Tom Scott was a Los Angeles jazz and session musician whose work as a saxophonist and bandleader placed him at the intersection of jazz, funk, and studio pop. "Sneakin' in the Back" (1974) is a jazz-funk instrumental that grooves on a mid-tempo pocket, with Scott's saxophone leading the melody over a rhythm section that plays with the tightness of seasoned LA session pros.

The break's clean, polished production and jazz-inflected groove made it attractive to hip-hop producers who valued sophistication over raw grit. It's the kind of break that works under lyrical, thoughtful rap — smooth enough to create an atmosphere without demanding attention away from the vocals.