Before there was Hip-Hop . . .

This module examines the

many predecessors to Hip-
Hop. A true appreciation
for rap music requires a
decent grounding in its
musical roots.!

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 Introduction
•  This module is intended to be a primer on the
evolution of Black music leading up to Hip-
Hop.!
•  Various sound
•  Many people discount the influence of other files will be
genres on early Hip-Hop. This module is placed here.!
intended to shed light onto the long musical •  Click the image
to play sound.
tradition which Hip-Hop has joined.! Double click
•  Please spend time to listen to the various movie files.!
links . . . Rap music has used sampling to •  Billie Holiday!
“God Bless
reinvent the music of yesteryear.! the Child”!
•  There is a brief evaluation at the end (similar
to the deejay module) !

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Notes 2
•  This section will be used to highlight interesting tidbits about the
music.!
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 Introduction
•  This module is
intended to be a
primer on the
evolution of Black
music leading up to
•  Various sound
Hip-Hop.! files will be
•  Many people discount placed here.!
the influence of other •  Click the image
genres on early Hip- to play sound.
Double click
Hop. This movie files.!
presentation is •  Billie Holiday!
intended to shed “God Bless
light onto the long the Child”!
musical tradition
which Hip-Hop has
joined.!

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Notes 4
•  This section will be used to highlight interesting tidbits about the
music.!
 … practicing what you preach
•  For a five year period, the best!
High school parties in the city took !
Place at Fordham Prep!
•  Your Professor was the president !
Of Kawaida, the African-American !
Club as well as one of 5 people!
On the executive board of student !
Government [meaning he had some !
Pull and used it at every opportunity]!
•  In addition to DJ Clue, S&S, and !
A spot appearance by Kid Capri, !
Ron G blessed us twice with his skills !

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This flyer was given to Prof Ryan by a 5
former student who actually ATTENDED
parties at Fordham Prep.
 Characteristic of Black Music
•  Rapping has been traced back to the griots [keepers of the history of
African tribes – human repositories of fact, wit, and wisdom] of Africa. !
–  The storytelling of emcees, often informs the audience of the
current state of affairs within Hip-Hop (and sometimes the
world).! `
•  Katrina
•  Jay-Z released a freestyle the same evening of 9/11.!
•  “The Message” -- Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five! Klap by
•  Mos Def released the “Katrina Klap”, which uses the beat “Mos Def”
from Juvenille’s (who is from New Orleans) “Nolia Clap”!
–  Underground emcees, those who have not gained commercial
(I.e. mainstream) acclaim/success, have greater leeway to talk
about controversial subjects!
•  While Kanye West spoke out on national Television, emcee
Immortal Technique was joined by Mos Def for a track “Bin
Laden”!
–  Typically, the years 1986-1994, where Public Enemy, X-Clan,
Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, and a Tribe Called Quest were a
major part of this movement. !

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 Common themes
•  Two themes in Black music, “struggle”
against inequity and “progress” towards
freedom!
–  Beginning with slave songs and spirituals and
continuing through gospel, jazz, Motown and rap, the
lyrical content of Black music has typically mirrored the
trial and tribulation which many Black Americans were
encountering.!
–  With slavery ending in 1865, the Jim Crow Era, The
Civil Rights Movement, the urban renewal of the
1970s and 1980s and even the economic boom of the
1990s . . . The music has often followed the plight of
the people.!
–  The mainstream success of rap music has toned down
some of the messages, emcees such as Nas, Talib
Kweli, Paris, Common, Jean Grae, the Coup and
Scarface still mix message and entertainment.!

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Notes 7
KRS-One’s 1991 album Edutainment, coined the term.!
The album’s self-titled single proclaimed:!
 Predecessors to rap
•  Early (1977-1984) Rap music was heavily influenced
by the sounds and styles of the music of the 60s
and 70s.!
–  Disco, R&B, and reggae/dub (migration from the Caribbean
allowed deejays to bring their personal knowledge directly into
the culture).!
•  As knowledge of production methods and studio Bootsy Collins !
and George Clinton
management matured, distinct sounds began to
(below) were two of the
emerge: ! biggest stars in the funk
–  jazz-fusion (east coast) ! movement of the 1970s.
–  funk (west coast)! The early dress in Hip-
–  drum and bass (south)! Hop closely mirrors this
period.!
•  Today, rap music is fused by many genres, from rock
and roll (popularized by Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock)
to reggaeton (I.e. Daady Yankee). !

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Notes 8
This module will cover the musical influences which impacted
Hip-Hop until 1970. Disco and later will be covered
separately. !
 Predecessors to rap
•  The political scene of the late 1960 and early 1970s
also played a role in shaping the ideologies of early
emcees.!
•  Poets such as Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Nikki
Giovanni, and Gil Scott Heron (best known fort his
poem stating “The Revolution will Not be
Televised”) brought activism and awareness to their
audience.!
•  The Last Poets are typically given the most credit for
transferring the image of poetry!
–  By using poetry as a platform of self-expression, they convinced
an urban audience to be more accepting of poetry (which had
long been considered an upper-class ‘thing’)!
–  The Last Poets first performed in Marcus Garvey Park on the
anniversary of Malcolm X’s birthday (May 19, 1968)!
•  Playing the dozens and the fast paced whit involved
can be seen in early rap battles and has been
popularized by televised freestyle battles on MTV !
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The African-American tradition of playing the dozens is when two
acquaintances go head to head in a contest of often good-natured, "trash-
talk". They take turns insulting —one another, their adversary's mother, or
other family member until one of them has no comeback.!
 Importance of the last poets
Darius James, in his book "That's Blaxploitation!" (St.
Martin's Griffin, 1995) talks of the impact of the Last
Poets:!

Most importantly, they made you think and kept you

"correct" on a revolutionary level. We all connected. 'Cause
it was a Black communal thing. Like the good vibes and
paper plate of red-peppered potato salad at a neighborhood
barbecue.

The words and the rhythms were relevant. We joined

together around the peace pipe and the drum. And when it
came to the rhythms of the drums, the drums said, "Check
your tired-ass ideology at the door."!
This clip from the movie Freestyle
introduces the Last Poets. The clip
begins with a brief sound-bite from
Mohammad Ali. Ali used words
effectively to taunt his opponents.!

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Notes Video Link: 10
Gil Scott Heron and Last Poets use poetry to promote the idea of http://www.sharehiphop.com/
change as serious revolution . Rap music took its cue from nclc375/video1.mp4
these early emcees.!
 Somewhat distinct to black music
•  Call and Response – a statement given by a song leader
that is immediately followed by a response from a chorus!
•  Preachers in the Black church often use this technique to
engage the congregation - - ”Can I get an Amen?” !
•  Below are a few examples from rap music
–  Can I kick It . . . YES YOU CAN!
» A Tribe Called Quest Listen to Naughty by
Nature, “OPP”!
–  Who’s House . . . RUN’S HOUSE!
» RUN DMC
–  You down wit OPP . . . YEAH YOU KNOW ME!
» Naughty by Nature
–  A-Yo . . . A-IGHT
» KRS-ONE

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The deejay was the first ‘crowd master”, they spoke to the crowd through 11
their musical selections and would sometimes use call and response
methods. Cowboy of the Furious Five is often called the first ‘hype-man’
speaking to the crowd through chants. !
 Somewhat distinct to black music
•  Call to action – a statement given by a song leader which calls
for a physical response from the audience!
–  This practice began in early rap as the party was the main scene
for Hip-Hop!
•  The deejay was the main vocal leader before Grand Master Flash
began to use emcees to speak to the crowd!
•  Early examples of: “Throw Your hands in the Air” or “Pump Your
Fist” gave way to video-induced, more explicit calls from many of
today’s emcees.!
•  Below are a few examples from rap music
•  Jump Around (House of Pain)!
•  Throw Ya guns in the air (Onyx)!
•  Jump . . . (Kriss Kross)!
•  Slam . . . (Onyx)!
•  Put Ya Hands where my Eyes can See (Busta Rhymes)!
•  Lean Back (Fat Joe)!
•  Shake it Fast (Mystikal) -- an example of stadium or This clip from the movie “Freestyle”
anthem music! shows crowd response from various
•  Take Your Shirt Off (Petey Pablo) Hip-Hop acts: Black Eyed Peas (pre-
Fergie), De La Soul, early Eminem,
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Notes KRS-One, and the Ruler -- Slick
Rick 12
Today, these songs in Hip-Hop are sometimes called ‘anthem’ rap
songs. These songs gain recognition when they are played in large
stadium events where the crowd typically reacts to the ‘call to action’.!
 Music of the early 1900s
• Ragtime – Text mirrored the arduous and often
unfair conditions under which African-American’s lived
and labored!
– Differed from spirituals as they lacked religiosity!
– As the name suggests, these were the songs they
sang as they worked (typically in the fields)!
– Popular in the late 1890s thru the early 1920s! • Jelly Roll Morton
snippet!
– Scott Joplin is considered a pioneer of ragtime http://
www.southernmusic.
• Classical Jazz! net/jellybio.htm!

• Earliest body of work to express the feelings of

• Scott Joplin
African -American’s! snippet,
• Popular musicians: Jelly Roll Morton! Reflection Rag!
•  Though not as popular as in the earlier part of the
century, Wynton Marsalis, among others has kept
classical jazz alive to a new generation. !

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Between 1909 and 1915, Morton appeared at Tom Anderson's Annex
in New Orleans, as well as many other places in and out of the city.
California became his base of operations from 1915 to 1923, Chicago
from 1923 to 1928, and New York from 1928 to 1935.!
 Work Songs and Spirituals
• Works songs – Text mirrored the arduous and often
unfair conditions under which African-American’s lived and
labored!
– Differed from spirituals as they lacked religiosity!
– As the name suggests, these were the songs they sang as Listen to spirituals!
they worked (in the fields, in chain gangs or on the railroads)
(click to listen . . .!
• Spirituals! Sorry could not find
• Earliest body of work to express the feelings of African - these files)!
American’s!
• Connected song and dance to produce an ecstatic state in
participants . . . ceremony involved the whole group!
• The expressive part of this music became the backbone of This collection contains some of the
the Black church, setting it a part from the more earliest spirituals. Spirituals
evolved into early gospel.!
‘traditional’ ceremonies of the South.!
•  Both work songs and spirituals were popular from
the 1870s to the early 1900s (< 1910)!

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•  In rural meetings, thousands slaves were gathered and listened to 14
itinerant preachers, and sang spirituals, for hours. In the late
1700s, they sang the precursors of spirituals, which were called
“corn ditties”. www.negrospirituals.com
 Coon Songs (1880-1920)
•  Minstrel Shows !
–  Popular in the early half of the 1800’s typically had all
white casts in blackface!
–  Actors would mock Negro culture to the delight of mainly
white audiences!
•  Coon Songs!
–  Ushered in with the advent of ragtime and benefited from
ragtime’s acceptance into mainstream popular culture!
–  Blended street culture, language and idiom into the
performance!
–  Performed (sung) and written largely by African-American’s
and provided the first insight into African-American culture!
–  The most popular acts became the highest paid African-
American’s, though royalties mainly went to whites!

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Coon songs were primarily written by Blacks. 15
White writers began to pen such songs when the
financial gain became apparent.
 Popular Coon Songs
•  “All Coons Look Alike to Me” by Ernest Hogan
(1896)!
–  Spurred many copycats . . . All Chinks/Spaniards Look Alike . . .!
•  “A Trip to Coontown” by Cole and Johnson (1897)!
•  “All I want is My Black Baby Back” by Bessie
Gilliam (1898)!
•  “I’m Tired of Dodging the Installment Man” by
Carrie Hall (1902)!
•  “When a Coon Sits in the Presidential Chair” by
Sally Cotrell (1899)!
•  “Dat’s De Way to Spell CHICKEN” (1902) by Sidney
Perrin!
•  Mammy’s Little Pumpkin Colored Coons” (1902) by
Sidney Perrin!

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The colored man writes the “Coon” song, the colored singer sings the “coon” 16
song, the colored race is compelled to stand for the belittling and ignomy of
the “coon” song, but the money for the “coon” song flows with ceaseless
activity into the white man’s pockets. Indianapolis Freeman, August 1901
 Gospel Music
• Began early 1920s and 30s!
•  Distinct characteristics
• Hand clapping and foot stomping!
• Unrestrained African vocality!
• African-derived rhythms, textures, and performance •  Mahalia
Jackson!
• Musical accompaniment by piano (or organ) , guitar,
tambourine, triangle and drums! •  Fisk Jubilee
– Survival instinct was necessary in the 1920s – a decade of Singers!
extremes that saw the resurgence of the KKK. •  The Gospel
Wonders!
•  Gospel music remains a staple of the Black !
Church … over time, it has evolved!
– Advances in musical accompaniment, individual style (I.e. the
soloist adds their persona to the song) and emerging trends
in music (Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin) have allowed gospel to!
remain relevant to a new generation. !

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Notes The Bethel Lutheran Gospel Choir, 17
•  Early Gospel (pre-1930 consisted of two kinds of groups: the all called “the most spiritual Lutheran
male quartet who sung a capella and the all female group who sung choir on earth,”
with a piano accompaniment.!
 The Blues -- ‘Coon Shouters’
• Began early 1920s and 30s!
•  Distinct Characteristics!
• Covers a wide range of musical expression, from classic
country blues to blues-tinged jazz performances!
• Urban Blues were prominent until late1930s – Bessie •  Muddy
Smith, Ma Rainey – generates emotion, drama and Waters!
modality!
• Memphis was a hotbed for the Blues. This tradition would
continue with Stax records in the Motown era
•  The Great Depression!
• The impact of the Great Depression should be kept in
mind when considering the Blues!
• Unemployment hit African-American’s harder than any
other group . . . More than half were out of work!
• The New Deal helped create programs which helped
African-American’s (and other groups)!

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•  Ma Rainey Clip!
–  “Tough Luck Blues”!
 Swing and Bebop
•  Swing music was popular from 1935-1945!
– Popular musicians of that time include: Count Basie
(Kansas City), Duke Ellington (of Washington DC),
Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Domino!
– Swing music also ushered in the era of big band •  Fats Domino!
where audiences would gather to hear large bands •  Dizzy
playing popular tunes. Gillespie!
•  Bebop was popular from 1939-1950!
– Bebop grew out of improvisational sessions in NYC clubs.
These sessions are sometimes compared to ciphers (where
emcees get together and freestyle) in Hip-Hop!
–  Popular musicians: Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Dizzy
Gillespie, and Thelionious Monk!
•  Much like Hip-Hop, many musicians transitioned
from swing to bebop and beyond. !

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•  The free expression of swing even scared Hitler. The movie “Swing magazine. www.swingmusic.net
Kids” details his obsession against swing music as German youth
embraced what was considered immoral black ‘jungle music’!
 Bebop (cont.)
•  Bebop was popular from 1939-1950!
– Billie Holiday “Strange Fruit” (1939)!
•  This song openly challenged lynchings (the ‘strange’!
fruit) . . . Protest in song was not accepted at that time
• Billie Holiday did not write “Strange Fruit” . . . This does not ! •  Thelonious
diminish her courage to perform it in countless venues! Monk!
– Bebop musicians, with Charlie Parker given the most ! •  Chubby
acclaim, used improvisation to enrich traditional scores.! Checker!
– The typical bebop combo consisted of bass, drums, and !
piano, with two horns.Name Bebop:!
•  Dizzy Gillespie on the name bebop: !
– “We played a lot of original tunes that didn’t have titles. We
just wrote an introduction and a first chorus and I’d say, “Dee-
da-pa-da-bnde-bop.” and we’d go into it. People, when they’d
wanna ask for a song and didn’t know the name, they’d ask for
bebop. The press picked up on it and started calling it bebop”!

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•  Doo-wop is a derivation of bebop. Popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Acts 20
like Chubby Checker included performance as part of their show. Many of
the sidewalk quartets popular at that time, were considered doo-wop.
The term doo-wop was not coined until the 1970s and is still widely
argued (in terms of its accuracy and definition.)!
 Rock and roll
•  Swing music was popular from 1935-1945!
– Chuck Berry, Bo Didley, Fats Domino, and Little Richard shared
the Billboard chart with Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly. –
White ‘copies’ of Black songs would often outsell the original.
•  Little Richard!
•  Mos Def’s “Rock and Roll” is a reminder to rap fans •  Chuck Berry!
on the importance of rock and roll:!
I said, Elvis Presley ain't got no soul (huh)!
Chuck Berry is rock and roll (damn right)!
You may dig on the Rolling Stones!
But they ain't come up with that style on they own (uh-uh)!
Elvis Presley ain't got no SOULLLL (hell naw)!
Little Richard is rock and roll (damn right)!
You may dig on the Rolling Stones!
But they ain't come up with that sh!t on they own!

Chuck Berry inspired countless Detroit

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Notes rockers. Backed by the Woolies, Chuck
•  Jimi Hendrix was one of the most influential artists of his time. While he !rocks a Motor City audience in 1971 at 21
Oakland Community College's Union
•  had many Black listeners, he once asked to play at the famed Apollo Lake Campus.!
Theater but was denied because his audience differed from their
demographic.! www.appleson.com/Grit01.htm
 Name that sample
Much of rap music is based on sampling. Where a
producer (who is typically a deejay himself), uses
part of a beat or melody from a previously
recorded song.!

There is an excellent website: www.the-breaks.com

which lists rap songs and the songs which it
sampled. It even breaks the samples down by
genre (I.e. rock and roll, funk, country).!

If you are into music, this is definitely a cool site.!

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Notes While the Source and XXL are
considered the two main Hip-Hop 22
•  Suggested Sites:! magazines, with Wax Poetics a distant
•  www.the-breaks.com/ www.oldschoolhiphop.com/ third, Scratch Magazine is the only
www.zulunation.com/ www.daveyd.com! magazine dedicated to producers and
deejays.
 Evaluation
Please respond to the following questions in a Microsoft
Word document and turn in your response by Friday
June 15 on the Digital Dropbox on Blackboard. .!

1. What did you like most about this lesson?!

2. What did you like least? !
3. What can be done to facilitate learning via this online
environment? What would you change?!
4. What is the connection between rap music and African-
American music? What other influences (outside the
one’s mentioned in this module) have you heard in rap
music?!

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Notes 23
•  Full citations of all music and images forthcoming. The author
takes no responsibility or ownership, -- all sounds/images used for
educational purposes only.!
 Before there was Hip-Hop . . .
This Powerpoint module examines the many predecessors
to Hip-Hop. A true appreciation for rap music requires a
decent grounding in its musical roots.!

There are audio and video links throughout this

presentation. Please be patient while the module
loads . . . The server may not be able to push the video
out fast enough.!

If you need assistance, the staff at any of the UDC

computer labs can assist you.!

Also, try Learning Resource Center [in the library]!

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