"Looking for the Perfect Beat" is a 1983

1983 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization...

 electro

Electro (music)

Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...

/hip hop

Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 song

Song

In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

 by Afrika Bambaataa

Afrika Bambaataa

Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...

 & the Soulsonic Force

Soulsonic Force

The Soulsonic Force are an American electro-funk and hip-hop ensemble led by Afrika Bambaataa who helped establish hip-hop in the early 1980s with songs such as "Planet Rock"...

. It was the second single from their album Planet Rock: The Album. It was a followup to his highly influential song "Planet Rock

Planet Rock (song)

"Planet Rock" is a 1982 song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. In the background and hooks featured Marvella Murray, Yvette Murray, Melissa Johnson and Sandra Wheeler. Although it was only a minor hit in the US, Canada, and UK, it helped change the foundations of hip-hop and dance music...

".

"Looking for the Perfect Beat" was the basis for the British Hip Hop/House

House music

House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...

 crossover performer Bomb the Bass

Bomb the Bass

Bomb the Bass is the umbrella title for the output of British musician and producer, Tim Simenon. The band, which has evolved its style over the years, has been classed as electronic or dance....

' "Beat Dis

Beat Dis

"Beat Dis" is a track by British act Bomb the Bass, a studio production formed by producer Tim Simenon, from the act's album Into the Dragon. It, like other hits of the era such as "Pump Up the Volume" by M|A|R|R|S and "Theme from S'Express" by S'Express, largely consisted of samples.The single was...

", Simon Harris' similar 1988 hit, "Here comes that Sound", U96

U96

U96 is a dance music project formed by the German DJ and producer Alex Christensen and a team of producers called Matiz , known for a number of 1990s Eurodance hits.-Biography:...

's "Energie

Energie

Energie can refer to:* Energie clothing, Italian brand of clothing* Énergie, a French-language brand of rhythmic top 40 radio in Quebec* The FC Energie Cottbus, a German football club...

" and was sampled

Sampling (music)

In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...

 on LL Cool J

LL Cool J

James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...

's song "Control Myself

Control Myself

"Control Myself" is a song by American rapper LL Cool J from his twelfth album, Todd Smith . It was produced by Jermaine Dupri and features fellow American singer Jennifer Lopez...

". The song was also sampled to create the beat for DJ Khaled

DJ Khaled

Khaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his...

's song "Holla at Me

Holla at Me

"Holla at Me" is the first single from DJ Khaled's debut album, Listennn... the Album, produced by Cool & Dre. The single features Lil Wayne, Paul Wall, Fat Joe, Rick Ross, and Pitbull...

".

Music video

The music video for "Looking for the Perfect Beat" was created by the same team that made "Planet Rock", Video Mix Productions.
At the request of label president, Tom Silverman, Danny Cornyetz and Jessica Jason shot Bambaataa and the entire Soulsonic Force in a 22nd St. Studio miming the track. Editing was done at VCA Teletronics New York and included Quantel

Quantel

Quantel is a company based in the United Kingdom and founded in 1973 that designs and manufactures digital production equipment for the broadcast television, video production and motion picture industries...

 video effects and footage of famous hip-hop dancer Mr Freeze.

In other media

• "Looking for the Perfect Beat" is featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
  Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
  Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
  
  on the radio station called Wildstyle Pirate Radio.

• It is also featured in the game Scarface: The World is Yours
  Scarface: The World is Yours
  Scarface: The World Is Yours is a video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Vivendi Universal Games. The game is based on and is a quasi-sequel to the 1983 motion picture Scarface starring Al Pacino reprising his role as Tony Montana, with André Sogliuzzo providing Montana's...
  
  .

• It was featured during the dance-off scene between Penny and friends and the G Nomes in the The Proud Family Movie
  The Proud Family Movie
  The Proud Family Movie is a Disney Channel Original Movie which premiered on August 19, 2005. It also marked the end of The Proud Family animated Disney series.-Plot:...
  
  .