Rap Music....?

Question

Where did rap originate? How did this apsect of pop culture spread? And lastly who were the founders of this aspect of pop culture? Can you name any important figures today?

Answer 1

They say Muhammad Ali was the first to person to battle when he would taunt his opponents in the ring.



Rapping hip hop music can be traced back in many ways to its African roots. Centuries before the United States existed, the griots (folk poets) of West Africa were rhythmically delivering stories over drums and sparse instrumentation. Because of the time that has passed since the griots of old, the connections between rap and the African griots are widely established, but not clear–cut. However, such connections have been acknowledged by rappers, modern day "griots", spoken-word artists, mainstream news sources, and academics.



Blues music, rooted in the work songs and spirituals of slavery and influenced greatly by West African musical traditions, was first played by blacks (and some whites) in the Mississippi Delta region of the United States around the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. Grammy-winning blues musician/historian Elijah Wald and others have argued that the blues were being rapped as early as the 1920s.Wald went so far as to call hip hop "the living blues."





The Memphis Jug Band, an early blues group, whose lyrical content and rhythmic singing predated rapping.Jazz, developed from the blues and other African-American musical traditions, originated around the beginning of the 20th century. According to John Sobol, the jazz musician and poet who wrote Digitopia Blues, rap "bears a striking resemblance to the evolution of jazz both stylistically and formally."



During the mid-20th century, the musical culture of the Caribbean was constantly influenced by the concurrent changes in American music. In the 1950s through the 1970s, the descendants of Caribbean slaves in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago were mixing their traditional folk music styles of mento and Calypso music with the jazz, soul, rock and blues of America.. In Jamaica this influenced the creation of Reggae music (and later Dancehall), while in Trinidad, this influenced the creation of Soca. As early as 1969, Deejays were toasting (an African tradition of "rapped out" tales of heroism) over dubbed Jamaican beats. It was called rap, expanding the word's earlier meaning in the African-American community— "to discuss or debate informally."

Answer 2

the unnamed writer is right. Let me add just a little, the origins of rap came from the tradition of African poetry but we don't have time to go into that today. As Doug E Fresh stated and he is right rap came calypso. So you can trace the evolution of an artform from the motherland through the Caribbean during slavery into the modern day. Sorry state it have dwindled to now given it's rich and diverse history.

Good question, more discussion needed

Answer 3

Rap originated in Africa with a style of comminication called "call and response". There is not a direct line from African "call and response" to Rap, though there is evidence of this style in Raps own origins, trajectory, and evolution. Todays most basic type of "call and response" can be seen mostly in the Carribean with styles like Bomba from Puerto Rico, Rhumba from Cuba, and in all other types of music with a verse and a hook or chorus.



The first song credited with manifesting a "proper" rap is "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley and The Wailers (1973). Peter Tosh's "Ism Schism" verse is generally identified as the first recorded rap.



With the evolution of Reggae into Dancehall Reggae came the evolution of DJ's. In Jamaica the DJ's used mics to hype up the crowd in "call and response" fashion. When DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaata, and other DJ's began to do this frequently in clubs in the Bronx and in Brooklyn (both hold claim as the motherland of Hip Hop, but Kool Herc who is credited as the first Hip Hop DJ was from Jamaica and DJ'ed all over NY), young black and Latino males began organizing their own calls and responses and performing them to instrumentals.



In the late 70's the Sugar Hill Gang recorded "Rapper's Delight", the first full length and strictly "rap" Rap. In the early 80's, Russell Simmons joined with a college friend of his, Rick Rubin (there are variations to the stories as to how they met, etc.) and formed "Def Jam". They introduced the world to the likes of LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Run DMC, EPMD, Public Enemy, Will Smith (DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince), Foxy Brown, and catapulted countless others' careers including that of Jay Z who is now the President and CEO of Def Jam.



To pinpoint exactly when the genre began to spread, one would have to say it was when Run DMC remixed Aerosmith's "Rock This Way" and released the video featuring Aerosmith which was the first Rap hit on MTV. Shortly after MTV basically paved the way for the crossover into the mainstream.

Answer 4

rap music

Answer 5

Hip hop music is a style of popular music composed of a rhythmic, rhyming vocal style called rapping (also known as emceeing) over backing beats and scratching performed on a turntable by a DJ. When combined with breakdancing and graffiti art, these are the four elements of Hiphop, a cultural movement which began in New York City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Latinos.[1] The term rap music is sometimes used interchangeably with hip hop music, though rapping actually refers specifically to the practice of speaking poetically over rhythms and/or melodies. Hiphop includes rapping plus the previously mentioned elements. It should also be mentioned that hip-hop and hip hop are generally misspellings although widely used. According to legendary Hiphop performer, instructor and activist KRS-ONE, the spelling should be Hiphop. On the dvd-amended 2005 album called Keep Right, KRS-ONE argued, it should be spelled as one word, capital H because that is the proper noun name of an identifiable culture and unifies the Hip (relevant) and hop (celebration/activist) aspects of the culture. For purposes of this article we shall use hiphop for the music specifically and Hiphop for the movement generally.



Typically, hiphop music consists of one or more rappers speaking/chanting semi-autobiographic tales, or often, coded information in an intensely rhythmic lyrical form, making abundant use of techniques like assonance, alliteration, and rhyme. Though rap may be performed a cappella, it is more common for the rapper(s) to be accompanied by a DJ or a live band providing an appropriate beat. This beat is often from the percussion of a different song, usually rock, funk, or soul, and is sometimes sampled. In addition to the beat, other sounds are often sampled, synthesized, or performed. Though rap is usually an integral component of hiphop music, instrumental and non-rap Electro acts such as Planet Patrol are also defined as hiphop music groups.



Hiphop arose in New York City when DJs began isolating the percussion break from funk or disco songs. The role of the emcee (MC) arose to introduce the DJ and the music, and to keep the audience excited. The MCs would speak between songs, giving exhortations to dance, greetings to audience members, jokes and anecdotes. Eventually, this practice came to be more stylized, and was known as rapping. By 1979, hiphop had become a commercially recorded music genre, and began to enter the American mainstream. It also began its spread across the world. In the 1990s, a form called gangsta rap became a major part of American music, causing significant controversy over lyrics which were perceived as promoting violence, promiscuity, drug use and misogyny. Nevertheless, by the beginning of the 2000s, hiphop was a staple of popular music charts and was being performed in many styles across the world.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

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Answer 8

rap music started back in the seventies, and when rapping it usually tells about that happened or something they did and a lot of people related to it. sugar hill and the gang and kurtis blow.

Answer 9

Rhythm And Poetry



RAP......

Answer 10

Nowadays if you ask most people to give a definition of "rap", they're likely to state that it's the reciting of rhymes to the best of music. It's a form of expression that finds its roots imbedded deep within ancient African culture and oral tradition. Throughout history here in America there has always been some form of verbal acrobatics or jousting involving rhymes within the Afro-American community. Signifying, testifying, Shining of the Titanic, the Dozens, school yard rhymes, prison 'jail house' rhymes and double Dutch jump rope' rhymes are some of the names and ways that various forms of rap have manifested.

Modern day rap music finds its immediate roots in the toasting and dub talk over elements of reggae music. In the early 70's, a Jamaican dj known as Kool Herc moved from Kingston to NY's West Bronx. Here, he attempted to incorporate his Jamaican style of dj which involved reciting improvised rhymes over the dub versions of his reggae records. Unfortunately, New Yorkers weren't into reggae at the time. Thus Kool Herc adapted his style by chanting over the instrumental or percussion sections of the day's popular songs. Because these breaks were relatively short, he learned to extend them indefinitely by using an audio mixer and two identical records in which he continuously replaced the desired segment.



In those early days, young party goers initially recited popular phrases and used the slang of the day. For example, it was fashionable for dj to acknowledge people who were in attendance at a party. These early raps featured someone such as Herc shouting over the instrumental break; 'Yo this is Kool Herc in the joint-ski saying my mellow-ski Marky D is in the house'. This would usually evoke a response from the crowd, who began to call out their own names and slogans.



As this phenomenon evolved, the party shouts became more elaborate as dj in an effort to be different, began to incorporate little rhymes-'Davey D is in the house/An he'll turn it out without a doubt.' It wasn't long before people began drawing upon outdated dozens and school yard rhymes. Many would add a little twist and customize these rhymes to make them suitable for the party environment. At that time rap was not yet known as 'rap' but called 'emceeing'. With regards to Kool Herc, as he progressed, he eventually turned his attention to the complexities of djaying and let two friends Coke La Rock and Clark Kent (not Dana Dane's dj) handle the microphone duties. This was rap music first emcee team. They became known as Kool Herc and the Herculoids.

Rap caught on because it offered young urban New Yorkers a chance to freely express themselves. This was basically the same reason why any of the aforementioned verbal/rhyme games manifested themselves in the past. More importantly, it was an art form accessible to anyone. One didn't need a lot of money or expensive resources to rhyme. One didn't have to invest in lessons, or anything like that. Rapping was a verbal skill that could be practiced and honed to perfection at almost anytime.



Rap also became popular because it offered unlimited challenges. There were no real set rules, except to be original and to rhyme on time to the beat of music. Anything was possible. One could make up a rap about the man in the moon or how good his dj was. The ultimate goal was to be perceived as being 'def (good) by one's peers. The fact that the praises and positive affirmations a rapper received were on par with any other urban hero (sports star, tough guy, comedian, etc.) was another drawing card.



Finally, rap, because of its inclusive aspects, allowed one to accurately and efficiently inject their personality. If you were laid back, you could rap at a slow pace. If you were hyperactive or a type-A, you could rap at a fast pace. No two people rapped the same, even when reciting the same rhyme. There were many people who would try and emulate someone's style, but even that was indicative of a particular personality.



Rap continues to be popular among today's urban youth for the same reasons it was a draw in the early days: it is still an accessible form of self expression capable of eliciting positive affirmation from one's peers. Because rap has evolved to become such a big business, it has given many the false illusion of being a quick escape from the harshness of inner city life. There are many kids out there under the belief that all they need to do is write a few 'fresh' (good) rhymes and they're off to the good life.

Now, up to this point, all this needs to be understood with regards to Hip Hop. Throughout history, music originating from America's Black communities has always had an accompanying subculture reflective of the political, social and economic conditions of the time. Rap is no different.



Hip hop is the culture from which rap emerged. Initially it consisted of four main elements; graffiti art, break dancing, dj (cuttin' and scratching) and emceeing (rapping). Hip hop is a lifestyle with its own language, style of dress, music and mind set that is continuously evolving. Nowadays because break dancing and graffiti aren't as prominent the words 'rap' and 'hip hop' have been used interchangeably. However it should be noted that all aspects of hip hop culture still exists. They've just evolved onto new levels.

Hip hop continues to be a direct response to an older generation's rejection of the values and needs of young people. Initially all of hip hop's major facets were forms of self expression. The driving force behind all these activities was people's desire to be seen and heard. Hip hop came about because of some major format changes that took place within Black radio during the early 70's. Prior to hip hop, black radio stations played an important role in the community be being a musical and cultural preserver or griot (story teller). It reflected the customs and values of the day in particular communities. It set the tone and created the climate for which people governed their lives as this was a primary source of information and enjoyment. This was particularly true for young people. Interestingly enough, the importance of Black radio and the role djs played within the African American community has been the topic of numerous speeches from some very prominent individuals.

Hip hop continues to be a direct response to an older generation's rejection of the values and needs of young people. Initially all of hip hop's major facets were forms of self expression. The driving force behind all these activities was people's desire to be seen and heard. Hip hop came about because of some major format changes that took place within Black radio during the early 70's. Prior to hip hop, black radio stations played an important role in the community be being a musical and cultural preserver or griot (story teller). It reflected the customs and values of the day in particular communities. It set the tone and created the climate for which people governed their lives as this was a primary source of information and enjoyment. This was particularly true for young people. Interestingly enough, the importance of Black radio and the role djs played within the African American community has been the topic of numerous speeches from some very prominent individuals.

For example in August of '67, Martin Luther King Jr addressed the Association of Television and Radio Broadcasters. Here he delivered an eloquent speech in which he let it be known that Black radio djs played an intricate part in helping keep the Civil Rights Movement alive. He noted that while television and newspapers were popular and often times more effective mediums, they rarely languaged themselves so that Black folks could relate to them. He basically said Black folks were checking for the radio as their primary source of information.



In August of 1980 Minister Farrakhon echoed those thoughts when he addressed a body of Black radio djs and programmers at the Jack The Rapper Convention. He warned them to be careful about what they let on the airwaves because of its impact. He got deep and spoke about the radio stations being instruments of mind control and how big companies were going out of their way to hire 'undignified' 'foul' and 'dirty' djs who were no longer being conveyers of good information to the community. To paraphrase him, Farrakhon noted that there was a fear of a dignified djs coming on the airwaves and spreading that dignity to the people he reached. Hence the role radio was playing was beginning to shift...Black radio djs were moving away from being the griots.. Black radio was no longer languaging itself so that both a young and older generation could define and hear themselves reflected in this medium.

Author Nelson George talks extensively about this in his book 'The Death Of Rhythm And Blues'. He documented how NY's Black radio station began to position themselves so they would appeal to a more affluent, older and to a large degree, whiter audience. He pointed out how young people found themselves being excluded especially when bubble gum and Europeanized versions of disco music began to hit the air waves. To many, this style of music lacked soul and to a large degree sounded too formulated and mechanical. In a recent interview hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa spoke at length how NY began to lose its connection with funk music during this that time. He noted that established rock acts doing generic sounding disco tunes found a home on black radio. Acts like Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones were cited as examples. Meanwhile Black artists like James Brown and George Clinton were for the most part unheard on the airwaves. Even the gospel-like soulful disco as defined by the 'Philly sound' found itself losing ground. While the stereotype depicted a lot of long haired suburban white kids yelling the infamous slogan 'disco sucks', there were large number of young inner city brothers and sisters who were in perfect agreement. With all this happening a void was created and hip hop filled it... Point blank, hip hop was a direct response to the watered down, Europeanized, disco music that permeated the airwaves.. FYI around the same time hip hop was birthed, House music was evolving among the brothers in Chicago, GoGo music was emerging among the brothers in Washington DC and Black folks in California were getting deep into the funk. If you ask me, it was all a repsonse to disco.

In the early days of hip hop, there were break dance crews who went around challenging each other. Many of these participants were former gang members who found a new activity. Bambataa's Universal Zulu Nation was one such group. As the scene grew, block parties became popular. It was interesting to note that the music being played during these gigs was stuff not being played on radio. Here James Brown, Sly & Family Stone, Gil Scott Heron and even the Last Poets found a home. Hence a younger generation began building off a musical tradition abandoned by its elders. Break beats picked up in popularity as emcees sought to rap longer at these parties. It wasn't long before rappers became the ONLY vocal feature at these parties. A microphone and two turntables was all one used in the beginning. With the exception of some break dancers the overwhelming majority of attendees stood around the roped off area and listened carefully to the emcee. A rapper sought to express himself while executing keen lyrical agility. This was defined by one's rhyme style, one's ability to rhyme on beat and the use of clever word play and metaphors.

In the early days rappers flowed on the mic continously for hours at a time..non stop. Most of the rhymes were pre-written but it was a cardinal sin to recite off a piece of paper at a jam. The early rappers started off just giving shout outs and chants and later incorporated small limricks. Later the rhymes became more elaborate, with choruses like 'Yes Yes Y'all, Or 'One Two Y'all To The Beat Y'all being used whenever an emcee needed to gather his wind or think of new rhymes. Most emcess rhymed on a four count as opposed to some of the complex patterns one hears today. However, early rappers took great pains to accomplish the art of showmanship. There was no grabbing of the crotch and pancing around the stage. Pioneering rapper Mele-Mel in a recent interview pointed out how he and other acts spent long hours reheasing both their rhymes and routines. The name of the game was to get props for rockin' the house. That meant being entertaining. Remember back in the late 70s early 80s, artists weren't doing one or two songs and leaving, they were on the mic all night long with folks just standing around watching. Folks had to come with it or be forever dissed.

Before the first rap records were put out (Fat Back Band's King Tem III' and Sugar Hill Gang's 'Rapper Delight'), hip hop culture had gone through several stages. By the late 70's it seemed like many facets of hip hop would play itself out. Rap for so many people had lost its novelty. For those who were considered the best of the bunch; Afrika Bambaataa, Chief Rocker Busy Bee, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Four (yes initially there were only 4), Grand Wizard Theodore ad the Fantastic Romantic Five, Funky Four Plus One More, Crash Crew, Master Don Committee to name a few had reached a pinnacle and were looking for the next plateau. Many of these groups had moved from the 'two turntables and a microphone stage' of their career to what many would today consider hype routines. For example all the aforementioned groups had routines where they harmonized. At first folks would do rhymes to the tune of some popular song. The tune to 'Gilligan's Island' was often used. Or as was the case with he Cold Crush Brothers, the 'Cats In the Cradle' was used in one of their more popular routines. As this 'flavor of the month' caught hold, the groups began to develop more elaborate routines. Most notable was GM Flash's' Flash Is to The Beat Box'. All this proceeded 'harmonizing/hip hop acts like Bel Biv DeVoe by at least 10 years.



The introduction of rap records in the early 80s put a new meaning on hip hop. It also provided participants a new incentive for folks to get busy. Rap records inspired hip hoppers to take it to another level because they now had the opportunity to let the whole world hear their tales. It also offered a possible escape from the ghetto.... But that's another story..we'll tell it next time.



And here is an answer by Davey D to a question that would make you realize many things about hip hop.



Yo, yo, Davey whats up? It's like this, I've been checkin for your site, Daveyd.com, for 1½ year now, and I've got much info and **** on your message boards and other pages on there. As well as from the newsletters that you supply. But yo, ON THE REALS....



...WHY do you give up so much space in the newsletters and on the website, for bullshit-MC's like C-Bo, Ice Cube and Spice1 on the regular??? Their **** ain't real!!!



Dear Sentense



I would strongly disagree.. further more from a historical standpoint I would have to disagree about their material not being real... What is the basis for such a comment? If it's your opinion.. I can't and won't argue with you there.. Because we are all entitled to our opinions.. However, if you are somehow trying to marginalize their music and claim they're not hip hop.. You're dead wrong on a number of accounts...



First, how is their music not 'hip hop'..? Is it subject matter? Is it choice of beats? Is it based upon the reasons for them doing their music? As you know hip hop has and should ideally be a reflection of the values and mindset of a particular artist.. Common will never be like Spice 1 and Spice 1 will never be like Ice Cube etc... Each brings to the table their own style and perspective which they musically express...



Secondly, according to hip hop's founding fathers... Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash... artists like Ice Cube, C-Bo and Spice1 are indeed a part of hip hop culture... This question was posed to all three last year during a radio show that sought to define Hip Hop culture.. It took place on KMEL in April of '97... All three were on.. and they spoke about the constant misinformation that is perpuated by people who have a strong like or dislike about certain styles within hip hop... Just because someone doesn't like or understand something does not mean it's not hip hop...To a certain degree having such a mindset is understandable... Because from day one people from different regions or those having different styles were maligned..



For example, when I grew up in the Bronx... kids from Queens were told that what they were doing was not hip hop... Then later on kids from Queens and Brooklyn dissed Long Island... Eventually kids from New York dissed New Jersey and Philadelphia rappers etc.. Around '82, '83, '84... pioneering artis like Mele-Mel and Grandmaster Caz said they represented the 'old school' while new comers like Run DMC and KRS-One who represented the new school weren't 'real' hip hop... If you go back and listen to some of the old songs you'll hear the dissing going on...In fact KRS-One sums things up best in his song 'Still Number#1' when he addresses Mele-Mel....



Bambaataa pointed out just how hypocritical it was for some one would listen to a song like Planet Rock or Electric Kingdom by Twilight 22 and say that's hip hop.. while claiming songs by Luke and other Miami Bass type artist are not... 'How can they not be when the beats are the same?', he asked



Some people try to make a distinction and focus on lyrical prowess... Hence since Common brings a certain hip hop flava to the table.. he's considered hip hop while C-Bo or Ice Cube isn't... But if you follow that line of thinking a whole lot of rappers and their songs would all of a sudden not be hip hop... Starting with the material from Bambaataa.. Come now, kids like MC Globe and Pow Wow weren't the best rappers in the world... In fact at one point in time.. Globe noted that he wasn't rapping.. He was in fact 'poppin'.. He noted that obtaining lyrical finess was not his main concentration.. at the time.. Lyrical prowess is not the sole definition of hip hop...



The other point which often gets raised is the one you make here...



They just some entertainers that make hella money off the stupidity that rap-consumers posess. Underground don't even check for that!!



First, from day one people sought to get paid... Don't believe the myth about people break dancing and rappin' in the park for the pure love of hip hop.. Payment at that time was props from the crowd... It was very hard to make money back in the late '70s... I know I was a part of that scene.... However, trust me.. lot's of people did attempt to make money... and if the opportunities that exist now existed then... the early 'hip hoppers' would've taken advantage.. I recall early pioneers like Busy Bee Starsky and others talking about getting paid for flexing their skillz in their raps.. I recall Grand Master Flash and Grand Wizard Theodore and others charging admission..



I recall these old school artists putting forth an air of celebrity status.. It used to be the thing to do... Old school headz will recall how B-Boys sought to impress folks by driving around town in fancy 'fresh OJs' which was a ghetto version of a limo... People pooled their money and flossed about the neighborhood blasting the latest GM Flash tapes while being driven around.. That cost money and your ability to floss like that meant that you were getting paid.. Trust me after a while hip hop was still in it's infancy.. the best emcees of the day.. like the Crash Crew, Cold Crush Brothers, The Furious Four... [before they became the Furious Five], DJ Break Out & The Funky Four plus One More..and others were not about to show up to your gig and perform for free.. They expected and did get paid.. I know at my High School when Flash and his crew showed up they both got paid from the door receipts and they got paid from the school organization that invited them to come.. Like emcees today they would get down for free if they were at a place where everyone [Their collegues] was posted up... But they were about the business of trying to make a living off this thing we call hip hop...



This whole legacy of getting paid grew within hip hop.. It reached a high point in the mid 80s when Eric B & Rakim came out and demanded to be 'Paid In Full'... They weren't holding down 9-5 jobs they were about the business of getting paid for laying down rhymes.... During this time the 'hip hoppers' of the day sported fat gold chains and all sorts of jewelery.. Eric B and Rakim best exemplified this day and time... Behind the scenes they were about the business of not repeating what happened to old school pioneers like Sugar Hill, GMF and others... They weren't about the business of getting ripped off by an unscrupulous record label... Hence the first million dollar record deal was negotiated by Eric B and Rakim after their Paid In Full album.. If you recall just like Puffy and Mase do today.. a whole lot of rappers were talking about their material possesions.. including Rakim...



Adding to all this was the whole concept of having sporty gear... Back in the late 70s and early 80s hip hoppers sought to adorn themselves with the latest fashions.. Today it's Tommy Hilfiger and all sorts of Italian brand names.. back then it was designer jeans like Jordache and Gloria Vanderbuilt.. All the hip hoppers went down to places like Delancy Street in Manhatten, Jamaica Avenue in Queens and Fordham Road or Simpson street in the Bronx to get the latest styles... This of course cost money.. Puma sneakers, 69er sneakers, box sqaures pants, overlaps pants and other styles changed like ever other month.. Lee jeans with the ironed in crease and fat belt buckles were the styles that money makers wore to indicate their status.. Today things are no different... If you wasn't getting paid.. you couldn't 'rock' the latest gear...And staying dressed was very crucial back in the days.. These fashions were created and enhanced by hip hoppers....



The other point erroneously made centers around the notion of hip hoppers being entertainers..It's implied that there is something wrong with this... People like to 'day dream' about people coming to the park and rocking the mic and keeping it real for the sake of heightening the art of hip hop... First of all, no one had any idea back then that this would take off and evolve to what it is today... Hip Hop and all its facets from djaying to b-boy dancing was the thing to do.. It was the social activity of the day...



The early participants STRIVED to be ENTERTAINERS.. They prided themselves on this..Puffy does that best today.. Hammer and LL Cool J did that best a few years back.. Everyone who was worth his her salt saw entertaining as a major part of being on top of the game.. I remember talking with Mele-Mel last year and he went into great detail about how he and others would spend hours working on routines.. He talked about how he the Furious Four would rehearse rap and dance routines.. He would spend a lot of time working on the delivery of his rhymes... Back then battle rhymes were prewritten and memorized.. As he put it.. they way you got paid and the way you got props was by being able to rock the crowd.. That meant having dope rhymes and the ability to deliver them.. If you wanted to stand out.. you worked on routines.. Hence back in the late 70s hip hop pioneers were harmonizing, singing, dancing the whole nine...The whole thing you saw being done with artists like Bel Biv Devoe was merely a flection of what used to be... That's one reason why artists like KRS-One, Doug E Fresh or Run DMC can put on dope shows today.. It was part of the scene to be a good entertainer.. Keeping it real meant giving your audience their money's worth...



Nowadays artist entertain through videos... There aren't any more parties in the park.. Artsist get paid through record sales as well as through shows... Back then a flyer would get you a crowd so you could get paid.. Nowadays a dope video gets you your audience.. Don't think for a minute that old school hip hoppers would not have gone out of their way to do videos if they were readily visible back then...



The list of things can go on.. It wasn't cheap being a hip hopper back in the days.. If you were down with a crew you had to pay for your equipment... You had to pay for your records.. Remember you had to buy two copies of everything... Places like Downstairs Records where folks went to get the latest breaks cost 5 dollars for each 45 disc... That was 10 bucks for a 15-20 second percussion break... Most Crews did parties at neighborhood recreation centers.. That cost money to rent... Trust me.. hip hoppers from day one were trying to get paid...



Now when you start looking at other facets of hip hop culture like grafitti and dancing... money wasn't so easy to come by.. However, after that movie Flash Dance came out where they featured The Rock Steady Crew.. folks were trying to take advantage of the opportunities.. There was one point in which kids weree getting paid doing break dance lessons.. Ritzy art galleries tried to showcase the works of graffiti writers... some folks tried to advantage of those opportunities...



Now how does all this tie into Spice 1, Ice Cube and C-Bo... These guys merely reflect the social, economic and political conditions of their time... Spice had always been rappin'.. He was just like any other aspiring artist.. He was out doing his thing trying to get seen... Folks may recall Spice from back in the early days of Bay Area hip hop.. The same was for artist like Too Short... and other who went around rappin' at local house parties and local recreation centers.. It was the dues they paid to try and come up.. Kids like Cube and Too Short and Spice initially got paid by making tapes for neighborhood ballers...



Later they had folks invest money in them or their record label and they went about refining their craft that way... Artist like Spice and Cube have always tried to reach their target audience... In the begiining it was the local kids from around the way.. But as they grew and begain to reach a larger audience..That became reflected in their music... Like the pioneers before them.. these guys have sought to be entertaining to their audience.. And lets face it.. the audience that likes Common may be very different then the Spice 1 audience...



And why is it that Common during his concert in LA said: "underground heads are the only one's that can see past the bullshit..." Agree that Common got a strong mind.



Yes, Common is right.. there is a lot of bullshit.. But that's all subjective... The other thing is that underground means different things to different people.. Is the underground audience that comes from the worst part of town that checks for Spice 1 or Too Short the same as the underground audience that checks for Common.. Hip Hop is such a personal thing.. How can I tell some kid who has his hat on backwards and is rocking the latest 'player gear' that he is stupid because he's checking for Spice 1... His that kid some how less then the kid who checks for Common while sporting the latest boots and backpack..?



Realize this!!! You got much influence on many kids on Internet!!!!!!!! Why don't use that INFLUENCE to make kids realize that gangsta-rap is really NOT a part of the hiphop game. Hiphop should reflect positivity!!! I know many kids, that think they key to sucess is to go out there and grab a Glock and shoot fools on the block. Gangsterism, is just a BIG problem that many black men (and women) have to struggle with everyday all over the world, and that their mind is in the state of bullshit. THATS NOT HIPHOP!!!



Gangsterism is a big problem.. I agree with you there... But understand that hip hop started with gangs and it's still influenced by them.. What do you think Zulu Nation was...? It was a big *** gang that habitually beat people down.. Bam was a gang leader back in the days.. Hip hop was filled with incidents of violence from day one.. Kids were always getting stuck up for their sheep skin coats and equipment... I know my crew got stuck up for their equipment after a party.. Parties in the park often ended in a shootout with some one getting killed... Hip Hop pioneers like Flash used to roll with notorious gangs like The Casanova Crew... who mot only worked security but also frequently fleeced patrons who attended the events.. Gangs like Zulu, Casanovas and The Nine Crew were all a part of hip hop...They were factors in the game... Eventually people matured and moved on but some of those gangs were replaced with other gangs like The Domincican based Ball Busters The Deep Crew... and large renegades out of Brooklyn.. Did all this get reflected in the music? Yes it did... Early rhyme sayers always made references to Zulu Nation, Gestapo, The Casanovas and others.. No things weren't glorified like they are now... But artists like KRS-One and Schoolly D changed all that... and let folks know it was ok to get down that way...



If you examine the rise of West Coast hip hop you'll find that the early dancers.. [boogalooers] and taggers were gang members.. The early parties thast were thrown by people like Uncle Jams Army and others were secured by gangstas like the Brims.. That paralled what had once took place in New York.. Zulu and Casanova were security forces for a lot of the early NY rappers back in the days.. I know we had Zulu members strictly for protection.. Early West Coast raps were about partying and having a good time... LA heads will remember the old crews like Egyptian Lover, Formula 5, Boo-Yaa Trybe, Rich Carson, Captain Rapp, Spade,Toddy Tee, World Class Wrecking Crew etc.. Back then.. [early to mid 80s]... the West Coast Crews in LA were into dancing and djaying... But unlike New York where gangs died out and emerged into large crews... LA gang scene never went away.. so it was always a factor in the day to day lives of hip hoppers from the hood...



Up in the Bay Area... another scene went on.. kids like Hammer [The Holy Ghost Boy], Flynamic Force [Sway & King Tech],Timex Social Club, Spice Regime [Digital Underground], Too Short, Freddy B, MGM [Raw Fusion], Wild Boyz [Christion], Rappin' 4Tay, Red Black & Green, APG Crew, K-Cloud, and MC Ant were among the early pioneers..



Many crews started out break dancing while others like Too Short made dirty rap tapes for the neighborhood ballers... Eventually everyone evolved and made a name for themselves doing a specific type of music.... Here in the Bay Area.. instead of doing a lot of gangsta rap.. the whole pimp, playa, hustker vibe took hold.. A lot of this had to do with the fact that The Mack was filmed in the Bay Area.. Many of the Bay Area artists have all sorts of references to that flick reflected in their songs... Even fun groups like Digital Underground and Hammer reflected that whole thing.. Remember Shock G was once a pimp... while Hammer or at least his crew was part of the infamous High Street Bank Boyz..Even Sway who is known for his work on the Wake Up Show will let you know in a minute that he and his boys grew up learning and knowing how to be Hustlers.. That street game was and is reflected in Bay Area rap..



The point I'm making is that hip hop music reflects where you're from in it's purest form.. One should be able to listen to a record and be able to have a good idea about what was going on at the the time the record was made.. The whole thing about hip hop being purely art is true to the degree that people who either hit a higher conscious level or were removed from the day to day stresses of living in the hood could afford to experiment and branch out.. Del The Funkee Homosapien explained it best when he noted that his music and the music of his Heiroglphic squad reflected the middle class upbringings that they enjoyed... While it was true he could've rapped about gangsterism.. his creative energies took him onto another plane... However, keep in mind.. his creative energies also allowed him to pen some of the gangsta raps that were made famous by his cousin Ice Cube... As an artist Del felt he should do what moves him...and nowadays with hip hop being a multi-billion dollar a year industry.. it's branched off and become something for everyone......



So... TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Taking responsibility means trying to go out and provide information to those who are young and easily influenced.. Davey D's Hip Hop Corner will take time and talk about a C-Bo and an Ice Cube... It will also talk about a Common or Public Enemy.. If you note there is a Poet's Page and a Political section here on the site.. The information to help inspire you to go to a more conscious place is there... should you decide to embrace it....