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Why no rap or "hip hop" before late 70s / early 80s?

ScoobMaster

ScoobMaster

Platinum Member
<personal opinion>

I REALLY dislike rap / hip hop whatever the stuff is called (played everywhere these days). I was discussing this proliferation of bad "music" with a friend (fellow over 30 hard rock/heavy metal fan) about the origin of the modern rap and why it didn't exist before the late 70s and early 80s (then the explosion started a few years later). My theory is that it was not around then because the technology didn't exist to rip-off........er, steal..........um, (coff) "sample" music until the 80s. Prior to the late 70s, bands/artists had to PLAY THEIR OWN MUSIC.

</personal opinion>

Anyone else think there may be SOME element of truth here, or am I WAAAAAYYYYY out in left field as usual 😉
 
I thought it was just that Sugar Hill Gang introduced what is now known as rap music and the rest is history.
 
LOL, I love it when African American professors/music theorists try to trace back the roots of rap all the way back to jazz and "traditional African rhythmic chanting the slaves took part in" or some other sh*t. I just can't see the relationship between jazz and rap...sorry.
 
No, the basic technology (couple of turn-tables, simple mixer, and multi-track recording) had existed since the late '60s. The more advanced technology (samplers, etc) didn't come into play until the late 70's/early 80's, but early rap really didn't use that anyway.
The real reason that rap rose around the late '70s was because of the people involved. Rap evolved from the dance clubs of the time and in some the DJ would keep playing the same part of a particular song for the crowd to dance to. Then some people began taking the stage and singing their own rhymes to that part of the song in a calypso style. Rap was born, and that's why early rap bands had a "DJ" and an "MC."
 
you shouldn't hate on this style of music because it uses samples. no one is doing less work by using samples....it takes a certain amount of talent to make a song using a sample and keeping it fresh throughout the song.
 
if you don't see music using rthym (spelling 🙁 it's early), measure, rhyme, then you're missing the point.

a lot of spoken word artists do hip hop and vice versa, they need a beat, not necessarily a sample. you should try some good hip hop.
 
I'm too tired to give a big explaination, but it has to do with percussion. Rhythm is everything in rap and what makes it so unique is that the vocal crates it's own dominant rhythm. Before rap, the vocal was to add melody. I've played drums for years and, although I don't listen to rap except when it's on the radio or something, I marvel at the way the voice is used to create percussive patterns. I believe it must be an evolution from acappella where the vocal was melody and rhythm. Street corner music. And why is it linked a back to jazz. Miles Davis comes to mind as well as the whole genre of Be Bop. Complex rhythmical patterns over top of melody. Gernerally, white folk music is the other way around. But simply put rap is not about mixing and dual turntables. That's just an element that's added to the mix.
 
I'm completely with yobarman. You really think RAP didn't exist because they couldn't "steal" samples? I understand if you dislike pop hip hop cuz they always talk about bling-bling, ladies and cars. But to say that it didn't exist cuz they couldn't steal samples is about the DUMBEST explanation EVER. Do you know the history of Hip Hop/Rap? No? So please, just STFU.
 
Rap music has always had tons of creativity but very little originality (in general). Sugar Hill Gang was the first commercial success of Rap that started in dance clubs.
 
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