We first pull out the Linux kernel source with command like this:

cd poky
source ./oe-init-build-env
devtool modify -x brcm-linux linux-src
(where brcm-linux is the package for Linux kernel based on 4.4)
bitbake perf
(where perf is the package described by recipe meta/recipes-kernel/perf/perf.bb)

When build starts, error happens:

Build Configuration:
BB_VERSION        = "1.30.0"
BUILD_SYS         = "x86_64-linux"
NATIVELSBSTRING   = "Ubuntu-14.04"
TARGET_SYS        = "arm-poky-linux-gnueabi"
MACHINE           = "bcm958625hr"
DISTRO            = "poky"
DISTRO_VERSION    = "2.1.1"
TUNE_FEATURES     = "arm armv7a vfp             callconvention-hard"
TARGET_FPU        = "hard"
meta-linaro-toolchain = "HEAD:63dcbb45bffb9b3c676906a974bd2d72bb9a742a"
meta-brcm         
meta-nsp          = "HEAD:c69065d47c0e4d670e90488a9f5c7fc2c4e6f37a"
meta              
meta-yocto        
meta-yocto-bsp    = "HEAD:9b7e025bbed9149001624155a84437b3ccd087ca"
meta-networking   
meta-oe           
meta-python       
meta-perl         = "HEAD:8824c7234f5b8b3195e51dbba086f9c2496fb921"
meta-linaro       = "HEAD:63dcbb45bffb9b3c676906a974bd2d72bb9a742a"
workspace         = "HEAD:9b7e025bbed9149001624155a84437b3ccd087ca"

NOTE: Preparing RunQueue
ERROR: Task do_unpack in /projects/cpxsw_dev/mwildt/nsp_5.x_perf/poky/build/../meta/recipes-kernel/perf/perf.bb depends upon non-existent task do_patch in /projects/cpxsw_dev/mwildt/nsp_5.x_perf/poky/build/../meta-brcm/common/recipes-kernel/linux/brcm-linux_0.0.0.bb
ERROR: Command execution failed: 1

If the kernel source is not pulled out with devtool, the error does not occur.  This looks like a bug with Yocto. Could you confirm? We'll be happy to test any patches.