Baby Huey was James Ramey — a 400-pound Chicago soul singer with a commanding voice and a tragic story. He recorded only one album, The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend, which was released posthumously in 1971 after his death from a drug-related heart attack at age 26. "A Change Is Gonna Come" is the album's centerpiece: a raw, emotionally devastating cover of Sam Cooke's civil rights anthem, reimagined as a heavy, psychedelic funk arrangement.

The drum break from Baby Huey's version — heavier and more aggressive than anything on Cooke's original — became essential crate-digging material. The track's combination of emotional weight and rhythmic power made it irresistible to producers who wanted their beats to carry meaning beyond just rhythm. Baby Huey's single album, released after his death and largely ignored in its time, became one of the most sampled records in hip-hop history.