CAT 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Mc Lyte, 2 Live Crew, Dj Jazzy Jeff
Testing analytical perspectives
â—Ź How can we think of hip-hop (or its subgenres) as
â—‹ Subculture?
â– Resistance to dominant/mainstream culture
â– Culture itself has contradictions, so subculture emerges
â—‹ Neo-tribe?
â– Always changing, evolving, values and outward expressions change over
time
â– Use commodities and resources already available to create own identity
â—Ź Redefinition or aggregation
â—‹ Scene?
â– One particular moment
â—‹ Articulated genre?
â– Genre - collection of musical values, conventions
The Origins of the NY Rap Scene
â—Ź Distant relations to African Griots/Jeli
â—‹ Professional storytellers using songs as structural basis
â—‹ Often employed by local rulers to tell family and cultural history, offering advice
● Directly following traditions of Jamaican toasting and “sound system” culture
○ DJ’s celebrating themselves, hyping the party
â—‹ Sound Selectors playing popular records using large sound reinforcement
systems
The Birth of Rap
â—Ź DJ Kool Herc and sister hold regular house parties in Bronx borough of NY
â—‹ Spinning soul and funk music(e.g. James Brown)
● August 11, 1973 - DJ Kool Herc utilizes two turntables to repeat the same “break”
continuously for dancing and toasting
○ “Breaking,” “b-boy,” “b-girl” as slang developing from the practice
Rewind: Toasting to Social Critique
● “Rapper’s Delight”
â—‹ First rap release in 1979
○ Continuous toasting over Chic’s “Good Times” break
â—‹ Celebrating the rappers and the party
● “The Message”
â—‹ Grand Master Flash and Furious Five 1982
â—‹ Critiquing the state of African American urban neighborhoods
The Early NY Style
● “Passing the mic” - multiple rappers alternating
â—‹ Quick alternation between rappers within a verse
â—‹ Participatory engagement instead of singular focus on 1 person
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
How can we think of hip-hop (or its subgenres) as. Culture itself has contradictions, so subculture emerges. Always changing, evolving, values and outward expressions change over. Use commodities and resources already available to create own identity. Genre - collection of musical values, conventions. Professional storytellers using songs as structural basis. Often employed by local rulers to tell family and cultural history, offering advice. Directly following traditions of jamaican toasting and sound system culture. Sound selectors playing popular records using large sound reinforcement systems. Dj kool herc and sister hold regular house parties in bronx borough of ny. Spinning soul and funk music(e. g. james brown) August 11, 1973 - dj kool herc utilizes two turntables to repeat the same break continuously for dancing and toasting. Breaking, b-boy, b-girl as slang developing from the practice. Continuous toasting over chic"s good times break. Grand master flash and furious five 1982. Critiquing the state of african american urban neighborhoods.
