I'm always intrigued with the origins and contributions of our early HH artists. And, we have discussed and viewed quite a bit. While we may have been familiar with a few of these folks or concepts, some undoubtedly was lost. Nonetheless, we have quite a bit of richness. We can enjoy these contributions through various ways: listening, partying, and perhaps even being inspired to create our own "new" sounds. So, I'd like to ask you to identify which origin fact, contribution or innovation resonated with you the most from this unit, and why?
Due: Wed., 5/31/17 by the beginning of class.
(Joshua Howell's Blog)
ReplyDeleteI am actually pretty excited to answer this but the origins, contributions, and innovations that resonate with me the most is DJ'ing, the challenges DJ's faced, and how far it has come today. With me being a DJ this naturally drew me in. So one thing that stood out to me is the fact that originally DJ's would just play the records and hope to have the needle in the right location. To DJ's this today this sounds taboo because there is no way someone will exactly know where the song will start using that method. So when DJ's started to build their own systems to where they can listen to the track before playing it out loud, this just blew my mind. They were not only musically talented, but they were skilled enough to be able to design these circuits, connect servos and resistors to motherboards, and develop these mixers and speakers. DJ'ing today is nothing without the Crossfader choosing which record to play, or the other faders controlling the volume. The other thing that stuck out to me which is why I also give a lot of respect to Gandmaster Flash is the fact that he decided to touch and mark on the record. This allows DJ's to have complete control of the timing of the sound. By marking on the record, Grandmaster Flash invented cues. Once again, DJ'ing today will be nothing without the setting cues, this is not the only way to make the beat be continuous, but it is the best way to make the beat go on. This is also why people today have drum pads, drum pads do nothing but play cues. Also because Grandmaster Flash had his hand on the record, he was able to fine tune scratching. Without this, DJ'ing today would not be as entertaining. Crabs, Transformers, Flare, Cuts, Orbitals, or any other scratching technique would not exist if Grandmaster Flash hadn't perfected the baby scratch. Back then they called it playing the Break Beats, now it is called beat juggling, but this "old school" technique is still seen in today's World DMC Championships (DJ Competition). The fact that DJ'ing started in one state of the U.S. by skilled black people, and seen throughout the world is incredible. Also now, DJ'ing has become so global that anyone can learn how to DJ, but they cannot do this without learning the basics that were established by Grandmaster Flash, Cool Herc, and original DJ's. If you are interested to see the new DJ'ing technologies that have been developed or techniques, feel free to look up the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) or watch some World DMC Performances on YouTube.
The concept of DJ'ing that was extremely fascinating to me was Grandmaster Flash and the crayon. I saw the concept before in The Get Down before we watched it in class, and I just thought it was funny. When we watched Hip Hop evolution and I saw him do it and I got excited. I don't know if it was because of the song he used or just because I never really thought about how much effort went into DJ'ing. I always felt as if Dj'ing wasn't hard and so reading the articles that were assigned and watching videos helped me get out of the mentality that Dj'ing was easy. It also fascinated me when he started scratching the record. I love music and when I heard what Grandmaster was doing and was able to see it in action made me have a greater appreciation for the art of music. It was also interesting to see who others thought the creator of something was. There were so many different opinions and that was kind of surprising because there weren't many people Dj'ing, emceeing, break dancing or doing graffiti so all these different names had me wondering who actually was the best or the first.
ReplyDeleteHip-Hop is constantly changing, evolving, and transforming but through this transformation its roots remain unchanged. Looking at Hip-Hop today one can still see the foundation from which it originated. If I had to identify an origin fact, contribution, or innovation that resonated with me the most I would definitely say the contribution of live performance. Live performance resonates with me the most because that is what Hip-Hop was built on. Live performance is a combination of Dj’ing, MC’ing, break dancing, and graffiti. These four components are arguably four out of the five major elements of Hip Hop. Live performance is what brought people together and got Hip-Hop out on the streets and to the youth before there were even recordings of Rap. Dj’s would be playing music and break beats which incited break dancing all while MC’s narrated and said catchy phrases to keep the crowd hype. In addition to the music, dancing, and narration, the graffiti artist would be tagging. This atmosphere embodied Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop shifted away from live performance when artist began to capitalize off of recordings. However, live performances still play a part in Hip-Hop today. I think it goes without saying that without live performance there would be no Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop started live in the streets and in the community and I think that is where the purest form of Hip-Hop lies to this very day. No matter how many music platforms are made, nothing can top the live performance experience and that is why it resonates with me most.
ReplyDeleteImages of live performance below:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/24/46/fb/2446fb50ea5b1f24986cf63bfc003fe1.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4HirSJMILJQ/UisS6RutRFI/AAAAAAAAND8/3W1QFEHN2Hw/s1600/New+York's+Hip-Hop,+circa+1970's+-+80's+(1).jpg
http://cf.collectorsweekly.com/uploads/2013/04/hiphop_koolherc.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/e6/7a/e2/e67ae23a9439adc1794393e4a1dab3fd.jpg
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that really stuck out to me was the whole concept of playing the dozens. The videos that we watched with the battle rapping really stuck with me. The lyrical styles of the rappers and how they were able to intelligently come up with comebacks with each other after the other one had dissed them, to me was clever. I know we talked a lot about the Meek Mill and Drake in class but it was interesting to see how that beef kind of took over the media. From hearing the diss tracks dropped by both artists reminded me of the videos. One of the rappers had commented on the other one's father being a snitch and he continued to take blows towards his father and other personal things. Well this was sort of seen in Drake's 'Back to Back" diss track to Meek Mill when he made comments regarding his relationship to Nicki Minaj. It's also where alittle bi of braggadocio came into place when Drake compares his status of celebrity, to Meek Mill's status of Drake. He did this by inferring that Meek couldn't own his own, and that Nicki Minaj was basically carrying him and his career. This is clearly evident by the statement "shout out to all the boss bitches wifin' niggas." It is also very visible in the statement, "is it your world tour or your girl tour." This stood out to me, because I found it extremely interesting to see how practices that had started in the beginning can still have a huge impact on the culture that we have now. It's also interesting to see how it has changed since then. Like we said in class, we used to hear the jabs between the artists within the music but now the jabs are mainly expressed via social media and is not really felt in the music anymore. When we had discussed this point in class, we had used the example of Soulja Boy and Chris Brown and we had said that the usage of social media to air out the beefs instead of the music makes it seem staged and less organic like the videos we had watched with the battle rapping. It always intrigues me to see the different parallels between how the founding fathers of hip hop used certain practices and how the new rappers and hip hop artists have innovated and taken it into their own hands.
ReplyDeleteLearning about how DJs like Grandmaster Flash and DJ Kool Herc used B-Beats to make their own sound was very enjoyable. Creating new music with other music was very creative. It was interesting to see how Grandmaster Flash explained the way he mastered finding the breaks in each song to smoothly create the b-beats instead of the two songs clashing together. Although different people claim being the first person to do b-beats, they each have their different ways of creating their sounds and it was intriguing learning about them. Along with these unique sounds, they combined rapping, break-dancing, and graffiti. Music and dancing were hardly ever separated during this time, and that is still true in today's Hip-Hop culture. This gave viewers a visual aspect along with the music. This "cut and mix" aesthetic created a unique culture within the Black community, as well as others. It gave people the freedom to express themselves in an environment with other people.
ReplyDeleteImportant contributors to the "cut and mix" aesthetic:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bWBucLnKRZU/hqdefault.jpg - Grandmaster Flash
https://lucasmarie.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/breakdance-new-york.jpg - break-dancers
http://cf.collectorsweekly.com/uploads/2013/04/hiphop_koolherc.jpg - DJ Kool Herc
https://i2.wp.com/www.subwayoutlaws.com/Interviews/Futura2000/FUTURA2000__WALL_1980_copy.jpg - graffiti by Futura 2000
What resonated the most with me was how prevalent Disk Jockeying (DJing) was in transforming Hip-Hop into what it is now. Personally, as someone who is greatly invested in music production and sound engineering, it is interesting to see its origins. I thank Kool Herc and African Bambaataa for their role in pioneering the evolution of Hip-Hop. What was very interesting was to see how Bambaataa's work, in particular, how the Zulu Nation was determined to curve gang related violence. I think it is extremely important to recognize that all of these developments in Hip-Hop, from DJing to MCing Break Dancing etc, has had an astounding effect on the generations that come from it. I look to the past and only hope that the future of Hip-Hop holds more transformative icons such as these.
ReplyDeleteRobert C. Hall
DeleteKristen Shipley Blog Post
ReplyDeleteThe contribution that resonates the with me the most in this unit is the value spoken word and language added to hip hop. As an avid writer, I am fascinated by the poetics and literary devices MCs use in their rhymes, such as signifyin', slang, personification, alliteration and playing the dozens. As a young girl, I liked to look up and print song lyrics, read them and find the word play. I also used to break down the sounds and syllables within the songs to create my own lyrics to popular songs. I remember remixing the song "Best I Ever Had" by Drake with gospel lyrics and performing the song at a church youth conference. Performing the song live, I interacted with the crowd by adding a call and response part. In Hip Hop, the call and response engages the audience and helps people better relate to the music.
To know that MCing truly started off as a freestyle that fed off of crowd participation and then evolved to a more formal style interest me. While I can do a slight freestyle, I can see how talented one must be to come up with clever rhymes on the spot. A live freestyle MC must consider the music, the subject they want to talk about, the flow and interaction of their words. However, the written rhyme allows for lyrics with more introspection and intention, as an artist has time to think about what they want to share with the world.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDiamond Baker Blog Post
ReplyDeleteIf it weren’t for the creation of Hip-Hop many aspects in the African American culture would not exist. Hip-Hop introduced a way for African Americans both men and women to come together to showcase their creativity. An origin fact, contribution, or innovation that resonated with me the most is breaking dancing with B-Boys and B-Girls. I believe that break dancing had a large contribution to the Hip-Hop performances. Dancing created excitement and energy for HH music. In the 1970’s, during the time period where Dj Herc introduce the world to a new sound, B-Boys and B-Girls was seen as original, raw and natural. Dancing was looked as an artistic skill that several people wanted to master. Many people moved out the way to watch people show their skills of breaking dances. The best dancers in breaking dance were called "A1". I love the fact that there were B-Boys and B-Girls. Often in particular scenarios, boys are seen as dominant. However, when it came to HH dancing it was accepted for both genders to come together and showcase their skills. In consequence, the concept of break dancing created an evolution throughout Hip-Hop History. I find the timeline of dancing to be very interesting as HH dances changed from formal to informal. As breaking-dancing was on the rise, DJ’s created well-known dance moves in HH culture like the cabbage patch created by Dr. Dre in the early 80s. In the 1900’s the running man and the humpty dance. In today’s HH culture we see that with the majority of HH songs, dances goes with them. For example, the Milly Rock, The Harlem Shake, Cat Daddy, Chicken Noodle Soup and much more. The start of breaking dancing was the start of great performances and many popular dances within the HH culture.
Watch as Jimmy Fallon and Will Smith show the evolution of Hip Hop dances
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTpn30Pms8I
Watch a guy shows dances 1980 to 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uubH2ikgJPI
I have really enjoyed this unit. We talked about a wide array of things like B-beats, B-boys, graffiti, and playing the dozens. My favorite thing to talk about was the cyphers and how important they are in hip hop culture. I actually first got introduced to cyphers in 2009 when I watched my first BET Hip Hop Awards. Throughout the awards, every year they have different rappers and hip hop artists doing a cypher. I also love how everything connects. We discussed playing the dozens as it relates to diss tracks, jokes, and just plain making fun in songs and comedy. The cypher includes the art of playing the dozens when they talk about other artists and entertain the audience. I went to watch some cyphers as performed on stage because Dr. Jackson said that it was another kind of experience seeing it on stage in small venues. Below, I listed my two favorite cypher performances from the BET HIP HOP AWARDS.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhPhIj2ZBwA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xORtIEoQwNU
I am a fan of hip-hop, so a lot of the early information I already knew coming into the class. I enjoyed being able to create a timeline of the journey of hip hop. From the Disco beats to the Mumble Rap that is played on the radio today, hip hop music has come a long way. As a writer and an artist, I most enjoyed watching the battle rapping. I spend much of my spare time on youtube watching battles and interviews. I have always found it interesting to hear that with the use of wordplay, metaphors, and schemes a person could tell a story or pick their opponent apart. The battle between Chayna Ashley and MisFit was the least interesting of the two to me, simply because I am more interested in intricate rounds that I have to think about than I am with a lot of jokes. The battle between Charlie Clips and TRex was the first Men’s URL battle that I actually listened to. It immediately put Clips in my top 5 (I had no idea who the other four would be). They rappers used signifyin’ and “Playing the Dozen’s” connecting them to the early pieces of hip hop. Using some jokes about the other person’s family and some personal information they may have known about them, the battle gets more and more intense and, depending on what you believe, one rapper will inch ahead of the other. Everything we see today has roots in the earlier forms of hip-hop. Dj’ing and MCing go hand in hand. It just continues to grow and expand. I welcome the changes, but I do wish sometimes it would go back to the 90s- early 00s.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in a Hip-hop house hold I was educated on the origins of hip-hop prior to our class discussions. However, I was amazed at the amount of details I did not know. Seeing how the actions of Afrikan Bombata brought together gangs across the Bronx showed me how much strength there is in Hip-Hop Culture. The impact that Hip-Hop made on each interviewee in the "Founding Fathers" documentary and the "Hip Hop History" documentary was evident in their expressive recollection of the past. Breaking down what components make hip-hop culture was also eye opening. I was always aware of the poetic styling of many artists, yet I never knew that scholars had identified terms that define these practices. Identifying signifyin' was most interesting to me. This practice is something that I have heard in hip-hop music as well as in conversations within the black community. This along with the presences of other literary devices used in black communicative practices elucidate how Hip-Hop serves as one of the many platforms through which black culture is celebrated and illuminated. Looking at the past generations of MCs and Djs also changed my perspective on Hip-Hop today. Although numerous individuals played part in the founding of Hip-Hop, they each contributed in different ways and for different reasons. Because many components of Hip-Hop involve artistic expression, the artist is free to express creatively. The major historical shifts in Hip-Hop all came from someone who chose to present their art form in a different way. Considering this, I believe that mainstream commercial Hip-Hop today simply highlights a new form of expression. Elements of the past are still present and appreciated, however we cannot denounce the developments artists have made because it is different or because we do not like it. J Cole's style of rap focuses on lyricism and often involves narration, thus making him a modern griot. "Mumble rappers" such as Lil Uzi Vert, Future, and Lil Yachty employ literary devices such as bragadacio and playin' the dozens, but their delivery differs greatly. The current trend of "mumble Rap" that often lacks of lyricism and depth has become the focus of criticism. However, we cannot deny that their style is still rooted in black culture and stemmed from the origins of Hip-Hop. Run DMC was criticize by some for their "closed narrative" style and take on what it means to be a "B-Boy." Yet without their contribution, Hip-Hop would not have the global recognition it has today.
ReplyDeleteClass Blog 1 - Carena Meadows
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stuck out to me in this unit was DJing and the definition of break dancers and b-boys. Listening to music I never really thought about the art and the precision of how DJs mixed songs and sounds. I love listening to the 5 o'clock mixes on the radio or going to concerts and the DJ runs the break or even lyrics back in a song. It's mind blowing that DJ Kool Herc pioneered using a turntable to create the hip hop sound, how Grand Master Flash simply took a crayon to find the break of a song and how Run DMC brought MCing to life. In the 1970s when break beats were the hot new thing, break dancers were the entertainment at the parties. They were interesting to watch and brought the energy whenever they were. Once MCing evolved, break dancing began to grow out of style. MCing brought the development of B-boys (a cool hip-hop persona). It seems that many artist today have lost touch with the raw, heartfelt, and meaningful lyric hip hop once had. Before this class I never analyzed hip hop the way we do, but it has opened my eyes to how great the hip hop culture is. Below I attached a clip from the movie You Got Served, which brought break dancing back to life for the modern generation. This clip does a great job of the DJ's repetition of the break, the atmosphere the dancers brought and the seriousness break dancers had when it came to battling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svsLt5QcuQY
The thing that resonates in me the most is the notion of story telling. I have noticed that most people who listen to hip-hop always question whether or not the genre is negative and worth listening to, because of the artist as well as what the artist is saying. Although I love hip hop, I myself have been a critique of the genre many times relating it to violence and a plethora of negative things such as drugs, ses, misogyny etc. It was not until I read Geneva Smitherman's 'The Chain Remain the Same' that I for once am able to fully say I have a deeper understanding as to why the lyrics to most hip hop songs are inclusive of violence, sex, drugs etc. Smitherman told of how hip hop was primarily used as an outlet for pain and it shined light of the chaos in every day African-American life. This new found knowledge has allowed me to be more open to hip-hop and not as judgmental towards something I love so much.
ReplyDeletehttps://blackboard.ncat.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-2785480-dt-content-rid-12617124_2/courses/ENGL316030.201730/The%20Chain%20Remain%20the%20Same.GSmitherman.pdf