[5] On the DVD commentary track for Black Caesar (to which Hell Up in Harlem is a sequel), Cohen states that executives at American International Pictures were already unhappy with Brown for delivering songs much longer than expected on Black Caesar and Slaughter's Big Rip-Off and opted for a deal with Motown Records instead.

[7] The Payback is considered a high point in Brown's recording career, and is now regarded by critics as a landmark funk album.

Its revenge-themed title track, a #1 R&B hit, is one of his most famous songs and an especially prolific source of samples for record producers.

Musically the album is largely cyclic grooves and jamming, but it also features departures into a softer soul-based sound on tracks like "Doing the Best I Can" and "Forever Suffering".

All tracks are written by James Brown, Fred Wesley and Charles Bobbit; except where noted:Album – Billboard (North America) ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.