Re: FW: Origins of Rap

Matthew Robert Chicoine (scooby@umich.edu)
Sun, 25 Feb 1996 23:42:12 -0500 (EST)


On 24 Feb 1996, araya,juan carlos wrote:
> I still find it hard that people can not believe that RAP has its origins in
> Jamaica. I am afraid to tell people that the world is not flat but a
> spherical form. Oh my, I can see the e-mail now.

to whom this applies to, peep this site:
:http://www.colby.edu/english/Russell_Potter/buster-ascii

> How does it advance the art form? Well understanding the subject and how it
> evolved can add to your knowledge and can effect how you approach an art
> form. How you add and advance the art form. As a musician your past forms
> how you express that music. Understanding more of that musical past can only
> enrich your own musical expression. Advancing the art form. Only a fool
> disregards knowledge and wisdom.
Wisdom, but for some a de-emphasis is required as well to truly see where
its from, where its at, and where its going. Some folks are truly unable
to separate music from "the facts". This is the problem. Nobody's
disregarding anything (at least I'm not). It all depends on where you are
coming from. History is definitely important, in fact, integral to
production of music, but at
the root is the product- music. The world is defintely round, but whats up
with the sky? (sounds trite, but whole-heartedly meant)

> You can take another approach. Understanding the musical past also makes you
> aware of the musical paradigms. This could lead you to take a revolution
> approach, not an evolutionary approach, to advancing music.
Exactly why the history is important. By the way, do NOT miss this
statement from A. Bambaataa. He sums up a lot of this dialogue:

http://www.eline.com/DaveyD/BombMagazine/bbamstatement.html

> Concerning the lack of originality in RAP? Its out there. People are making
> original RAP music. The issue is that the mass media is not driven by
> originality. Its driven by money. They will take a successful sound and play
> it to death. The music is out there. Its just not played.
>
> Hey man, if you are not satisfied by the music create your own music.

Word. We ALL need to do this. Our musical influences generally have one
thing in common- they lived by this. Fuck all, if it ain't "jazz", oh
well. If it ain't "rap", I could give 2 shits. This is when the
innovators are separated from the imitators. Peace-
B