Hip Hop goes to college...HELP!

[beautyfish]

Hello everyone -

I teach a college course called "Survey of Modern Production Techniques", and it pretty much covers the history of record production, from the early days of live to disc, through Les Paul, the Beatles and Beach Boys, and ends up with what's happening today.

I have to say that I'm not very knowledgeable about rap and hip hop, and I am trying to add a unit on those genres for next term. Are there any good books that talk about the history and techniques of hip hop production?

If I have to put something together on my own, who are the most significant producers in the genre, and what are the most important songs, and why? I have one ninety minute class to cover this topic, and I usually have time to play a dozen or so songs.

So far, I have Kurtis Blow, Dr. Dre, the Neptunes, and Timbaland suggested to me as important producers to discuss.

I could use some help here. Any opinions? I especially need to know why certain producers and songs are important from a PRODUCTION standpoint, and what specific techniques were used and developed by these producers.

Thanks,


JK

[Reptil]

Justified and ancient:
GM Flash & Kool Herc & Afrika Bambaataa
Kool Keith - Ultramagnetic MCs
DMX
Cash money & Marvellous

still inspire me to this day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIc_rVKGA1g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkyb2fdxTGY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhkOPNRV8Pk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUNyA...elated&search=

innovative creative use of new technology. (drummachines, cut paste, skratch)
sampling as a way of creative production (give the sample new meaning in a different context)
Apache Break, Chiq disco/kraftwerk/anything influence
rap from the street to the studio - b-boys - Last Poets

also look at "electro" -
Juan Atkins
Pac Man
Egyptian Lover a.o.

"Miami Bass" - yeah Kurtis Blow, a.o.

search Gearslutz - There's some nice threads about history and books here. (about a year old)

that's off the top of my head. Not just a subgenre, but pretty important, also pioneering for pop, techno etc.
following: Rockit Herby Hancock
Other ppl. probably see hiphop as more restricted to one phenomenon, rap&beat only.

[FossilTooth]

The artists that reptil mentioned are indispensable.

For important and influential newer-school production, I'd also recommend covering the first Wu-Tang Clan album ("36 Chambers"), The First DJ Shadow album ("Endtroducing...") and anything by Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul.

I can not say that NWA are important from a production or aesthetic standpoint, but they are essential for your class due to their cultural impact.

Public Enemy is also important.

Beastie Boys "Paul's Boutique" was perhaps one of the most influential records in recent Hip-Hop history from a production standpoint.

It's a bold statement, but I'll stand behind it.

[Reptil]

Originally Posted by FossilTooth

..
It's a bold statement, but I'll stand behind it.

love that album!
NWA we played till it was grey.
I'd say the sound of that was also pretty new.
apart from the cultural impact obviously
first ganster rap

oh yeah: Run DMC of course
I love youtube thumbsup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sL9m9BoO2A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eliO...elated&search=

oh before I forget: the link with other street art like grafitti

[Reptil]

boombox & b-boy & rapper =
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j67l6...elated&search=

turntablism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-tXl...elated&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlTPaR1B_Ow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CNGZ...elated&search=

[Lee702]

The Rza gets into some of these things in his book the Wu-Tang Manual http://www.amazon.com/Wu-Tang-Manual...4876471&sr=1-2

[FossilTooth]

Originally Posted by Reptil

oh yeah: Run DMC of course

How did I skip them? I must be getting old or something.

[Reptil]

Originally Posted by FossilTooth

How did I skip them? I must be getting old or something.

LOL, that is what I felt when I read your post.

[Joemamma]

Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" is important because it was basically the first commercial rap song...

The Beginning:
Bambaataa
Kool Herc
Grand Master Flash
Grandmixer DST (played on "Rockit" with Hancock)

Important figures in no particular order:
Kurtis Blow
Ice T
NWA
Big Daddy Kane
Public Enemy
Wu-Tang Clan
DJ Premier
2Pac
Notorious B.I.G.
Dr. Dre
Etc...

[Stitch333]

Originally Posted by FossilTooth

I can not say that NWA are important from a production or aesthetic standpoint, but they are essential for your class due to their cultural impact.

Oh HELL yeah NWA is important on all three points...NWA are probably the biggest influence on modern rap music production. Dre has hits coming out right now. As far as Tribe and all them (love the shit but...) that sound is really dated.
NWA showed everyone that you could sell multi-platinum albums that are made in a garage + the asthetics are are total sound of the street...
I dont see to many SSL consoles in Hood studios, do you?
also, what of the massive mixtape industry...NWA pretty much paved the way for hood-sonics.
Id devote at least a good 10 minutes just to them alone

[Stitch333]

For hiphop history, dont forget craig mack, slick rick and the king of the beatboxers...rhazel

[Barznbeats1]

Just to make the spectrum a lil more broad...(for the sake of classroom discussion)


Kanye West
Lil John
Scott Storch
DJ Premier
Timbaland
Pete Rock

Damn, I could go on forever but my list isn't necessarily my favs. Just some producers who've brought a new and distinct sound and created an era of a certain sound of music.

[ozzborn]

landmark albums for production
in no paticular order

public enemy
fear of a black planet

run-dmc
self titled

pete rock & c.l. smooth
mecca and the soul botha

laryn hill
miseducation of lauryn hill

wu tang
enter the wu(36 chambers)

common
like water for chocalate

kool g. rap
road to the riches( birth of gangsta rap)

nwa
straight out of compton

dr dre
2001

outkast
southernplaylisticcaddillacdrivinmusic

ultramagnetic m.c.s
critical beatdown

everybodys opinions will vary and the region they live in will play a part as well.

i live in jersey

[t.dizzle]

Originally Posted by Stitch333

Oh HELL yeah NWA is important on all three points...NWA are probably the biggest influence on modern rap music production.

Man, I'm glad someone said that.

I think that NWA was done on SSL though. In L.A., the hood can be anywhere, including right across the street from the rich areas.

[INDECISIVE_2000]

There are many producers who have influenced this particular genre of music and many have been named already on this thread. Things to focus on might be the evolution of the music itself. Looking at sampling as how it all started with DJ's looking for breaks in particular songs where it would just be the drummer playing the groove, taking 4 bars and looping it. You could look for the most sampled records such as James Brown "The funky drummer" etc. You can also look at the evolution of the sampler itself, where in the beginning many of the early producers would only have 8 seconds of memory to work with on their samplers and now with all the new technology, sampling time is much more flexible. Some of the most used samplers from back in the day, the Akai series (MPC 60, MPC 3000, MPC2000), the emu SP1200, the use of the Roland TR 808 drum machine, etc. Just studying some of these samplers could probably give you a couple of classes of material. Studying samples producers used could give you a class of material. Dr Dre would probably be considered the producer in hip hop who took the sonic qualities of the music to another level. He had a desire for a "cleaner" hard hitting sound where as much of the early hip hop had a "dirty" sonic quality (which is still very desirable in this genre of music)

As the artform has evolved, so has it's participants, more producers are "players" of music as oppose to someone who will manipulate samples to recreate a beat. Production itself has become big money. Producers demand much more. The tools being used now range from live to computers to samples. You can go on forever, but these are just some of my thoughts. Hope this helps, good luck.

[azwun25]

alot of names have been thrown out there already..heres a few more:

Mark the 45 King
Prince Paul
Jay Dee (J Dilla)
Erick Sermon (gotta mention EPMD)