Hip Hop

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Hip Hop

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Competitive cultural expression of urban youth, consisting of graffiti artists, mobile DJS, breakers (b-boy, b-girls, breakdancers), and MCs (Later know as rappers)

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Origins of Hip Hop

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-The building of New York’s Cross Bronx Expressway divided the city’s ethnic neighbourhoods, destroying homes and jobs and displacing poor black and Hispanic communities in Brooklyn and the South Bronx

-Inner city neighbourhoods with mostly African-American, Caribbean and Latino communities were plagued by poverty and community decay

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Sampling

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Sound is taken from one recorded source and is appropriated for another recording

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Scratching

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A technique used by DJs in which a vinyl record is pulled and pushed under a tables stylus, allowing for the creation of unique sounds

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Afrika Bambaataa and the Bronx River Organization

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Formed the performing group

• Included: graffiti writers, Mobile DJs, B-boys and B-girls, MCs

• renamed the Universal Zulu Nation in 1974

• Became the model for the emergence of the hip-hop community

•His parties helped integrateAfrican American andLatino Gang members – gavethem an alternative to streetgang culture

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Breaking

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A type of dance associated with hip-hop culture that became increasingly popular during the early 1980s

• Also known as b-boying or breaking

• Practitioners are called b-boys and b-girls

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DJ Kool Herc

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Responsible for creating breakbeat DJing in the early 1970s, atechnique in which instrumental “breaks” of songs are isolated andlooped to form a rhythmic basis for a track

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Breakbeat (prior: Merry go round)

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• [Breakbeat: the most percussive or rhythmically complex section of a songs

-popular with the dancers at Kool Herc’s early parties and the inspiration for the development of b-beat music and b-boying or breaking]

Example: The Incredible Bongo Band “Apache” (1972):

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Groove

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term originally employed by jazz, R&B and funk musicians to describe the channeled flow of swinging, funky rhythms.

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riff

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a short and distinctive melodic figure. It is not a complete melody orphrase, but it may be used as part of a phrase. A lick may occur in thevoice or instruments.

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Pop Culture and African American Roots

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-Jeli/Griot

-Trickster

-Toasting

-Boasting

-Playin the dozens

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Jeli/Griot

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-A West African term for musician, storyteller, and historian whose role would be similar to a European bard

-Known for being able to recite long and complex tales/stories from memory (Oral tradition)

-Teachers of community history and culture Term ‘Griot’ was coined by early French colonists who came into contact with the Mande people

-Often accompanied by the Kora(Harp), Kona(Lute), or Bala (Xylophone)

-Jeli comes from the Mande linguistic/ethnic groups, Griot has been applied to similar roles in African contexts

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Trickster

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-The archetype of the trickster is present in virtually every culture i.e. greek-Prometheus, chinese-Monkey king

- Yoruba trickster is named Eshu - His role though often vexing to humans and the other Orishas is to bring to light what is hidden

- Tales associated with the Hare

- Translated into African context, many tales of the tales concerning Yora Hare were taken as inspiration for the stories about the brer rabbit

-The association with the Trickster figures in hip hop largely due to the Trickster’s ability to manipulate people and outcomes to personal advantage

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Toasting

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-An African-American verbal art tradition that is an enactment, re-telling, and exaggeration of an event

-Performed either in rhymed couplets or prose

-Tends to celebrate acts of an outlaw (or badman)

-MCs followed in this tradition in the 70s, South Bronx, paying homage to real/imagined heros (baadmen)

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Boasting

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Praising oneself/ celebrating oneself → about wealth sexual prowess, physical prowess → amplifies reality → influence clear

Example: Sugarhill Gand 'Rappers Delight'

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Playin the Dozens

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Ritual insult tradition → competitive play → Roots in boasting and toasting → Verbal dual

Example: Wuf Ticket 'Ya Mama'

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Wild Style: 1983

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-Considered the 1st hip hop motion picture

-a snapshot of early hip-hop history and culture focusing on:

-The integration of art forms (4)

-Geographical location/urban setting → economic issues (Poverty)

-Race (African American and Latin American origins of hip hop)

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MC Battles

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A verbal competition btw MCs → Rappers vie for supremacy → freestyle practice-Lyrical strategies: praising DJ, Boasting about skill, engaging audience to respond w. Shoutouts

Example: Cold Crush Brothers vs. Fantastic 5

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Old School: First Wave

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(1973-81): foundational years

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Old School: Second Wave

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(1979-83): early commercial years

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Freestyle

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An improvisatory approach to rapping

-Roots in African and African American verbal traditions (poetry)

-Freestyling is most commonly associated with rap battles and competition but freestyle rap also thrives in more communal, group-based settings

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Roxanne Wars

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An answer rap phenomena (84) when Lolita Shante Gooden (Roxanne Shante) with Marli Marl and Mr.Magic, recorded a 1 take freestyle rapped response to UTFO’s Roxanne Roxanne

-o.g. Feat lyrics describing a woman not interested in the members of UTFO

-Roxanne’s revenge was confrontational response that used the instrumentals from UFTOs song but with new lyrics → lawsuit, and re-release of track over different backing music

-Most answer raps would be concluded after ⅔ recording, but these ultimately led to the release of over 100 recordings one this one confrontation

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African Girl Culture

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-Hand clapping games

-Ring games

-Double dutch

Examples: Lil Mama 'Lip Gloss'

Salt 'n' Peppa 'Push it'

Frankie Smith 'Double Dutch Bus'

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Old School DJs

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-DJ Kool Herc

-Afrika Bambaataa

-Grandmaster Flash

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Grandmaster Flash

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Dj who played a key role during late 70s, early 80s

-Influential for making socially conscious hip hip that dealt with modern issues

-Innovations with DJ equipment

-Well-known for his work with the furious five, a group of 5 rappers also from New York

-Maintained career as solo artist in mid 80s

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Backspinning

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the process of creating a loop by alternating btw 2 copies of 1 record on a specific spot

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Phasing

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playing 2 records at the same spot so that they create partial phase cancellation

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Punch phrase (Clock theory)

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This technique involved isolating very short segments of music, typically horn hits, and rhythmically punching them over the sustained beat using the mixer

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Early Crossover/Electronic/ New Wave

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Examples: Blondie 'Rapture'

Afrika Bambaataa 'Planet Rock'

Cold Crush Brothers 'Punk Rock Rap'

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New School: Third Wave

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(1984-92): Sparse musical textures

• “Skeletal” beats

• Soul and rock samples (partic hard rock)

• Toughness (dis tracks)

• Commercial appeal and success

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Def Jam Records

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Def Jam was known throughout the mid-1980s for hard, aggressive, rock-influencedrap songs, exemplified in releases from LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Run-D.M.C.,and Public Enemy

• The label made its production debut in 1984 with T La Rock’s ‘It’s Yours’, a record releasedin conjunction with Partytime/Streetwise Records

• The first official singles releases were LL Cool J’s “I Need A Beat” and the Beastie Boys’“Rock Hard”

• Def Jam was the first independent rap label to sign with a major distributor when theymade an unprecedented one million dollar deal with Columbia Records/Sony in 1985

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LL Cool J 'I Need a Beat'

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• “New School” Rap

• Sparse Texture (Looped beat,scratching, a few variations andaccents”

• Competitive, aggressive lyrical style

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Early Female Rappers

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• M.C. Lady “D”

• Salt n Pepa

• Queen Latifah

• Monie Love

• MC Lyte

• the Sequence

• Yo Yo Girl

• Ms. Melodie

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Hardcore Rap

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• Aggressive edge

• Raw or “hard” aesthetic

• Lyrical themes: social and political commentary, graphicportrayals of inner-city life, gang life, crime, violence, and themistreatment of women

• Aggressive arrangements (usually in a minor key)

• Strong, aggressive lyrical delivery

• Sound effects

• Layered beats

Example: 'Eric B. is President'

Public Enemy 'Burn Hollywood Burn'

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Dirty Rap

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2 Live Crew 'We Want Some Pussy'

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Humourous Rap

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DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince“Parents Just Don’tUnderstand”