“Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” stands as one of James Brown’s purest definitions of funk: a stripped-down, rhythm-first groove built on tight drums, cyclical guitar riffs, and Brown’s call-and-response exchanges with Bobby Byrd. Recorded in 1970 with the newly formed band The J.B.’s, the track introduced a sharper, more minimalist rhythmic architecture that would shape the evolution of funk and later hip-hop. Rather than a traditional chord progression, the song relies on repetition, micro-variations, and precise rhythmic placement — a masterclass in groove-based composition. Brown’s spoken interjections (“Can I take it to the bridge?”) became iconic vocal cues, influencing generations of performers. The single became a Top 20 R&B hit and remains one of the most sampled and referenced tracks in modern music.