 (credited to Lightnin' Rod of the Last Poets) are all considered foundational breakbeats in Hip-Hop. Early rap recordings like "Internationally Known" by Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious 5 used interpolations of Kool & The Gang's music before Hip-Hop discovered digital sampling technology.

Because Kool & The Gang is originally a jazz band, their records were heavily sampled in Hip-Hop's Jazz and sample-heavy golden era. From the horns on Eric B & Rakim's "Don't Sweat The Technique" to the bassline on A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario Remix" and the percussion on Brand Nubian's "Drop The Bomb," Kool & The Gang has provided Hip-Hop with its best drums and horns for most of the duration of recorded rap music.

"Summertime," the anthem by Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince is actually a sample of Kool & The Gang's "Summer Madness," a big hit for both groups. Kool & The Gang's music has been sampled thousands of times by various music genres, and the Grammy-winning band who continues to tour regularly shows no signs of slowing down.