The Original Sound of Hip-Hop

[nonie]

Just curious to know what it is since Hip-Hop is sample based and whenever I ask on other boards, no one seems to know the answer. A link to a song would be good.

 

[trinidad]

What exactly do u mean partna' ORIGINAL SOUND???? u mean like run dmc type ish??? well the origins of hip hop are loosely based in disco music, then later on came breaks how eve there were beats played by live musicians in the beginning too it all depends.... feel me be a lil more specific maybe i can help u out

 

[Agent Smith]

the original sound of hip hop was a dj spinning two identical records, juggling drum breaks from disco/funk/soul/whatever records, with an mc on top. thats as specific as you are going to get because early hip hop (from what i have learned) was not based on a single "sound" as it is today...and that it was almost expected that new artists came with new sounds.

 

[trinidad]

tru like u said but some of the first recorded joints where disco joints party stuff the dance of the time but yea hip hop isnt realy based on anything specific tho.

 

[classic]

James brown, curtis mayfield, any soul & funk record with a break.

clas...

 

[bigdmakintrax]

There ya go....JB says it all...oh man if you recognize skill....his band was about as sick and as on point as they come, the horns the drummer all of that and he had complete control...anyhow I know thats off topic....but i mean I know mr davey D's site is very extensive on a lot of these questions, he has been writing and cataloguing hip hop since the early 80's or before and still writes...hit me for the website you can learn a lot.

 

[nonie]

So what you're saying is that Hip-Hop is basically everything(infinite) and that there is no limit on it, based on what it sounds like? Oh and D check your PM box.

 

[Agent Smith]

yes. in its ideal state, hip hop's only constants are mc+beat. and even then the lines are being blurred.

 

[Rhythmikal]

hip hop's only constants are mc+beat.

i like that man, well thought up, its true.

add your own variables and u got a hip hop creation.

mc + beat + variable = hip hop

(murders einsteins theory lol)

 

[bigdmakintrax]

I agree but sometimes that equation does not always hold true...sometimes the end result = pure garbage ..... and no idea of what they are doing, so I mean hip hop music is about to be put in check I hope and it return to its roots some of this music out now is rediculous...completly straying from the cornerstones and yes it needs to keep with the cornerstones and pillars or it becomes some completely different genre of garbage music....yes I said it LOL...I am glad there there a just as many up and coming cats that are not straying far and keeping it hip hop and wanting to learn about the original sounds....to me thats important I think when a music progresses far beyond its roots it becomes another genre....

 

[Rhythmikal]

I agree but sometimes that equation does not always hold true...sometimes the end result = pure garbage ..... and no idea of what they are doing, so I mean hip hop music is about to be put in check I hope and it return to its roots some of this music out now is rediculous...completly straying from the cornerstones and yes it needs to keep with the cornerstones or it becomes some completely different genre of garbage music....yes I said it LOL

i know exactly what your on about, i dont want it to stray too far from its roots in both the literal sound of hip hop and it's culture, and this is comin from a kid in Europe.

this is why i respect the work of people like Preemo and The Alchemist, but i have a feelin these type of guys are slowly dissapearing (or becoming less and less popular).

sAfE.

 

[classic]

If people dident stray and push for new things hip hop would have never been invented...

music is about pushing boundries IMO

class..

 

[bigdmakintrax]

this is why i respect the work of people like Preemo and The Alchemist, but i have a feelin these type of guys are slowly dissapearing (or becoming less and less popular).

sAfE.

Yes you are right, because the good shit is raked over, the labels want what sells, what sells and is generically packaged as hip hop isnt always really good hip hop and it isnt even necessarily hip hop music though sometimes its noise.....but yes thats correct classic music progresses fully but where its going now who knows.....really pushing the music has nothing to do nothing with the content that you have with the music I think I am speaking of lyrical content possibly maybe thats what I really meant, if you have pure garbage lyrics and rappers saying nothing but the same thing that has no message no social bearing and hot beats that shits like having gravy on your cornflakes though and some people might like that but that aint my thang though it gives me indigestion....

 

[Gene Flo]

nowadays people are selling out with shit talking about just riding on spinners and im the shit and youre not... whats going on with the true meaning people.... people only except this because it is whats "in"... YES there are no good message with the mainstream crap... the beats are pretty good but where are they finding these lyricist... Look at all this beat making and hip hop music.... where do most or some samples usually come from... CLASSICAL TRACKS!!!!! those great pioneers of music.... james brown, marvin gaye, even aretha... so really you can say hip hop started with the old day classical but who can really give a definative answer....

 

[The Bastard]

theres sum tight mainstream artists out there, the industry aint 100% garbage., maybe 70 % garbage, but uhhh, the original sound of hip hop? like the man said jugglin breaks between two rock/funk records, im suprised to hear sum1 on here ask this

 

[nonie]

Why are you surprised? I was just curious to know because like everyone said in this thread, Hip-Hop basically has no boundaries, you could take a sample from any genre and turn it into a blazing beat. It's infinite and that's one thing I love about it man. You can do anything and turn it into some dope music, but most people just follow who they rock to and from the trend we're seeing, everyone's style is gonna be the same in the future so somebody's gonna have to step out that comfort zone and seriously do something cuz I'm sick of hearing mainstream artists say they're gonna change the game and don't do anything but join in with the whackness.

..to me thats important I think when a music progresses far beyond its roots it becomes another genre..

Some true words man.

 

[andreas]

Me personally I don't like to think about stuff like genres. To think ones self inside a genre, in this case Hip Hop is to limit ones self. I concentrate on making music that's real to my heart. If it's Hip Hop/Trip Pop/Pop that I don't care so much about.

For me 'the original sound of Hip Hop' is what makes my heart bleed and what feels true to me. What hip hop is for you I cannot say. That's what's so interesting about it. It's a liquid form only restrained by heart and soul.

Another thing I think is really important is emulate not imitate

Peace

 

[Svenghali]

Pick up the Wild Style documentary/movie it's on dvd now. You'll see alot of what the original flavor was about. By the time the movie dropped I was 12, a graffitti artist and a break dancer at the time (I wanted to dj but couldn't afford tables at the time which limited me to making "pause button" cassettes). It had a huge impact on the kid while I was living in Brooklyn, (Prospect Park, Flatbush-Avenue D, Eastern Parkway, Brownsville stand up!) cause we'd here about the jams but we couldn't get in because we were too young (had to be 18). That movie took inside all of the spots we were too young to get into. You won't get any closer to the origins than that.


For those craving the true roots of rap, Wild Style (1982) captured the hard core South Bronx scene at its birth. The stars of Wild Style form the pantheon of hip hop’s pioneers: DJ’s Grand Master Flash, Grand Wizard Theodore, D.St.; rappers Grand Master Caz and The Cold Crush Bros, The Chief Rocker Busy Bee, Double Trouble, Fantastic Freaks and RAMMELLZEE and bboy champions The Rock Steady Crew. Beat Music by legendary Blondie guitarist Chris Stein and Fred Brathwaite.

Wild Style stars the legendary subway artist LEE Quinones and the queen of the graffiti scene, Sandra PINK Fabara. Graffiti Masters DONDI, ZEPHYR and DAZE also bombed for the movie. FAB 5 FREDDY, who along with writer/producer/director Charlie Ahearn, helped create Wild Style, shines as the smooth hip hop impressario PHADE. Wild Style follows the outlaw artists through the train yards to the rap/breakdance clubs.The movie climaxes at a massive outdoor jam, definitely the most famous hip hop party in history!

 

[bigdmakintrax]

Wow Svenghali, well I wont let the cat out the bag on this one but imma hold on to me piece of hip hop history very close to me I never really mentioned it on here maybe i will share it one day then you will recognize my stance on the topic of the definition(I cant share it unfortunately and its a big piece of some what you mentioned above) and if you knew you would know why I am the way I am about MY HIP HOP who cares about this commercialized junk they done fooled people into thinking is hip hop today......LOL ......closest thing coming to some hip hop are my homies kev brown, lo budget Crew and Cy Young...thats my impression of hip hop.....common sort of made that sound his....call it backpacking or what you want....thats my idea or closest I can think of today of Hip Hop

www.kevbrownmusic.com

 

[StressWon]

spittin rhymes over a dj spinnin breaks in a park!