The Lafayette Afro Rock Band were formed in New York by French musicians who had traveled through Africa studying traditional percussion and rhythm. They relocated to Paris and recorded "Hihache" in 1973, blending West African polyrhythms with American funk in a way that few groups had attempted. The result was a percussive, kinetic track built on layers of interlocking drums, congas, and a relentless groove.

The crisp drum break from "Hihache" became a golden-age hip-hop favorite, turning up in tracks by Biz Markie, Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. The break's Afro-funk flavor gave productions a different rhythmic character from the James Brown and Parliament breaks that dominated — it swung differently, with a looseness rooted in West African rather than African-American musical traditions.