Rhythm at the root: The communal and audible lineage of hip-hop’s music

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Discussing the historical background of rap music usually focuses a lot on the frequent practice of sampling, which involves incorporating older songs as foundations for fresh hip-hop creations. It’s commonly acknowledged that the musical roots of early rap originated from records owned by the parents or elder siblings of the first wave of DJs and MCs.

As we delve deeper into the topic, it’s important to acknowledge that when talking about sampling in hip-hop, it’s not just about the sound itself, but also about the broader community that greatly influenced the earliest styles the genre adopted.

In the early days of hip-hop, when sampling by digging through crates became the norm, it wasn’t about randomly picking any record. Instead, the selection process was intentional.

The musical backing from back in the day

In simpler terms, let me discuss two distinct types of sampling often used in rap music production. Imagine you’re a music producer, selecting samples for your beats. If you take a brief horn riff from a J.J. Johnson song that is five minutes long and lasts nine minutes in total, from the mid 1960s – this type of sampling is significantly different than using “Scorpio” by Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band. While both are samples, one is taken from a longer piece with more context, while the other is an iconic song sample that is instantly recognizable.

As a devoted fan, I’d say it’s all about the evolution of hip-hop culture that made a difference. Back in the day, “Scorpio” was a staple b-boy anthem, spinning at early hip-hop gatherings hosted by the legendary DJ Kool Herc in the Bronx. In contrast, J. J. Johnson’s tune might have been ripe for sampling during that era – say, by skilled artists like DJ Premier or Pete Rock – but the rap scene had evolved by then, moving towards more obscure and rare samples in their production, making albums more unique.

In essence, artists of the 90’s frequently paid homage to early hip-hop by incorporating lyrics and audio from 80’s rap songs in their work. One illustrative example is Pete Rock using T La Rock’s vocals and Jazzy Jay’s “It’s Yours” from 1984 for the chorus of Nas’ “The World Is Yours,” produced a decade later. This practice, common among 90’s artists, was not just a nod to their past listening habits but also acknowledged the blueprint set by 80’s rappers in creating hip-hop music. This link is crucial because Nas and Pete Rock were influenced by the music of the 80’s, and the pioneering artists of that era laid down the initial structure for how a rap record should be made.

Initially, for more than five decades, hip-hop music’s roots can be traced back to the DJ. Given that the DJ interacts with the crowd and needs to gauge their dance preferences, it follows that the audience’s tastes played a role in shaping hip-hop, as well as the popularity of certain street records at the time.

During the late ’70s and early ’80s, the first era of rap music, it was evident that labels such as Sugar Hill, Enjoy, or Profile among others heavily relied on popular songs for their records. These labels frequently employed producers and in-house bands capable of recreating and closely mimicking beats from successful disco, funk, rock, and electronic records. Some of these songs were commercially successful, while others were more prevalent within the hip-hop community. At a party, these songs would typically have been played directly from the record by a DJ.

In 1974, James Brown’s hit song “Funky President (People It’s Bad)” became a favorite among hip-hop enthusiasts. Later on, in 1981, this song served as inspiration for Spoonie Gee’s “Spoonie Is Back.” Notably, Sylvia Robinson of Sylvia Inc., and Jigsaw Prod. Inc. were credited for production, although it is possible that Sugar Hill’s in-house band, which included guitarist Skip McDonald, bass player Doug Wimbish, drummer Keith LeBlanc, and others, handled the instrumental work.

Starting from 1981, “Funky President” has been frequently sampled in numerous rap songs that were inspired by Spoonie Gee’s original work. Interestingly, many of the subsequent rappers did not require live musicians to recreate the track. Instead, they started to directly sample “Funky President” into their own compositions. As time went on, this early influence persisted, but the method of production shifted significantly, with sampling becoming a common practice by the late ’80s.

As a devoted fan, I’ll draw upon JayQuan The Hip-Hop Historian’s insightful video about the “Golden Era” of hip-hop to clarify the evolution of hip-hop production in the 1980s. His analysis is spot on when it comes to understanding the complex factors shaping this transformation. Essentially, the legal aspect of sampling has been a contentious issue since the beginning; however, during early stages, it wasn’t as pressing an issue because most hip-hop records at that time lacked mainstream visibility and commercial success.

If something turned out to be popular, there were definitely legal repercussions. For instance, the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” led to the re-release of the song with credit given to Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards from Chic, as it was evidently using parts of their previous hit song “Good Times,” which was released just a few months before “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979.

In contrast, perhaps the most significant factor influencing the transformation of hip-hop production in the ’80s may have been the emergence and affordability of new sampling technology, which matched or even surpassed the creativity of these artists. The debate over legality might be less crucial compared to this technological advancement.

By the early ’80s, pioneering artists like Kurtis Blow, known for being rap’s first solo superstar with a major label deal under Mercury/Polygram, were fortunate enough to use advanced technology such as the Fairlight CMI (a Computer Musical Instrument). This high-end and costly device allowed them to sample music.

As a dedicated gamer, let me share some trivia from the past that’s as thrilling as leveling up in a game. Back in the day, there were two legendary figures, Just Allah the Superstar and Sedivine the Mastermind, collectively known as the World’s Famous Supreme Team. They had their own radio show on WHBI-FM 105.9.

In the early ’80s, they made a trip to the United Kingdom that’s as epic as a boss battle, where they collaborated with Malcolm McLaren and Trevor Horn. These legends used top-tier equipment, such as the Fairlight CMI and various machines from Oberheim, to create masterpieces like “Buffalo Gals” and “Hobo Scratch” in 1982. If you’re curious for more details, check out Trevor Horn’s article on Red Bull. It’s like finding a hidden power-up in a game!

In simpler terms, I believe that affordable and widely available samplers like the E-mu SP-12 and its successor, the SP-1200, started appearing around the mid ’80s. These sampling drum machines are highly respected in the hip-hop community as they allowed artists to directly loop drum breaks and other sounds from records for their music.

Despite DJ Marley Marl being one of the early adopters of this sampling shift in the mid ’80s, he didn’t actually use either of the popular equipment pieces around in 1985. In a 2013 video with Dubspot, where he re-created MC Shan’s “The Bridge” beat, Marl revealed that his setup when creating the song was made up of two Korg SDD-2000 Sampling Digital Delays and a Roland TR-808.

As a gamer, I opted against looping drum tracks for my tune, following Claudio’s advice to utilize two samplers – one for the kick sounds and another for the snare. I then triggered these sounds through the TR-808, as it seemed feasible that the sampler could be connected there. Crucially, the drums for “The Bridge” were sourced from “Impeach the President” by the Honey Drippers, while a reversed sound from “Scratchin'” by the Magic Disco Machine served as my other sample.

Much like early hip-hop tracks inspired Marley, his decision to incorporate both “Scratchin'” and “Impeach The President” was driven by his awareness that these tunes resonated with the audience. He borrowed a copy of “Scratchin'” from Larry Larr, one of the High Fidelity Crew members, because he recalled the positive reaction when they played it live. On the other hand, “Impeach The President” was among a collection of records Marley received in lieu of payment for his production work with Aaron Fuchs, founder of Tuff City Records.

Marley, recognizing the street’s enthusiasm for “Impeach The President,” understood that hip-hop had a lasting bond with its early roots. I utilize Marley Marl as an example to highlight this fact: even as hip-hop evolved and reinvented itself, it always maintained a strong link to its foundational era and sounds. Similarly, other figures recognized this truth, leading Street Beat Records to start releasing timeless breakbeat compilations in 1986, known as Ultimate Breaks & Beats. These compilations were curated by Leonard Roberts (“Breakbeat Lenny”) and Louis Flores (“Breakbeat Lou”).

In the mid-’80s, the collection of breakbeats known as Ultimate Breaks & Beats significantly impacted a fresh wave of hip-hop producers and DJs, particularly on the East Coast. This was because they gained access to numerous beats that helped shape the genre’s foundation. Breakbeat Lou, an editor and enhancer of these compilations, modified the breaks within them, making it simpler for aspiring DJs and producers to use and loop them effectively. In essence, what began in New York City disc jockeys’ circles in the ’70s was now widely disseminated among a broader hip-hop artist community by the mid-’80s.

It seems that our connection to the past can never truly be cut, but it’s quite evident during earlier periods. Essentially, the intricate production style of the Bomb Squad in the late ’80s wouldn’t have existed without Grandmaster Flash demonstrating his turntable skills in “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” back in 1981.

In the show “Night Of The Living Baseheads,” the Bomb Squad primarily uses sampling equipment along with some scratching, while “Adventures of Grandmaster Flash” solely spotlights Flash’s mastery over the turntables. Nevertheless, both displays share a common methodology in blending various songs together.

In a similar vein, it’s interesting to note that connections between musical eras can often be traced. For instance, years before Biz Markie and T.J. Swan’s “Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz” was directly sampled from Ike’s Mood I in 1986, a group called Disco Four had already rapped over a reinterpretation of that same part of Hayes’ song in their 1982 track “We’re at the Party,” which was produced by Eric Matthew.

Ultimately, I think innovation in hip-hop stems from inspiration, and this inspiration generally originates within the community, since it’s the very source of hip-hop culture. The creativity shown by individuals will always be apparent, but it is the people who form the basis upon which they flourish – these are the places where their skills and musical taste were nurtured.

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2025-08-26 00:31