Soulsonic Force

Soulsonic Force (also referred to as Afrika Bambaataa & 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". They were also influential in the birth of the electro movement in America and helped pave the way for modern dance music styles such as electro-funk as well as the entire Miami bass scene.

In 1982, Soulsonic Force and Afrika Bambaataa released a single called "Planet Rock". The song borrowed musical motifs from German electro-pop, British rock and African-American disco rap. All the different elements and musical styles were blended together; and in doing so, offered hip hop as a new vision for global harmony. The song became an immediate hit and stormed the music charts worldwide.

Their most well-known songs are "Planet Rock", "Looking for the Perfect Beat" and "Renegades of Funk" (which is one of the earliest political-conscious rap songs, alongside Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's "The Message").

Pon de Floor

"Pon de Floor" is a song by Major Lazer, a collaborative musical project composed of the American DJ Diplo and the British DJ Switch. The single was released in 2009 by Mad Decent and Downtown Records as the second single from Major Lazer's first studio album, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do (2009). The duo wrote the song and produced it with Afrojack, while Vybz Kartel provided its vocals. "Pon de Floor" is a dancehall and baile funk song and was positively received by music critics. It appeared on the charts in the United Kingdom in 2010, where it reached number 125. Eric Wareheim directed the music video for "Pon de Floor", which shows people dry humping, and incorporates daggering choreography. The song has been sampled in Chiddy Bang's "Shooter" (2009) and Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)" (2011).

Composition

"Pon de Floor" was written and produced by Major Lazer – whose members at the time were Diplo and Switch. It features vocals from Vybz Kartel, and Afrojack provided additional production and mixed the song. "Pon de Floor" is a dancehall and baile funk song. The song uses a rapid marching snare drums beat and synth riffs. Its hook is a chopped-up vocal line, and according to Josh Heller of Drowned in Sound Kartel's input is "laughing and occasionally shouting 'Major Lazer!'".