Golden Era Hip Hop
Anto99
244 Posts
I'm 36. So I was lucky enough to grow up during what I consider the prime era for hip hop. In my opinion of course. But here's the one critique I've received by more than one person: "You're stuck. Things have to progress. That era did their thing. Now it's time to move on" This is usually in response to both my allegiance to the boom bap, sample heavy 90s standards and the fact that I seek out artists today that are on the same vibe. Damu. PUTS. Lightheaded. Lootpack. Asheru etc.
To me that is hip hop. I know that's narrow minded for sure, and I'm speaking primarily about production, but the way I look at it, once you take the dusty samples, the MPCS, SP12s, ASR 10s, cuts, digging etc out of the picture, you're left with a very hollow shell. An approximation of what hip hop is.
I'm all for progression. But I also liken it to taking an essential element out of any genre. Like removing drums from funk. Or bullshit from New country.
Anyone follow what I'm saying or am I just a jaded old guy?
To me that is hip hop. I know that's narrow minded for sure, and I'm speaking primarily about production, but the way I look at it, once you take the dusty samples, the MPCS, SP12s, ASR 10s, cuts, digging etc out of the picture, you're left with a very hollow shell. An approximation of what hip hop is.
I'm all for progression. But I also liken it to taking an essential element out of any genre. Like removing drums from funk. Or bullshit from New country.
Anyone follow what I'm saying or am I just a jaded old guy?
Comments
Also, the golden era of hip-hop was from like 88-92 and more likley characterized by funky James Brown samples than by the darker jazz styles of the boom-bap era that overlapped with it in time.
The more 808 focused stuff, to me, was an off shoot of that.
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m71d4g0IOm1qg8c39o1_1280.png
Still hip hop, but not technically the roots.
Not discounting everything else that fell out of it. Just saying I prefer the sample based style I grew up with. And I'm glad that producers - Soul Strut people included - continue that tradition.
Well then just say that and dont try to alter history by saying what YOU grew up on is the "Golden Era".
And turntables are NOT samplers. They are two different TOOLS.
This is 101 shit.
101 shit? Not necessary. Just thought I'd open up a discussion. Not gonna take it to the playground.
I know music has to evolve. But sometimes I guess I'm not into where it ends up. I mean look at labels like Daptone and Soul Fire. They're not reinventing anything. That's their definition of funk. I'm on the same page. Same with groups like PUTS etc..I just happen to define hip hop in the same terms and can't think of an instance of when it's evolved into something I prefer. Maybe the Roots, but again, that evolution is minimal since they still adhere to the sound that producers sample.
When you weren't bombing trains, you used to carry Kool Herc's crates to his gigs in the South Bronx.
But then when rap records started coming out ala Kurtis Blow and Sugarhill and Bambaataa, you realized instead of samples actually being used, in-house bands were replaying all of that shit...and thus, you hated all that garbage.
Run DMC...to hell with them, not even real hip-hop.
But when Marley Marl started chopping up James Brown like there was no tomorrow, okay...finally after almost 10 years of dismissing anything calling itself rap, back into it bigtime.
And then DJ Premier, oh DJ Premier...if only he could produce every single piece of conceivable rap until the end of eternity. Now, that would be fab.
But wait, what are all of these other people doing? They seem to be having fun in 15 different ways without samples. How dare them.
Alright, let me just slip back into this DJ Premier bath. Is that you tickling my feet, J-Dilla? Please pass me the soap, Madlib.
See, a story best kept to yourself.
I'm just saying that I, me, myself, gravitate towards the fundamentals. And yes, those fundamentals may differ from person-to-person, but for what I like, and know to be the basis of where it all began, dusty breaks and samples, however you want to hook them up are an essential part of hip hip. As is a DJ and an MC.
How is "I consider" an opening to discussion?
When you weren't bombing trains, you used to carry Kool Herc's crates to his gigs in the South Bronx.
But then when rap records started coming out ala Kurtis Blow and Sugarhill and Bambaataa, you realized instead of samples actually being used, in-house bands were replaying all of that shit...and thus, you hated all that garbage.
Run DMC...to hell with them, not even real hip-hop.
But when Marley Marl started chopping up James Brown like there was no tomorrow, okay...finally after almost 10 years of dismissing anything calling itself rap, back into it bigtime.
And then DJ Premier, oh DJ Premier...if only he could produce every single piece of conceivable rap until the end of eternity. Now, that would be fab.
But wait, what are all of these other people doing? They seem to be having fun in 15 different ways without samples. How dare them.
Alright, let me just slip back into this DJ Premier bath. Is that you tickling my feet, J-Dilla? Please pass me the soap, Madlib.
See, a story best kept to yourself".
The operative word here would be " Guess". This your interpretation of my experience. Very strange to base an observation and an argument of things you imagined, isn't it? And the bath tub thing? Just plain creepy.
Relax
U started a thread called Golden Era instead of MY GOLDEN ERA.
There are Private Mind Garden preferences and there are common agreed on happenings.
How can we talk about the ERA if its YOUR set of rules?
The whole "its my opinion and i dont see what the problem is here" isnt conducive to convo. Dontcha think?
Why talk about it if u know your "stuck"?
No, dude. Again, the golden era is different from the boom-bap era. They overlap, so there are many connections...but they are also clearly distinct from each other.
Juice Crew-BDP-Eric B & Rakim = Golden Era.
Gang Starr-Black Moon-Mobb Deep = Boom Bap Era.
There, isn't that easy?
So is editing a movie a form of sampling?
Perhaps not, but you appear to be trying to twist the facts to support your argument in a way you don't actually need to. Sampling has nothing to do with pause tapes or quick-mixing. Pause tapes and quick-mixing don't even have much to do with each other. It wouldn't invalidate your argument, however, if you were to suggest that pause tapes, quick-mixing and sampling were part of the same narrative, as far as hip-hop is concerned. I'd agree with that, as it happens.
As far as my personal preferences in hip-hop are concerned, I'm a "try the buffet" guy these days.
I never defined certain years. I'm speaking about elements that define what hip hop in terms of what I like. And what I consider essential elements. Like a DJ etc. It's like people looking to groups like the Black Keys who are basically recreating a more raw, less polished sound derived from the 70s. Another era that many rock heads consider classic in terms of musicianship, creativity and lack of big label influence.