1. Hip Hop / Rap

2. Rap - an energetic and highly rhythmic, spoken form of accompanied “song” that centers on the harsh realities of urban America of [largely] disenfranchised black youths.
Birth place: The Bronx in NYC; thrived in Black and Puerto Rican communities
4 Elements of Hip Hop DJ
Emcee (“MC”)
Break Dancing
Graffiti Art

3. Originators of Hip Hop: Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaata
NOT ORIGINATOR, but still important: Grand Wizard Theodore

4. 3 Important Events
NYC Parks Commissioner Robert Moses OK’s the building of an expressway through the Bronx, resulting in middle class disappearing quickly, taking businesses and factories with them. Those people were replaced by poor Black and Hispanic families (accompanied by crime, drug addiction, and unemployment)

5. 1968 - completion of a 15,382 unit apartment complex in N
completion of a 15,382 unit apartment complex in N. Bronx encourages the rest of the middle class to leave. Results in skyrocketing vacancies, forcing landlords to sell to slumlords - Bronx becomes deteriorated neighborhood with dirty, rundown, vacant buildings

6. Savage Seven - group of 7 teenage boys terrorizing SE Bronx
Savage Seven - group of 7 teenage boys terrorizing SE Bronx. When more kids joined, changed name to the Black Spades (Afrika Bambaataa was once a member).
Gangs reach their peak in 1973 and start to decline due to drugs, others wiped out by rivals, girls got tired of gang life & wanted to raise kids.
Lays groundwork gang related activities that would overwhelm the Bronx for the next 6 years.

7. Kool Herc
Real Name: Clive Campbell - born in 1955 in Kingston, Jamaica
Emigrated to the Bronx in 1967 at age 12
Herc enjoyed the “break” of the record - the section when the singer would stop singing and the rhythm section would keep playing
Purchased 2 copies of the same record and play it on 2 different turntables, playing the break on one record, then when it was over, switching to the other record to play the break from that one
This is the section of the records that break dancers would eventually dance to, rappers would rap over, and led to “looping” in electronic music
Worked with Coke LaRock - considered the first MC in the history of hip-hop
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8. Grandmaster Flash Real Name: Joseph Sadler - born in 1958 in Barbados
Grew up in the Bronx and performed live at dances and block parties
By 19, Flash was attending technical school for electronics during the day and was spinning on the local disco circuit
Developed a series of groundbreaking techniques including “cutting” - moving between tracks exactly on the beat; “back- spinning” - manually turning records to repeat brief snippets of sound; and “phasing” - manipulating turntable speeds
Flash worked with the “Furious Five” - rappers Melle Mel (Melvin Glover), Cowboy (Keith Wiggins), Kid Creole (Nathaniel Glover), Mr. Ness (Eddie Morris) and Rahiem (Guy Williams)
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9. Afrika Bambaataa
Real Name: Kevin Donovan - born 1957 in South Bronx, NY
Established a hip-hop awareness group called the Universal Zulu Nation
United different youth groups in NY. There were break dancers, DJs, MCs and graffiti artists throughout the city and Bambaataa brought them together under the name Universal Zulu Nation
This united front was the birth of the hip-hop movement and the hip- hop culture.
Universal Zulu Nation gave kids a safe place to express their art, no matter the medium
Coins the term Hip-Hop
Planet Rock - mixture of punk, hip-hop & electronics
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10. Grand Wizard Theodore
Real Name: Theodore Livingston - born in 1963 in Bronx, NY
Theodore’s older brothers were a duo called the “L-Brothers” and frequently collaborated with Grandmaster Flash - Flash learned that Theodore had a talent on the turntables and worked with him as a mentor
Credited with pioneering the “needle drop” - a technique where instead of cueing the record silently, the needle is dropped onto the record at the start of the music, instead of in a section of silence; also pioneered the technique of “scratching” - pulling a record back against the needle to return it to the desired section of music. Rhythms were added to the scratch to make it more interesting and percussive
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11. 4 Elements of Hip-hop Explained
DJ-ing
mid 1960s, DJs worked at discotheques and nightclubs, spinning records. They then started to get creative and develop techniques that transformed them into the idea of the DJs we know now
Manipulation of a record over a particular groove. Extension of the “break” of the record

12. MC-ing/Rapping
started when DJs could no longer communicate with the crowd because their techniques were too involved. The MC was in charge of building up the crowd
“Talking in rhyme to the rhythm of the beat”

13. Rappers would rap to the theme songs of old tv shows
Rappers would rap to the theme songs of old tv shows. A popular choice was the theme to Gilligan’s Island
Traces back to Jamaican “toasting”, also known as “chatting” - act of talking or chanting over a rhythm or beat. Lyrics can be improvised or pre-written
Kurtis Blow (’79) 1st Hip Hop Star “King of Rap” - Not a lot of skill, but is a ladies man.
Works crowd— “somebody scream”
gets first major record deal for a rapper
Debbie Harry (Blondie) meets Flash & intro’s her to hip-hop scene. Makes “Rapture” as an homage to Rap and G.M. Flash, introduces rap to her fans
“Rapture” is 1st most of America hears something of rap…

14. Break Dancing
also known as “b-boying” or “b-girling”, this is a type of street dancing that became popular in the 1970s in NYC. 4 kinds of movement: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes. Made popular by Universal Zulu Nation
Some say: traces roots back to capoeira, an ancient form of dance fighting from Brazil

15. Graffiti Art
dates back to WWII. In 50’s: used by street gangs for self-promotion, territorial boundaries & intimidation. Around 1969, graffiti becomes way of life with its own code of behavior, secret gathering places, slang and esthetic standards
whole subway car murals start to appear - Lee Quinones is artist to start this
Transit Authority sees this as vandalism and establishes a subway car wash in ’77. Cost $400,000
Quinones moves on to start painting handball courts
Fred Brathwaite - Fab 5 - Claudio Bruni = $1,000/piece

16. Early Labels
Def Jam Records - one of the 1st Hip Hop labels (becomes premiere hip hop label)
created by Russell Simmons & Rick Rubin
NYU dorm room
1st artist signed: LL Cool J
“You’ve got to hear this kid. He’s just so weird!”
Real street music

17. Important Rap Songs “Rapper’s Delight” - Sugarhill Gang
1st single to popularize hip-hop in the US and around the world
Producer Sylvia Robinson (R&B/Rock artist) hears b-day party and felt there was a market for it. Forms the group
Wonder Mike (Mike Wright), Big Bank Hank (Henry Jackson), Master Gee (Guy O’Brien) replaced by Kory O.
Controversy: Henry used Grandmaster Caz’s (& Cold Crush) rhymes. Group also stole “Good Times” bass line from the band Chic. Chic sued and now are listed as writers for “Rapper’s Delight”

18. “The Message” - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Released as a single by Sugar Hill Records (same company that started Sugarhill Gang)
First prominent hip-hop song to provide a lyrical social commentary (brings realism & social conscience to rap)
“Walk This Way” - Run DMC & Aerosmith
Brings rap to the mainstream; Run DMC adds elements of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal to their rap
Run DMC - Joseph Simmons (Run) b. 1964, Darryl McDaniels (DMC) b. 1974, Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay) b d from Queens, NY
Aerosmith - Steven Tyler (b. 1948) and Joe Perry (b ) - from Boston, MA

19. “No Sleep till Brooklyn” - Beastie Boys
1st significant white rappers
Michael Diamond (Mike D) b. 1965, Adam Yauch (MCA) b. 1964, Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) b. 1966
Originally formed as a 4 piece hardcore punk band
Toured with Madonna in 1985
“Ice Ice Baby” - Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle (b. 1967)
Thought of by many as a poser / “one hit wonder”
Stole bass line from Queen / David Bowie song collaboration “Under Pressure”

20. “Fight the Power” - Public Enemy
Preaches black power, standing together to fight oppression from whites / government
Group tries to start a civil rights revolution
Also release songs like “911 is a Joke” (political activism)
“Push It” - Salt n Pepa
1st significant female rap artists
Shows that girls have to “sell themselves” to get by
Cheryl James (Salt), Sandra Denton (Pepa) and Deidra Roper (DJ Spinderella)
(song sampled from James Brown “Say It Loud, I’m Black and Proud”)

21. “Colors” - Ice T
Title track for the film of the same name
Movie stars Sean Penn and Robert Duval as cops in LA
Shows violence between LA gangs
“You Owe Me” - Nas featuring Ginuwine
Women owe sexual favors for being allowed to drive cars, getting jewelry - equates women to slaves
Nas - Nasir Jones, b in Brooklyn; Ginuwine - Elgin Baylor Lumpkin, b in Austin, TX
Considered modern rap

22. “You Must Learn” - KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker, b. 1965
KRS-One = Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone
Song is a plea to blacks to learn their own history and become educated; don’t live up to the “thug” stereotype
“Me So Horny” - 2 Live Crew
David Hobbs (DJ Mr. Mixx), Chris Wong Won (Fresh Kid Ice), Yuri Vielot (Amazing V)
From Miami, FL
Controversial for taking explicitly sexual lyrics to a whole new level
Prompted the movement for “Parental Advisory Stickers” on CDs and music censorship that stopped good music from getting air time on the radio
Gave hip-hop a bad stigma

23. Gangsta Rap
Seen as a way to capitalize on society’s want to consume the worst possible image of blacks
Dr. Dre, Ice Cube
Scarface text woven thru Gangsta Rap

24. Straight Outta Compton
Album and song title

25. “Dear Mama” - written by Tupac Shakur
prison inmate/death row letter to mom
possibly an expression of himself??
“Forgot about Dre” - Dr Dre featuring Eminem and Snoop Dog
“Stan” - Eminem with Dido
Marshall Bruce Mathers, b. 1972
letter to artist; murder/suicide; accident
shows influence artists have over fans
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26. West vs East Coast hip-hop
East Coast: more Afrocentric and politically conscious
Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A. (Niggaz with Attitude)
“Gangsta Rap” Brought messages of street violence, crime, misogyny (e.g. - “F**k tha Police”
Dress in baggy “prison blues”, silver/black colors of bad- boy L.A. Raiders, unfashionable Jheri-curl hairstyle
Eazy-E (Eric Wright), Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson), Dr. Dre (Andre Young), DJ Yella (Antoine Carraby), MC Ren (Lorenzo Patterson)
Goes platinum (sells 1 million units) with minimal airplay
Condemned by 200,000 member National Fraternal Order of Police & rep of the F.B.I.

27. Ice Cube leaves due to financial disputes
goes to NY, records with Public Enemy’s production team
Dre left the group (’92)
1st solo album The Chronic
establishes himself as premier hip-hop producer of 90’s
one of the artists/producers to have the biggest impact on gangsta rap - started and funded a lot of groups
forms Death Row Records with Suge Knight
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28. Other Important people
Tupac
Tupac Amaru Shakur - known by his stage names 2Pac and briefly Makaveli
Born in 1971 in Harlem, NY but was a West Coast rapper
Sold over 75 million records
Ranked by MTV as #2 on their “Greatest MC’s of All Time”
Spent time in prison - was in prison for 5 counts of sexual abuse and Suge Knight of Death Row Records paid his $1.4 million bail and signed him to the label
Big player in East Coast vs. West Coast feud

29. Notorious B.I.G - aka Biggie Smalls, Biggie
Real Name: Christopher Wallace; born in NYC
released debut album: Ready to Die
Dropped out of HS and got involved in dealing drugs
Popular songs - Big Poppa, One More Chance
Source Awards: Best New Artist, Lyricist of the Year, Live Performer of the Year, and Album of the Year
Billboard Awards: Rap Artist of the Year

30. Suge Knight
Real Name: Marion Knight, b in Compton, CA
CEO/Executive Producer of Death Row Records
Death Row Records was co-founded with Dr. Dre and they vowed to make it the “Motown” of the 90s - Motown was THE label to get signed with in the 60s
Sean Combs
AKA: Puff Daddy, Diddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, etc.
Born 1969 in Harlem, NY
Worked as talent director at Uptown Records before founding Bad Boy Records
released debut album No Way Out
Won 3 Grammy’s and 2 MTV VMA awards
Runs clothing line Sean John

31. Eminem
Real Name: Marshall Mathers, b in Missouri
Ranked 82 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Artists of All Time”
Has 10 #1 albums on the Billboard 200
Also a member of groups “D-12” and “Bad Meets Evil”
One of the most prominent white rappers
Jay-Z
Real Name: Shawn Carter, b in Brooklyn, NY
Rapper and record producer. Past president of Def Jam Records, co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records and founder of Roc Nation
Also an MLB and NBA Agent
Holds record for most #1 albums by a solo artist on Billboard 200 (13)

32. East Coast vs. West Coast Rivalry
Feud in the 1990s between artists AND fans of East and West Coast hip-hop
Labels and artists were clashing: East Coast - Notorious B.I.G (label: Bad Boy Records - Sean Combs) vs. West Coast - Tupac (label: Death Row Records - Suge Knight)
Tupac was shot at a recording studio in NYC and publicly accused Biggie and Combs of planning to have him robbed and shot 5 times
Biggie released a b-side track “Who Shot Ya?” after Tupac was shot and Tupac saw that as a taunt even though Biggie insisted the track was recorded previously

33. Suge Knight took a dig at Combs for frequently being in his artists’ videos and on their tracks. Later, at a party that they were both at, a close friend of Knight’s was fatally shot. He accused Combs of arranging the shooting
In retaliation for “Who Shot Ya?”, Tupac jumped on anyone’s track to try to diss Biggie
9/13/96 - Tupac was shot 6 times in Las Vegas during a drive by shooting
3/9/97 - Notorious B.I.G. was shot to death in another drive by shooting
Both murders to this day are unsolved but many people suspect Combs and Knight were involved in killing the rapper from the rival label