The world of music lost a true architect of funk this past summer. The news of Sly Stone’s passing in June 2025 felt like the final echo of a revolutionary sound that forever changed the landscape of music. To mourn Sly is to grapple with a legacy that is both monumental and fragmented, a burst of radiant, joyful sound that redefined what pop, soul, and funk could be.

But in the world of hip-hop, Sly Stone never left. His spirit, his grooves, and his raw, percussive genius have been kept on life support, sampled and resurrected in countless tracks. And perhaps no single Sly sample has been given a more prestigious second life than the hypnotic call-and-response of “Loose Booty” on the Beastie Boys’ masterpiece, Paul’s Boutique.

The Original: Sly’s Hypnotic Ritual

Released in 1974 on the album Small Talk, “Loose Booty” is a prime example of Sly and the Family Stone’s later, more raw and percussive sound. It’s less a conventional song than a primal, funk incantation. Built on a relentless, stomping beat, a wailing harmonica, and the infectious, group-shouted title phrase, the track feels like a street parade distilled into two minutes of pure energy.

It’s raw, slightly unpolished, and utterly captivating. It’s not the polished psychedelic soul of “Everyday People”; it’s the sound of the funk getting down and dirty, a loop-ready groove waiting for future generations to discover it.

The Rebirth: The Beastie Boys’ Funky Foundation

Enter the Dust Brothers and the Beastie Boys in 1989. As they constructed the dense, sample-layered tapestry of Paul’s Boutique, they weren’t just looking for catchy hooks; they were archeologists digging for the perfect rhythmic and textural components.

They struck gold with “Loose Booty.”

The track forms the undeniable backbone of “Shadrach,” the album’s fiery opening salvo. The Beasties take Sly’s entire rhythmic skeleton—the pounding kick drum, the handclaps, the iconic “LOOSE BOOTY! / A LOOT BOOTY!” shout—and loop it into a relentless funky engine. Over this timeless groove, they lay down their rapid-fire, braggadocious rhymes, snippets of Johnny Cash, and other sonic debris.

The genius of the sample is how perfectly it works. Sly’s track provides more than just a beat; it provides an attitude. The chaotic, collective energy of the Family Stone is the ideal foundation for the Beastie Boys’ own brand of controlled chaos. It’s a seamless fusion of 70s funk ethos and 80s hip-hop innovation.

A Legacy of Loops

This is how Sly Stone truly lives on. As we reflect on his complicated life and mourn his passing, his creative energy remains eternally present in the art he inspired. Every time someone plays “Shadrach,” the call of “Loose Booty” echoes out, introducing new listeners to a sliver of his genius.

Sampling isn’t just borrowing; at its best, it’s a form of musical conversation across decades. It’s the Beastie Boys and the Dust Brothers nodding to a master, building their own masterpiece directly upon the foundation he laid. They recognized the raw, loopable power in Sly’s music that made him a godfather not just of funk, but of hip-hop itself.

So, put on “Shadrach” today. Crank it up. And when that unmistakable shout hits, remember Sly Stone. Remember the booty that stayed loose, and the groove that never, ever ended.

Rest in Power, Sly Stone (March 15, 1943 – June 9, 2025). Your rhythm is forever part of ours.