The fact that hip hop is already middle aged is crazy. So young compared to other genres, but already has years of classic songs and artists as if it had been around for centuries.
The most powerful music to hit the planet. Baby boomers hooked us up. They were in their early 20’s. They were still kids. Shot out to the South Bronx. And them beautiful youths 👈🏿❤️ who supplied the energy, for this very conversation. ✌🏿💯👍🏿
My father is Preston Epps, who is the ORIGINAL Mr. Bongo Rock 1959 and Bongola was an album in 1961 made him. Incredible Bongo Band redid in 1973. Really, all the credits should go to my father for this movement, not the Incredible Bongo Band. But I thank you for the mention of my father, for He's the true and original Mr. Bongo Rock!
There are definitely still conscious lyricists on the scene, and good folk following, but, for the most part, it just turned into the groove behind a culture of gangsta, murder, drugs, crime, jail, and failure.
@PilzE. I feel you, but I disagree, because I look at it objectively, and I recognize that people said the same thing about groups like NWA. I don't listen to new music, but I respect the fact that these kids have something to say, just like we did.
@@widowscoins6290 I stopped listening to Hip Hop in the late eighties, oddly enough, one of the last albums I bought was Straight Outta Compton! My 15-year-old son now has it on his wall of vinyl, more for its influence on modern society than the tracks! House music and rave swept me off my feet, and those grooves still have my foot tapping and head nodding to this day! Drill. Dis-tracks. Gang warfare. It has swept across the UK like a disease. 15-year-olds getting gunned down with shot guns by 17-year-olds over a put down in a Drill track. Stabbings, the culture of violence, drug dealing and wanting nothing more than to be feared and respected for the level of savagery they are capable of. I know it's stereotyping, and that not all are at that extreme end of the spectrum, but seeing areas change once the culture becomes style, is nothing short of heartbreaking. I just feel that a lot of potential is being lost to it.
@@pervertedalchemist9944 I remember them. They had a sound close to the jackson five. What brought me finding out about them was Issac Hayes song walk on by.
As an old school B-Boy, this sample in the song became the essence of my grooving on the floor, of my dance spirit. I loved to explode furious moves on the floor in battle, when this was played. It still hits me in the feels, every time I hear it. Great review! Respect, peace and love!
I was there. Not at the party, but my dad lived across the street in the River Park Towers. What they were trying to do was keep the party dancing, Herc wanted to fill in the time between the songs. This in-between time was professionally handled by an emcee. Emcees would talk in between the songs. One time a man named Kurtis Blow said some things he heard in the form of a rap that was made easy to memorize by putting it in a rhyme. It was about how to survive in the ghetto and be proud of being Black. Kurtis used to stand on the corner and do these raps, but no one would really listen. It wasn't until the Block Parties when Emcees started to let people say quick raps in between songs that rap became famous. Kurtis Blow didn't start it, but he became famous for it when he started rapping about hard times with his song: These Are The Breaks. That Bongo song is in fact the tree of all trees! It's the cornerstone. Emcees used it to talk to the crowd to keep their attention and keep them drinking. What Herc and several others were doing was trying to get to the next song without stopping, but we didn't have mixers. His sliding of the records was considered a mistake and made people laugh, but he learned to make beats with sections of songs. Several people did variations of this, but the two things are different things that came together because the emcees needed someone to fill the void. Someone unknown started rapping saying stupid stuff in the intermission of a song to the beat of that Bongo song and we all thought it was funny as hell because he was talking about sex. He made it rhyme. Everyone that you know in rap attended these Block Parties in the Bronx, but this was not at the Herc party, it was a regular block party. The bongo song that really got it started was: Let's Dance to the Drummer's Beat. When that song came on everyone would try to say something cool to get the ladies excited. This often caused a lot of fights. But the way to keep people from fighting was to say something everyone thought was cool. It kept the party alive. It didn't really take hold till about 1978, but in the underground dance scene, it was catching fire quickly as Emcees started hiring rappers. People who could rhyme words often could keep up with the rhythm of any song. Rap wasn't initially put to music. When rap was done it had to be short as the next record would come on. It slowly but surely began to get hot when rappers started to challenge each other instead of fighting. This was true for Grand Master Flashes' crew and Full Force, Grand Master won easily. They won several events. There were several others that I can't think of right now who also became famous, they were actually better than Grand Master Flashes crew. It wasn't considered a talent until Sugar Hill Gang made money from it. Their song was trashed originally. It was considered junk by the standards of the day. The bongo beat was where everyone lived with their raps and if you could swing it, you could win. My brother and my cousin and I won several competitions at the River Park Towers, but none at the Block Parties. The main thing to remember is that these things were all separate. They didn't rap in discos. They didn't rap in hotels where emcees really made their money. They only rapped at house parties or at the Block Parties for Black emcees. Follow the path of Black Emcees to find the connections. That Bongo song was an intermission song that became a space where rappers could fill the void. That's all.
@@NotAnInternetTroll You are 100 percent on point with your assessment...NOBODY is doing for rap today what mf doom did and what black thought is still doing and Busta is a certified top 5 mc but....that's just my op.
Great video as always. Fun fact: In a bit of a full circle moment, Salaam Remi slowing down Apache for Made You Look for Nas was, according to Salaam, also a happy accident.
The 'Chinese drum' is listed as an instrument that appears on The Shadows release which might have a bearing on why bongos appear on future covers. The person playing this was Cliff Richard.
Apache was an instrumental hit for a four piece band from the UK called the Shadows back in the early 60's. They were also the backing band for Cliff Richard, a huge English pop star pre Beatles! He is still alive and is still performing.
Apache was a section of the South Bronx, so let's get it straight. We didn't have any exposure to British music other that the pop groups of the late 60's ( Beatles, Yardbirds- hippie music).
@@robertdaniels3029 I fully understand that hence the reason I gave the information. Cliff and the Shadows were regular visitors to the states and even appeared on the Ed sullivan show but didn't have the chart success or the exposure like the Beatles had in February 1964!
@@seano218 yes,you are correct. Bert Weedon played it for the Shadows on a ukulele and they liked it so much that they recorded it and it became a number one hit for them in the UK. Then, a Danish guitarist Jorgen Innman, released a cover of the song in November 1960 which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard hot 100 charts in the US.
The break dancing became real serious at the park jams when Apache came on. Everything was fun and lighthearted when the DJ put on Apache all the dancers faces changed time to get it in!
Shoutout to you, Brandon Shaw! Nice way to reference the O-NEEDers from one of the most enjoyable movies of all time! You, like The Wonders, should keep doing That Thing You Do! 10:12
Sharing some great knowledge as usual. Thanks for mentioning Jim Gordon, a very influential drummer with a dramatic life, who is rarely talked about. All blessings and love!
The Thing with Two Heads starred Rosey Grier. He was the black dude they sowed the bigots head to. He used to play for the Rams back in the day. Part of the Fearsome Foursome. He also helped garbed the dude that shot Robert Kennedy. I just remember meeting him when I was a little kid and he seemed HUGE as hell.
Bongorock 1973 wouldn't even be a thing if it wasn't for my grandad Preston Epps who originally made Bongorock in 1959. The Bongo Band covered my grandads song.
I saw a documentary on the making of Apache and Michael Viner’s Incredible Bongo Band. I don’t remember almost anything about it cuz I was probably drunk af 😂 but I do remember (I think) how the musicians were always different when doing live shows. A “fake” band helped create a legacy that defined an entire genre of music and led to the creation of a culture still standing strong and on top 50 years later. That speaks volumes. Dope video and always look forward to these uploads 💯
The first crossfader mixer the GLI 3800 didn't come out till 1974 and the version of Technics turntables that all Djs use didn't come out till 1979, what and how was he bringing the records back and forth at his party in 73.
Amazing that reggae (68) and hip hop (73) have made such an impact on world music. Here's to the next 50 although I hopefully will get to see another 25 / 30 myself 😊
I love your videos. Really like the way you present, and the information is just fascinating. I was listening to Hip Hop when it was Electro - maybe started around 83/84? So some of what you talk about, I already know. But then there are so many connections you make, that I really didn't know about, or didn't know with clarity. Really appreciate what you do!
This has to be my favourite episode yet, it's so fun. Not only did I learn something new about the genre's inception, but you also put me onto the Incredible Bongo Band and a hilarious B-movie blaxploitation film. Keep doing what you do Brandon 😊
Man, I love how digging brings out the oddest records. I assume at some point you’ll break out the story of Pete Rock and the Tom Scott sample Today which is just a phenomenal record in itself and cover. It’s one a lot of people in the channel but to quote MC Shan, “you love to hear the story, again and again” and I’m sure you’d be able to give a good narrative structure.
I prefer Tom Scott’s Never My Love which is also a cover but Pete Rock used it a couple times too. The ones I can think of at the moment are It’s On You and Public Enemy’s Shut Em Down (Pete Rock Remix). TROY is legendary, but overhyped in my opinion. No disrespect to Pete Rock or Trouble T-Roy. Just speaking on the music.
@@dmug whenever anyone mentions Pete Rock they always jump to T.R.O.Y. It’s a dope song but definitely doesn’t compare to other projects he’s worked on 🤷🏽♂️
Never seen any of your videos before but man, your production is absolute fire. Chill atmo, good jokes, awesome pick of things to show and really neat and tied-up story telling. What a fascinating peace! Thanks for uploading this :)
YES. It's kind of insane to realize there's a direct line of ancestry between nascent hip hop ca. 1970, NWA, and the freaking Skies Of Arcadia soundtrack...
Love the staging of your videos and the story telling. I was hoping for a demo of Herc’s merry go round technique. I’ve never been able to find it demo’d.
@@Nehesi Not Flash, Kool Herc had some sloppy needle drops. I don’t remember if Flash didn’t. I read Flash’s memoir a long time ago but I mostly just recall his story of when he first presented his backspin technique for a live crowd. He said everybody stopped and just stared at him 😂 no one could believe that he “destroyed” his records on purpose lmao
He would do needle drops which a lot of people can’t do really well and it’s been said that Herc was a bit sloppy with it sometimes which I figured considering the difficulty, especially during a live set. It wasn’t till Grandmaster Flash that people would just hold on to the record and rewind it by hand before cueing it.
For once, the RUclips algorithm did me a solid and put this video in my feed. I have watched a few now and really appreciate your takes and focus on the production. I was around for all the early rap stuff, it all started when I found an “eaten” cassette in our yard (someone had ripped it out of their player and thrown it out of the window). I happened to have a Radio Shack splicing block for removing unused tape when I’d record vinyl to cassette for portability. So, I cut out the damaged part of the tape and spliced it back together. It was a homemade mixtape of several hip hop songs, so I started paying attention. I DJd through the mid-80s into the mid-90s, sadly in more (for lack of a sugar-coated euphemism) white clubs, I always kept an ear & eye out on the Hip hop world and we did play the more crossover hits. I used to try to figure out the songs that were sampled (long before the internet and “WhoSampled”). I am loving your stories!
Happy Birthday Hip Hop! I remember staying up late to watch that movie on ABC's Million Dollar Movie when I was a kid. Thanks for the vid and keep 'em coming bro! 👊🏽👍🏽
Gordon was one of the premier session drummers of the late 60s and early 70s, who showed signs of mental instability in the early 70s. The person he murdered was his mother in 1983. He died in prison in March of 2023.
Timmy Tim member of Kool Herc's Herculoids found this record Incredible Bongo Band - Bongo Rock including the track Apache in 1974 and hand it over to Kool Herc to play this at the block/Park Parties. The crowd get wild, especially the B-Boys and later DJ's such as Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa and Grand Wizard use this record too to mix/cut. Kool Herc remove the label of the record, so no one knows at the beginning what the record name was. Apache by the Incredible Bongo Band is a Hip Hop anthem. If you want to know more about the Incredible Bongo Band, watch this,great documentary "Sample This".
Dude, your videos are incredible and super interesting. I’m 43 and I’ve loved hip hop for as long as I can remember. You really bring back some awesome memories in these videos!
In all actuality, Hip-Hop consist of various elements that comprise the culture. Which included Dj"ing, Mc'ing, Breaking, Tagging { Graffiti } and Beat-Boxing, and of course other elements such as fashion and knowledge. Truth be told, these elements were all ready happing all over the city coming out of the civil rights movement, and the celebrations on the various communities throwing Block parties, and eventually parties with Dj's and sound systems and Dj battles in the various parks throughout the city. Hip-Hop was these elements that were not attached to each other as a cultural movement, it was not even called Hip-Hip, until {Robert Keith Wiggins} of Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five coined the term, by accident. People picked up the term and started using it in their rapping, and in general slang, people started calling it Hip-Hop. The Bronx should be given the credit for the labeling the term MC { Master of Ceremony } as the hype man would hype up the crowd for the DJ, but Dj'ing and mixing and blending record breakbeats, was being done before Kool Herc { MUST MENTIONED} The most famous loop of all times! "Amen Break," a six-second drum break, that would became a cultural staple of all Dj and Dance battles in the 70's & early 80's through-out NYC at that time . Local entrepreneur Sylvia Robinson of { Sugar Hill Record} fame, witness the collective growth of these elements as it began to grow in popularity, so she knew it was time to capitalize on it. She created the group { Sugar Hill Gang } and release the classic record "Rapper's Delight" (1979). The actual first rap recording was by a popular Funk/Disco Band from Queens called the { Fat Back Band } with a single called King Tim III. But Sylvia Robinson being a master marketer, knew to take an existing hot record { Chic'} "Good Times" that was a massive hit, and re-created it with her rappers, which resulted in a worldwide hit selling over 14 million records worldwide. With her mastery of branding and marketing, and selling that many records, comes along the infamous press release, and with that press release came the concept the movement { Hip-Hop} started in the Bronx, and the creation of the movement being started at a party in the projects. It makes for a great story, but let's say it's not entirely the truth. But much respect for the Bronx, and their original players, and contributors of the movement, of all the early pioneers and labels that help make it is, one of the biggest CULTURAL exports out of the U.S.A. EVER.
The Bronx is the home of hip hop. I don't care what anybody says. It's been avoided and exploited but it can never be taken away from the Bronx, the home of hip hop - you don't have to believe it's true. And if you don't agree, then don't listen to me - just look what it's done to you. Now dance....sucker!
There was a person who done Apache before the Shads though, it's Bert Weedon, Weedon's version release later although record earlier than the Shadows at least a month, but if a point of who made it rock, yeah it's Shads. Note : The drum intro was actually Chinese drum and did by Cliff Richard
This is dope, but I think you're missing one of the craziest parts about Michael Viner's involvement. First, Viner was put in charge of Music Production at MGM studios *despite having precisely zero experience playing/writing music* after he produced a joke album about a Mime called "The Best of Marcel Marceao", which consisted of 19 minutes of silence and one minute of applause. More importantly was how Viner even got to Hollywood to begin with. In high school spent a few summers working in the mail room at Twentieth Century Fox. But when college hit, he ended up going to Harvard, where he met and became friends with Robert F. Kennedy. After school, he travelled and worked directly with Kennedy on his 1968 Presidential campaign, right up until the day Robert Kennedy was assassinated outside the Ambassador Hotel in LA. Not knowing what to do next with his life, Viner packed up, moved back to LA, and bounced around between various movie studios in a variety of roles until he ended up over at MGM. So let's be clear about the butterfly effect going on here... If Robert Kennedy was never murdered on the campaign trail, Viner would have never gone back to Hollywood, would have never been put in charge of the music department at MGM, would never have brought The Incredible Bongo Band together, and the most definitive sample that helped launch a whole new genre of music that has taken over the world would have never existed. Robert Kennedy died so Hip Hop could live. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
I am so happy that the thing with 2 heads has something to do with hip hops origin. Ill never forget the first and only time i saw that movie on channel 5 Saturday movie at my godfathers house when i was 8. Still laughing about it. Seminal moment to my sense of humor.
Maaaan, I started writing a script for a breakdown of this track, coz I felt like the Shadows weren't getting enough love, but this is way better than I could've done. Top job! The only difference is, I was going to finish with a few examples of the use of the sample to show its versatility; from hip-hop to breaks to drum 'n bass. Anyway, the Bongo Band's compiled double album has loads of great under-appreciated grooves. Any chance you could do a video on Double Dee & Steinski, Lessons 1-3?
WOW! I was about to request the Lessons!! Still, after all these years, I know most of them by heart! Edit - have to be honest, there's a bit of gatekeeping in my heart over these ones though. I feel like only people who were into the music at the time know about these....
@@al201103 I was introduced to the lessons by a fellow DJ many years after they came out, but I'm kinda obsessed with them, and Steinski more generally, like 'And the Motorcade Sped On,' and so on. Probably explains why I was such a huge fan of Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy (music and politics) :D
I love your channel. Your videos are so well crafted, the storytelling, the tech, the references, editing, and most importantly, how interesting your stories are. Hats off!
Mostly as kids it was karate movies or Blackula type movies. But eeeeevveerrry once in while we would go to the drive-in and see something WILD. And that was how I saw The Man with Two Heads. At the time, had no idea Rosey was Pam Grier's cousin.
When i get the (very occasional) opportunity to be interviewed about music, I always list captain geech of the shrimp shack shooters as one of my primary influences.
Aye, I'm late to the party but I had to shout out your thought process on your segway into the next videos. It always seems to draw me into the next one 👍🏿
My GUY @diggingTheGreats !!!! Ive gotta let ya'll know, this wasnt actually Jim Gordon on drums, but was actually Kat Hendrix who resides here in Vancouver BC Canada where this track was recorded. The session was at a timeless studio called "Mushroom Studios" that shut down, re-opened as Hipposonic with Rob Darch, shut down, and then re-opened again as Afterlife records by drummer John Raham. One of their first clients was also Led Zeppelin. It has such a vibe and sound in the room that is very distinct, and im lucky enough to have tracked countless albums there as well... I believe Questlove clarified this question in "Sample This" as there were even rumours it was Ringo Starr who tracked the hit on it....On my page there is a video of a night I curated called FRIENDS " A Tribute to Classic Breaks" where I invited Kat down to sit in with the band !!! We had 3 drummers it was wild!!! Such an honour!!! A little while after that I was in a bind and needed a drum throne on a gig, and he lent me the same throne he sat on when he tracked Apache!!! lol. I literally got some serious funk up my ass!!! haha. But ya, just to verify the history... The OG Apache drum break was played by Kat Hendrix at Mushroom Studios in Vancouver BC Canada, AND I have the OG Drum Throne from that session !!! lolol... Unless proven otherwise?!
I really liked your video! Funny enough I own the same make/model of motorcycle (71 Kawasaki F8 Bison) that’s ridden in The Man With Two Heads… which is how I knew about the movie as soon as you gave its spot-on description lol. It was a neat connection to make: the movie; the bongos, and the bike. The way a single sample persists is incredible, especially since it came from a cover of a cover of a… etc.
Jim Gordon also played piano on "Layla" and got co-writer credit with Eric Clapton (though Rita Coolidge is probably the real writer of the instrumental part of "Layla").
I remember that movie. Watched it when I was (clearing my throat like Dougie) anyways it was like morbidly watching someone getting hit by a bus. I did record the beat from the movie and made a pause tape. Hip Hop was all about reinventing redefining innovation from anything you hear or musically imagine. So much fun back then when I started with not turntables but two mismatched record players.
Dood! U really gonna drop an Oneders movie reference on these plebes?!! Ur hiphop/music in general academics are creme de la creme. My 2002 UC Irvine Foundations of HipHop course was less thorough than your history nuggets (coincidentally, I was slangin' Double-Double meals with real ice cream shakes to pay my tuition at the time). Keep spinnin dem 1200s to educate the next generation! Much love for your work brotha. PS How about a lesson on turntablism (ie Xmen, Invisbl Skratch Piklz, Beatnuts, Beat Junkies, Qbert, Melo D, DMC Championships, ITF)?
I do appreciate the background, but I’ll admit. I was waiting to hear not only the original, but also the remix or at least a sample of the bongos from the chase scene. Still great content. Thanks for sharing
The fact that hip hop is already middle aged is crazy. So young compared to other genres, but already has years of classic songs and artists as if it had been around for centuries.
Hiphop is like a branch of a tree..and that branch has grown so well (compared to other former branches.)..
The most powerful music to hit the planet.
Baby boomers hooked us up.
They were in their early 20’s.
They were still kids.
Shot out to the South Bronx.
And them beautiful youths 👈🏿❤️
who supplied the energy, for this very conversation.
✌🏿💯👍🏿
KRS is still on Earth and helping to pass it on to the future. And there are at least 100 others in each big city still doing the same!
same age as grimace
So it about time for a midlife crisis? Who's gonna be the obligatory sports car and shake shit up?
My father is Preston Epps, who is the ORIGINAL Mr. Bongo Rock 1959 and Bongola was an album in 1961 made him. Incredible Bongo Band redid in 1973. Really, all the credits should go to my father for this movement, not the Incredible Bongo Band. But I thank you for the mention of my father, for He's the true and original Mr. Bongo Rock!
I think he is kind of mid.
Mid
@@caddin2620meh, so's your mom.
Your dad was rocking the house for real back in the day.
If he didn't do a Bongo version of Apache I'm afraid it doesnt count
Finally someone giving Cap'n Geech and Shrimp Shack Shooters the respect they deserve.
I see that thing you did
Bonus: they got to keep the costumes. :)
On of my top five movies. I was in a few bands: Del Paxton speaks wisdom. :)
Gotta love the Oneders...lol
Vicksburg in the Pittsburgh
Chad... who's Chad?
Happy 50th anniversary to the culture, and thank you Brandon Shaw for your contribution.
There are definitely still conscious lyricists on the scene, and good folk following, but, for the most part, it just turned into the groove behind a culture of gangsta, murder, drugs, crime, jail, and failure.
@PilzE. I feel you, but I disagree, because I look at it objectively, and I recognize that people said the same thing about groups like NWA. I don't listen to new music, but I respect the fact that these kids have something to say, just like we did.
@@widowscoins6290 I stopped listening to Hip Hop in the late eighties, oddly enough, one of the last albums I bought was Straight Outta Compton! My 15-year-old son now has it on his wall of vinyl, more for its influence on modern society than the tracks!
House music and rave swept me off my feet, and those grooves still have my foot tapping and head nodding to this day!
Drill. Dis-tracks. Gang warfare. It has swept across the UK like a disease. 15-year-olds getting gunned down with shot guns by 17-year-olds over a put down in a Drill track. Stabbings, the culture of violence, drug dealing and wanting nothing more than to be feared and respected for the level of savagery they are capable of. I know it's stereotyping, and that not all are at that extreme end of the spectrum, but seeing areas change once the culture becomes style, is nothing short of heartbreaking. I just feel that a lot of potential is being lost to it.
Anybody who buys the B.S. narrative of hip-hop being created in 1973 on Sedgewick Ave is someone I refuse to listen to.
Fun fact: Michael Viner of The Incredible Bongo Band also discovered The Sylvers and signed them to MGM Records.
😮
the sylvers remember the rain is a dope song. So many great samples from this. the hits its created overthe years.
@@14mattomatto That wasn't The Sylvers - that was a little known group called 21st Century (Later known as 21st Creation).
@@pervertedalchemist9944 I remember them. They had a sound close to the jackson five. What brought me finding out about them was Issac Hayes song walk on by.
I thought I recognized that label... Pride Records, the Sylvers' were recording under there before Capitol.
As an old school B-Boy, this sample in the song became the essence of my grooving on the floor, of my dance spirit. I loved to explode furious moves on the floor in battle, when this was played.
It still hits me in the feels, every time I hear it.
Great review! Respect, peace and love!
Dude your videos are so good. Sound 10/10, Editing 10/10, content 10/10. I love what your are doing. Thank you.
“Changed everything”….get more creative with these bull shit titles….
I was there. Not at the party, but my dad lived across the street in the River Park Towers.
What they were trying to do was keep the party dancing, Herc wanted to fill in the time between the songs. This in-between time was professionally handled by an emcee. Emcees would talk in between the songs.
One time a man named Kurtis Blow said some things he heard in the form of a rap that was made easy to memorize by putting it in a rhyme. It was about how to survive in the ghetto and be proud of being Black. Kurtis used to stand on the corner and do these raps, but no one would really listen. It wasn't until the Block Parties when Emcees started to let people say quick raps in between songs that rap became famous. Kurtis Blow didn't start it, but he became famous for it when he started rapping about hard times with his song: These Are The Breaks.
That Bongo song is in fact the tree of all trees! It's the cornerstone. Emcees used it to talk to the crowd to keep their attention and keep them drinking.
What Herc and several others were doing was trying to get to the next song without stopping, but we didn't have mixers.
His sliding of the records was considered a mistake and made people laugh, but he learned to make beats with sections of songs. Several people did variations of this, but the two things are different things that came together because the emcees needed someone to fill the void.
Someone unknown started rapping saying stupid stuff in the intermission of a song to the beat of that Bongo song and we all thought it was funny as hell because he was talking about sex. He made it rhyme.
Everyone that you know in rap attended these Block Parties in the Bronx, but this was not at the Herc party, it was a regular block party.
The bongo song that really got it started was: Let's Dance to the Drummer's Beat. When that song came on everyone would try to say something cool to get the ladies excited. This often caused a lot of fights. But the way to keep people from fighting was to say something everyone thought was cool. It kept the party alive. It didn't really take hold till about 1978, but in the underground dance scene, it was catching fire quickly as Emcees started hiring rappers. People who could rhyme words often could keep up with the rhythm of any song. Rap wasn't initially put to music.
When rap was done it had to be short as the next record would come on. It slowly but surely began to get hot when rappers started to challenge each other instead of fighting. This was true for Grand Master Flashes' crew and Full Force, Grand Master won easily. They won several events. There were several others that I can't think of right now who also became famous, they were actually better than Grand Master Flashes crew.
It wasn't considered a talent until Sugar Hill Gang made money from it. Their song was trashed originally. It was considered junk by the standards of the day. The bongo beat was where everyone lived with their raps and if you could swing it, you could win. My brother and my cousin and I won several competitions at the River Park Towers, but none at the Block Parties.
The main thing to remember is that these things were all separate. They didn't rap in discos. They didn't rap in hotels where emcees really made their money. They only rapped at house parties or at the Block Parties for Black emcees.
Follow the path of Black Emcees to find the connections. That Bongo song was an intermission song that became a space where rappers could fill the void. That's all.
Thanks for this!
You should write this down as a memoir, this is a big part of history man 🤝🏾
@@fr33soulsYeah, I would second this!
Write a book please!! would love to learn more
Thank you for this insight! This needs to be recorded somewhere! Hip-Hop Memoirs!
Happy 50th to the greatest genre in the world! Thanks for all these deep dives, this channel is top tier
The greatest? Have u heard the new RAP shit they are making now? So i guess megan and cardi are great mcs huh?
@@phunkidruma rap today is more diverse than your oldhead brain could ever imagine
@@phunkidruma so all the rappers in the 90s were great? there's plenty of great rap now, you just gotta expand your mind
@@phunkidrumai fucking hate oldheads. Listen to jpegmafia or billy woods. Listen to any fucking new rap music
@@NotAnInternetTroll You are 100 percent on point with your assessment...NOBODY is doing for rap today what mf doom did and what black thought is still doing and Busta is a certified top 5 mc but....that's just my op.
Great video as always. Fun fact: In a bit of a full circle moment, Salaam Remi slowing down Apache for Made You Look for Nas was, according to Salaam, also a happy accident.
This song, The Funky Drummer & Ashley’s Roachclip by the Soul Searchers are the 3 most sampled songs in Hip-Hop.
Synthetic Substitution & It's A New Day gotta be up there too......
@@airfixx_8952 Yup! The Breakthrough by Issac Hayes too.
Around that 3 minute mark in Ashleys Roachclip is undeniable!
Amen by The Winstons
Impeach the President is up there too.
The 'Chinese drum' is listed as an instrument that appears on The Shadows release which might have a bearing on why bongos appear on future covers. The person playing this was Cliff Richard.
Jim Gordon is also credited as a co-writer in Layla, since he wrote the piano coda.
rita coolidge says not!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Coolidge#%22Layla%22
Wow, I did not know this! @@duncan-rmi
Not hip-hop. Plus, this is why I don't like talking hip-hop around Caucasians. It turns into a white guy appreciation fest. Foh.
@@youtubeillegallydeletesacc1525racist
Apache was an instrumental hit for a four piece band from the UK called the Shadows back in the early 60's. They were also the backing band for Cliff Richard, a huge English pop star pre Beatles! He is still alive and is still performing.
Apache was a section of the South Bronx, so let's get it straight. We didn't have any exposure to British music other that the pop groups of the late 60's ( Beatles, Yardbirds- hippie music).
@@robertdaniels3029 I fully understand that hence the reason I gave the information. Cliff and the Shadows were regular visitors to the states and even appeared on the Ed sullivan show but didn't have the chart success or the exposure like the Beatles had in February 1964!
Didn't Bert Weedon come up with it on his Ukulele and the Shadows made it famous.
@@seano218 yes,you are correct. Bert Weedon played it for the Shadows on a ukulele and they liked it so much that they recorded it and it became a number one hit for them in the UK. Then, a Danish guitarist Jorgen Innman, released a cover of the song in November 1960 which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard hot 100 charts in the US.
Weedon, thank you, didn't realise phone auto-noncorrected! Lol
My brother - your attention to detail is awe - inspiring! Continued blessings to you on the growth of your channel. Loving the podcast, also!
The break dancing became real serious at the park jams when Apache came on. Everything was fun and lighthearted when the DJ put on Apache all the dancers faces changed time to get it in!
Shoutout to you, Brandon Shaw! Nice way to reference the O-NEEDers from one of the most enjoyable movies of all time! You, like The Wonders, should keep doing That Thing You Do! 10:12
Sharing some great knowledge as usual.
Thanks for mentioning Jim Gordon, a very influential drummer with a dramatic life, who is rarely talked about.
All blessings and love!
Your videos are always on point. Instant click. Your love for hip hop always shine through. The story telling is amazing.
Not a "That thing you do" Reference! Love this channel!
Happy 50th to Hip hop 💃🏾. As a music nerd, i appreciate your channel very much 🔥.
The Thing with Two Heads starred Rosey Grier. He was the black dude they
sowed the bigots head to. He used to play for the Rams back in the day. Part of the Fearsome Foursome. He also helped garbed the dude that shot Robert Kennedy. I just remember meeting him when I was a little kid and he seemed HUGE as hell.
Bongorock 1973 wouldn't even be a thing if it wasn't for my grandad Preston Epps who originally made Bongorock in 1959. The Bongo Band covered my grandads song.
yo... keep doing what you're doing, because I love "That Thing You Do!"
10:11 “Captain Geetch and the Shrimp Shack shooters” aka “The Oneders” aka “The Wonders” loved that reference @ That Thing You Do
I saw a documentary on the making of Apache and Michael Viner’s Incredible Bongo Band. I don’t remember almost anything about it cuz I was probably drunk af 😂 but I do remember (I think) how the musicians were always different when doing live shows. A “fake” band helped create a legacy that defined an entire genre of music and led to the creation of a culture still standing strong and on top 50 years later. That speaks volumes. Dope video and always look forward to these uploads 💯
Was it called "sample this"?
The first crossfader mixer the GLI 3800 didn't come out till 1974 and the version of Technics turntables that all Djs use didn't come out till 1979, what and how was he bringing the records back and forth at his party in 73.
Amazing that reggae (68) and hip hop (73) have made such an impact on world music. Here's to the next 50 although I hopefully will get to see another 25 / 30 myself 😊
I love the scope of all these videos. The stated premise and how you are able to give so much history and context. Love this content.
King Ericsson has a cameo in the James Bond flick “Dr. No” in the band.
CAP'N GEECH AND THE SHRIMP SHACK SHOOTERS!!! "Shrimp Shack" is a classic. Remember when they were in that movie Weekend at Party Pier?
Jimmy was so pissed that he had to be relegated to playing Shrimp Shack, especially since they had a top-10 record.
I love your videos. Really like the way you present, and the information is just fascinating.
I was listening to Hip Hop when it was Electro - maybe started around 83/84? So some of what you talk about, I already know. But then there are so many connections you make, that I really didn't know about, or didn't know with clarity. Really appreciate what you do!
This has to be my favourite episode yet, it's so fun. Not only did I learn something new about the genre's inception, but you also put me onto the Incredible Bongo Band and a hilarious B-movie blaxploitation film. Keep doing what you do Brandon 😊
Man, I love how digging brings out the oddest records. I assume at some point you’ll break out the story of Pete Rock and the Tom Scott sample Today which is just a phenomenal record in itself and cover. It’s one a lot of people in the channel but to quote MC Shan, “you love to hear the story, again and again” and I’m sure you’d be able to give a good narrative structure.
I prefer Tom Scott’s Never My Love which is also a cover but Pete Rock used it a couple times too. The ones I can think of at the moment are It’s On You and Public Enemy’s Shut Em Down (Pete Rock Remix). TROY is legendary, but overhyped in my opinion. No disrespect to Pete Rock or Trouble T-Roy. Just speaking on the music.
@@Mar.Escobar24 overhyped is a certainly is a take
@@dmug whenever anyone mentions Pete Rock they always jump to T.R.O.Y. It’s a dope song but definitely doesn’t compare to other projects he’s worked on 🤷🏽♂️
Never seen any of your videos before but man, your production is absolute fire. Chill atmo, good jokes, awesome pick of things to show and really neat and tied-up story telling. What a fascinating peace! Thanks for uploading this :)
MY DUDE!!!! YOU BE BLESSING US! THANK YOU!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🔥🔥🔥
The apache sample is also used a lot in drum and bass music. Another banger my guy keep on being legendary!
DnB owes it's linage to hip hop. Both have an appreciation and usage of 70's breaks.
Including the Amen Break from the Winston Brothers.
YES.
It's kind of insane to realize there's a direct line of ancestry between nascent hip hop ca. 1970, NWA, and the freaking Skies Of Arcadia soundtrack...
@@PianoDentisti 100% agree with this
This beat is a staple in uk DnB as well. The song is also cover of The Shadow’s Apache….who would have thought!?
Love the staging of your videos and the story telling. I was hoping for a demo of Herc’s merry go round technique. I’ve never been able to find it demo’d.
Here you, just search Kool Herc and Merry go round, it's just mixing on beat
ruclips.net/video/7qwml-F7zKQ/видео.html
I thought Grandmaster Flash was known for mostly impeccable needle drops before he figured out marking the record?
@@Nehesi Not Flash, Kool Herc had some sloppy needle drops. I don’t remember if Flash didn’t. I read Flash’s memoir a long time ago but I mostly just recall his story of when he first presented his backspin technique for a live crowd. He said everybody stopped and just stared at him 😂 no one could believe that he “destroyed” his records on purpose lmao
He would do needle drops which a lot of people can’t do really well and it’s been said that Herc was a bit sloppy with it sometimes which I figured considering the difficulty, especially during a live set. It wasn’t till Grandmaster Flash that people would just hold on to the record and rewind it by hand before cueing it.
For once, the RUclips algorithm did me a solid and put this video in my feed. I have watched a few now and really appreciate your takes and focus on the production. I was around for all the early rap stuff, it all started when I found an “eaten” cassette in our yard (someone had ripped it out of their player and thrown it out of the window). I happened to have a Radio Shack splicing block for removing unused tape when I’d record vinyl to cassette for portability.
So, I cut out the damaged part of the tape and spliced it back together. It was a homemade mixtape of several hip hop songs, so I started paying attention. I DJd through the mid-80s into the mid-90s, sadly in more (for lack of a sugar-coated euphemism) white clubs, I always kept an ear & eye out on the Hip hop world and we did play the more crossover hits.
I used to try to figure out the songs that were sampled (long before the internet and “WhoSampled”). I am loving your stories!
"We're not The Wonders, we're Captain Geech and the Shrimpshack Shooters" ... Good news guys... Ya get to keep the wardrobe.
Happy Birthday Hip Hop!
I remember staying up late to watch that movie on ABC's Million Dollar Movie when I was a kid. Thanks for the vid and keep 'em coming bro! 👊🏽👍🏽
Sad about Jim Gordon. His discography is amazing. I remember becoming aware of him in the liner notes of Beatles’ solo albums
Gordon was one of the premier session drummers of the late 60s and early 70s, who showed signs of mental instability in the early 70s. The person he murdered was his mother in 1983. He died in prison in March of 2023.
Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters are one of my favorite bands, right after the Oneders. Love the video, keep doing that thing you do.
Timmy Tim member of Kool Herc's Herculoids found this record Incredible Bongo Band - Bongo Rock including the track Apache in 1974 and hand it over to Kool Herc to play this at the block/Park Parties. The crowd get wild, especially the B-Boys and later DJ's such as Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa and Grand Wizard use this record too to mix/cut. Kool Herc remove the label of the record, so no one knows at the beginning what the record name was. Apache by the Incredible Bongo Band is a Hip Hop anthem.
If you want to know more about the Incredible Bongo Band, watch this,great documentary "Sample This".
Dude, your videos are incredible and super interesting. I’m 43 and I’ve loved hip hop for as long as I can remember. You really bring back some awesome memories in these videos!
In all actuality, Hip-Hop consist of various elements that comprise the culture. Which included Dj"ing, Mc'ing, Breaking, Tagging { Graffiti } and Beat-Boxing, and of course other elements such as fashion and knowledge. Truth be told, these elements were all ready happing all over the city coming out of the civil rights movement, and the celebrations on the various communities throwing Block parties, and eventually parties with Dj's and sound systems and Dj battles in the various parks throughout the city. Hip-Hop was these elements that were not attached to each other as a cultural movement, it was not even called Hip-Hip, until {Robert Keith Wiggins} of Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five coined the term, by accident. People picked up the term and started using it in their rapping, and in general slang, people started calling it Hip-Hop. The Bronx should be given the credit for the labeling the term MC { Master of Ceremony } as the hype man would hype up the crowd for the DJ, but Dj'ing and mixing and blending record breakbeats, was being done before Kool Herc { MUST MENTIONED} The most famous loop of all times! "Amen Break," a six-second drum break, that would became a cultural staple of all Dj and Dance battles in the 70's & early 80's through-out NYC at that time . Local entrepreneur Sylvia Robinson of { Sugar Hill Record} fame, witness the collective growth of these elements as it began to grow in popularity, so she knew it was time to capitalize on it. She created the group { Sugar Hill Gang } and release the classic record "Rapper's Delight" (1979). The actual first rap recording was by a popular Funk/Disco Band from Queens called the { Fat Back Band } with a single called King Tim III. But Sylvia Robinson being a master marketer, knew to take an existing hot record { Chic'} "Good Times" that was a massive hit, and re-created it with her rappers, which resulted in a worldwide hit selling over 14 million records worldwide. With her mastery of branding and marketing, and selling that many records, comes along the infamous press release, and with that press release came the concept the movement { Hip-Hop} started in the Bronx, and the creation of the movement being started at a party in the projects. It makes for a great story, but let's say it's not entirely the truth. But much respect for the Bronx, and their original players, and contributors of the movement, of all the early pioneers and labels that help make it is, one of the biggest CULTURAL exports out of the U.S.A. EVER.
The Bronx is the home of hip hop. I don't care what anybody says. It's been avoided and exploited but it can never be taken away from the Bronx, the home of hip hop - you don't have to believe it's true. And if you don't agree, then don't listen to me - just look what it's done to you. Now dance....sucker!
Thanks for reminding me, I have to re-watch Joseph Campbell's PBS interview on mythology.
Happy Birthday, Hip-Hop😊
There was a person who done Apache before the Shads though, it's Bert Weedon, Weedon's version release later although record earlier than the Shadows at least a month, but if a point of who made it rock, yeah it's Shads.
Note : The drum intro was actually Chinese drum and did by Cliff Richard
Man i used to breakdance to this, now im 33 I PLAY THIS AT MY JOB people dig it. ❤❤🎉
Another excellent video, Brandon. I'm in awe of your relaxed, personable, and nonetheless educational style. What a great way to learn! Respect.
This is dope, but I think you're missing one of the craziest parts about Michael Viner's involvement.
First, Viner was put in charge of Music Production at MGM studios *despite having precisely zero experience playing/writing music* after he produced a joke album about a Mime called "The Best of Marcel Marceao", which consisted of 19 minutes of silence and one minute of applause.
More importantly was how Viner even got to Hollywood to begin with. In high school spent a few summers working in the mail room at Twentieth Century Fox. But when college hit, he ended up going to Harvard, where he met and became friends with Robert F. Kennedy. After school, he travelled and worked directly with Kennedy on his 1968 Presidential campaign, right up until the day Robert Kennedy was assassinated outside the Ambassador Hotel in LA.
Not knowing what to do next with his life, Viner packed up, moved back to LA, and bounced around between various movie studios in a variety of roles until he ended up over at MGM.
So let's be clear about the butterfly effect going on here... If Robert Kennedy was never murdered on the campaign trail, Viner would have never gone back to Hollywood, would have never been put in charge of the music department at MGM, would never have brought The Incredible Bongo Band together, and the most definitive sample that helped launch a whole new genre of music that has taken over the world would have never existed.
Robert Kennedy died so Hip Hop could live.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
It's crazy, I thought I knew all of the details of this story... then this video blew my mind. Great job- subscribed!
Happy Born Day, Hip-Hop! Keep doin' yo thang for many mo' years on this earth! 🎉
Now I need to see this movie remake 😳🤣
Hart & Johnson as the two headed thing it’s a no-brainer 🤯😂
The first song I recorded had ….Apache 🔥
I am so happy that the thing with 2 heads has something to do with hip hops origin. Ill never forget the first and only time i saw that movie on channel 5 Saturday movie at my godfathers house when i was 8. Still laughing about it. Seminal moment to my sense of humor.
Maaaan, I started writing a script for a breakdown of this track, coz I felt like the Shadows weren't getting enough love, but this is way better than I could've done. Top job!
The only difference is, I was going to finish with a few examples of the use of the sample to show its versatility; from hip-hop to breaks to drum 'n bass.
Anyway, the Bongo Band's compiled double album has loads of great under-appreciated grooves. Any chance you could do a video on Double Dee & Steinski, Lessons 1-3?
WOW! I was about to request the Lessons!!
Still, after all these years, I know most of them by heart!
Edit - have to be honest, there's a bit of gatekeeping in my heart over these ones though. I feel like only people who were into the music at the time know about these....
@@al201103 I was introduced to the lessons by a fellow DJ many years after they came out, but I'm kinda obsessed with them, and Steinski more generally, like 'And the Motorcade Sped On,' and so on. Probably explains why I was such a huge fan of Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy (music and politics) :D
@@Alan_Duval Damn, haven't thought about "Motorcade" in decades!! "Mrs Kennedy jumped up...she said oh! no!" DHoH - whatever happened to them?!?!
@@al201103 Well, there was the release of 'What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective' in 2008, but I don't know of anything after that.
"The ONeaters!"
Great piece here. I learned some more to soak up today. Thank you!
Great Video Thanks!!!! I'm a hip hop head at the age 58 from the Midwest. I used to dj and have my 1200s and crates of vinyl lol!
I love your channel. Your videos are so well crafted, the storytelling, the tech, the references, editing, and most importantly, how interesting your stories are. Hats off!
Omfg the Captain Geech reference had me rolling! "Hey! That's the O-Neders!"
Brandon, I am binging on your fun, informative, journalistic, passionate vlogs tonight!
One of these days could you talk about Grandmaster Flowers and his influence on early Parties?
You had me doing the call and response part to my TV. 😂
I don’t have a clue why YT fed me this video but I’m glad they did because I thoroughly enjoyed it and your delivery. Excellent work!
That Thing You Do!
You're my biggest fan!
This has slowly but surely become my favorite channel on RUclips. So much great knowledge - keep it brother 🤘
King Errickson also had a disco hit named 'Have A Nice Day' that became it's own classic hip-hop sample. Used by Roxanne Shante'.
One of the best breaks to bboy to. Love it!
Mostly as kids it was karate movies or Blackula type movies. But eeeeevveerrry once in while we would go to the drive-in and see something WILD. And that was how I saw The Man with Two Heads. At the time, had no idea Rosey was Pam Grier's cousin.
working on a project on hip hop and this was super helpful! thanks man :)
Man said "Bongist..,🤔Nah" . Brandon you crack me up!🤣
Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters were the band that the Wonders from ‘That Thing You Do’ played in the surf movie
You have to do a video on the Amen Break!! That sample changed all music forever!
And not just hiphop! The break has been sampled in a plethora of 90s jungle records as well.
When i get the (very occasional) opportunity to be interviewed about music, I always list captain geech of the shrimp shack shooters as one of my primary influences.
I am amazed at how you managed to stretch two bits of info into a 12 minute stretch!
That reference was from the Movie “That Thing You Do.”
This was the most interesting "50 years of Hip Hop" video I've seen so far. Thanks!
Not totally sure, but I think Timothy Zahn improved the line "Captain Geech & the Shrimp Shack Shooters."
You know...doing that thing he did.
YO !!! You are EN FUEGO !!!!!!! thanks for the vid and the walk down "HipHop" lane !!!! 🤩🤩🤩 Nuff Respect to "KOOL HERC" Happy 50th BDay HIPHOP !!!!!
Aye, I'm late to the party but I had to shout out your thought process on your segway into the next videos. It always seems to draw me into the next one 👍🏿
My GUY @diggingTheGreats !!!! Ive gotta let ya'll know, this wasnt actually Jim Gordon on drums, but was actually Kat Hendrix who resides here in Vancouver BC Canada where this track was recorded. The session was at a timeless studio called "Mushroom Studios" that shut down, re-opened as Hipposonic with Rob Darch, shut down, and then re-opened again as Afterlife records by drummer John Raham. One of their first clients was also Led Zeppelin. It has such a vibe and sound in the room that is very distinct, and im lucky enough to have tracked countless albums there as well... I believe Questlove clarified this question in "Sample This" as there were even rumours it was Ringo Starr who tracked the hit on it....On my page there is a video of a night I curated called FRIENDS " A Tribute to Classic Breaks" where I invited Kat down to sit in with the band !!! We had 3 drummers it was wild!!! Such an honour!!! A little while after that I was in a bind and needed a drum throne on a gig, and he lent me the same throne he sat on when he tracked Apache!!! lol. I literally got some serious funk up my ass!!! haha.
But ya, just to verify the history... The OG Apache drum break was played by Kat Hendrix at Mushroom Studios in Vancouver BC Canada, AND I have the OG Drum Throne from that session !!! lolol... Unless proven otherwise?!
I really liked your video! Funny enough I own the same make/model of motorcycle (71 Kawasaki F8 Bison) that’s ridden in The Man With Two Heads… which is how I knew about the movie as soon as you gave its spot-on description lol. It was a neat connection to make: the movie; the bongos, and the bike.
The way a single sample persists is incredible, especially since it came from a cover of a cover of a… etc.
This content is pure gold. Happy birthday Hip Hop ❤️
amazing music history essay, sir!! & with that joseph campbell reference... come on, now!! so good!! bravo!!
I'm 47 ys old. I remember the begining of Hip-Hop. I remember mixtapes of the REAL ROXANE! I love your channel. Cheers!
Jim Gordon also played piano on "Layla" and got co-writer credit with Eric Clapton (though Rita Coolidge is probably the real writer of the instrumental part of "Layla").
God, I love That Thing You Do! Adam Schlesinger was a brilliant mimic; he could write any genre perfectly.
It's **hard** to write a catchy song. Amazing skills.
I remember that movie. Watched it when I was (clearing my throat like Dougie) anyways it was like morbidly watching someone getting hit by a bus. I did record the beat from the movie and made a pause tape. Hip Hop was all about reinventing redefining innovation from anything you hear or musically imagine. So much fun back then when I started with not turntables but two mismatched record players.
Dood! U really gonna drop an Oneders movie reference on these plebes?!! Ur hiphop/music in general academics are creme de la creme. My 2002 UC Irvine Foundations of HipHop course was less thorough than your history nuggets (coincidentally, I was slangin' Double-Double meals with real ice cream shakes to pay my tuition at the time). Keep spinnin dem 1200s to educate the next generation! Much love for your work brotha.
PS How about a lesson on turntablism (ie Xmen, Invisbl Skratch Piklz, Beatnuts, Beat Junkies, Qbert, Melo D, DMC Championships, ITF)?
Apache ! One of my favorite tracks . I literally found a 10 hour remix of it on You Tube .
One-derful references in this one. Loving That thing you do with these stories man!
I've been listening to the Bongo band lately on RUclips to reminisce. Great history lesson....thank you.
Tim Westwood used to say this was the Bronx National Anthem
Damn. Cap'n Geech and Shrimp Shack Shooters. That thing you do is one of my favorite movies
Love your videos bro! Hip hop has made some major contributions all over the world. Appreciate your channel and all of your good content. #HipHop50
7 minutes 23, you say "just a heads up".
Accidental but great pun! 😂
I do appreciate the background, but I’ll admit. I was waiting to hear not only the original, but also the remix or at least a sample of the bongos from the chase scene. Still great content. Thanks for sharing