James brown, known as the “Godfather of Soul”, is credited with hinting at the future that would become funk music. In 1968, his song “Cold Sweat” demonstrated his transition from soul to funk. This song put more emphasis on the first beat of each measure, a technique known as “on the one”. This technique became a prominent factor in funk music, and is typically how you can distinguish funk music from other genres. Brown notes that with “Cold Sweat”, he was “really getting into [his] funk bag,” and it is sometimes regarded as the “first true funk song.”