Wednesday, June 14, 2006
The Roots of Rap: How 'New Music' Got Started
A Limelight Exclusive By Byron Lee
Hard drum beats and booming bass. Rhymes that are used to sell everything from cars to fast food. Fashion that screams individuality and sets the latest trends.
Rap music has gone from a marginalized, urban expression to America's dominate youthculture. In this month's Limelight, we will uncover the origins of this music and trace its growth to the present day.
THE FATHER OF HIP-HOP: When South Bronx DJ Kool Herc decided to repeatedly play the "break" of the rock, disco, and funk songs on his playlist (the "break" being the middle part of the song, the part most conducive to dancing), he took the pivotal first step in creating hip-hop.
The invention of hip-hop came, as most inventions do, through necessity. South Bronx DJ Kool Herc loved the way that his patrons would react to the breaks of rock, disco, and funk songs, (the "break" of a song being the middle part of a song, the part most conducive to dancing) but would be frustrated by the brevity of each break. He then came up with an idea that earned him the name "The Father of Hip-hop": he began to "extend" the break by repeatedly playing it.The crowd responded by doing more complex dance moves that would eventually be known as “breakdancing” (not because of the moves that they were executing, but because of the part of the song, “the break,” that they were dancing to). Adding on to the party vibe were people who would speak chants to bring the festivities to the next level. Sometimes, the best speakers (known as MCs, or Masters of Ceremonies),would speak in rhymed couplets, using lines such as"Yes, yes, y'all. To the beat, y'all." in between verses in order to collect their thoughts. Thus, the format of the modern rap song was born. Furthermore, these MCs would acknowledge people that they knew in the crowd, beginning the custom of "shouting out" that continues in rap to this day. In 1979, the Sugar Hill Gang cemented this party atmosphere on record and in video with the song "Rapper's Delight," the first widely known rap recording.
NO FLASH IN THE PAN: Turntable pioneer Grandmaster Flash used the training he received in his original profession (electrician) to turn a light switch into the first crossfader (the device that allows a DJ to cut back and forth between two records that are playing at the same time). His ingenuity and technical proficiency continue to be an inspiration for many DJs today.
The importance of the DJ in the creation of rap is further illustrated by the importance of Grandmaster Flash and the advent of Turntablism (using turntables and vinyl records to manipulate prerecorded bits of music as if one were playing an instrument). Flash, born Joseph Sadler, used the training he received in his original profession (electrician) to turn a light switch into the first crossfader (the device that allows a DJ to cut back and forth between two records that are playing at the same time). Flash’s song “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” is regarded as one of the first widely heard recordings of turntable wizardry, making Flash the forefather of such modern day practitioners as frequent Beastie Boys collaborator Mix Master Mike.(Flash’s protégé, Grand Wizard Theodore, would add onto Flash’s creation by pioneering a skill known as“cutting,” wherein the DJ puts his hand on a record to chop up a particular sound or word.) Furthermore, “The Message,” a song Flash recorded with the rappers in the supergroup Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, is recognized as a sobering slice of everyday urban life.
Also a major figure in the creation of hip-hop culture is charismatic New York Youth Organizer-turned-DJ Afrika Bambataa. Besides being known for his technical skill, he was a important force in getting youngsters interested in all four elements of hip-hop (rapping, dee-jaying, breakdancing and graffiti arts) and released the classic breakdancing anthem “Planet Rock”in 1982.
Another aspect of rap culture is one that is the most misunderstood: battling. Many view battling as a needless, mean-spirited exercise in degrading other human beings. However, these detractors fail to realize that battling grew as a sport to establish personal or regional supremacy; In other words, a person used their creativity to put themselves, or their neighborhoods or boroughs, on the figurative map.
FORGOTTEN BY SOME, BUT NOT ALL: Rap trio Whodini is responsible for 80's classics such as "One Love", "Friends," and "The Freaks Come Out At Night." Mainstream success, however, seemed to allude them. Their music lives on in radio mix shows and successful reunion tours.
Evidence of this phenomenon can be found in two of early rap music's most notorious battles. In late 1985, a young rapper from the South Bronx named Krs-One (born Kris Parker) was perturbed by a rhyme by Queen's rapper MC Shan on a song entitled “The Bridge.” "You love to hear the story, again and again,Of how it all got started way back when" Kris thought that Shan was referencing the beginning of rap, when, in reality, Shan was merely talking about the formation of his rap faction, The Juice Crew. Even though Kris misunderstood Shan's rhyme,Krs's responses to the song, "South Bronx" and "The Bridge Is Over", are two long standing hip-hop classics.
CLASS IS STILL IN SESSION: Rap legend KRS-One (which stands for Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone) made a name for himself as the insightful, incendiary, and intelligent voice of seminal group Boogie Down Productions. Though sometimes his ego gets the better of him (see his feuds with P.M. Dawn and Nelly), KRS continues to be revered as someone who adheres to the principles held by many of the pioneers of rap.
A battle one year earlier brought a phenomenal female rapper to the forefront. The group UTFO was riding high with the success of "Roxanne, Roxanne" a tale of unrequited admiration. Watching their success was up-and-coming producer Marley Marl, who recruited neighborhood rap sensation Lolita Shante Goodwin, who had a knack for constructing cohesive story raps at the drop of a hat, to record a response in the character of Roxanne. The song, "Roxanne's Revenge"(which Goodwin recorded under the name Roxanne Shante) took New York City by storm and built a reputation and a career for Ms. Goodwin.
THE QUEEN OF MEAN: Lolita Shante Goodwin made a name for herself in 1984 when, under the name Roxanne Shante, she recorded one of the most influential rap songs ever made, "Roxanne's Revenge." The diss song, a response to UTFO's hit "Roxanne Roxanne," set off a slew of responses, making a reputation and career for the gifted female rapper.
The song caused a mountain of response records and is credited for the being the first battle rap to spawn such a large response.The noise rap was making in New York was minor compared to the exposure it would get with the emergence of its first crossover successes: Kurtis Blow and Run-DMC.
Kurtis Blow:BREAKING UP THE STATUS QUO
Kurtis Blow, born Curtis Walker, had a fun-loving personality, a baritone voice perfect for the party-starting chants of the era, and lyrics that were both socially conscious ("If I Ruled The World") and casual ("Basketball"). It was no surprise when Blow's 1980 single "The Breaks" was the first rap single to make its way onto the pop charts.
THE KINGS OF RAP: Run-DMC
Blow's success would later be overshadowed by a trio from Queens calling themselves Run-DMC. Rappers Run and DMC, along with the skillful scratches andamicable presence of DJ Jam Master Jay, used their look (black shirts, black pants, black hats, and white, laceless, shell-toed adidas shoes) and their sound (enjoyable interplay between the two rappers, strong choruses, and shrewd choices in rock samples) to take the mainstream by storm with their third album, 1986's "Raising Hell." Boosted by a cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," the album became the first rap album to go platinum. The group became the first rap group to grace the cover of Rolling Stone, and they made the general public much more receptive to rap music.
BRINGING THE NOISE: Known for the bellowing voice and revolutionary lyrics of Chuck D, the comic relief of Flavor Flav, and the cacophonous production of The Bomb Squad, Public Ememy shook black America's consciousness in the late 80's with the LPs "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" and "Fear Of A Black Planet."
Run-DMC's crossover triumph signaled a time that many rap fans refer to as the "Golden Age" of rap music.Although few, if any of the acts that were popular around this time ever earned multi-platinum status,their presence insured a true diversity of rap sounds in the mainstream. There were light, pop-friendly acts (Digital Underground, Tone-L oc, Young MC, MC Hammer, Kid-n-Play, Kwame, Heavy D), acts that were into hedonistic shock value (Too Short, Too Live Crew), rappers who talked about the darker side of life, exposing both it luxuriousness and its harsh consequences (N.W.A. and Ice-T), groups of artists with eclectic beat selection and esoteric lyrics that championed both pride in their community and a light-hearted approach to life (De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Black Sheep, Digable Planets), acts that paired hard beats with highly political, sometimes incendiary lyrics (Public Enemy,Boogie Down Productions), and performers who provided the female point of view (Salt-n-Pepa, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah).
CHANGING THE GAME: "The Chronic," producer Dr. Dre's 1992 post-N.W.A. opus, permanently changed the face of rap music, proving that charismatic performers and slick production can transcend the hindrances presented by explicit content.
Parity would come to an end with the release of producer Dr. Dre’s 1992 post-N.W.A. opus “The Chronic.” With the charm and irresistible cadences of break out star Snoop Doggy Dogg and high level production values that displayed a heavy debt toParliament and Funkadelic, the album, boosted by hypnotic first single "Nuttin' but a G Thang," was a blockbuster, finding an audience in the suburbs as well as in the hood. The album's main cultural relevance lie in that it proved that charismatic performers and slick production can transcend the hindrances presented by explicit content, making it the blueprint for almost every mainstream rap album that followed it and the most influential rap album ofthe last 15 years. Snoop Doggy Dogg's solo album,"Doggystyle," also produced by Dre, only solidified this notion. The east coast, meanwhile, experienced a renaissance with the release Nas's 1994 debut album "Illmatic,"and the emergence of "Ready To Die," the first offering from a large, lovable, lyrically swift MC calling himself the Notorious B.I.G. (The pop-savvy influence of B.I.G.'s mentor, Sean "Puffy" Combs, like Dre's influence on Snoop, would inspire the videos and songs crafted by rap stars for many years to come.) Like the major label debuts of Eminem and Ludacris several years later, "Illmatic" and "Ready To Die” raised the lyrical bar for rap music, forcing other rappers to step their game up.Challenging the rap establishment in other ways was an East Coast transplant that landed in Marine City,California. Possessing handsome looks, massive amounts of charisma, a powerful voice, an emotional, heavily-pronunciated delivery and lyrics that were alternately mournful, menacing, poignant, and inspiring, Tupac Shakur was able to make a connection with his audience that rap music had never seen. His aura continues to grow after his 1996 death and drives many of today's up-and-coming rap stars to emulate his sensitive/moderately socially-conscious/thug image.Rap would undergo a sonic makeover to match its new image. The success of "The Chronic" and a legal moratorium on widespread, unlicensed sampling led to the rise of superproducers (The Neptunes,Trackmasters, Rockwider, Kanye West, Just Blaze) and the advent of “club tracks” (songs with a midtempo bounce, punctuated by steady percussion and a catchy chorus) making mainstream rap a Party genre. The recent rise of Southern rappers (T.I., Lil’ Flip,David Banner, Mike Jones, Paul Wall) owes a great deal to the public desire to let loose on the dance floor.
The factors mentioned above have led many rap fans to say that many of today's mainstream rap stars sound alike. While there is a great deal of validity to this argument, it ignores the fact that the popularity of today’s music is providing today’s stars with enough cache to diversify their interests and show an entrepreneurial savvy that is much better for the culture and the people who are a part of it. Rappers such as Jay-Z, Nelly, and Diddy are starting their own clothing lines and becoming part owners in sports franchises. Other rappers, such as Big Boi (ofOutkast) and T.I. are becoming successful in the real estate market, while Will Smith, Queen Latifah and Mos Def have become bankable stars in Hollywood.
Rap has come a long way in a short time, and it does not look as if it is going anywhere anytime soon. As the genre's pioneers would say, rap music is in full effect.
A Limelight Exclusive By Byron Lee
Hard drum beats and booming bass. Rhymes that are used to sell everything from cars to fast food. Fashion that screams individuality and sets the latest trends.
Rap music has gone from a marginalized, urban expression to America's dominate youthculture. In this month's Limelight, we will uncover the origins of this music and trace its growth to the present day.
THE FATHER OF HIP-HOP: When South Bronx DJ Kool Herc decided to repeatedly play the "break" of the rock, disco, and funk songs on his playlist (the "break" being the middle part of the song, the part most conducive to dancing), he took the pivotal first step in creating hip-hop. The invention of hip-hop came, as most inventions do, through necessity. South Bronx DJ Kool Herc loved the way that his patrons would react to the breaks of rock, disco, and funk songs, (the "break" of a song being the middle part of a song, the part most conducive to dancing) but would be frustrated by the brevity of each break. He then came up with an idea that earned him the name "The Father of Hip-hop": he began to "extend" the break by repeatedly playing it.The crowd responded by doing more complex dance moves that would eventually be known as “breakdancing” (not because of the moves that they were executing, but because of the part of the song, “the break,” that they were dancing to). Adding on to the party vibe were people who would speak chants to bring the festivities to the next level. Sometimes, the best speakers (known as MCs, or Masters of Ceremonies),would speak in rhymed couplets, using lines such as"Yes, yes, y'all. To the beat, y'all." in between verses in order to collect their thoughts. Thus, the format of the modern rap song was born. Furthermore, these MCs would acknowledge people that they knew in the crowd, beginning the custom of "shouting out" that continues in rap to this day. In 1979, the Sugar Hill Gang cemented this party atmosphere on record and in video with the song "Rapper's Delight," the first widely known rap recording.
NO FLASH IN THE PAN: Turntable pioneer Grandmaster Flash used the training he received in his original profession (electrician) to turn a light switch into the first crossfader (the device that allows a DJ to cut back and forth between two records that are playing at the same time). His ingenuity and technical proficiency continue to be an inspiration for many DJs today. The importance of the DJ in the creation of rap is further illustrated by the importance of Grandmaster Flash and the advent of Turntablism (using turntables and vinyl records to manipulate prerecorded bits of music as if one were playing an instrument). Flash, born Joseph Sadler, used the training he received in his original profession (electrician) to turn a light switch into the first crossfader (the device that allows a DJ to cut back and forth between two records that are playing at the same time). Flash’s song “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” is regarded as one of the first widely heard recordings of turntable wizardry, making Flash the forefather of such modern day practitioners as frequent Beastie Boys collaborator Mix Master Mike.(Flash’s protégé, Grand Wizard Theodore, would add onto Flash’s creation by pioneering a skill known as“cutting,” wherein the DJ puts his hand on a record to chop up a particular sound or word.) Furthermore, “The Message,” a song Flash recorded with the rappers in the supergroup Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, is recognized as a sobering slice of everyday urban life.
Also a major figure in the creation of hip-hop culture is charismatic New York Youth Organizer-turned-DJ Afrika Bambataa. Besides being known for his technical skill, he was a important force in getting youngsters interested in all four elements of hip-hop (rapping, dee-jaying, breakdancing and graffiti arts) and released the classic breakdancing anthem “Planet Rock”in 1982.
Another aspect of rap culture is one that is the most misunderstood: battling. Many view battling as a needless, mean-spirited exercise in degrading other human beings. However, these detractors fail to realize that battling grew as a sport to establish personal or regional supremacy; In other words, a person used their creativity to put themselves, or their neighborhoods or boroughs, on the figurative map.
FORGOTTEN BY SOME, BUT NOT ALL: Rap trio Whodini is responsible for 80's classics such as "One Love", "Friends," and "The Freaks Come Out At Night." Mainstream success, however, seemed to allude them. Their music lives on in radio mix shows and successful reunion tours. Evidence of this phenomenon can be found in two of early rap music's most notorious battles. In late 1985, a young rapper from the South Bronx named Krs-One (born Kris Parker) was perturbed by a rhyme by Queen's rapper MC Shan on a song entitled “The Bridge.” "You love to hear the story, again and again,Of how it all got started way back when" Kris thought that Shan was referencing the beginning of rap, when, in reality, Shan was merely talking about the formation of his rap faction, The Juice Crew. Even though Kris misunderstood Shan's rhyme,Krs's responses to the song, "South Bronx" and "The Bridge Is Over", are two long standing hip-hop classics.
CLASS IS STILL IN SESSION: Rap legend KRS-One (which stands for Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone) made a name for himself as the insightful, incendiary, and intelligent voice of seminal group Boogie Down Productions. Though sometimes his ego gets the better of him (see his feuds with P.M. Dawn and Nelly), KRS continues to be revered as someone who adheres to the principles held by many of the pioneers of rap. A battle one year earlier brought a phenomenal female rapper to the forefront. The group UTFO was riding high with the success of "Roxanne, Roxanne" a tale of unrequited admiration. Watching their success was up-and-coming producer Marley Marl, who recruited neighborhood rap sensation Lolita Shante Goodwin, who had a knack for constructing cohesive story raps at the drop of a hat, to record a response in the character of Roxanne. The song, "Roxanne's Revenge"(which Goodwin recorded under the name Roxanne Shante) took New York City by storm and built a reputation and a career for Ms. Goodwin.
THE QUEEN OF MEAN: Lolita Shante Goodwin made a name for herself in 1984 when, under the name Roxanne Shante, she recorded one of the most influential rap songs ever made, "Roxanne's Revenge." The diss song, a response to UTFO's hit "Roxanne Roxanne," set off a slew of responses, making a reputation and career for the gifted female rapper. The song caused a mountain of response records and is credited for the being the first battle rap to spawn such a large response.The noise rap was making in New York was minor compared to the exposure it would get with the emergence of its first crossover successes: Kurtis Blow and Run-DMC.
Kurtis Blow:BREAKING UP THE STATUS QUO
Kurtis Blow, born Curtis Walker, had a fun-loving personality, a baritone voice perfect for the party-starting chants of the era, and lyrics that were both socially conscious ("If I Ruled The World") and casual ("Basketball"). It was no surprise when Blow's 1980 single "The Breaks" was the first rap single to make its way onto the pop charts.
THE KINGS OF RAP: Run-DMC
Blow's success would later be overshadowed by a trio from Queens calling themselves Run-DMC. Rappers Run and DMC, along with the skillful scratches andamicable presence of DJ Jam Master Jay, used their look (black shirts, black pants, black hats, and white, laceless, shell-toed adidas shoes) and their sound (enjoyable interplay between the two rappers, strong choruses, and shrewd choices in rock samples) to take the mainstream by storm with their third album, 1986's "Raising Hell." Boosted by a cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," the album became the first rap album to go platinum. The group became the first rap group to grace the cover of Rolling Stone, and they made the general public much more receptive to rap music.
BRINGING THE NOISE: Known for the bellowing voice and revolutionary lyrics of Chuck D, the comic relief of Flavor Flav, and the cacophonous production of The Bomb Squad, Public Ememy shook black America's consciousness in the late 80's with the LPs "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" and "Fear Of A Black Planet." Run-DMC's crossover triumph signaled a time that many rap fans refer to as the "Golden Age" of rap music.Although few, if any of the acts that were popular around this time ever earned multi-platinum status,their presence insured a true diversity of rap sounds in the mainstream. There were light, pop-friendly acts (Digital Underground, Tone-L oc, Young MC, MC Hammer, Kid-n-Play, Kwame, Heavy D), acts that were into hedonistic shock value (Too Short, Too Live Crew), rappers who talked about the darker side of life, exposing both it luxuriousness and its harsh consequences (N.W.A. and Ice-T), groups of artists with eclectic beat selection and esoteric lyrics that championed both pride in their community and a light-hearted approach to life (De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Black Sheep, Digable Planets), acts that paired hard beats with highly political, sometimes incendiary lyrics (Public Enemy,Boogie Down Productions), and performers who provided the female point of view (Salt-n-Pepa, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah).
CHANGING THE GAME: "The Chronic," producer Dr. Dre's 1992 post-N.W.A. opus, permanently changed the face of rap music, proving that charismatic performers and slick production can transcend the hindrances presented by explicit content. Parity would come to an end with the release of producer Dr. Dre’s 1992 post-N.W.A. opus “The Chronic.” With the charm and irresistible cadences of break out star Snoop Doggy Dogg and high level production values that displayed a heavy debt toParliament and Funkadelic, the album, boosted by hypnotic first single "Nuttin' but a G Thang," was a blockbuster, finding an audience in the suburbs as well as in the hood. The album's main cultural relevance lie in that it proved that charismatic performers and slick production can transcend the hindrances presented by explicit content, making it the blueprint for almost every mainstream rap album that followed it and the most influential rap album ofthe last 15 years. Snoop Doggy Dogg's solo album,"Doggystyle," also produced by Dre, only solidified this notion. The east coast, meanwhile, experienced a renaissance with the release Nas's 1994 debut album "Illmatic,"and the emergence of "Ready To Die," the first offering from a large, lovable, lyrically swift MC calling himself the Notorious B.I.G. (The pop-savvy influence of B.I.G.'s mentor, Sean "Puffy" Combs, like Dre's influence on Snoop, would inspire the videos and songs crafted by rap stars for many years to come.) Like the major label debuts of Eminem and Ludacris several years later, "Illmatic" and "Ready To Die” raised the lyrical bar for rap music, forcing other rappers to step their game up.Challenging the rap establishment in other ways was an East Coast transplant that landed in Marine City,California. Possessing handsome looks, massive amounts of charisma, a powerful voice, an emotional, heavily-pronunciated delivery and lyrics that were alternately mournful, menacing, poignant, and inspiring, Tupac Shakur was able to make a connection with his audience that rap music had never seen. His aura continues to grow after his 1996 death and drives many of today's up-and-coming rap stars to emulate his sensitive/moderately socially-conscious/thug image.Rap would undergo a sonic makeover to match its new image. The success of "The Chronic" and a legal moratorium on widespread, unlicensed sampling led to the rise of superproducers (The Neptunes,Trackmasters, Rockwider, Kanye West, Just Blaze) and the advent of “club tracks” (songs with a midtempo bounce, punctuated by steady percussion and a catchy chorus) making mainstream rap a Party genre. The recent rise of Southern rappers (T.I., Lil’ Flip,David Banner, Mike Jones, Paul Wall) owes a great deal to the public desire to let loose on the dance floor.
The factors mentioned above have led many rap fans to say that many of today's mainstream rap stars sound alike. While there is a great deal of validity to this argument, it ignores the fact that the popularity of today’s music is providing today’s stars with enough cache to diversify their interests and show an entrepreneurial savvy that is much better for the culture and the people who are a part of it. Rappers such as Jay-Z, Nelly, and Diddy are starting their own clothing lines and becoming part owners in sports franchises. Other rappers, such as Big Boi (ofOutkast) and T.I. are becoming successful in the real estate market, while Will Smith, Queen Latifah and Mos Def have become bankable stars in Hollywood.
Rap has come a long way in a short time, and it does not look as if it is going anywhere anytime soon. As the genre's pioneers would say, rap music is in full effect.
