HIP HOP LESSONS #2- THE COLD CRUSH BROTHERS
Phill_Most
4,594 Posts
Any old school authority will tell you that the legendary Cold Crushin', Mother F**kin', Tough-ass Four Emcees had like hundreds of tapes with a multitude of routines and freestyle rhyme sessions that I could've chosen for this latest installment of my Hip Hop Lessons series (exclusive to Soulstrut???[/b]!). I decided to pick this certain classic Cold Crush routine because it kinda debunks a couple of myths about "real hip hop".
First of all, they are rhyming over Kraftwerk's "Numbers". Anybody who knows their history knows that this record is indeed an old school hip hop staple, but it surely does not have that UBB breakbeat sound, with a somewhat slow and funky live drumbreak ala "Impeach The President" or Melvin Bliss' "Synthetic Substitution". The computerized Kraftwerk sound was "that new shit" back then, for sure, but the context in which it was used made it totally a hip hop record.
Secondly, a lot of your backpack and thuglife generation real headz probably think a good performance is just standing on stage and walking back and forth- definitely no dancing and singing allowed if it's real hip hop. This couldn't be further from the truth. Early hip hip had a whole lot of singing (really off-key singing called harmonizing, but it was sooo fresh!). And elaborate dance routines that made them look more like the Temptations than the Wu-Tang Clan.
On this particular blast from the past you'll get a taste of one of the Cold Crush's singing routines (since those who only know them from their performace in the movie Wildstyle may have never really gotten a full example of how the CC4 got down). In a later history lesson I will drop another one of their routines to show the Cold Crush's more hardcore side. But trust me, at their height real headz knew that the Cold Crush RAN this rap shit just on street cred alone, with no hit records. Back in the early days of hip hop most groups seemed liked they tried to be as smooth as possible, but the Cold Crush Brothers sounded like the rawest, roughest shit imaginable at that time. TOO crude for a lot of people, but of course
Cold Crush Brothers "Get Up" Routine - Hoe Avenue Boys Club, 1981
"Sniff your blow, and rap to a ho"
(BTW, anybody who's interested in knowing more about the Cold Crush and old school hip hop history in general REALLY need to check out my man Jayquan's site The Foundation... so much knowledge dropped straight from the mouths of the pioneers of rap themselves. That site is a must-read for anybody who really cares about hip hop IMHO.)
First of all, they are rhyming over Kraftwerk's "Numbers". Anybody who knows their history knows that this record is indeed an old school hip hop staple, but it surely does not have that UBB breakbeat sound, with a somewhat slow and funky live drumbreak ala "Impeach The President" or Melvin Bliss' "Synthetic Substitution". The computerized Kraftwerk sound was "that new shit" back then, for sure, but the context in which it was used made it totally a hip hop record.
Secondly, a lot of your backpack and thuglife generation real headz probably think a good performance is just standing on stage and walking back and forth- definitely no dancing and singing allowed if it's real hip hop. This couldn't be further from the truth. Early hip hip had a whole lot of singing (really off-key singing called harmonizing, but it was sooo fresh!). And elaborate dance routines that made them look more like the Temptations than the Wu-Tang Clan.
On this particular blast from the past you'll get a taste of one of the Cold Crush's singing routines (since those who only know them from their performace in the movie Wildstyle may have never really gotten a full example of how the CC4 got down). In a later history lesson I will drop another one of their routines to show the Cold Crush's more hardcore side. But trust me, at their height real headz knew that the Cold Crush RAN this rap shit just on street cred alone, with no hit records. Back in the early days of hip hop most groups seemed liked they tried to be as smooth as possible, but the Cold Crush Brothers sounded like the rawest, roughest shit imaginable at that time. TOO crude for a lot of people, but of course
Cold Crush Brothers "Get Up" Routine - Hoe Avenue Boys Club, 1981
"Sniff your blow, and rap to a ho"
(BTW, anybody who's interested in knowing more about the Cold Crush and old school hip hop history in general REALLY need to check out my man Jayquan's site The Foundation... so much knowledge dropped straight from the mouths of the pioneers of rap themselves. That site is a must-read for anybody who really cares about hip hop IMHO.)
Comments
thanks phil
the cooooooold cruuuuuuushhh
This is that REAL SHIT???. Though I must admit, I fear someone will take the time to hate.
Herm
awaiting lesson 3.
thank you for continuing my education concerning "that real shit"
i know jay from down in richmond. did you ever hear his 45???
jay
slow and mellow
that cold crush shit was ill, btw. thanks
Listeing to the clip it makes me wonder if hophop today and 30 years ago have much in common. It sometimes feels to me like something between a cargo cult and and a copy of a copy of a copy (based on my limited knowledge of hiphop and my day dreaming imagination
That was a great blast from the past, homie!!!! You gon' make me dig out my old mixtapes for some more inspiration. Cats like CCB is why I started DJin' and producing to begin with. Nothin' doper than hip-hop, done right, in the live forum!!!
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
this is from 1981, I was wondering how far back date-wise your oldschool tape collection stretches? do you have stuff from before 79 ?
Ive been lookin for the CC4 boat ride. They do a routine to The Funk is ON by Instant Funk.
Glad I didn't miss Lesson 2.
(I don't feel tardy).
good looks.
Love all that shit, ever since I saw them in 85 on video of that 84 filmed BBC doco, 'History of Hip Hop' where they were wearing leather outfits & doing the 'Heartbreakers' routine I was sold. Such a shame they never made more records back in the prime of that era.
I remember when I wrote to the Zulu Nation in the late 80s they sent me a 10 page list of cassette tapes of live shows. But I couldn't afford the $20 a tape they wanted back then. I so regret it now. I know I still have the list somewhere in a box.
Aha found it... Watch the end of this segment...
http://www.hiphop-network.com/archives/outsidevideos/bbc-historyofhiphop-1984/bbc_hiphop-history12.asp
I really should pay & download some of the Cold Crush tapes from the Almighty KayGee's website come to think of it: http://www.hiporhop.com/
CCB today..
I don't think I have anything older than 1978. At one time I think I had a DJ Hollywood tape from as far back as 1976... I doubt that I still have that, though. I do have stuff like the Furious 4 (before Rahiem joined the group) and also the Funky 4 when Rahiem was down with them... L Brothers, Funk Machine, Herculoids, all from 1978. I really would like to get some tapes of the Furious back when they were just calling themselves "The Emcees" or "The 3 Emcees"... that was the start of rap as we know it (I don't know if any of those tapes even exist, though). I'd also like to get some tapes of Grandmaster Caz aka Casanova Fly saying all those rhymes that he let Big Bank Hank use for "Rapper's Delight". That would predate his days with the Cold Crush by a couple of years, I guess.
Yeah, he's the narrator throughout that whole BBC docu. I got it on VHS. Recommended. The sections with Afrika Bambaata & The Soul Sonic Force and the one with Kool Herc driving around with big-ass speakers in the back of his car are classic. Love that dressing room scene. Too bad they cut off the snippet right when the two female MCs walk in the door and put the guys in check. Can't remember who it was. Been so long since I've put it on. Lisa Lee and another as far as I remember. Anyway it's dope as hell.
somebody should comp up these old school tapes. who cares about sound quality i would buy that shit ?
Classic Hip Hop and R+B at
CRASH MANSION
199 Bowery St. off Spring St. Doors open at 9:00pm
performing will be The Beat Nuts
DJ's Charlie Chase (cold crush Brothers
Dj Tony Tone (Cold Crush Brothers)
DJ/MC Grand Master Caz (Cold Crush Brothers)
DJ Handz and DJ Vinny V.
http://www.myspace.com/coldcrushbrothers
Serious..... Thanks Phil these threads are the shit