The origin of hip-hop can be traced back as far as the ancient tribes in Africa. Rap has been compared with the chants, drumbeats and foot-stomping African tribes performed before wars, the births of babies, and the deaths of kings and elders. Historians have reached further back than the accepted origins of hip-hop. It was born as we know it today in the Bronx, cradled and nurtured by the youth in the low-income areas of New York City.

Fast-forward from the tribes of Africa to the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica in the late sixties. The impoverished of Kingston gathered together in groups to form DJ conglomerates. They spun roots and culture records and communicated with the audience over the music. At the time, the DJs comments werent as important as the quality of the sound system and its ability to get the crowd moving. Kool Herc grew up in this community before he moved to the Bronx.

During the late sixties, reggae wasnt popular with New Yorkers. As a DJ, Kool Herc spun rhythm and blues records to please his party crowd. But, he had to add his personal touch. During the breaks, Herc began to speak to his audience as he had learned to do in Jamaica. He called out, the audience responded, and then he pumped the volume back up on the record. This call and response technique was nothing new to this community whod been reared in Baptist and Methodist churches where call and response was a technique used by the speakers to get the congregation involved. Historians compare it to the call and response performed by Jazz musicians and was very much a part of the culture of Jazz music during the renaissance in Harlem.

Hercs DJ style caught on. His partys grew in popularity. He began to buy multiple copies of the same albums. When he performed his duties as a DJ, he extended the breaks by using multiple copies of the same records. He chatted, as it is called in dance hall, with his audience for longer and longer periods.

Others copied Hercs style. Soon a friendly battle ensued between New York DJs. They all learned the technique of using break beats. Herc stepped up the game by giving shout-outs to people who were in attendance at the parties and coming up with his signature call and response. Other DJs responded by rhyming with their words when they spoke to the audience. More and more DJs used two and four line rhymes and anecdotes to get their audiences involved and hyped at these parties.

One day, Herc passed the microphone over to two of his friends. He took care of the turn table and allowed his buddies to keep the crowd hyped with chants, rhymes and anecdotes while he extended the breaks of different songs indefinitely. This was the birth of rap as we know it.

Hip-hop has evolved from the days of the basement showdowns to big business in the music industry. In the seventies and eighties, the pioneers and innovators of the rap record was the DJ. He was the guy who used his turntable to create fresh sounds with old records. Then, he became the guy who mixed these familiar breaks with synthesizers to produce completely new beats. Not much has changed in that aspect of hip-hop. The guy who creates the beat is still the heart of the track. Now, we call him the producer. Even though some DJs work as producers as well as DJs (quite a few start out as DJs before they become producers), todays title DJ doesnt carry the same connotative meaning it did in the eighties. Todays hip-hop producer performs the same tasks as the eightys DJ.

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Ever since turning 35 years old I?ve had a nagging feeling that my life had somehow changed. Where once there was wonder and amazement at the simple things in life like a cloudless summer day, or the unspoilt scenery of the countryside, these things stir little inside of me. It takes a lot more to excite me now than a few years ago. I talked to my friends who were the same age as me, and yes they felt the same way. What was it – what?s changed?

We came to conclusion that it was hope we had lost – the hope of a better tomorrow. When we were younger the future was always there and we?d always be young enough to change our lives and change our fortunes. The realisation that we?ve reached and passed the peak of our lives is a shocking one. It?s too late for me now to get that degree and become a lawyer. I?m never going to go to university and then on to become a world famous brain surgeon. Don?t get me wrong, I love my life and I love my family, it?s just that I always thought that one day I?d make the ?big time?.

I?ve played guitar and sung since I was nine years old. Learning more and more songs and even writing a few of my own. I believed that one day I?d make it. Perhaps a talent scout would hear me play or I?d get around to making that demo tape and sending it off. Sadly a hundred and one other things got in the way – girls, cars, motorbikes, work, marriage and kids. I wouldn?t change any of that for the world, but now I?m in my mid-thirties it?s finally occurred to me that my big breaks just not going to happen.

The answer to being happy once in your mid-thirties, I?ve decided, is to fill your life with the things you always wanted or thought you might one day have, just on a more realistic scale. Thus begins my quest for musicians to jam with. I tried the band thing when I was a teen and wasn?t impressed. There were too many people with large egos trying to railroad everyone else into doing it their way. Now I?m looking for people like me. I?ve readjusted my dreams. Now I just want to find some people to play with. No false hopes of becoming famous and gigging way into my seventies! Just regular guys and girls who also have lives they love, but want to play music with others.

For me playing the guitar and singing helps me feel grounded and at peace with the world (ok ..Maybe just a little more at peace) and I know others feel the same way about their hobbies. It?s important not to lose sight of the fact that just because we?re not young doesn?t mean life is over. As long as I?m still physically capable I will still be riding my motorbike and playing my guitar. The dream of strapping the guitar to my back and riding my motorbike around the world might be gone now but that doesn?t diminish the pleasure both give me.

So who cares if my band is never going to get a song in the charts (or even play on stage at Butlins!)? Does it really matter if I?m never going to be champion motorcycle racer? There are enough people in my life who love me and enjoy listening to me playing guitar and singing to make me feel perfectly happy with today ? and tomorrow. My wonder at the world we live in has finally returned.

Please visit my web site at www.iwantedtobeapopstar.co.uk

Sam Salmon runs http://www.iwantedtobeapopstar.co.uk helping amateur musicians find others to play with.

Over the years, there have been many guitarists that stood out from the crowd – their skill, speed, ad showmanship distinguished them as experts. Here are just a few of them.

Jim Adkins, lead singer and lead guitarist for Jimmy Eat World, has been playing guitar since he was a youngster. Jim uses a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, but recently has been reported to use a Fender Telecaster.

George Harrison, born in England, was the lead guitarist for the famous, or perhaps infamous, band The Beatles! George also did some songwriting, and proved himself a quite capable songwriter. George also went on to become a film producer and even acted a few roles. But he is best known as the lead guitarist for the beloved Beatles!

Keith Richards, is best known as a founding member of The Rolling Stones,. (Though a small but fanatical group sees him primarily as the inspiration for Johnny Depp’s brilliant character, Captain Jack Sparrow.) That aside, Mr. Richards is one of the best guitarists to ever live. His nicknames include The Human Riff and Keef RiffHard.

Elvis Presley, though he isn’t one of the most skilled guitarists that ever lived, certainly deserves the title of The guitarist that brought the most change. With his guitar and his unique voice, Elvis started a rebellion – one that dwarfed all of the revolutions the world had seen up to that time, for this one covered the entire world, and is still going strong. While it directly killed no one, it was very powerful – it was that evil beat they called Rock Music!

Steven Curtis Chapman, while not exactly as influential as Elvis, certainly deserves the title of guitar virtuoso. Anyone who has seen Steven give a concert will know what I say when I say that his guitar is just an extension of his body. It seems that he can make that guitar talk just how he wants – with no effort!

Andrew Koblick’s Guitar Improvement DVDs include… Amazing Guitar- Improve Fast & the Ultimate Blues Primer – Play the Blues.

Rating: 4 stars/ hip hop classic

Release Date is introduced by soft instrumentals and human voices in the background. The atmosphere is loaded with intense emotions. Balalaika sounds and keyboards will intensify the fire Xzibit puts into his songs. With his dark voice, Xzibit points out how long hes been patiently waiting for this day and how much hypocrisy he had to face from people. Xzibit has paid his debts and is ready to punch you right in the face with some offensive lyrics.

Symphony In X Major is a beautiful piece of work. Enjoy the contrast between the classical music background mixed up with a good hip hop style. Enter Xzibits universe; watch him taking over against his enemies. The video that goes with this song is really worth a look. It transports you into an interesting gangsta thriller. No contest hip hop lovers will probably enjoy it very much.

Break Yourself is based on harsh instrumentals. Xzibit conquers his audience in no time with his incredible flow and his incisive lyrics. The gifted artist strangles you lyrically and leaves you no chance of survival.

Heart Of A Man drives you into the heart of Xzibits struggle. Again, the song leads you in a lyrical world that Xzibit masters with an incredible verbal dexterity. Enjoy his self confidence and the energy that the West Coast artist puts into his song.

Harder featuring The Golden State P is built on a very rhythmic background. Good instrumentals and the spirit of a conquistador determined to take over make this track very much enjoyable.

Choke Spank Me Pull My Hair is a track aimed at groupies who are keen on getting tortured. A little pinch of humor, irony and some good instrumentals will make the listener enjoy this mnage trois atmosphere.

Lose Your Mind featuring Snoop Dogg is written in the same offensive style. Like a true soldier Xzibit shows his arsenal. Be ready to get (lyrically) gunned down. Face it: you cant fuck with Xzibit.

Violins and scary vocals introduce BK To LA featuring MOP. Let the lyrical master guide you into his world. Combined with Mops talent, the track is beautifully handled by both OG. If you like raw lyrics, raw instrumentals and an offensive spirit, you will probably like this track.

The song on Xzibits album you should definitely not miss is track Nr 11 My Name featuring Eminem. Organs and keyboards introduce the entertaining and rhythmic melody. Eminem and Xzibit are determined to punch their hip hop rivals right in the face. Better not fuck with both emcees unless you wanna get ripped off.

The Gambler featuring Anthony Hamil has a beautiful soul background. Enjoy the way Xzibit and Anthony Hamil combine blues and hip hop. Trumpets intensify the struggle of both men. I recommend this beautiful track to black music lovers. It is lyrically and instrumentally rich.

Missing U is an emotional track aimed at the mom Xzibit lost very early. Dont miss Right On and Enemies. Both tracks are instrumental jewels.

Globally Xzibits album is a beautiful piece of work that Id qualify as a hip hop classic. The album will draw the fight of an artist against the machine (the music industry). Xzibit is amazing hip hop artist who keeps it real. I recommend this album to anybody who loves good hip hop lyrics and sounds.

Copyright2006 by Isabelle Esling All Rights Reserved

My name is Isabelle Esling. I am an Eminem biographer and a freelance music journalist. I teach English and German at public schools

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Musical instruments are of many kinds, the main categories being chordophones (strings), aerophones (woodwinds and brasses), idiophones (percussion), and membranophones (drums).

Chordophones are those that are played by plucking or strumming at the strings. The sound produced depends on the mass of the string, length of the vibrating portion of the string, and its tension as well as the kind of resonating cavity in the instrument.

Aerophones generate music when air enters and vibrates within the instrument. This is possible by blowing into the instrument. The kind of music produced depends on the length of the column of air, the shape of the instrument, the method of tone production and the construction of the instrument.

Idiophones instruments, on the other hand, are those that produce sounds when struck. The sound generated is based upon the shape of the resonating cavity, as well as the size of the instrument. Other kinds of musical instruments are the pianos, keyboards and electronic instruments. Each of these musical instruments has sub-categories within them.

Dealers of musical instruments are generally middlemen between the manufacturers and the customers. They can be wholesalers, retailers, associations, even manufacturers themselves. Musical instruments dealers also sell other accessories like guitar amps, keyboard controllers, computer music hardware, stands and footstools, cables and cable accessories, speakers, straps and strap locks, microphone accessories, studio furniture, racks and cases, acoustic foam, headphones and headphone amps, covers, power supplies and batteries, music books, and more.

These days, musical instrument dealers have their own websites where they display their products along with the prices and any special offers or deals. Products can be ordered online or through fax, e-mail, or mail-order forms. Some also provide appraisal, repair, and restoring services. Some dealers specialize in old and antique musical instruments or secondhand instruments. Musical instruments can also be categorized on the basis of their playing levels. Some are suitable for all kinds of players while others are for novices. Expert players have very specific preferences where musical instruments are concerned. A dealer has to understand the needs of the player and suggest the perfect instrument accordingly.

Musical Instruments provides detailed information on Musical Instrument, Musical Instrument Stores, Musical Instrument Dealers, Pictures Of Musical Instruments and more. Musical Instruments is affiliated with Rock Music Code.

Purchasing a classical guitar can be a difficult task particularly if you are not yet an accomplished player. Here are some tips and hints on finding a good quality classical guitar whether it is in the hundred dollar range or the thousand dollar range.

If you are have ever gone into a well stocked guitar shop you have no doubt been confused by the selection of guitars. There are literally hundreds of shapes, sizes brands and types of guitars. And the price can range from a hundred dollars to several thousand. .If you are a beginner, judging the sound quality can be difficult to do because your ear is not yet highly trained. Here are some tips to help you make a good choice.

When in a guitar shop and looking at the guitars you should always ask a sales person to help you. This way you can take guitars down and play them. If you cannot play very well you should ask the sales clerk to play for you so you can get a feel for the sound of the different guitars. If the sales clerk doesnt play you should ask if there is someone working in the shop that does play. As a last resort you should even ask other customers in the store. Not listening to the different guitars is like shopping for a car but never test driving any of them. Guitars have very different feels and tones and you should listen to a lot of them to get a sense of what you like. Dont be bashful in this respect. Guitarists are usually a very gregarious bunch and a guitarist will almost always jump at the chance to play for someone else. If you dont yet play well and you cant find somebody to play for you I recommend you not purchase a guitar. You should come back another time when someone is available to play or you can bring a friend who knows how to play.

Check the size and shape of the guitar

Classical Guitars, of course, come in different sizes and shapes and you should sit with a wide variety of them to get a feeling for what is comfortable to you. Your body shape has an effect on this. If you are over six feet tall the smaller guitars might not be comfortable for you and the fret board may be uncomfortable for your hands. So even if you cant play music you should always hold and sit with the guitars to get a sense of how the different ones feel.

Check the mechanics and playability of the guitar

Here are several things you should do when considering the purchase of a classical guitar.

1. Play every note on every string all the way up and down. Listen for frets that dont play properly. They will give a rattling sound and if this occurs on any fret at all you should put the guitar aside and try another one. This is a sign of inferior quality. Every string should play cleanly on every single fret.

2. Check the action of the strings against the frets in terms of how much pressure is needed to play notes and chords. You should play bar chords all the way down the frets to insure good pressure. If it is too hard to press the strings in order to make a clear chord this could be a sign of an inferior guitar.

3. Play harmonics on the strings. This is an excellent test of the quality of the guitar. Playing harmonics is the technique of plucking the note with your right hand and only lightly touching the string with your left hand. Test the harmonics of all the strings on the 5th, 7th, 12th and 19th frets. If you do not know how to play harmonic notes ask the sales clerk to help you.

4. Examine and test the tuning pegs. Do they look clean and sharp? Wind and unwind them while watching and feeling for smooth turning motion.

5. Visually examine the whole guitar. Look it over very carefully from front to back and top to bottom. Are there any small cracks? Are the frets firmly installed into the fret board? Are there any cracks or glue exposed around the bridge?

6. Tap on the front of the guitar (The sound board) in a variety of different spots. Does it have a rich echoing sound or are there spots where it sounds dead and limp? The internal structure of the classical guitar is very important for the sound and important for the longevity of it. Dull thud sounds could be an indicator of an inferior instrument.

7. Examine the details. Look at the purfling around the edge. This is the decorated pattern that goes around the full body where the soundboard or face meets the sides of the guitar. Is it accurately laid in? If this has variations and inconsistencies it is a good sign that the guitar is of inferior quality.

8. Dont hesitate to take a good look inside the guitar sound hole. You will see wooden braces in there. Do they look straight, accurate and well placed? If you see sloppy globs of dried glue around these braces it could be an indicator of inferior craftsmanship.

9. Remember that there are three distinct areas you must consider when purchasing a classical guitar: The Look, The Feel, and the Sound. If you keep all three of these things in mind and carefully examine the guitar in relation to these you will be able to choose an instrument that will bring you a lifetime of trouble free playing enjoyment.

A Classical Guitar is a purchase that can give you a lifetime of enjoyment and you should consider the purchase carefully. Even if you dont plan on playing every day you should buy an instrument that is of good quality so it will maintain its sound quality for a lifetime. And to do this you dont need to spend thousands of dollars you just need to know how to identify a well made guitar.

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Electric bass guitars produce a very striking sound that gives a punch to any type of music. The sound it produces is lower and deeper than normal guitars. These have a longer neck and are tuned an octave lower in pitch than a normal guitar.

Bass guitars are based on the double bass, and the sound it turns out is magical to the ears. It has a similar range as other bass instruments. The bass guitar just like a classic guitar with a bass design. Its body is made of wood, with an option of a fully hollow body, partially hollow body or completely solid body. The electric bass, in contrast to the double bass, is played while held horizontally across the body. Unlike the double bass, it is not played with a bow; instead, it is usually plucked with the fingers, thumbs or plectra. You can play the electric bass guitar sitting or standing.

The bass players generally stand while playing, although sitting is also accepted, particularly in the orchestral settings. However, it is a matter of player?s preference as to which position gives him the greatest ease of playing. When sitting and playing, the instrument can easily be balanced on the thighs or legs. A bass guitar suits almost all kinds of music, like rock, jazz and pop, but it?s very popular in contemporary music. Playing a guitar is fun, but the electric bass guitar definitely add that little sound and vibration to your fingers as you enjoy playing it.

Electric Guitars provides detailed information on Electric Guitars, Acoustic Electric Guitars, Cheap Electric Guitars, Electric Bass Guitars and more. Electric Guitars is affiliated with Piano Lessons.

The origin of hip-hop can be traced back as far as the ancient tribes in Africa. Rap has been compared with the chants, drumbeats and foot-stomping African tribes performed before wars, the births of babies, and the deaths of kings and elders. Historians have reached further back than the accepted origins of hip-hop. It was born as we know it today in the Bronx, cradled and nurtured by the youth in the low-income areas of New York City.

Fast-forward from the tribes of Africa to the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica in the late sixties. The impoverished of Kingston gathered together in groups to form DJ conglomerates. They spun roots and culture records and communicated with the audience over the music. At the time, the DJs comments werent as important as the quality of the sound system and its ability to get the crowd moving. Kool Herc grew up in this community before he moved to the Bronx.

During the late sixties, reggae wasnt popular with New Yorkers. As a DJ, Kool Herc spun rhythm and blues records to please his party crowd. But, he had to add his personal touch. During the breaks, Herc began to speak to his audience as he had learned to do in Jamaica. He called out, the audience responded, and then he pumped the volume back up on the record. This call and response technique was nothing new to this community whod been reared in Baptist and Methodist churches where call and response was a technique used by the speakers to get the congregation involved. Historians compare it to the call and response performed by Jazz musicians and was very much a part of the culture of Jazz music during the renaissance in Harlem.

Hercs DJ style caught on. His partys grew in popularity. He began to buy multiple copies of the same albums. When he performed his duties as a DJ, he extended the breaks by using multiple copies of the same records. He chatted, as it is called in dance hall, with his audience for longer and longer periods.

Others copied Hercs style. Soon a friendly battle ensued between New York DJs. They all learned the technique of using break beats. Herc stepped up the game by giving shout-outs to people who were in attendance at the parties and coming up with his signature call and response. Other DJs responded by rhyming with their words when they spoke to the audience. More and more DJs used two and four line rhymes and anecdotes to get their audiences involved and hyped at these parties.

One day, Herc passed the microphone over to two of his friends. He took care of the turn table and allowed his buddies to keep the crowd hyped with chants, rhymes and anecdotes while he extended the breaks of different songs indefinitely. This was the birth of rap as we know it.

Hip-hop has evolved from the days of the basement showdowns to big business in the music industry. In the seventies and eighties, the pioneers and innovators of the rap record was the DJ. He was the guy who used his turntable to create fresh sounds with old records. Then, he became the guy who mixed these familiar breaks with synthesizers to produce completely new beats. Not much has changed in that aspect of hip-hop. The guy who creates the beat is still the heart of the track. Now, we call him the producer. Even though some DJs work as producers as well as DJs (quite a few start out as DJs before they become producers), todays title DJ doesnt carry the same connotative meaning it did in the eighties. Todays hip-hop producer performs the same tasks as the eightys DJ.

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Now that you?ve spent hours and days and weeks and months recording your musical masterpieces (and you?ve also read my article ?Tips for a Great Recording Session?), you have arrived at my favorite time in the studio; The Mixdown.

But don?t think your job is done yet! The mixdown is just as important as recording. As an artist, you have to approach the mixdown from an artist?s point of view and stay on the ?creative? side of the fence where it?s still possible to shape and mold your songs throughout the mixdown process.

Remember the old ?Yin-Yang? principle which states, ?whenever you turn something up, something else disappears. Furthermore; whenever you turn something down, something else gets louder?. This applies to EQ, levels and almost anywhere you have two or more tracks.

The Beginning Of The End

STOP!! Don?t even think about starting your mixdown on the same day you finish tracking. Take a day off, have a break and then come back refreshed with a new perspective.

Now back to business…

First of all, let?s ?zero the board?. This is simply the action of bringing all the faders to the bottom (-∞) and centering all the pan knobs and effects sends.

I know what you?re thinking, you?re thinking ?but our mix sounded good when we were tracking!?.

OK, but did the mix actually sound good or were you just accustomed to hearing it that way? That?s why zero-ing the board is important. It flushes your memory and allows you to start from scratch. It might even be better to mix a song that you finished recording a while back.

1.Get Kicked.

This is where I prefer to start. Other people like to start with the vocals and build around them. But I?m more rhythm based and prefer to start with the kick drum.

One tricky part of any mix is getting a good gain-stage structure where you don?t clip the master faders at the end of your mixing session when all your instrument faders are raised. We must be careful to keep watching the master bus clipping lights to make sure they never get into the red. Here is why the kick is a good place to start.

Play your songs and watch the master bus VU meters. This is probably the only time you will ?mix with your eyes?. As you?re watching the master VU meter, slowly raise the kick fader until the master meter reads about -7dB. If you are a four piece band, then you can leave the kick there and move on. But if you have a really dense tune, then you may have to lower the kick to -8dB or so (to leave room for all the other instruments as they come up).

Now you are set to mix. The kick should be the only channel that you set levels by watching. Every other channel mixed into the song will be with your ears relative to the kick.

2.Moving On

From now on, it?s pretty much a free-for-all. Some people like to move on to the bass next, in order to find the balance for the low-end of the song. Other people like to keep working on the drum kit ?as a whole? before moving to other instruments. I prefer to move onto the drum kit over-head mics.

They say that a great drum kit sound can be captured using only two over-head mics, and a kick mic. And it?s true. Some of my tunes only use three mics on the final mixed versions, even though we had used up to ten mics for the recording of the kit.

If you placed your over-head mics properly (i.e.: so the snare sounds centered in the stereo image, and not skewed to the left or right speaker) then you will have a better stereo image of the drum kit when the mix is finished. Otherwise you might have to do some fancy panning or EQ to get a balanced image with the drum kit.

You can now bring in the rest of the kit underneath the over heads to fill out the sound. I prefer to leave EQ and effects to the very end of the mix, after all of the instruments are playing. Try to place your toms in the same panning position as the overhead mics recorded them. If your floor tom in the overheads is to the right at 3 o?clock then pan your individual floor tom fader to the same position.

And don?t forget to check your phase between your mics pointing down and your mics pointing up.

3.Big Bottom

Now I like to add in the bass. Nothing too important here if you have good source audio. I?m also a huge side-chaining fan. I LOVE to side-chain the bass with the kick so the low end frequencies wouldn?t fight for space in the mix. It just makes things sound ?tighter?. Sometimes you may have to eq the lowest of the lows out of the kick in order to make a little more room for the bass to sit in the mix.

4. Pads and More

Here is where I add the ?pad? type of sounds. These are sounds that usually have longer sustains and hold the chords of the song. Sounds like strings, sustained electric guitar chords, synth pads, and maybe even some rhythm acoustic guitars are great foundation instruments.

I like to lay these instruments on top of the drums and bass tracks we have already mixed. You can get very creative with the panning of these sounds and create a wide stereo field. This will help make your mix interesting by allowing your lead instruments and vocals sit in the center of your stereo image, attracting attention to themselves.

5. The Vox

Let?s finally add the vocals. I usually start off with the lead vocal, and then place all the harmony and background vocals underneath the lead. Sometimes, you can end up putting the vocal a little too high in the mix, and a great way to check this is to turn your monitors way down and listen to the mix at an almost inaudible level. This way of listening to your mix will surprise you, but you have to be confident and trust your ears. If something sounds disproportionately loud at this quiet level, then it is too loud. If you must, then you can compress the vocals too, but that really depends on the song?s style. Maybe a few fader rides are a better choice then some static compression.

6. The Rest

You can start adding effects and other fancy shmancy things to your tune. Get funky with automating some pan knobs, fade-in some pads etc.. Here is a good time to get creative.

It?s also a very good time to actively listen and re-adjust your mix. Is the kick too loud? Should I put some higher frequencies on the bass? Should I compress the backing vocals more? Is the coffee finally ready?

When you feel you have a good mix, burn it to CD and listen to it EVERYWHERE! In the car, in the bath, at home, on the TV set, at your friend?s place etc., and make a lot of notes. And at the end, if all your notes cancel out, then you are finished!

?2005 Richard Dolmat (Digital Sound Magic)

===========================================================

About The Author

Richard Dolmat is owner, engineer and producer for the Vancouver based recording studio Digital Sound Magic. Visit his site at: http://www.digitalsoundmagic.com

The origin of hip-hop can be traced back as far as the ancient tribes in Africa. Rap has been compared with the chants, drumbeats and foot-stomping African tribes performed before wars, the births of babies, and the deaths of kings and elders. Historians have reached further back than the accepted origins of hip-hop. It was born as we know it today in the Bronx, cradled and nurtured by the youth in the low-income areas of New York City.

Fast-forward from the tribes of Africa to the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica in the late sixties. The impoverished of Kingston gathered together in groups to form DJ conglomerates. They spun roots and culture records and communicated with the audience over the music. At the time, the DJs comments werent as important as the quality of the sound system and its ability to get the crowd moving. Kool Herc grew up in this community before he moved to the Bronx.

During the late sixties, reggae wasnt popular with New Yorkers. As a DJ, Kool Herc spun rhythm and blues records to please his party crowd. But, he had to add his personal touch. During the breaks, Herc began to speak to his audience as he had learned to do in Jamaica. He called out, the audience responded, and then he pumped the volume back up on the record. This call and response technique was nothing new to this community whod been reared in Baptist and Methodist churches where call and response was a technique used by the speakers to get the congregation involved. Historians compare it to the call and response performed by Jazz musicians and was very much a part of the culture of Jazz music during the renaissance in Harlem.

Hercs DJ style caught on. His partys grew in popularity. He began to buy multiple copies of the same albums. When he performed his duties as a DJ, he extended the breaks by using multiple copies of the same records. He chatted, as it is called in dance hall, with his audience for longer and longer periods.

Others copied Hercs style. Soon a friendly battle ensued between New York DJs. They all learned the technique of using break beats. Herc stepped up the game by giving shout-outs to people who were in attendance at the parties and coming up with his signature call and response. Other DJs responded by rhyming with their words when they spoke to the audience. More and more DJs used two and four line rhymes and anecdotes to get their audiences involved and hyped at these parties.

One day, Herc passed the microphone over to two of his friends. He took care of the turn table and allowed his buddies to keep the crowd hyped with chants, rhymes and anecdotes while he extended the breaks of different songs indefinitely. This was the birth of rap as we know it.

Hip-hop has evolved from the days of the basement showdowns to big business in the music industry. In the seventies and eighties, the pioneers and innovators of the rap record was the DJ. He was the guy who used his turntable to create fresh sounds with old records. Then, he became the guy who mixed these familiar breaks with synthesizers to produce completely new beats. Not much has changed in that aspect of hip-hop. The guy who creates the beat is still the heart of the track. Now, we call him the producer. Even though some DJs work as producers as well as DJs (quite a few start out as DJs before they become producers), todays title DJ doesnt carry the same connotative meaning it did in the eighties. Todays hip-hop producer performs the same tasks as the eightys DJ.

More articles at article database