"Nautilus" is the sixth and final track on the 1974 album One, by the jazz keyboardist Bob James.
"Nautilus" was recorded in 1974 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, under the production of Creed Taylor, founder of CTI Records. The track's title was inspired by Taylor, who noted that the song's deep, resonant tones and fluid keyboard lines evoked the sound of a submarine submerging into the ocean. Bob James composed the piece, drawing on his blend of jazz, funk, and soul influences, which characterized much of his work during the 1970s.
The recording features Bob James' distinctive Fender Rhodes electric piano, layered with atmospheric synthesizer textures, creating a hypnotic and groove-heavy sound.
"Nautilus" is widely recognized as one of the most influential tracks in jazz and hip-hop. It is said to be one of the most sampled tracks in hip-hop history. Ever since the 1980s, the song has been sampled a significant amount of times, due to its wide variety of useable clips, especially the main riff, bassline, and drums. The first sampling of "Nautilus" is believed to be by Ultramagnetic MCs (âÂÂBaitâÂÂ, 1986). Other notable artists who have sampled "Nautilus" include Run-DMC ("Beats to the Rhyme," 1988), A Tribe Called Quest ("Clap Your Hands," 1993), and Naughty by Nature ("O.P.P.," 1991).
According to music database WhoSampled, the track has been sampled in over 410 songs.