Sean Price Rap Music

Rap music worked its way to mainstream music around the late 70s to the early 80s. Those who study history would trace rap musics roots way back in American history when Griots or West African folk poets used to deliver their stories in a rhythmic tone accompanied by drums and other sparse instrumentation. Today, the art of rapping has evolved into something that spans cultural and lifestyle dimensions.
Folk roots meet Jamaican-style
Rap music combines the poetry of the Griots with Jamaican-style toasting. Toasting is used by Jamaican disc jockeys or DJs in dance parties to coax people to dance to their music. DJs are the first rappers or MCs (short for master of ceremonies). They would speak over their music to shout out slogans like Work it, work it and Move it to keep encourage continuous dancing on the dance floor. Soon, toasting became longer and became less about dancing and more about life and having fun. Contextually, these raps can be insult raps, news raps, message raps, nonsense raps, and party raps.

This early way of rapping was soon enhanced to include manual manipulation of the sound system to heighten the dance experience. It has been said that people dance because of the beat and not of the lyrics. And so, DJs soon incorporated other techniques like dubbing and scratching to the rap music appeal. Dubbing enhanced Jamaican toasting by cutting back and forth between vocal and instrumental tracks and isolating the beat for danceability. Scratching, on the other hand, is done by moving the record in the turntable from one direction to another and back again while the needle is still in the groove
Rappers deluxe
Rap historians cite young Jamaican Clive Campbell as one of the proponents of rap music when he migrated to the Bronx and brought with him the art of Jamaican toasting. In the Brox, Campbell was known by his monicker, Kool Herc (short for Hercules). Other early rappers rappers were Jamaican toasters such as U Roy, Duke Reid, Sir Coxsone, and Prince Buster. They were followed by the next decade of rappers like MelleMel, Fatback Band, Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, and Run-D.M.C.

The early nineties saw the entry of white American rappers like Ice Cube to the African-American-dominated world of rap music. Even women rappers surfaced in the mainstream rap music scene. Women rappers like Salt N Pepper, Monie Love, and Queen Latifah rapped over R&B melodies and expressed lyrics that touched on women-related issues.

The look of rap
From its origins in the gang dominion of Bronx and the dancehalls of downtown ghettos, rap music soon found its way into the mainstream music scene. Soon, not only African-Americans were dancing to rap music. Rap music evolved into lyrical reflection of urban life. Rastafari-clad youth wore oversized shirts and jackets paired with low-riding oversized jeans that exposed their underwear. Heavy chain accessories also became part of the rapper look.

Rap music, while considered by some to be a fad that would eventually lose its appeal, is really a form of musical art that has become a way of expression. Modern mouth percussion, vocal improvisation and stripped down melody, these elements of rap music make it a unique musical experience

R & B

R&B music can be traced back to spirituals and blues. Musically, spirituals were a descendant of New England choral traditions, and of Isaac Watts's hymns, mixed with African rhythms. Spirituals or religious chants in the African-American community are much better documented than the "low-down" blues. Spiritual singing developed because African-American communities could gather for mass or worship gatherings, which were called camp meetings. Early country bluesmen such as Skip James, Charley Patton, Georgia Tom Dorsey played country and urban blues and had influences from spiritual singing. Dorsey helped to popularize Gospel music. Gospel music developed in the 1930s, with the Golden Gate Quartet.Download latest on Alisha Keys

As the recording industry grew, country blues performers like Bo Carter, Jimmie Rodgers (country singer), Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Johnson, Tampa Red and Blind Blake became more popular in the African American community. Kentucky-born Sylvester Weaver was in 1923 the first to record the slide guitar style, in which a guitar is fretted with a knife blade or the sawed-off neck of a bottle. The first blues recordings from the 1920s are categorized as a traditional, rural country blues and a more polished 'city' or urban blues. Country blues performers often improvised, either without accompaniment or with only a banjo or guitar. Regional styles of country blues varied widely in the early 20th century. The (Mississippi) Delta blues was a rootsy sparse style with passionate vocals accompanied by slide guitar.

This rapidly evolving market was mirrored by the Billboard Rhythm and Blues Chart. This marketing strategy reinforced trends within urban blues music such as the progressive electrification of the instruments, their amplification and the generalization of the blues beat, the blues shuffle, that became ubiquitous in R&B. This commercial stream had important consequences for blues music which, together with Jazz and Gospel music, became a component of the R&B wave. After World War II and in the 1950s, new styles of electric blues music became popular in cities such as Chicago, also used saxophones, but these were used more as "backing" or rhythmic support than as solo instruments. Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson are well known harmonica (called "harp" by blues musicians) players of the early Chicago blues scene. Muddy Waters and Elmore James were known for their innovative use of slide electric guitar. Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters were known for their deep, "gravelly" voices. Bassist and composer Willie Dixon played a major role on the Chicago blues scene. He composed and wrote many standard blues songs of the period. Most artists of the Chicago blues style recorded for the Chicago-based Chess Records and Checker Records labels.Download latest on R kelly

During the early 1950s, the dominating Chicago labels were challenged by Sam Phillips' Sun Records company in Memphis, which recorded B. B. King and Howlin' Wolf before he moved to Chicago in 1960. In the 1950s, blues had a huge influence on mainstream American popular music. In the late 1950s, a new blues style emerged on Chicago's West Side pioneered by Magic Sam, Buddy Guy and Otis Rush on Cobra Records. Other blues artists, such as John Lee Hooker had influences not directly related to the Chicago style. John Lee Hooker's blues is more "personal", based on Hooker's deep rough voice accompanied by a single electric guitar. Though not directly influenced by boogie woogie, his "groovy" style is sometimes called "guitar boogie".

White performers had brought African-American music to new audiences, both within the US and abroad. However, the blues wave that brought artists such as Muddy Waters to the foreground had stopped. Bluesmen such as Big Bill Broonzy and Willie Dixon started looking for new markets in Europe. Dick Waterman and the blues festivals he organized in Europe played a major role in propagating blues music abroad. Blues performers such as John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters continued to perform to enthusiastic audiences. John Lee Hooker blended his blues style with rock elements and playing with younger white musicians. B. B. King's virtuoso guitar technique earned him the eponymous title "king of the blues". many Rock and Roll artists such as Elvis Presley were greatly influenced by the blues and incorperated it into their music.

Snoop Lion

Say goodbye to Snoop Dogg and give Snoop Lion a warm welcome. According to the American singer, he changed his name while undergoing a spiritual and artistic rebirth in Jamaica.

Snoop narrated how he acquired his new name:

"I went to the temple, where the high priest asked me what my name was, and I said, 'Snoop Dogg'. And he looked me in my eyes and said: 'No more. You are the light. You are the lion.' From that moment on, it's like I had started to understand why I was there."

Upon returning from Jamaica, he did not just introduce a new name. He also announced that he was shifting his music genre from rap to reggae which he considers "fresh air".
"As a 40-year-old man ... I've got to give them something, said he. That's what you do when you're wise."

Before Snoop Doggy and Snoop Lion Were Born

Snoop was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. in California. His mother started calling him "Snoopy" because of his physical appearance. Singers Brandy and Ray J are his cousins.

At age 5, he was already playing the piano. After graduating from high school, Snoop was arrested for procession of cocaine.

He was frequently in trouble with drugs and the law as a young man. Even when he was rising to fame, Snoop was arrested several times. He was charged for the murder of a man who was believed to be a member of Snoop's gang's rival, and was later acquitted. Later, he was sued for assaulting a fan on stage during his concert in 2005.

Recently Snoop has been banned from entering Norway for two years, after he tried entering the country with eight grams of cannabis. He was also found to be carrying an amount of money more than what was legally allowed. Snoop's lawyer noted that they will not appeal the ban and that Snoop could "live with the decision".

What is Behind the Name "Snoop Lion"?

News about Snoop Dogg changing his name broke with mixed reactions from the public.

"Say hello to well known ganja merchant and highly-paid singing whisperer Snoop Dogg, wrote Chris Starr of Heckler Spray. Or Snoop Lion, because the man has become leonine incarnate (or something)."

Author and fashion critic Derek Blasberg took to Twitter reacting "I just don't understand. When I got on the plane he was called Snoop Dogg, and when I got off the plane he was called Snoop Lion".

Others were not shocked with the news report believing it was normal for people to change their name. One of the earlier celebrities who did the same was British singer Cat Stevens who is now Yusuf Islam.

According to Snoop, his transformation was inspired by reggae legend Bob Marley. Before recording his new reggae album "Reincarnated", he even first got a blessing from Marley's son Rohan.

"You can hear the message in some of the songs, Snoop told MTV News. You can hear the positivity and the strength and the struggle."

He concluded by saying he is the reincarnation of Bob Marley.

Do you believe he is really the reincarnation of Bob Marley?

Hindi Music

When it comes to Indian music, it is believed to be originated from the Hindu beliefs, views and philosophy. Enchant of Indian music may be classified in different genres. It is said that the Indian music is one of the oldest and popular form of the music in any tradition of the world. People say that origin of the Indian music is originated from the Vedas. Indian classical music therefore trusted to be the most legendry form of Indian music.
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Hip Hop

About a years ago I began work on a presentation to highlight the basic differences between Hip Hop & Rap. Somewhere in the mist of my project, I turned on the TV to find out, Hip Hop had been murdered and Rap declared legally insane. And while George Bush was held responsible for the war in Iraq and a weak economy, everything else wrong with America was being linked to Hip Hop. Drugs, teen pregnancy, violence, the high school drop out rate, the victimization of women (including rape and abuse), the reason racism existed in American, cop killings, pornography, did I leave out global warming. Okay maybe not global warming, but there was a serious witch hunt taking place. Later I saw David Banner and Masta P in front of a committee in Washington, DC defending their music.

It's was all surreal and as I watched America's corporate media do what they do best, sensationalize a story for ratings (prime example, after the Virginia Tech University shooting, one media outlet went so far as to place a picture of 50 Cent next to the shooter's picture, claiming that his music was responsible for influencing the killer to commit the violence).

Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million records worldwide as of 2010, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. Rolling Stone Magazine named him the 86th Greatest Artist of All Time. The themes of most of Tupac's songs are the violence and hardship in inner cities, racism, social problems, and conflicts with other rappers during the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry.ckick here to read

Oprah's "Town Meeting On Hip Hop", BET's "Hip Hop vs. America", Paula Zahn's "Hip Hop: Art or Poison" allowed out of touch black leaders, right-winged whites, and angry women groups to all scream "Hip Hop"... "Hip Hop negatively influences youth to do this...", "Hip Hop promotes that....", "Hip Hop is the source of all societies ills". To make matters worse the people on these panels who were invited to speak for hip hop were mostly rappers and members of the rap industry out to preserve their moneymaker. The legitimate members of the hip hop community on these 3 panels could be counted on one hand, Common (Oprah's Town Meeting on Hip Hop), Chuck D & Nelson George (Hip Hop vs. America), and a couple of others. Hip Hop wasn't giving a fair opportunity to articulate to America, that what was actually being pumped out on major radio waves and on the Viacom machine (MTV, BET, and VH1) was not Hip Hop but a commercialized version of Hip Hop called Rap. And as people continued to confuse rap for hip hop, things got totally out of control with the statement of the year "Hip Hop Is Dead". This declaration was first made by Nas when he released the self titled single, for his 2007 album, "Hip Hop is Dead".click here to listen to tupac tracts




Did he really believed the statement or was he using it as a clever way to create a buzz and draw attention to his album release? His response to the controversy bother me even more, saying he was referring to, not just hip hop, both the whole music scene in general, as far as creativity was concerned. Though I agreed with him 100% about the lack of creativity, I could not believe that he perceived hip hop as a once active member in mainstream music that, after being exposed to a virus called commercialism, fell victim and died.

Luckily, hip hop had major medias to represent and defend it against the assault...it... wait... what am I talking about... once the Source magazine started trixin' with Rap, the love affair was over and hip hop got kicked to the curb. And hip hop lived at Hot 97, in the beginning, but after they attracted enough listeners off that claim, they raised the rent so high it downgraded hip hop from the penthouse apt, to a one room studio in the basement, finally back to the streets.

That's when I decided to expand my presentation to do more then just highlight the differences between the culture of Hip Hop & commercial mainstream Rap, I also had to prove that Hip Hop was still alive. I decided the best way to do this was to present a clearer and more detailed description of what Hip Hop was. I had to go deeper than just identifying the 5 elements, which is what the original idea was, but to explain why people love hip hop, what it means to live hip hop, and what other than the 5 elements separate hip hop from rap. As a result not only did I create a 3 part presentation, I developed what I feel is the most important part to this presentation, what I call the "Essence of the Culture".

Hip Hop has a soul, an essence that is made up of 3 main factors: Creativity, Originality, and Skill Development. These are the main factors that fuel hip hop culture. It is the force that governs it and the foundation for which it's built. It dictates the art, fashion, and media of hip hop. When the music industry attempted to bring the music element of hip hop culture to the mainstream, it failed to include (or purposely excluded) the essence, leaving them with nothing more than a product called Rap music. Once an element (or person) of hip hop culture is separated from its essence, it becomes disconnected and no longer part of the culture.