Origin of Rap

An MC or master of ceremonies is the word used to describe a rapper who MC’s while the DJ mixes the music. However, the term is not limited to only hip-hop, MCing, or emceeing, is utilized in many genres of music. They are known to host events and perform in front of an audience and keep the event entertaining. In addition to performing live, emceeing can also be done in a recording studio. Although many people believe hip hop and rap music is simple and holds no importance it actually led to many things being accomplished just through music. Emceeing is the verbal component of hip-hop; it is also an essential element of hip-hop.

Many people believe rapping started in New York, but it actually manifested in Jamaica. Rapping then found its way to New York when a legendary MC named Kool Herc brought it with him from Jamaica. In the 60’s Jamaican sound-system operators only had one turntable, so they employed people called ‘chanters’. These chanters would ‘toast’ over tracks in between records so that the people dancing wouldn’t get bored and walk away. Eventually the chanters realized that they could profit from this, and began recording, thus creating rap (Rap Music Began). Kool Herc brought this style of toasting to New York and would liven the crowd up by shouting things such as “throw your hands in the air, and wave ‘em like you just don’t care” (Mcing).

This eventually evolved into rapping when other people copied Kool Herc’s style of chanting over music, and fused it with poetry. Rap music started as something so simple and grew greater than anyone would've ever thought it could. The lyrical and vocal portion of hip hop is vital because it gave many people a voice. They were able to speak on things through music that they weren't able to before. This was the starting point to a whole new movement that no one had seen before.

"Mcing." Real Hip Hop. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.

"Rap Music Began on Jamaica in the 1960's." The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 June 1988. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.

Instrumentals

Most people don’t realize how much the music on a son is, apart from the lyrics/vocals. Although the main focus of the song is the rapper's vocals, I believe the beats contribute a lot to the song. The beat of a song in hip hop is commonly known as the instrumental of a song. A song would not be complete without a well-made instrumental. Instrumentals aren't really recognized by most people because the main focus of a song is usually the artist rapping on the song.

 In a lot of underground rap instrumentals are held in high regard.  A lot of underground rappers collaborate with producers and make some of the best mix tapes I've ever heard. With some of the new technologies producers are able to create some of the most original beats. Some of my favorite producers/collabs are Curren$y and The Alchemist, Blue and Exile, and MF Doom and Madlib. 

Sometimes I even like to listen to only instrumentals of songs. The instrumentals are the music portion of a hip hop song that doesn’t include any rapping or vocals. Instrumentals are usually made by a producer. The producer is the person who makes the instrumental, using all types of types of techniques and samples to set off the song.

Sampling is when a piece of one song is cut and put into another song and used as part of the beat as an instrument. This technique originated when DJs didn't have many other resources so they would use what they had. Producers use samples from virtually anything, the more original the sample the better the beat turns out. Producers incorporate samples into beats looping the sample, which is done by cutting the sample so it plays continuously. Then adding a couple of drum sounds onto the sample. 

Here are some good examples of samplings and instrumentals:

Blu & Exile - Unlisted Bonus Track." YouTube. YouTube, 13 Aug. 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.

"Flying Lotus - MmmHmm." YouTube. YouTube, 06 July 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.

"Wiz Khalifa - Kush & OJ Samples." YouTube. YouTube, 04 Feb. 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.

Classic Hip-Hop Elements

I believe one of the most important things about current rap or hip-hop is preserving the things that hip-hop revolve around. I feel as though if people begin to forget what makes hip-hop so great, it won't leave the mark in history that it deserves. I really like when current hip-hop artists incorporate classic components into songs, it shows how much of an appreciation they have for hip-hop. 

I find songs with that quality, recorded in a low-budget studio, crackly, vintage-y sound somehow beautiful. Lo-fi, which is another word for low-fidelity, which is basically that grainy sounding, low quality music, but it's done on purpose. It gives the song a more classic hip-hop sound, many people would say it depreciates the song, however, I conceive it to make the song even better. It gives off a nostalgic vibe, almost as if the song were from the 90's/80's. 

Another element that can be used to give songs a classical feel is the scratching. Scratching is a technique used by turntablists, which is taking the sound on a record, and moving the record back and forth to create a scratching noise. Most people don't know how many different techniques are used by turntablists. Turntablism is a lot more complicated than playing records on a turntable, which can take quite a long time to fully master. Originally the main role of a DJ was to play songs on turntables, which are what records are played on, and mix tracks in between songs to make them flow together. Many famous DJs developed a technique to find precise points in a song by dropping the needle on a record, these are called turntablists. They are called turntablist because they are able to use a turntable in a different and unique way. As defined by "turntablism defined" a  turntablist is someone who uses the turntables to manipulate sounds and beats on a record, and create their own music or sounds to it (Turntablism Defined). 



True hip-hop lovers want to keep these elements alive because there are lot of people who aren't familiar with where these sounds originated. I hope one day old school hip-hop elements will make their way back into modern day songs and make an even bigger impact on music than it did before. 

An example of current rappers involving classic hip-hop elements in their songs: 

"JUICE DJ BATTLE." YouTube. YouTube, 24 June 2006. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

"Kid Abstrakt - Let My Tape Rock." YouTube. YouTube, 12 June 2012. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.

"Turntablism Defined." Turntablism Defined. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.

Beatboxing

Beatboxing is a fascinating part of hip-hop; it is a person replicating the sounds of a beatbox using only their mouths. I find beatboxing very intriguing, and have always wished that I was skilled with being able to beatbox really well. It may seem easy but once you actually attempt it you just end up with spit flying everywhere and no actual beatbox sounds coming out. It requires a lot of skill and practice, which many of the pros have mastered and made use of in their careers. The art of beatboxing has left a huge impression on hip-hop culture, it creates and unrefined raw sound that can't be reproduced in today's music using computer software produced beats.


Since actual beat machines were expensive and MC's couldn't afford them they improvised, thus beatboxing came into being. Some of my favorite beatboxers are Rahzel, Biz Markie, and Doug E Fresh; I believe they cultivated the foundation of a whole new era of hip-hop, back when beatboxing was still in its prime. According to Mary Elizabeth:  “beatboxing is the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, voice, nasal passage and throat"(Elizabeth). Watching pro beatboxers is so interesting because it actually does sound like they're using some type of beat machine but all of the sound is produced vocally.  

Not many people know where and when beatboxing began specifically, like many other aspects of hip-hop. However, most would say beatboxing originated from 'The Fat Boys', a group made up of: Mark "Prince Markie Dee" Morales, Darren "The Human Beat Box" Robinson, and Damon "Kool Rock-ski" Wimbley. Since Robinson couldn't afford a drum set he would replicate the sounds that would normally emit from a drum set (The Fat Boys). It's astounding how The Fat Boys utilized not having something and creating a completely new hip-hop subculture. 


Beatboxing is a class of its own, just as other subdivisions of hip-hop it plays and important role. It gives people room to create raw music, without anything except them mouths. Beatboxing just proves how creative people can be; when they don't have the resources necessary to make music they create it themselves. These days, however, beatboxing isn’t very popular anymore. Human beatboxers have been replaced with free computer programs that anyone can use. Although there is probably still an entire community of people who revolve their lives around beatboxing who probably still appreciate the art. I hope one day beatboxing will make a comeback, maybe in some post-apocalyptic era where all people have is their mouths to create beautiful music.  

           "Amazing Human Beatbox." YouTube. YouTube, 03 Oct. 2006. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

Elizabeth, Mary, and Bronwyn Harris. WiseGeek. Conjecture, n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

"Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh - La Di Da Di (Full Version)." YouTube. YouTube, 04 May 2009. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.

"The Fat Boys." The Fat Boys. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.