Rap/hip hop listening guide
Fight the Power was used in the films
"Do the Right Thing" (Film)
Russell Simmons co-founded...
(Def Jam Records)
The Message
-Original composition (no overt sampling of other songs)Sporadic (open) rhythmic pattern leaving space for the lyrics -Strong repeated bass line -Synthesizer chord punctuations Simple rhyme scheme -The 'chorus' lyric is delivered in a staggered/stuttered way to emphasize the commentary"Don't Push Me cuz' Im close to the edge, I'm trying not to lose my head"Powerful use of simile to portray the plight of living in the ghetto
It's Like That
-Run-D.M.C. -1983 -"Run-D.M.C." -NewSchool/Second Wave
Rappers'Delight
-Sugarhill Gang - 1979 -"Sugarhill Gang" -Old School Rap/Disco
Brass Monkey
Beastie Boys 1986 "Licensed to Ill" New School/Second Wave
1st Of Tha Month
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 1998 "E. 1999 Eternal" The first rap group to essentially harmonize the rap lyrics The defined the midwestern style Their flow was also the first to be based exclusively on complex rhythmic patterns
Brass Monkey was created using a sample of the funk song ...
Bring It Here by Wild Sugar
Fight the Power was lead rapped by
Chuck D
Insane in the Brain
Cypress Hill 1993 West Coast Rap "Black Sunday"
My Name Is has a Cameo by ___________who produced Eminem
Dr Dre
Nuthin' But A G Thang
Dr. Dre Feat. Snoop Dogg 1992" The Chronic"G-Funk Death Row Records
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was"Discovered"/Produced by
Eazy E
My Name Is
Eminem (Slim Shady, Marshall Mathers) 1999 "The Slim Shady LP" Hardcore Rap/Pop The song that changed rap and popular music and introduced us to Mr Mathers
The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five 1983 "Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five" Old School Rap Protest/social commentary
F _ _ _ tha Police bulk of rapping by
Ice Cube and Eazy E
F _ _ _ tha Police
Intense bassPolitical/social commentaryThey lyrics garnered a warning from the FBISong inthree sections (based on the story of three members -Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy E -testifying in front of a judge -Dr Dre) Not the first instance of extreme vulgarity but the angry, violent sentiments had huge repercussions Refers to the constant ignored police brutality of black youths by the LAPD
Hard knock life (The ghetto anthem)
Jay-Z1998"Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life"East Coast Rap/Pop
Sound Of Da Police
KRS-One 1993 New School/Second Wave "Return of the Boom Bap" Protest
Keep Ya Head Up
Keep Ya Head Up Tupac Shakur (2Pac) 1993 "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z..."West Coast/G-Funk
___________ is performing the rap
Melle Mel
The Ghetto
More melodic style delivery (akin to West Coast Hip Hop) This is the extended version which contains an excerpt from the famous 'Last Poets' speeches
F _ _ _ tha Police
N.W.A1988"Straight Outta Compton"Gangsta Rap/West Coast
Hot In Herre
Nelly 2002 "Nellyville" Pop Rap The elongation of syllables indicative of Nelly's style Melodic/sing rap Samples Chuck Brown's Bustin Loose
Big Poppa
Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls, Big Poppa, Christopher Wallace) 1994"Ready To Die" East Coast Rap
Rosa Parks
Outkast 1998 "Aquemini"Crunk/Southern Hip HopSamples 6 songs Alternation between Big Boi and Andre 300 (which have totally different styles of flow)Big Boi -more indicative of Gangsta rapbut faster and more percussive Andre 3000 -has a more lyrical/rhythmic flow instrumental 'hambone' style is a 'shout out' to the South
What It Is
Pharoahe Monch 2007 "Desire" Hip Hop, Indie/Underground Rap
Fight the Power
Political/social commentary'Color' interjections by Flava Flav Use of scratchin
Fight the Power
Public Enemy 1988 New School/Second Wave Fear of a Black Planet"
Walk This Way is considered to be a form of
Rap Rock
This album(Licensed to Ill) was produced by
Rick Rubin
Walk This Way produced by
Rick Rubin
Walk This Way
Run-D.M.C. 1986 "Raising Hell" (I would not even call it a cover as Aerosmith still performs on the track. It is simply a new edition of the song with rapping during the verses and the original chorus by Aerosmith. Essentially the song is the same as from the original 1975 (technically you could claim that the way Steven Tyler delivered the verse lyrics in the original was a kind of rappin)
Run D.M.C. is "Discovered"/Produced by ...
Russell Simmons
Beastie Boys were "Discovered" by
Russell Simmons (Def Jam Records)
Big Poppa
Sample 3 songs most notably Between the Sheets by the Isley Brothers Although uncredited, Busta Rhymes raps on the track Notice the change in flow and lyrical delivery
Rappers'Delight was created using a sample of the disco song called
Sample of the disco song Good Times by Chic The main bass riff and the rhythm from the bridge The full version contains several verses of rap from all four members
Fight the Power
Samples 19 songs most notably: Different Strokes by Syl Johnson (main riff) Funky Drummer by James Brown (drum pattern) Hot Pants Road by The J.B.'s (bass line)
Keep Ya Head Up
Samples 3 songs Be Alright by Zapp (various)O-o-h Child by Five Stairsteps (chorus) Theme From Shaft by Isaac Hayes (various) Ostinato bass line drives the song The two-bar rhyming phrase is characterized by a strong bass drum hit on the downbeat (beat 1) of the first bar then the down beat is offset in the second bar (technically on the 'and' of 1) Tupac's lyrical flow illustrated wonderfully (fluid and almost melodic)
Nuthin' But A G Thang
Samples 5 songsAlternation between Snoop Dogg and Dr DreIconic bass drum pattern This song introduced G-Funk and SD to the world A much more 'funky' style from a musical point of view Very laid back
F _ _ _ tha Police
Samples 8 songs most notably Funky Drummer and Funk President by James Brown (drum pattern) The Boogie Back by Roy Ayers Ubiquity (main riff) Get Me Back on Time, Engine 9 by Wilson Pickett (main riff)
Insane in the Brain
Samples 9 songs most notably Life by Sly &the family Stone (main riff)Get Out of My Life, Woman by George Semper (drums)Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud(vocals)NOTE: If you are noticing a huge similarity to House of Pain's Jump Around it is because DJ Muggs of CH produced it (although he did use completely different samples
F _ _ _ tha Police
Samples8 songs most notablyFunky Drummerand Funk President by James Brown (drum pattern)The Boogie Back by Roy Ayers Ubiquity (main riff)Get Me Back on Time, Engine 9by Wilson Pickett (main riff
It's Like That
Simple drum pattern (drum machine -practically every available sound used) The 808 "tinny" handclap sound Synth chordal punctuations Interjection of other synthesized melodic lines Alternation of verse from Rev Run and D.M.C. Flow is typical of the dance style (more hippity hoppity as opposed to a natural flow
Rappers'Delight Produced by
Sylvia Robinson
The Ghetto is a sample/quasi cover of
The Ghetto by Donny Hathaway
Sound Of Da Police
The lyrics refer to the police in places like Bronx, New York, which have a history of institutionalized racism, oppression and violence against the black community The reoccurring "whoop" simulating police sirens opens the song as part of the chorus Notice the way he manipulates and transforms words like "overseer" into "officer" as an inventive use of flow Samples 3 songs Sing a Simple Song by Sly &the Family Stone (drums)Inside Looking Out by Grand Funk Railroad (various)Necessary by BDP (vocals)Rhythmically there is the added bass hit on beat 1 and the back beat on the snare one 2 & 4
The Ghetto
Too Short 1990 West Coast" Short Dog's In The House"Social Commentary
Brass Monkey
Use of scratching Much deeper bass than previous examples There flow is heavily influenced by Run DMC Heavy in the sense that it is faster and more frenetic Heavy use of call and response and unison rapping
Protect Ya Neck
Wu-Tang Clan 1993 "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" Hip Hop The song that introduced WTC to the world and was recorded with 4 of the original members plus 4 others Recorded before they had a record deal Samples 4 songs The bass line/drum pattern interweave This was the second version of the song that RZA completely rearranged and re dubbed with new drum tracks
Protect Ya Neck
Wu-Tang Clan1993"Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)"Hip Hop
Protect Ya Neck
ntro(sounds of fighting)The karate chop sounds started this infatuation with Kung Fu films which would be adopted by groups like A Tribe Called Quest and The FugeesWu-Intro: RZA and Method ManFirst verse: Inspectah DeckSecond verse: RaekwonThird verse: Method ManBridge: U-GodInterlude: Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard and RZA Fourth verse: Ol' Dirty BastardFifth verse: Ghostface KillahSixth verse: RZASeventh verse: GZA(sounds of fighting)Outro: RZA, Method Man
