"The Rockafeller Skank", often referred to as "Funk Soul Brother" by fans,[citation needed] is a song by English
big beat musician and DJ
Fatboy Slim. It was released as the lead single from his second studio album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby (1998), on 8 June 1998. The single peaked at number six on the
UK Singles Chart in June 1998 and topped the
Icelandic Singles Chart for a week the same month. It was the second Fatboy Slim single (after "
Praise You") to chart on the US
Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 76. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked "The Rockafeller Skank" at number 199 on their list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".[2]
Critical reception
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Using self-consciously old-school
DJ techniques (scratching and repetition of a spoken phrase, dramatic tempo changes), Fatboy Slim has created an organically simple masterpiece. With the accessibility of
Beck, the danceability of
ska, and the sunny quality of the
Beach Boys, the track has a sparse, magnetic beginning that builds in depth and intensity (with the addition of jangly guitar riffs and more complex beats) to a meticulous, frenetic climax. And the wind-down is no less danceable."[3]
Will Hermes from Entertainment Weekly called it a "remarkable splice-rock roller coaster". He added, "Big, dynamic, spectacularly dumb, it grafts
Duane Eddy guitar twang (via
John Barry) onto
Godzilla-goes-
Motown beats, adds an MC non sequitur, and presses "frappe" on the digital blender. Result? The most potent DJ pop since "
Firestarter". If this won't convert the
techno-phobes, nothing will."[4]
A reviewer from Music & Media stated that the track "easily matches the extremely high quality one would expect from a chart veteran with such names as the
Housemartins,
Beats International, The Mighty Dubcats and
Pizzaman on his CV." He explained further, "This time around, he's somehow managed to fuse
big beat and dance with surf—seasoned with a slight pinch of
punk—and has come up with what is probably the single most infectious sound around on the airwaves right now."[5]
The song features the repeated line "Right about now, the funk soul brother / Check it out now, the funk soul brother", which is a truncated vocal sample of rapper
Lord Finesse on the track "Vinyl Dogs Vibe" by Vinyl Dogs. The original line, a spoken-word introduction to the instrumental track, was "Check it out right about now, it's no other than the funk soul brother, the Lord Finesse. And you're welcome to the world of the Vinyl Dogs right about now".[6]
Lord Finesse spoke about his "contribution" for the first time in 2019. He recalled receiving a fax about Fatboy Slim wanting to use his vocal sample for "The Rockafeller Skank", to which he agreed. However, he was shocked to learn the song was not what he had in mind, thinking it was going to be
hip hop and not
big beat. He called it a "big mistake" and expressed regret for not listening to the song first before sending his approval, and not having someone look at the contract before he signed it. Regardless, Lord Finesse remains proud of the success of "The Rockafeller Skank" but says it could have been his "retirement money".[7]
Fatboy Slim has stated that to clear the samples and release the song he had to release 100% of the track's royalties, 25% to each artist, meaning he receives no royalties himself.[11]
On the album, the track is preceded by a short conversation between a radio DJ and caller named Brad
requesting the song. A real conversation that took place on Boston station
WBCN (now known as WWBX), the tape was played for Fatboy Slim who persuaded the station to allow him to use the audio on the album.[12]
^The Rockafeller Skank (Australian CD single liner notes). Fatboy Slim. Dance Pool. 1998. 665968.2.{{
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^The Rockafeller Skank (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Fatboy Slim.
Astralwerks. 1998. ASW 6242 CD.{{
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^The Rockafeller Skank (US cassette single sleeve). Fatboy Slim. Astralwerks. 1998. ASW 66242-4.{{
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^The Rockafeller Skank (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Fatboy Slim. Skint Records. 1998. SKINT 35.{{
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^The Rockafeller Skank (US 12-inch single sleeve). Fatboy Slim. Astralwerks. 1998. ASW 6242.{{
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^The Rockafeller Skank (UK cassette single sleeve). Fatboy Slim. Skint Records. 1998. SKINT 35MC.{{
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^The Rockafeller Skank (European CD single liner notes). Fatboy Slim. Skint Records. 1998. SKI 665968 1.{{
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^The Rockafeller Skank (Japanese CD single liner notes). Fatboy Slim. Skint Records. 1998. ESCA 7289.{{
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