10/27/2012

A Cursory Guide To Post-Modern Mainstream Rap Records

By Rashad Brown


The very first rap record to make it big was "Rapper's Delight" released by the Sugar Hill Gang on Syliva and Joey Robinson's Sugar Hill label. Mr. David in his article stated that "Rapper's Delight" (a nonsense rap), "White Lines" (a rap with an anti-drug theme), and "The Message" (about ghetto life within the black neighborhood) had been designed to sell records to whites and had a less favorable reaction within the streets exactly where rap was produced according to Russell Simmons, president of Def Jam Records.

When, although the well-known DJ Junebug played 'The Message" in a nightclub, another DJ by the name of Ronnie DJ threatened Junebug by putting a gun against his head. He instructed Junebug to stop playing the song or he would kill him. Junebug destroyed the record whilst the entire club was seeking.

This feeling may have been felt by several other rap artists and DJ's. But, it's doubtful that several African Americans fans of rap music may really feel the same way. This doubt is triggered by the reality that both "The Message" and "Rappers Delight" had been common songs to play in night clubs frequented by African Americans.

Run-D.M.C. was the first black rap group to break via to a mass white audience with their albums, Run-D.M.C and King of Rock. These albums led the way that rap would travel into the musical mainstream.

Even although Run-D.M.C. dressed as if they came proper off the street corner, this was not the case. Run and D.M.C came from middle class families, they were in no way deprived of anything and they by no means ran with a gang. One could in no way tell this by their dress or from the raps they created. Run-D.M.C. records had been produced under the Def Jam label which had as one of its founders a Jewish punk rocker named Rick Rubin.

Though Run's brother, Russell Simmons is now president of Def Jam label, the group was initially shaped and marketed by a white individual. This is even far more astonishing as the group was identified to be a very hard-core and aggressive group.

Add to that, what exactly is regarded as to be one of the most aggressive rap groups, Public Enemy, was also once produced by exactly the same Rick Rubin. And again, the members of Public Enemy had middle-class family backgrounds. Their parents had been professionals.

One can not deny that whites were beginning to have an impact on the rap music that had originally begun in the black neighborhood. But this would be to be expected any time an art form starts to acquire recognition with mainstream white America.

Similarly, it's not impossible that some thing that was at initial common with white Americans, then grows a following amongst the black or minority communities. It really is a reality that requirements to be acknowledged and accepted.




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