Revised Edition: 2016 ISBN All rights reserved.

Transcription

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2 Revised Edition: 2016 ISBN All rights reserved. Published by: Academic Pages 48 West 48 Street, Suite 1116, New York, NY 10036, United States

3 Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Disc Jockey Chapter 2 - How to Be a DJ Chapter 3 - How to Grow DJ Business Chapter 4 - How to Buy First Set of DJ Equipment Chapter 5 - How to Be a Non Hip Hop DJ Chapter 6 - How to Be a Good DJ at a Dance Chapter 7 - Digital DJ Licensing Chapter 8 - Record Collecting Chapter 9 - Rapping Chapter 10 - How to Start Rapping Chapter 11 - How to Survive a Freestyle Rap Battle Chapter 12 - How to Write a Rap Song Chapter 13 - How to Become a Professional Rapper Chapter 14 - How to Dance to Rap Music Chapter 15 - How to Have Rap Battles Chapter 16 - Hip Hop Music Chapter 17 - Battle Rap

4 Chapter- 1 Disc Jockey A disc jockey, also known as DJ (or deejay), is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, disk referred to phonograph records, while disc referred to the Compact Disc, and has become the more common spelling. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium. There are several types of disc jockeys. Radio DJs introduce and play music that is broadcast on AM, FM, shortwave, digital, or internet radio stations. Club DJs select and play music in bars, nightclubs, discothèques, at raves, or even in a stadium. Hip hop disc jockeys select and play music using multiple turntables, often to back up one or more MCs, and they may also do turntable scratching to create percussive sounds. In reggae, the disc jockey (deejay) is a vocalist who raps, "toasts", or chats over pre-recorded rhythm tracks while the individual choosing and playing them is referred to as a selector. Mobile DJs travel with portable sound systems and play recorded music at a variety of events.

5 Equipment and techniques Turntables and mixer often used by DJs DJ equipment may consist of: Sound recordings in a DJ's preferred medium (e.g., vinyl records, Compact Discs, computer media files, etc.); A combination of two devices (or only one, if playback is digital) to play sound recordings, for alternating back and forth to create a continuous playback of music (e.g., record players, Compact Disc players, computer media players such as an MP3 player, etc.); A multiple Sequencer which can mix MIDI tracks with Digital Audio A sound system for amplification or broadcasting of the recordings (e.g., portable audio system, PA system) or a radio broadcasting system; A DJ mixer, which is an electronic (usually 2- or 4-channel) audio mixer usually equipped with a crossfader used to smoothly go from one song to another, using two or more playback devices; Headphones, used to listen to one recording while the other recording is being played to the audience; and Optionally, a microphone, so that the DJ can introduce songs and speak to the audience.

6 Other equipment could or can be added to the basic DJ setup (above), providing unique sound manipulations. Such devices include, but are not limited to: Electronic effects units (delay, reverb, octave, equalizer, chorus, etc.). Some club DJs use a sub-harmonic synthesizer effect which either doubles low frequencies with energy added an octave lower or synthesizes harmonics such that the impression of a very low bass sound is added to the mix. A computerised performance system, which can be used with vinyl emulation software to manipulate digital files on the computer in real time. Multi-stylus headshells, which allow a DJ to play different grooves of the same record at the same time. Special DJ digital controller hardware can manipulate digital files on a PC or laptop; Samplers, sequencers, electronic musical keyboards (synthesizers), or drum machines. compatible musical keys. Several techniques are used by DJs as a means to better mix and blend recorded music. These techniques primarily include the cueing, equalization, and audio mixing of two or more sound sources. The complexity and frequency of special techniques depends largely on the setting in which a DJ is working. Radio DJs are less likely to focus on musicmixing procedures than club DJs, who rely on a smooth transition between songs using a range of techniques. Club DJ turntable techniques include beatmatching, phrasing, and slip-cueing to preserve energy on a dancefloor. Turntablism embodies the art of cutting, beat juggling, scratching, needle drops, phase shifting, back spinning, and more to perform the transitions and overdubs of samples in a more creative manner (although turntablism is often considered a use of the turntable as a musical instrument rather than a tool for blending recorded music). Professional DJs may use harmonic mixing to choose songs that are in History 19th century to 1920s In 1857, Leon Scott invented the phonoautograph in France, the first device to record sound but with no method of playback. In 1877, Charles Cros invented a phonograph in France that was patented before Thomas Alva Edison's invention but never built. Edison invented the phonograph cylinder, the first device to play back recorded sound, in the United States. In 1892, Emile Berliner began commercial production of his gramophone records, the first disc records to be offered to the public. In 1906, Reginald Fessenden transmitted the first audio radio broadcast in history also playing the first record, that of a contralto singing Handel's Largo from Xerxes. The world's first radio disc jockey was Ray Newby, of Stockton, California. In 1909, at 16 years of age, Newby began regularly playing records on a small spark transmitter

7 while a student at Herrold College of Engineering and Wireless, located in San Jose, California, under the authority of radio pioneer Charles "Doc" Herrold. Though it was really called Disco Jockey, it has been changed through the years to Disc Jockey but it can be referred as DISCO or DISC Jockey. We used popular records at that time, mainly Caruso records, because they were very good and loud; we needed a boost we started on an experimental basis and then, because this is novel, we stayed on schedule continually without leaving the air at any time from that time on except for a very short time during World War I, when the government required us to remove the antenna Most of our programming was records, I'll admit, but of course we gave out news as we could obtain it Ray Newby, I've Got a Secret (1965) By 1910, regular radio broadcasting had started to use "live" as well as prerecorded sound. In the early radio age, content typically included comedy, drama, news, music, and sports reporting. The on-air announcers and programmers would later be known as disc jockeys. In the 1920s, juke joints became popular as places for dancing and drinking to recorded jukebox music. In 1927, Christopher Stone became the first radio announcer and programmer in the United Kingdom, on the BBC radio station. In 1929, Thomas Edison ceased phonograph cylinder manufacture, ending the disc and cylinder rivalry. 1930s 1950s In 1935, American commentator Walter Winchell coined the term "disc jockey" (the combination of disc, referring to the disc records, and jockey, which is an operator of a machine) as a description of radio announcer Martin Block, the first announcer to become a star. While his audience was awaiting developments in the Lindbergh kidnapping, Block played records and created the illusion that he was broadcasting from a ballroom, with the nation s top dance bands performing live. The show, which he called Make Believe Ballroom, was an instant hit. The term "disc jockey" appeared in print in Variety in In 1943, Jimmy Savile launched the world's first DJ dance party by playing jazz records in the upstairs function room of the Loyal Order of Ancient Shepherds in Otley, England. In 1947, he claims to have become the first DJ to use twin turntables for continuous play. Also in 1947, the Whiskey à Go-Go nightclub opened in Paris, France, considered to be the world's first commercial discothèque, or disco (deriving its name from the French word meaning a nightclub where the featured entertainment is recorded music rather than an on-stage band). Regine began playing on twin turntables there in Discos began appearing across Europe and the United States. From the late 1940s to early 1950s, the introduction of television eroded the popularity of radio's early format, causing it to take on the general form it has today, with a strong focus on music, news, and sports. The postwar period coincided with the rise of the radio disc jockey as a celebrity separate from the radio station, also known as a "radio personality". In the days before stationcontrolled playlists, the DJ often followed their personal tastes in music selection. DJs

8 also played a role in exposing rock and roll artists to large, national audiences. While at WERE in Cleveland, Ohio, DJ Bill Randle was one of the first to introduce Elvis Presley to radio audiences in the northeastern US. In the 1950s, American radio DJs would appear live at "sock hops" and "platter parties" and assume the role of a human jukebox. They would usually play 45-rpm records, featuring hit singles on one turntable while talking between songs. In some cases, a live drummer was hired to play beats between songs to maintain the dance floor. In 1955, Bob Casey, a well-known "sock hop" DJ, brought the two-turntable system to the U.S. Throughout the 1950s, payola payments by record companies to DJs in return for airplay were an ongoing problem. Part of the fallout from the payola scandal was tighter control of the music by station management. The Top 40 format emerged, where popular songs are played repeatedly. In the late 1950s, sound systems, a new form of public entertainment, were developed in the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica. Promoters, who called themselves DJs, would throw large parties in the streets that centered on the disc jockey, called the "selector," who played dance music from large, loud PA systems and bantered over the music with a boastful, rhythmic chanting style called "toasting". These parties quickly became profitable for the promoters, who would sell admission, food, and alcohol, leading to fierce competition between DJs for the biggest sound systems and newest records. 1960s and 1970s In the mid-1960s, nightclubs and discothèques continued to grow in Europe and the United States. Specialized DJ equipment, such as Rudy Bozak's classic CMA-10-2DL mixer, began to appear on the market. In 1969, American club DJ Francis Grasso popularized beatmatching at New York's Sanctuary nightclub. Beatmatching is the technique of creating seamless transitions between records with matching beats, or tempos. Grasso also developed slip-cuing, the technique of holding a record still while the turntable is revolving underneath, releasing it at the desired moment to create a sudden transition from the previous record. By 1968, the number of dance clubs started to decline; most American clubs either closed or were transformed into clubs featuring live bands. Neighborhood block parties that were modelled after Jamaican sound systems gained popularity in Europe and in the boroughs of New York City. In 1973, Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc, widely regarded as the "godfather of hip-hop culture," performed at block parties in his Bronx neighborhood and developed a technique of mixing back and forth between two identical records to extend the rhythmic instrumental segment, or break. Turntablism, the art of using turntables not only to play music but to manipulate sound and create original music, began to develop. In 1974, Technics released the first SL-1200 turntable, which evolved into the SL-1200 MK2 in 1979 which, as of the mid-2000s, remains the industry standard for deejaying.

9 In 1974, German electronic music band Kraftwerk released the 22-minute song "Autobahn," which takes up the entire first side of that LP. Years later, Kraftwerk would become a significant influence on hip-hop artists such as Afrika Bambaataa and house music pioneer Frankie Knuckles. During the mid-1970s, Hip-hop music and culture began to emerge, originating among urban African Americans and Latinos in New York City. The four main elements of hip-hop culture were MCing (rapping), DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing. In the mid-1970s, the soul-funk blend of dance pop known as disco took off in the mainstream pop charts in the United States and Europe, causing discothèques to experience a rebirth. Unlike many late-1960s clubs, which featured live bands, discothèques used the DJ's selection and mixing of records as the entertainment. In 1975, record pools began, providing disc jockeys access to newer music from the industry in an efficient method. In 1975, hip-hop DJ Grand Wizard Theodore invented the scratching technique by accident. In 1976, American DJ, editor, and producer Walter Gibbons remixed "Ten Percent" by Double Exposure, one of the earliest commercially released 12 singles (aka "maxi-single"). In 1979, the Sugar Hill Gang released "Rapper's Delight", the first hiphop record to become a hit. It was also the first real breakthrough for sampling, as the bassline of Chic's "Good Times" laid the foundation for the song. In 1977, Saratoga Springs, NY disc jockey Tom L. Lewis introduced the Disco Bible (later renamed Disco Beats), which published hit disco songs listed by beats per minute (tempo), as well as by either artist or song title. Billboard ran an article on the new publication, and it went national relatively quickly. The list made it easier for beginning DJs to learn how to create seamless transitions between songs without dancers having to change their rhythm on the dance floor. Today, DJs can find the beats per minute of songs in the BPM List. 1980s In 1981, the cable television network MTV was launched, originally devoted to music videos, especially popular rock music. The term "video jockey", or VJ, was used to describe the fresh-faced youth who introduced the music videos. In 1982, the demise of disco in the mainstream by the summer of 1982 forced many nightclubs to either close or change entertainment styles, such as by providing MTV-style video dancing or live bands. Released in 1982, the song "Planet Rock" by DJ Afrika Bambaataa was the first hip-hop song to feature synthesizers. The song melded electronic hip-hop beats with the melody from Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express." In 1982, the Compact Disc reached the public market in Asia, and early the following year in other markets. This event is often seen as the "Big Bang" of the digital audio revolution. In the early 1980s, NYC disco DJ Larry Levan, known for his eclectic mixes, gained a cult following, and the Paradise Garage, the nightclub at which he spun, became the prototype for the modern dance club where the music and the DJ were showcased.

10 Around the same time, the disco-influenced electronic style of dance music called house music emerged in Chicago. The name was derived from the Warehouse Club in Chicago, where resident DJ Frankie Knuckles mixed old disco classics and Eurosynth pop. House music is essentially disco music with electronic drum machine beats. The common element of most house music is a 4/4 beat generated by a drum machine or other electronic means (such as a sampler), together with a solid (usually also electronically generated) synth bassline. In 1983, Jesse Saunders released what some consider the first house music track, "On & On." The mid-1980s also saw the emergence of New York Garage, a house music hybrid that was inspired by Levan's style and sometimes eschewed the accentuated high-hats of the Chicago house sound. During the mid-1980s, techno music emerged from the Detroit club scene. Being geographically located between Chicago and New York, Detroit techno artists combined elements of Chicago house and New York garage along with European imports. Techno distanced itself from disco's roots by becoming almost purely electronic with synthesized beats. In 1985, the Winter Music Conference started in Fort Lauderdale Florida and became the premier electronic music conference for dance music disc jockeys. Starting in the mid-1980s, the wedding and banquet business changed dramatically with In 1985, TRAX Dance Music Guide was launched by American Record Pool in Beverly Hills. It was the first national DJ-published music magazine, created on the Macintosh computer using extensive music market research and early desktop publishing tools. In 1986, "Walk This Way", a rap/rock collaboration by Run DMC and Aerosmith, became the first hip-hop song to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was the first exposure of hip-hop music, as well as the concept of the disc jockey as band member and artist, to many mainstream audiences. In 1988, DJ Times magazine was first published. It was the first US-based magazine specifically geared toward the professional mobile and club DJ. the introduction of DJ music, replacing the bands that had been the norm. Bandleaders, like Jerry Perell and others, started DJ companies, such as NY Rhythm DJ Entertainers. Using their knowledge of audience participation, MC charisma, and "crowd-pleasing" repertory selection, the wedding music industry became almost all DJ while combining the class and elegance of the traditional band presentation. New DJs as well as bandleaders with years of experience and professionalism transformed the entire industry.

11 1990s Jason Jollins performing at Pacha, Buenos Aires During the early 1990s, the rave scene built on the acid house scene. The rave scene changed dance music, the image of DJs, and the nature of promoting. The innovative marketing surrounding the rave scene created the first superstar DJs who established marketable "brands" around their names and sound. Some of these celebrity DJs toured around the world and were able to branch out into other music-related activities. During the early 1990s, the Compact Disc surpassed the gramophone record in popularity, but gramophone records continued to be made (although in very limited quantities) into the 21st century particularly for club DJs and for local acts recording on small regional labels. During the mid-1990s, trance music, having run rampant in the German underground for several years, emerged as a major force in dance music throughout Europe and the UK. It became one of the world's most dominant forms dance music by the end of the 1990s, thanks to a trend away from its repetitive, hypnotic roots, and towards commercialized song structure. In 1991, Mobile Beat magazine, geared specifically toward mobile DJs, began publishing. In 1992, MPEG which stands for the Moving Picture Experts Group, released The MPEG-1 standard, designed to produce reasonable sound at low bit rates. The lossy compression scheme MPEG-1 Layer-3, popularly known as MP3, later revolutionized the digital music domain. In 1993, the first internet "radio station", Internet Talk Radio, was developed by Carl Malamud. Because the audio was relayed over the internet, it was possible to access internet radio stations from anywhere in the world. This made it a popular service for both amateur and professional disc jockeys operating from a personal computer.

12 In 1995, the first full-time, internet-only radio station, Radio HK, began broadcasting the music of independent bands. In 1996, Mobile Beat had its first national mobile DJ convention in Las Vegas. During the late 1990s, nu metal bands, such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park, reached the height of their popularity. This new subgenre of alternative rock bore some influence from hip-hop because rhythmic innovation and syncopation are primary, often featuring DJs as band members. As well, during the late 1990s, various DJ and VJ software programs were developed, allowing personal computer users to deejay or veejay using his or her personal music or video files. In 1998, the first MP3 digital audio player was released, the Eiger Labs MPMan F10. Final Scratch debuted at the BE Developer Conference, marking the first digital DJ system to allow DJs control of MP3 files through special time-coded vinyl records or CDs. While it would take sometime for this novel concept to catch on with the "die hard Vinyl DJs", This would soon become the first step in the new Digital DJ revolution. Manufacturers joined with computer DJing pioneers to offer professional endorsements, the first being Professor Jam, who went on to develop the industry's first dedicated computer DJ convention and learning program, the "CPS (Computerized Performance System) DJ Summit", to help spread the word about the advantages of this emerging technology. In 1999, Shawn Fanning released Napster, the first of the massively popular peer-to-peer file sharing systems. During this period, the AVLA (Audio Video Licensing Agency) of Canada announced an MP3 DJing license, administered by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. This meant that DJs could apply for a license giving them the right to perform publicly using music stored on a hard drive, instead of having to cart their whole CD collections around to their gigs.

13 Chapter- 2 How to Be a DJ

14 In order to become a great disc jockey (DJ), you must have an extensive body of music, as well as the ability to lead a crowd Charisma is a must, as is the ability to listen well and use equipment to make seamless transitions between tracks. "A real DJ is someone who wants to share their passion for music with the world." -Zak Gardner Steps 1. Decide whether you want to be a crowd pleaser or a music specialist. o Crowd pleasing means playing songs that would, most likely, hit the taste of the biggest number of people in any given crowd. o Music specialist would mean playing music that you like, regardless of what the crowd demands. Usually these people will have a specific genre which they specialise in If you plan on doing house parties and low level corporate events, then go ahead and get the table top CD players. But if you want to go out into the big glamorous parties and play in the major leagues, then you should need to know how to work your vinyl. Most venues, clubs, and bars have Serato Scratch Live as their base DJ setup (operated by turntables also cd players), so all you have to do is bring your laptop and plug into their system. 2. Obtain DJ equipment. You can become a DJ using CDs or vinyl (with a turntable). The CD option is usually cheaper than vinyl, but a lot of DJs prefer the latter o 3. Be economical. Most of your money should be spent on turntables and a mixer. Forget the other stuff for now. You can pick up a pair of Technics and a decent mixer for around $ The suggested option is to buy the turntables used so you can buy your mixer brand new. 4. Play around with your mixer and turntables and get comfortable. Learn the basics, watch other DJ's, ask questions and make sure that you really want to pursue it as either a serious hobby or even a career because it gets easily very expensive. 5. Learn about all genres of music. Often you may know of a couple hit songs in a few genres, but that is not enough. Make sure you learn about all the hit songs in most genres, because those will be the ones that the crowd recognizes and most likely they will like it if it's a hit. Here's a list of genres to explore: o House o Trance o Techno o Breakbeat o Hardcore o Downtempo 6. Match the types of music you play with the event you are playing at.

15 o o o Divide different styles into different sections. Put the slower songs at the beginning, eating time, and at the end. The jazzy songs go at the middle of the party, while the heavier songs go after meal time and before it. Don't play mostly fast songs at a wedding. This will take away from the romantic atmosphere. Don't play mostly slow songs at a gathering of kids. They will get bored fast. 7. Develop your charisma. Try to be a someone that attracts attention in a good way. Learn when to step back and let the group dynamic take over. Constantly vying for attention will make people uncomfortable. 8. Learn party games designed for a memorable experience while eliminating a large number of people last. 9. Start with a few small gigs at a price much lower than an experienced DJ would charge. This may include a senior center dance, a dance at a local youth center such as the Boys and Girls Club, or a company gathering. You could also ask a friend who is hosting a party if you dj the event. Warnings Tips Try arranging the song titles of the popular songs into a story. Like my "Lady in Red" drove a "Little Red Corvette" down to "Funkytown". You need to make sure that you have your own sound! Create unique mixes and become a master of a genre. Explore different tools and sounds and incorporate them into your mixes. Don't make a habit of doing free or cheap gigs as it ruins the industry and you will be type cast as the 'cheap DJ'. Clients should be hiring you because you are good, not because you are cheap. Keep your DJ equipment above average shoulder height so partygoers don't spill anything on it. Never ever put another DJ down; s/he may be your helping hand in getting another DJing job when your times are slow. Things You'll Need DJ turntables or CD players A mixer (for more advanced DJ playing) A DJ headphone Amplified speakers Music

16 Chapter- 3 How to Grow DJ Business If you want to get more gigs, then you must know certain marketing techniques to be able to do this and you must offer different services to other disc jockeys. Steps 1. Design a unique selling proposition (USP) that makes you different from any other disc jockey. 2. Decide what things you do differently and better than your competitors, and design a scheme to let people know about these things. 3. Start by volunteering to DJ events at less than your Normal Price. 4. Network with anyone you know who might be able to get you gigs. 5. Continue honing your techniques so that when you do get a job, people will be impressed and give you good referrals to other potential customers. 6. Don't book an once in a lifetime event when you are under qualified.

17 Tips 7. Work with a Professional company before you go out and run real events. 8. Most events require both a Disc Jockey and more importantly an Emcee - make sure you can do both or have someone that can! Sit down for at least one hour with your clients before agreeing to do a wedding. Provide a questionaire to make sure key points are communicated and that all will be happy. Example: Well, you know how most Disc Jockeys charge a premium rate for Weddings, well what we do is not charge you this rate. You save...give them more Value for their money...not cut yourself short. Weddings are more expensive because they require more pre-planning and experience MCing. Work weddings with an experienced DJ before taking your own on and possibly ruining a special day. How to Become a Popular DJ and Make Money To become the best DJ you got to know all the mixing styles. First of all you need to practice several hours a day and try to flow with the mix. Once you have mastered how to

18 mix try making your own strategies or start creating "gino" beats like Stevie b and all the rest and try hard. Your hard work will be the best. Steps 1. Never copy cd's to DJ anywhere.you can get in big trouble with the law!!! 2. Start doing parties with an experienced DJ Company 3. Get an agent and tell him to set you for parties and try making him feel happy by making a deal with him. Get the lowest percentage you possibly can. And then the Agent will set you up to do weddings, parties and clubs every week. 4. When your original contract expires, if you have become famous, look around for a new agent, or renegotiate the percentage you have agreed to and get a lower one. Warnings Burning CD's can get you in very expensive legal trouble. So be sure to obtain your music by legal means. Don't always try to be like someone else, do your own thing, this is why they are famous Try not to think that you know it all, there is always something new to be learned. This is why there are seminars to go to. Try not to ever say that you don't have a certain song. Try to be curtious and say that you will get it on as soon as you can, or play something else that was popular by that artist. Make sure before you leave home that you have everything for your gig or event. It's a little hard to replace something when you are already at the place. Make a list of things you take and check them off when they are loaded into the car. Never buy speakers from the trunk of the guy in the parking lot. Don't forget an extra shirt. Spaghetti sauce has a strange way of showing up.

19 Chapter- 4 How to Buy First Set of DJ Equipment Face it, we all want to be the ones who drop the tunes at parties. Most people think of becoming DJ's, but to become one, you must buy your first equipment to handle the big beat tunes.

20 Steps 1. Have a good wad of cash, there is no true recommended amount of money to have because the money you will need depends on where and what you buy. Be wary anyway, DJ equipment is NOT cheap. 2. Decide the basics ahead of time. Figure out if you first set is going to include turntables, single CD players, a dual CD player, an ipod system, a laptop system, or some type of combination. Also, give yourself an estimate on what size events you plan to DJ (will you plat at 25 person house parties or 25,000 person concert halls). 3. Research equipment online. Find a retail store with the lowest prices and with the equipment right for a DJ. 4. Before buying gear at any of the big stores like Guitar Center, confirm you are getting the best deal by checking out one of the smaller, big players that guarantee the lowest pricing on DJ equipment. 5. Here's what the basic DJ equipment is: o o o o o o 2 Turntables and/or 2 mixable CD players or a laptop Headphones Microphone Stereo cables suitable for your equipment Finally a DJ Mixer connected to: an amp and two or more passive speakers/two or more active speakers (amp built in)

21 Tips Digital DJing (using a laptop) may be cheaper, since songs can be downloaded individually at a reduced cost. It is best if your laptop has a lot of memory or you buy a large external HDD. You might also want a decent program and an extra audio socket depending on your equipment's needs and abilities. A good starter mixer is the Behringer BCD2000/BCD3000 because it has a USB connection to the computer - no extra audio connections needed - and comes with a decent piece of software. You can hook up your mixer to your home stereo or a boom box if you don't have actual professional DJing speakers. Always buy direct drive turntables with a start/stop button and pitch control. Also make sure that the CD players you get have at least a pitch control and cue function. Learn to work the equipment before operating. This means reading the manual, asking the seller questions and noting what sort of a volume everything needs to be at. If you're lucky enough to know an experienced DJ, ask them what equipment (and brands of equipment) they recommend. If they're willing to show you good techniques for using it, that's even better. You might even be able to buy their old equipment cheaply off them or borrow some to gain experience. Purchase amplifiers that can produce 1.5 times the recommended RMS wattage for your speaker. Check into buying from a retailer that allows you to use an item, and if not satisfied, return it. Most electronic products, once opened are not returnable. Look into renting a system before you buy one on a permanent basis. Check out your local record and CD exchanges to help get you started with a lot of popular music. Warnings Don't buy the all-in-one DJ packs. You may be able to find individual components of higher quality or at a lower price elsewhere. When buying turntables NEVER buy belt drive. Belt drive turntables do not have sufficient torque for DJing and cannot be stopped Never borrow more than you can afford from another DJ, in case they break. Don't buy a home stereo or a speaker system for your computer to do a DJing job out of the house. Most of these speakers can't handle the demand that professional speakers can. If buying used equipment, always have the seller take the time to set it up and show you that it works.

22 How to Install Your DJ Booth A Denon Table Top CD Player Before you can start practicing your mixing, scratching, beat juggling, or even just put a needle to the record or a CD in the tray you need to set up your equipment. Steps Equipment Found in DJ Booths There are a number of components that may appear in a DJ booth. We're going to take a look at some of the basic equipment you may find in a typical DJ booth before looking at how to connect everything. 1. CD Players DJ CD Players are different from home stereo CD players. CD Decks used by DJs generally include pitch control, advanced anti-skip, and a jog wheel which is used to manipulate the song that is playing. There are two types of CD players used by DJs: o Table Top Table top CD players sit on a flat surface like turntable and can each play a single CD. Table top CD players generally have a large jog wheel and may include vinyl simulation. Examples: Pioneer CDJ1000, Denon DN-S3500 o Rack Mounted Rack mount CD players may take a single CD like the table top's but more often are Dual-CD where half controls one CD and

23 the other half controls a second CD. Rack mounted CD players are often used by mobile DJs because the fit well in mobile cases. Examples: Pioneer MEP-7000, American Audio VELOCITY 2. Turntables Turntables allow the playing of 33RPM and 45RPM records. DJ Turntables will include pitch control and may have other features such as reverse or multiple start/stop buttons so you can orient them as you see fit on your table. There are two types of DJ turntable: o Belt Drive The main advantage of the belt driven turntable is the motor is set to the side of the platter and the spin is generated by a continuous belt thus reducing vibration. The problem with belt drive turntables is that they often lack the torque to bring the platter to speed as quickly as you need to and are more susceptible to speed (pitch) variations. o Examples: Gemini TT01, Numark TT1600MKII Direct Drive Direct drive turntables have the benefit of the motor being directly connected to the platter thus allowing for greater torque and faster start/stop times there is also no belt which could become worn and need replacing. Examples: Technics SL1200MK2, Vestax PDX-200MK2 Examples: Mackie D2-PRO, Vestax PMC-06-Pro 3. Mixers Mixers are what allow the DJ to take two or more audio sources and blend them together to a single output. Mixers also usually include basic EQ controls for Bass, Mid, and Treble. There are two main types of DJ Mixers: o Battle Mixers Battle mixers are generally very slim, have limited extra features beyond what is necessary, have a very shallow curve on the individual channel volume controls, and very high quality crossfaders. They are used primarily by DJs who scratch records. o DJ Mixers Everything else falls under this category. DJ mixers have usually between 2 and 4 channels and may include 1 or 2 mic inputs. Most newer DJ mixers also include some basic effects and may even include an automatic BPM counter. Examples: Pioneer DJM-800, Denon DNX Headphones These are one of the DJ's most important tools, if you are looking to save money when you buy your equipment headphones are not the place to be cheap. DJ's use their headphones to cue the next song and make sure everything is mixed correctly before raising the volume and letting people hear it. The headphones used by DJ's need to be loud to overcome monitors and crowd noise, clear so the DJ can hear the details in the songs, and comfortable because they will be worn for long periods of time. o Examples: Sennheiser HD-25 are used by many pro dj's all over the world, crisp, clear and loud with great cancellation from outside noise, Sony MDRV700's, Behringer HPX2000's, Technics RPDH1200's 5. Cables Cables are what connects each component to the whole. There are a number of different types of cables that you may encounter:

24 o o o o RCA Cables These are basic audio cables, they are a dual cable with two separate connectors on each end usually colour coded red and white. [6.6 Ft Dual RCA Cable] 1/4" Patch Cables Sometimes used to connect the mixer to speakers these cables have a 1/4" male plug on both ends. [Monster 50 Ft 1/4" Speaker Cable] 1/4" to Banana Cables These cables are used to connect some amplifiers to speakers that are not self powered. [MDP Premium Speaker Cable] XLR Cables These are most commonly used for microphones however they may be used to connect some brands of speakers as well. [25 Ft XLR to XLR Cable] Basic Configurations 1. Turntables A basic turntable configuration including speakers has the follo- wing components: o Turntable [x2] Needle cartridge [x2] Needle [x2] Slip Mat [x2] RCA Cable [x2] Grounding Cable [x2] o DJ Mixer Professional Headphones o Self-Powered Speaker [x2] Appropriate Cable [x2] 1. Table Top CD Players A basic CD Player configuration using table top models including speakers has the following components: o Table Top CD Player [x2] RCA Cable [x2] o DJ Mixer Professional Headphones o Self-Powered Speaker [x2] Appropriate Cables [x2] 1. Rack Mount CD Players A basic CD Player configuration using a rack mount model including speakers has the following components: o Dual Rack Mount CD Player RCA Cable [x2] o Rack Mount DJ Mixer (19") Professional Headphones o DJ Equipment Rack o Self-Powered Speaker [x2] Appropriate Cables [x2]

25 Equipment Setup It's time to take your equipment as setup your booth. This tutorial assumes that you are connecting only the bare essentials and the instructions given are with turntables however the same applies to CD players. 1. Unpack your equipment First up we need to remove everything from it's boxes. Be careful when removing items such as turntables as they can be fragile and may have cables that are soldered on that you do not want to accidentally tear off. o While unpacking try and keep the cables together with the items they came with. For turntables follow the included instructions for assembling and attacking the cartridges and needles, and if it is not already in place for installing the platter. o 2. Place the items on a flat surface You always want to place your DJ equipment on a flat and sturdy surface. The heavier the table the better protected from ground vibration you will be. 3. Decide on a Layout You need to decide how you will lay out your equipment. The most common layout is [turntable] [mixer] [turntable] however some people prefer [turntable] [turntable] [mixer]. You also need to decide on an orientation for the turntables: o Standard (Horizontal) Standard orientation will see the tone-arm and pitch on the right and the start/stop on the edge closest to you and to the left. This is used by DJ's who mix records as they need easy access to the pitch. o Battle (Vertical) Battle position will see the tone-arm and pitch on the edge furthest away from you and the start/stop on the edge closest to you and to the right. This is used by scratch artists as it keeps the tone arm out of the way so they do not bump it when preforming quick scratches. 4. Connect the turntables to the mixer Each turntable should come with an RCA Cable and a Ground Cable (Cannot be removed) connect the RCA cable to the underside or back of the turntable colour coordinating red-tored and white-to-white and connect the opposite ends the the input on the back of the mixer (NOTE: If the mixer has inputs for "Phono" and "Line" connect turntables to Phono and CD players to Line, most DJs prefer to plug the right turntable into Channel 1 and the left turntable into Channel 2 or 4). You also need to connect the ground cables which are usually thin black cables with a "C" shaped connector this will fit over a screw on the back of the mixer labeled "Ground" or "GRND" and help reduce line noise. 5. Connect your power cables The mixes and both of your turntables will need to be plugged into AC Power. It is recommended you use a serge protector or a power bar with serge protection for this to protect your equipment.

26 Tips 6. Connect your headphones Usually the headphones plug into a jack on the front or top face of the mixer marked with a picture of headphones be sure not to plug these into the out lines on the back of the mixer. 7. Connect Speakers (Optional) You can listen to everything in your headphones if you like but for others to hear the music you will need speakers. Check the back of your speakers and the back of you mixer to determine the type of cables you need. Ensure the mixer and the speakers are both off and then connect the cable from the output of the mixer to the input of the speakers. Always turn the mixer on before turning on the speakers to avoid sending a power 'pop' to the speakers. 8. Power everything up and have fun! You can reduce turntable skipping by taking four tennis balls and a cement garden walkway block and using the tennis balls as feet for the block then placing the turntable on top. Warnings Although most cabling should be well shielded try to avoid crossing audio and power cables as you may be able to detect some line noise. Do not use DJ turntables without slip mats as this can seriously damage your records.

27 Chapter- 5 How to Be a Non Hip Hop DJ Turntablists are the backbone of hip-hop, but they are also becoming very popular in metal, funk, pop, rock and roll, jazz, and classical. Most great DJs have a love for all different kinds of music, so it makes sense that they venture out into different genres.

28 Steps 1. Tips scratching for some of their songs. Even if you only are featured as a guest on Become a good DJ. Remember, you can be slow and funky and have a laid back style if you are in a hip hop group where DJs don't always have to have tech skill in every single solo. But when people hear turntables in a different genre it should be mind blowing because of the fact you don't hear turntables in other genres that much. Make sure to gain an amazing understanding of rhythm and learn a lot of music theory. 2. Make friends with people that are in a band that could potentially use turntables or someone who is starting bands all the time or in about five of them. These people usually appreciate great musical talent and are open to new ideas. 3. Tell them you're a DJ and that you wouldn't mind laying down some some of their songs, they'll see how good you are and invite you back. 4. Get a permanent spot in the band then show you're just as into the music as the rest of them. Actively participate in band discussions. If you join a metal band then jump around on stage when you're not scratching. Listen to a lot of different music that uses DJs (non hip hop of course). Note that some of these DJs scratch hip hop as well, but this is just a list of their outside work. o Jamie Oliver (LostProphets) o Joe Hahn (Linkin Park) o DJ Lethal (Limp Bizkit, Evanescence, Sugar Ray in their early days) o DJ Homocide (Sugar Ray) o DJ Spinobi (Ozomatli) o Cut Chemist (Ozomatli, ex-jurassic 5)

29 o DJ Radar (Red Bull Artsechro) o DJ Starscream (Sid Wilson of Slipknot) o DJ D-Zire (Jamiroquai) o DJ Z-trip (Gorillaz) o DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill) o Mix Master Mike (Beastie Boys) o DJ Premier (Gang Starr, Christina Aguilera) o DJ Swamp (Beck) o DJ Panko (Ojos de Brujo) While you practice scratching, listen to other music and try to recreate the rhythms that the drummers or other musicians are making. It'll be easier to get into a band if you can do more than DJ. Most DJs are expected to know a little bit about programming, beat making, and keyboard playing. Don't know what style of music you want to get into? Just play some metal through some speakers and scratch to it. If you liked it then you should be a metal DJ. If not then try with other types of music. Warnings Don't be worried if, at first, other people in bands don't want to accept you as an actual musician. Just be patient!

30 How to Hire a Disc Jockey for Your Wedding wedding DJ with good equipment and decent references. The goal here is to show you what to consider when hiring a DJ for what is probably one of most important days in your life. Steps 1. First you should determine how much to budget for your reception entertainment. Expect to spend anywhere from to for an experienced 2. Begin to compile a list of possible DJ choices. Use the internet, yellow pages, bridal shows, or get the names of some DJs who performed at your friends or relatives weddings who did a good job. 3. Try to work with DJs who are local to your location. The closer the better. You will find literally hundreds of DJs within 60 miles of your home in most cases. 4. Be sure that you choices specialize in wedding receptions. A good club DJ can be an awful wedding DJ unless he's a professional. Saying a good club DJ is a bad Wedding DJ is like saying Sandra Bullock can only play a bubbly airhead. A good DJ can match his crowd. 5. Try to avoid using friends and family. Many times they will let you down and not take your reception as serious as a professional. 6. Although there are some decent part-timers, I would suggest using a full time professional. 7. Avoid DJ brokers. These are companies that simply act as middlemen and pocket several hundred dollars by obtaining top positions on search engines in the sponsered result sections. They simply obtain a deposit from you and then subcontract a dj. (many who are not very experienced and are not even really

31 known by the broker) When using search engines try passing on the sponsored results. 8. When you begin to contact possible dj companies, ask to speak directly with the DJ who would be at your wedding before you agree to anything or put down a deposit. The person on the phone may be outgoing and experienced but your actual DJ may be a dud. If the company says they will assign you a DJ then you are probably dealing with a broker. 9. Make sure the DJs you consider have on-site back ups of everything. Get it in writing. They must have a back up of every single cord in their system as well as a back up amp, computer or CD player. 10. This is so important and you should not even consider a DJ who will not indicate the back up equipment in writing. 11. Be sure you hire a company who is willing to show up at least one hour early to the event and you should give preference to companies who will be two hours early or more. A professional wedding DJ knows the importance of this event and will be happy to arrive well in advance of the reception just to make sure things go smooth and everything is prepared properly. 12. Keep in mind that a video of the company in action is not an accurate indicator of their performance. Videos are usually scripted, edited and could be their best friends wedding. It is better to obtain some phone numbers of actual clients they performed for. Call and speak with some of them. Speak with the actual DJ as well. Ask a lot of questions, get a feel for their personality and then go with your gut. 13. Go online to the bbb.com (better business bureau) and check your town to make sure there are no complaints or how there company handles complaints if there are any. They need not be a member but should not have any negative comments or major issues. 14. Watch out for add on costs. Many companies lure you in with low price and then charge you extra for things that should be included like dance lights, a cordless mic, extra speakers or back up equipment. These are things that are basic at a wedding and should be included. Anyone charging extra for these wedding necessities is scamming you. Legitimate charges for extras would be for something like video screens, spotlight, projectors, karaoke etc Make sure your DJ does not use banners, or advertising of any kind at your wedding. The only acceptable promotion at a wedding would be a few business cards on the corner of the DJ table. You will spend a lot of time and money creating an elegant and festive atmosphere at your hall or venue and the last thing you want is Joe's DJ Service plastered all over your event. If the DJ is doing a great job, I assure you people will come to his table and grab a card or ask for one. His or her self promotion should only be the job that they do for you. Get it in writing!!! No banners, brochures, printed tablecloths or signs. Business cards only. It's your day not theirs. 16. Get it in writing! Get it in writing! Get it in writing! Make sure you both sign a contract or invoice indicating date, times, promises, and things important to you. 17. Typical deposits are non-refundable and about

32 Tips 18. Full time professional companies will ask for the balance paid one week in advance. Collecting the money the night of the reception can be tricky especially after alcoholic beverages are served. 19. Making sure the DJ/MC is clean cut and has excellent verbal skills is a plus. When speaking with DJs ask what they do for their regular living. (To see if they are part-timers) Ask what they would do if during the first dance an equipment breakdown occurred. See how they answer. Ask what king of vehicle they will be driving to the event. Ask what would happen if their car breaks down on the way to the reception. Find out what they wear to the event. Tux preferred. No less than a three piece suit unless you don't care. Don't forget to ask if they will actually be the one at your event. Remember the MC Matters not the DJ - many companies have several top level MCs to offer you. Make sure they have DJ insurance. Many Halls Require this, and it shows the DJ is more Professional. An experienced DJ will usually not want you to pick every song of the evening. They would suggest that besides the formal dances that you actually pick about 10 or 15 songs for the open dance part of the evening. After the dinner music, formalities, announcements and toasts as well as the open dance songs that you pick, this will leave about 20 to 30 song choices for your guests requests.

33 Chapter- 6 How to Be a Good DJ at a Dance Have you been asked or volunteered to DJ at a High School, Middle School, or Elementary dance? Are you worried about making sure people have a good time dancing?

34 We will explain some of the basic principles behind spinning at a dance. This will focus on theory and will touch little on techniques such as mixing. Steps Music Selection 1. Amount of Music Before you can even begin to play music at a school dance it is important to have a large selection of music prepared ahead of time. If you are not taking requests the general rule of thumb is to have at bare minimum enough music to play the event, plus an additional hour or two so if certain music is not working well you have enough additional music to fall back on. (NOTE: One Hour = Aprox songs). o If you will be taking requests it is important to have enough music to make the odds of you having the requested songs pretty good. One way of doing this is taking the Billboard Annual Top 100 charts for the last 3-5 years and trying to obtain all of the songs listed plus at least one other single from each of the artists. 2. Type of Music When you accept the gig be sure to ask the event coordinator what type of music has been played at these events in the past as you want to Day dance extra slow songs may be in order, etc. ensure you have appropriate music for the venue and the crowd. o For example: If you know the dance is a Ho-Down themed event it is important to be well stocked on Country music, if the event is a Valentines o Make sure to bring a variety of musical styles however just in case the crowd becomes tired of a certain genre or you start getting requests for something different. 3. Radio Edits Always ask the event coordinator how much tolerance there will be for objectionable language. Many schools will allow a small amount of inappropriate language, others will allow for none. o Search out songs that have (Radio Edit), (Radio Mix), or (Clean) in the song title this will tell you that the inappropriate content has been censored or removed. CDs, Vinyl, or Computer You will need to decide if you will be using CDs, Vinyl or a Computer to DJ. 1. CDs o Pros Readily available in stores and online, can be burnt at home with music from itunes or Napster. o Cons CDs are heavy, you will need at least two CD players to easily transition between songs, It can be time consuming to find a single song somewhere among 300 CDs. 2. Vinyl

35 o Pros Sounds richer on louder sound systems then CDs, has better bass definition. o Cons Vinyl is also heavy, most record cases can only carry 75 records, you will need two turntables which are quite expensive, a lot of newer music is not available on vinyl except from specialty stores. 3. Computer o Pros You can carry a lot of music on a single computer, it is easy to search for songs, and you can always insert a CD if someone brings one for you. o Cons If your computer crashes the music will stop until you get it restarted. Crowd Reading 1. The art of reading a crowd is something that will either come to you naturally or you will need to develop over time. The basic principal is this: If you play a song from genre x and the dance floor fills, then you play a song from genre y and the dance floor empties you know that to keep the dance floor packed bring the people back when they finally do notice. you need to play more of x than y. o This concept is important! Watch your dance floor! Many DJs fail to impress the crowd because they fail to notice when they clear the dance floor for long periods of time and they don't know what type of music will o Set Composition It is also essential to also take note of the type of croud you are dealing with! students; parents; grown ups! The job of the DJ is not only to play music and keep people dancing. Part of the job of the DJ is to take the crowd on a journey with the music. This means taking the crowd higher and lower at special intervals so that the crowd gets lost in the music and comes under your control so they will just keep dancing. Set Composition is the art of arranging music based on speed, genre, and key so that it flows well and takes the crowd on that journey. 1. Basic Set Composition The most basic set composition used by a lot of High School and Middle School DJs is the triangle composition. For this method the DJ will play three similar songs, followed by three different songs. Always sticking to groups of three to allow the crowd to enjoy the change. Here is an example: o First set (Hip Hop): Eminem - Shake That, Akon - Smack That, Kanye West - Stronger o Second set (Dance): Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger, DJ Aligator - Blow my Whistle, DaRude - Sandstorm Notice how Kanye West transitions into Daft Punk as Stronger uses samples from Daft Punk.

36 Dealing With Requests Use a point where the third song is slower and you do not have an easy transition to insert a slow song, then right after the slow song start bringing them up with something in the middle and moving faster again. There are a couple rules every DJ should follow when it comes to requests. Tips 1. No Repeats It is never a good idea to repeat a song twice in a night, this is lazy and unprofessional. Be sure to save the more popular songs for later in the night when there are more people there. 2. Don't play everything You cant blame a cleared dance floor on the person who requested the song, you can only blame yourself for playing it. Use your crowd reading to decide if a song will work and when it will work. Although you should try to play as many requests as possible, if you keep everyone dancing and having a good time they will remember you as a good DJ even if you don't play everything they requested. 3. Play it when it's appropriate If you are planning to do a set of dance music in 30 minutes save the request for Sandstorm until you do it. Don't feel you need to play a request as the very next song. Music o Use charts and radio to tell you what is popular. Billboard is one of the most popular music charts and has a different chart for each type of music plus an all encompassing chart. o Unless you know inappropriate language is okay, use only Radio Edits. o CDs like the Much Dance, and Big Shiny Tunes collections can help you build a varied selection of music. Danceable vs. Popular o Just because a song is popular does not mean it's danceable. Songs like "Crank That" by Soulja Boy may be very popular in your school but play it some time and try and dance to it the way you would normally dance to music. o o Warnings You need to make sure you are playing things people want to hear but at the same time, make sure the song is something people can dance too. If you use itunes to DJ a party, download the newest version. There is a program called itunes DJ where, if you allow people to, they can make requests with an app on their itouch/ iphone. This guide is to help you out with School Dances, this advice is not adequate or appropriate for Night Clubs or Raves.

37 Purchase your music - use of copyrighted material that you did not pay for is illegal and unprofessional. Find a DJ Name That Isn't Taken Every DJ needs a good name, but sometimes, they aren't so easy to come by. Here, we'll try and help you find a good name that is original and new. Tips Use alliteration and other writing techniques to make your name more interesting. Use words that are rarely used in common speech. Sometimes, another language will sound more interesting. Don't make your name really complex or hard to pronounce. Warnings Don't get too crazy with the names. If your name was something like, "DJ Commander Transverse Pyjama Anthro-Hippopotamus", people will never take you seriously and it is not at all catchy. Again, search for your selected name on all the major search engines (or through something like Dogpile) and ask around on a few popular DJing forums to see if your name has already been taken by someone who isn't on the internet. Don't pick "DJ Mad Hatter" because as weird as it sounds, it's been used a lot.

38 Chapter- 7 Digital DJ Licensing A vinyl emulation software setup, for the use of which a digital DJ license is required in some countries if used publicly. A digital DJ license is required in some countries, including the United Kingdom, Finland and Canada, to publicly play digital copies of copyrighted music. The license allows a DJ to copy music from original cds, vinyls or other media, to a computer's hard drive, an mp3 player or other digital audio players, for example to be used with a vinyl emulation software program, or in some cases to other digital media, such as cd-r or MiniDisc. In the countries where digital DJ licensing is used, the license is also required for playing music originally bought and downloaded directly on to a computer, usually in

39 mp3 or similar format, unless the license of the online music store explicitly allows the public performance of the downloaded tracks. Reasons for licensing The license usually has two separate functions: To allow a DJ to copy and digitize music from other sources to a computer's hard drive, and to allow playing of music bought from an online music store. In the first case, a license is needed because a copy of the original recording is used, and in the second, because the copyright collecting agencies of the countries which require licensing hold, that music bought from online music stores such as itunes or Beatport requires additional licensing before it can be played publicly, thus making downloaded music not comparable to cds and vinyls, which do not require an additional license on the DJ's part to played, as the venue where the music is played usually pays for a music license which allows recorded music to be played. The reasoning for this is that music from online music stores is usually licensed solely for private use. Licensing by country The licensing systems are emerging since DJs have started to transfer their music collections on to laptops for use with vinyl emulation software or other DJing tools for various reasons, including reducing the amount of baggage, ease of searching, and the ability to have a much larger collection available than what would be practical if the music was stored on a larger physical media; and because the copyright laws in some countries do not permit the professional and/or public use of copies, even if copied from legitimate sources. The need for a license, the details of it, and the costs vary from country to country. The license is usually issued by the national organizations which protect the intellectual properties of composers, lyricists, arrangers and performers; or by other organizations which are licensed to sell such licenses on their behalf. Sometimes the license takes the form of leasing, and needs to be renewed yearly, and the tracks used under the license may not be used after the license expires, unless a new license is acquired. For example, in the UK the DJ is allowed to continue using the tracks copied under a previous license even after the license expires, while in Finland the tracks copied under license must be deleted after the license expires. Usually, the songs used do not have to be defined in advance. The songs used must be copied from legitimate sources, and it is not possible to legally play songs illegally downloaded, even if the dj has a license. It is not however always required for the dj to own the original recording, and for example copying music from a cd borrowed from a library may be allowed, but this varies between countries, being for example allowed in Finland but prohibited in the UK. Another common element of the licenses is that they are personal and non-transferable, and thus the copies may only be used by the person who originally acquired the license, and can not be borrowed or rented to a third-party.

40 Licensing in the UK In the UK, a license must be obtained from the Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), or one of its dubbing operators, and from the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS). In 2006, The PPL created a license that allowed a DJ to use up to 20,000 songs and keep backup copies of these on a separate hard drive. The license did not allow the recording of live DJ mixes, or burning music on to a cd. Furthermore, editing or altering of the original recording was not permitted. The PPL license had to be renewed yearly, and cost 200 plus value added tax (VAT) per year. PPL did not announce how the use of the digital DJ licensing was going to be enforced or supervised, other than by advertising the need for the license and discouraging venues from hiring unlicensed DJs, under threat of "trouble with the law". In addition to this, the DJ also needed to acquire a separate license from the MCPS. In 2008, PPL and MCPS created a joined license, named ProDub license, which covers the licensing for both organizations. The new licensing scheme is tiered, tier 1 costing 250 including VAT, and allowing the copying of up to 5,000 songs, up to tier 4 which costs 400 including VAT and allows the copying of up to 20,000 songs. This licensing system differs from the previous one in that it's not a form of leasing, and the songs copied under this license may be kept indefinitely. Furthermore, if the whole quota is not used, the remaining amount may be transferred to the next year, provided the license is renewed. This license also allows a backup to be kept, but does not permit the copying of music on to a cd-r, only allowing copies to hard drives of computers or other digital audio players. Also, it is required for the DJ to own the original media, and copies made from cds borrowed from a library or another source are not allowed. The licensors keep a database searchable by surname to allow venues and other organizers to verify that their performers comply with the appropriate copyright laws. It should however be noted that DJs playing original cds and vinyls are legally allowed to do so without any licenses on their part, and are not listed in the database. MCPS does not require the licensees to report the songs used, but they are required to keep some form of a record of the copies made, that may be requested by the MCPS to be sent to them and/or allow them to verify the records. This form of licensing is similar to the previous model in the sense that it does not allow live DJ mixes to be recorded. By itself the new licensing model does not allow the copying of karaoke tracks that include on-screen lyrics, but for an additional fee the coverage is extendable to include such tracks. The license also only allows music to be copied in the UK, and if the music is copied in any other country, the DJ needs to acquire permission from the copyright holders, or acquire a similar license from that country's copyright organization(s). Music copied in the UK can however be played in any country within the European Economic Area without the need for additional licenses or permissions. Licensing in Finland In Finland, a license must be obtained from both Teosto and Gramex, the Finnish organizations which protect the intellectual properties of composers and performers,

41 respectively. The costs vary based on the amount of digital copies desired. The total cost of both licenses combined ranges from approximately 280 for songs to 600 for up to 3,000 songs, prices including VAT. The licenses from both Teosto and Gramex are valid for a year. The Finnish licensing system does not permit backup copies of any kind, and having two copies of any particular song is considered the same as having two different songs; thus, both are deducted from the amount allowed by the license. The license does not discern between different target mediums, and music may be copied to any format. Usage of the license is enforced by random inspections by Teosto's inspectors. Punishments for lacking a license range from warnings to fines and reimbursements to copyright holders. DJs in Finland using the license are required by Teosto to submit reports of the songs used "upon request". Gramex does not require such reports for licenses for less than 3,000 songs. An alternative to a yearly leasing license in Finland is to pay a one-time "re-mechanization" fee per track, which allows tracks to be copied to cd-r or other such media, and used for as long as the media exists. Backups are not allowed, and should the disc be damaged the fee will have to be paid again if the licensee wishes to use the same tracks again. While this type of licensing is cheaper in the long run for acquiring a large song library, it does not have the flexibility of the leasing system. Licensing in Canada In Canada a License can be obtained from the Audio-Video Licensing Agency Inc. (AVLA) which is the licensing arm of the Canadian Recording Industries Association (C.R.I.A.). Licenses can also be obtained through two National DJ Associations, the Canadian Professional Disc Jockey Association Inc. (CPDJA) and the Canadian Disc Jockey Association (CDJA) who have a licensing agreement with the AVLA to distribute and administrate licenses to their membership only. Both the AVLA Agency and the National DJ Associations maintain online databases for consumer confirmation of licensed status. The License available is a combination CDR and Hard Drive License which permits DJs to compress onto a hard drive (MP3) for use as a professional DJ only. The production and distribution of copied works is prohibited under the agreement. The license permits DJs to prepare CD compilations of label released music. In addition the license permits the DJ to have a back-up hard drive prepared and available in the event of a failure at a function. The agreement requires that only original media is to be copied and the media must be owned by the DJ. Downloading of music from itunes and the like is not permitted except in cases where such downloading service is licensed by the AVLA and approved under the licensing program. The license does not permit live DJ mixes to be recorded and/or Karaoke tracks to be copied. DJs playing original CDs and vinyl recordings are legally allowed to do so without any license required. This is an annual license with a cost of around $ and copied works under the license are not permitted to be used unless the annual license is renewed. Licenses available through membership in the National DJ Associations are lower cost and

42 included in membership fees. Usage of license is enforced by random inspections by AVLA inspectors. Performing Rights on music is handled by a different agency in Canada called SOCAN or the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada. This agency is a merger of PROCAN (Performer s Rights Organization of Canada and formerly BMI Broadcast Music Inc.) and CAPAC. This merger was approved by the Canadian government s Competition Board and took place in Performing rights are paid by license by the venue and not the DJ. Criticism The licensing system has been criticized by DJs as being unfair and overly expensive. The major points of criticism are the double charges for copying music from an original cd to a hard drive (first buying the CD and then paying for the license to make a copy), and the unintuitive differentiating between downloaded music and music bought on a physical medium, since the reasoning for allowing the latter to be played, but not the former is that digital downloads are only licensed for private use, but this is also the case for most cds. Why the venue's license to play music covers the physical mediums but not digital ones is unclear.

43 Chapter- 8 Record Collecting Record collecting is the hobby of collecting music. Although the main focus is on vinyl records, all formats of recorded music are collected. History Record collecting has been around probably nearly as long as recorded sound. In its earliest years, phonographs and the recordings that were played on them (first wax cylinders, and later flat shellac discs) were mostly toys for the rich, out of the reach of the middle or lower classes. By the 1920s, improvements in the manufacturing processes, both in players and recordings, allowed prices for the machines to drop. While entertainment options in a middle to upper class home in the 1890s would likely consist of a piano, smaller instruments, and a library of sheet music, by the 1910s and later these options expanded to include a radio and a library of recorded sound. After the fall of the phonograph cylinder, the record was the uncontested sound medium for decades. The number of available recordings mushroomed and the number of companies pressing records skyrocketed. These were 78 rpm, double-sided, ten-inch shellac discs, with about four minutes of recording time on each side. Growth in the recorded sound industries was stunted by the Great Depression and World War II, when some countries were hamstrung by a dearth of raw materials. By the time World War II ended, the economy of these countries began to grow again. Classical music (which was a large portion of 78 rpm releases) was slowly edged into a minority status by the influx of popular and new music, which was less costly and thus more profitable to record. The introduction of both the 33 1/3 rpm, 12-inch LP record and the 45 rpm, 7-inch record, coming into the market in 1948/1949, provided advances in both storage and quality. These records featured vinyl, replacing the previous shellac materials. Further groups of small labels came into existence with the dawning of the rock and roll era in the early to middle 1950s, and the growth of a market among post-war teenagers with disposable income to spend on 45 RPM singles. Rock and roll was much less costly and more profitable to produce than the big band jazz and professional singer/song-craftsman music that it replaced in popularity.

44 In the United Kingdom, rare 78 rpms were traded, usually American Rock and Roll, such as Little Richard and Elvis Presley. Labels such as London-American, RCA and Capitol were priced at a premium. One of the earliest UK record collectors was Mike Adams, who was first known for trading in 1958 on Merseyside. He later became a DJ on the BBC and broadcasted on collecting records for many years. He wrote several books on collecting including Apple Beatle Collectables. In the UK, labels considered collectible, such as Atlantic Records, Stateside, Motown, and Parlophone (EMI) turned into mainstream major record labels later on in the 1960s. The record collecting hobby probably did not take shape as such until the 1960s. With the folk music boom in the late 1950s to early 1960s, there was suddenly a demand for archival material. Record collectors fanned out in some countries, searching small towns, dusty barns and mountain cabins for older discs. Initially, the most-desired items were pre-world War II shellac discs containing "race records" (that is, blues, country blues and hillbilly music), the precursors to then-current rock-and-roll and country styles. Later generations of record collectors found their passion in digging up obscure 45's in the genre of doo-wop, or LPs from the late 1960s "garage rock" and "psychedelic" genres. for the album Yesterday and Today. Until 1967, the LP releases of the Beatles in their The pop music scene changed forever in January 1964 with the arrival of The Beatles in the United States. In their wake, thousands of musical bands inspired by their fresh, lively take on rock music with a sharp British sensibility, picked up guitars, and many released records. Many of these acolytes released 45 RPM records in small batches to sell at local concerts and to their friends and families. Due to their relatively small pressings, these obscure local records became highly prized and valuable. The "collector's item" with the most notoriety in record collecting is not a record at all, but merely an album cover. The Beatles themselves accidentally contributed what is probably the most well-known and valuable "collector's piece" of the rock-and-roll era: "The Butcher Cover". This is an informal title for the piece, which was an album cover home country of the UK were substantially different from the LP releases in the USA. These American albums were shorter, had different songs, album titles and artwork. A Holy Grail of some collectors is Bob Dylan's The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963 pressing that has four songs that were deleted from subsequent pressings), known to fetch up to $35,000 in stereo and $16,500 in mono in excellent condition. One collectible record format is known as a test pressing. Test pressings are exactly what the name implies; 5-10 copies of a record pressed for the purpose of checking the mix or levels on a record, or to ensure that the die is cutting properly. Though usually meant for the band, producer, pressing plant, or record label to keep as reference, they are often placed in special packaging (such as a photocopy of the real record sleeve) and given out to friends or devoted fans. Records with the most value are almost always the 1st pressing original commercial releases. These are the records that people purchased when the record was first on the

45 charts and played on Top 40 Radio. Many of the original 45s had picture sleeves. Original LPs/12"/CDs often had inserts and other features not on later (2nd or other) releases. These are the records collectors want and will pay the most for. Promo records were free records send to radio stations (and others) to announce a new release (45 or LP) that would be coming soon from the record company. They were identified by the label (often plain white in colour) and were marked Promotional or Audition. Most promo labels also state Not for Sale. Promo copies of best selling records generally have a slightly lower value than the 1st pressing originals. Occasionally promo copies were pressed for records that were never released. Obviously these records are extremely rare and obtain a very high value for the most sought after artists or music. 2nd (and 3rd and 4th) (commercial) pressings were made after the records were off the charts and top 40 radio. These records most often have the same label and number but can be identified by dealers and collectors because of differences from the 1st pressings in the cover or colour of the label. These pressings of popular records usually have no more value than the original purchase price. UK, Record Collector. Price guide books were published, codifying exactly how much Reissues of popular records usually have a different label and number than the original release and also have no more value than the original purchase price. Bootlegs are not legitimate commercial releases that collectors want. Most bootlegs have little value. Bootlegs come in several categories. LPs/12"/CDs often feature not commercially released (stolen) tracks or recorded live concerts. 45s include re-releases of rare or valuable 45s. Some bootleg 45s are exact copies of rare records with the original label graphics and numbers - these are known in the industry as counterfeits. In the 1970s, the record collecting hobby really took off with the establishment of record collecting publications such as Goldmine, Discoveries, and Stormy Weather, 'and in the certain "rare items" were supposed to be worth. The "grading" of records based upon condition became more standardized across the hobby with the publication of these price guides. With the introduction of the compact disc in the middle 1980s, there began a stratification in the hobby; commonly found vinyl specimens that had been pressed in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of copies became relatively worthless, while the rarest of specimens became ever more valuable. These rare items included 45 rpm discs in the genres of blues, rhythm and blues, doo wop, garage rock, progressive rock, and psychedelic rock. Other rare and highly valued items include pieces from highly collectible artists such as The Beatles, Elvis Presley, U2, Madonna, The Cure, The Rolling Stones, or James Brown. Some of these are items that were pressed for promotional purposes only and sent to radio or television stations. Some are pressings from nations other than the USA or UK where they were pressed in very small quantities.

46 Even in the 21st century certain contemporary bands have a following of record collectors. This is most prominent in the punk and alternative genres. For example, the special edition of NOFX's 1999 release, The Decline, on transparent vinyl has already reached prices of $350. Due to the DIY ethic and constrained budget of many punk bands and labels, releases by lesser-known bands tend to be in limited edition. Specific pressing runs of records are sometimes printed on different colored vinyl, have new or different songs, contain spelling or mixing errors, or may be in lower quantity than other pressings. All of such factors increase a specific record's collectibility. For instance, in 1988, New York hardcore band Judge attempted to record their debut Bringin' It Down at Chung King Studios. The bad experience and low quality result left the band so disappointed that they scrapped the session and re-recorded the LP elsewhere. The older sessions, however, were pressed onto 110 copies of white vinyl entitled Chung King Can Suck It! and sent to fans who had pre-ordered Bringin It Down to reward them for their patience, as rerecording caused a major delay in the release. Copies of the record have been sold for up to $1,700 on sites like ebay. Intended audience Other music genres also have their fervent adherents. Classical music, for example, has its own dedicated following. The first wave of collectors concentrated on early stereo orchestral recordings on labels such as British Decca and EMI, and US Mercury Living Presence and RCA Living Stereo. Some of these records still sell at auction for hundreds of dollars. However, the focus of the top collectors has now shifted to earlier material, and rare European monos from the fifties by top artists have become highly sought. The Far Eastern collectors who dominate this market tend to prefer chamber music, and solo violin and cello. The intended audience of a collection may include the collector himself family and friends the general public or a combination thereof. Scope of collection The scope of a collection may include: particular genres (or sub-genres), e.g. Classical, Soul, Funk, Country Music, Go-go, Modern Jazz, Detroit Techno, Broken Beat, Elevator Music,etc. particular artists (or producers, remixer, conductor, or other performer), e.g. Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Sir Simon Rattle, Larry Levan, Berry Gordy, James Brown etc. particular recording labels (or sublabels), e.g. His Master's Voice, Motown, Tamla, Philadelphia International Records, Salsoul, Apple Records, etc.

47 particular periods (or music scenes), e.g. 1920s, 1960s and 1970s, those played at The Loft, Northern Soul, Philadelphia soul etc. particular formats, e.g. 78s, 7"s, LPs, Mono, Vinyl, 8-track cartridges, Reel-toreel, Cassettes, CDs, Digital downloads etc. or combinations thereof. Notable record collectors Ray Avery, jazz record collector. Joe Bussard, 1920s and 1930s blues collector. Josh Davis aka DJ Shadow DJ, known for the album Endtroducing... which was comprised entirely from samples. Paul Mawhinney, founder of music store and record archive Record-Rama, who is known for probably having the worlds biggest record collection across contemporary music genres. Scott Neuman, owner of Forever Vinyl - The Rare and Out of Print Record Store, one of the first online record stores started in John Peel, BBC Radio 1 DJ, renowned for his barns containing hundreds of thousands of records across genres. Gilles Peterson, club and BBC Radio 1 DJ. Major jazz, funk, soul, and modern dancefloor music collector. jazz. Greg Shaw, creator of the Pebbles series, Who Put The Bomp magazine, and Bomp! Records. Joel Whitburn, author of the Record Research series of books cataloguing Billboard Magazine chart data. Whitburn's collection contains a copy of almost every record to chart on Billboard. Thurston Moore (& Byron Coley), collectors of noise, free jazz, and avantgarde Jerry Osborne, publisher of the first Record Price Guide in early 1976; the first of over 150 music and entertainment publications for his company, Osborne Enterprises Publishing. Most valuable records The following list is an attempt to list some of the most valuable recordings. Data is sourced from Record Collector magazine, ebay, Popsike, the Jerry Osborne Record Price Guides, and other sources. 1. The Quarrymen "That'll Be the Day"/"In Spite Of All The Danger" (UK 78 RPM, Acetate in plain sleeve, 1958) Only one copy made. Copy always owned by Paul McCartney and never offered for sale. Record Collector magazine lists guide price at $180,000. Others have valued it closer to $200,000.

48 2. John Lennon & Yoko Ono "Double Fantasy" (Geffen US Album, 1980) Autographed by Lennon five hours before Mark David Chapman murdered him. Sold in 1999 for $150, The Beatles Yesterday and Today (Capitol, US Album in butcher sleeve, 1966) $47,500 for mint "first state" stereo copies. Other pressings/states are also available, in both mono and stereo with prices ranging from $150 $10, Bob Dylan The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (CBS, US album, stereo 1963 featuring 4 tracks deleted from subsequent releases) $35, Long Cleve Reed & Little Harvey Hull "Original Stack O Lee Blues" (Black Patti, US 78 RPM in plain sleeve, 1927) $30,000 offered to Joe Bussard. 6. Frank Wilson "Do I Love You?" (SOUL#35019, US 7 45 RPM in plain sleeve, 1966) one of two known copies fetched over 25,000 (approx. $37,000) in May Velvet Underground & Nico The Velvet Underground & Nico (US Album Acetate, in plain sleeve, 1966 with alternate versions of tracks from official release) Estimate $40,000+ Sold on ebay, December 9, 2006 for $155,401. However bids were fake and record was relisted. Final selling price was $25, Elvis Presley "Stay Away, Joe" (US, RCA Victor UNRM-9408, 1967) Singlesided promotional album of which only one well-publicized copy is known to exist, and it came directly from Presley's personal collection. 9. The Five Sharps "Stormy Weather" (US, Jubilee 5104, 78 RPM, 1953) $25,000 offered to David Hall of Good Rockin' Tonight 10. The Hornets "I Can't Believe" (US, States 127, 78 RPM, 1953) $25, Sex Pistols "God Save the Queen" (UK A&M 7 45 RPM with mailer, 1977) $22, Bach, Cello Suites, Andre Levy, French Lumen , signed by Levy on all three records, $20, Blind Joe Reynolds "99 Blues" (Paramount, 78 RPM 192?) $20, The Quarrymen "That ll Be The Day"/"In Spite Of All The Danger" (UK RPM and 7 45 RPM, in reproduction Parlophone sleeve, 1981 reissue, 25 copies of each) $18, The Beatles The Beatles (Parlophone UK album, 1968, numbered below , black inner with poster and four colour prints) $18,000 A copy numberd sold on ebay for 19,200 British pounds sterling (over US$27,000). 16. Bob Dylan The Freewheelin Bob Dylan (As #4 but mono version) $16, Billy Ward & His Dominoes (Federal, , US 10 album, 1954) sold at Good Rockin' Tonight's August 4-5, 1999 'Ultra Rarities' auction for $24, Charlie Patton "Screamin and Hollerin " (US 78 RPM) $11, Judy Garland Two unreleased acetates from March 1935, $22,500 bid for the pair, failed to meet reserve. 20. Elvis Presley "That's All Right" (Sun#209 Records, US 7", 45 RPM, 1954) 21. Mozart á Paris (Conducted Fernand Oudabrous) (Pathe France, 7 Album box set, 1956) $11,300 (ebay, April 3, 2007) 22. John s Children "Midsummer Night Scene" (Track, UK 7 45RPM, 1967) $11, Willie Brown "Future Blues" (US, 78 RPM, 1930) $10,200

49 24. The Beatles The Beatles (Decca, 1968 Contract export pressing) $9, Basco Vs The Electroliners ""The Beat Is Over" (Sm:)e US 10 red vinyl 45RPM, 1996) $9, The Beatles "Please Please Me" (Parlophone, UK 7 45 RPM, 1963 signed by all four members of the band) $9, Billy Barrix "COOL OFF BABY" (Chess#1662) Only three known copies exist on 45RPM, Last Copy Sold For $15,000 On Ebay. Illuminated dance floor Illuminated dancefloor An illuminated dance floor, LED dance floor or disco dance floor is a floor with panels (tiles) which light up with different colours. They are used for dance. They were popularised for disco by the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever which it had gotten inspiration from a floor the director of the movie had seen at "The Club", a private supper club in Birmingham, Alabama.

50 Early illuminated floors date back to the 1950s. They consisted of translucent coloured glass panels lit from below by bulbs. Modern illuminated floors are lit using coloured LEDs. Usually red, green and blue LEDs are used to get a wide colour range. The floors are typically constructed of solid sided square cells and tiled with a toughened glass, acrylic glass or Lexan top. The sides and bottoms are made reflective and the top diffuses the light to give an even colour. The floor can display different patterns and flash under computer control. A row or square matrix of panels share a control module. The control modules are typically connected to the computer via USB cables. USB hubs handle fan-out to a number of control modules and extend the distance that can be reached. In future, cabling and control will be simplified by connecting the control modules to each other. The tiles may also have pressure sensors as for a dance mat so the pattern displayed or the music or other effects depend on the dancers. These floors are not designed to conform to any dance floor standards, they are not sprung floors.

51 Chapter- 9 Rapping Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting (bars), or just rhyming), refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into content, flow (rhythm and rhyme), and delivery. Rapping is distinct from spoken word poetry in that it is performed in time to a beat. Rapping is a primary ingredient in hip hop music & reggae, but the phenomenon predates hip hop culture by centuries. Rapping can be delivered over a beat or without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies a gray area among speech, prose, poetry, and song. The use of the word to describe quick speech or repartee long predates the musical form, meaning originally "to hit". The word had been used in British English since the 16th century, and specifically meaning "to say" since the 18th. It was part of the African American dialect of English in the 1960s meaning "to converse", and very soon after that in its present usage as a term denoting the musical style. Today, the terms "rap" and "rapping" are so closely associated with hip hop music that many use the terms interchangeably.

52 History Etymology The Memphis Jug Band, an early blues group, whose lyrical content and rhythmic singing predated rapping. Rap etymologically means "fast read" or "spoke fast". It may be from a shortening of repartee. Roots Rapping can be traced back to its African roots. Centuries before hip hop music existed, the griots of West Africa were delivering stories rhythmically, over drums and sparse instrumentation. Such connections have been acknowledged by many modern artists, modern day "griots", spoken word artists, mainstream news sources, and academics. Blues music, rooted in the work songs and spirituals of slavery and influenced greatly by West African musical traditions, was first played by blacks (and some whites) in the Mississippi Delta region of the United States around the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. Grammy-winning blues musician/historian Elijah Wald and others have argued that the blues were being rapped as early as the 1920s. Wald went so far as to call hip hop "the living blues." Jazz, which developed from the blues and other African- American and European musical traditions and originated around the beginning of the 20th century, has also influenced hip hop and has been cited as a precursor of hip hop. Not just jazz music and lyrics but also Jazz poetry. According to John Sobol, the jazz musician and poet who wrote Digitopia Blues, rap "bears a striking resemblance to the evolution of jazz both stylistically and formally." One of the main influences on Hip Hop

53 artists was James Brown. James Brown is credited for inventing funk music in the middle '60s. The characteristic funk drum beat is the most common rhythm used for rap music. Two of the earliest recordings which have a funk beat and lyrics which are rhymed in rhythm over this type of beat were released by comedian Pigmeat Markham, "Here Come the Judge" which was released in 1968 by the Chess label and in 1969 another song about running numbers called "Who Got The Number?". "Here Comes the Judge" peaked at number 19 on the Billboard charts. While it was primarily a comical song about a Judge and his courtroom it is also notable for the political lyrics "I'm goin' to Paris to stop this war" and "I had a chat with Ho Chi Min" both social commentary references about wanting to go to the Paris Peace Accord negotiations to stop the war in Vietnam. The spoken word jazz poetry of the United States was also a predecessor for beat poetry, as well as the rapping in hip hop music. Gil Scott-Heron, a jazz poet/musician who wrote and released such seminal songs as "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", "H2OGate Blues Part 2: We Beg Your Pardon America," and "Johannesberg," has been cited as an influence on many rappers. His collaborations with musician Brian Jackson (Pieces of a Man, Winter in America) have been cited as major influences on hip hop, in terms of sound and lyrical style. Similar in style, the Last Poets who formed in 1969 recited political poetry over drum beats and other instrumentation, and were another predecessor for rap music. They released their debut album in 1970 reaching the top ten on the Billboard charts. One of the first rappers in the beginning of the hip hop period, in the end of '70s, was also During the mid-20th century, the musical culture of the Caribbean was constantly influenced by the concurrent changes in American music. As early as 1956, deejays were toasting (an African tradition of "rapped out" tales of heroism) over dubbed Jamaican beats. It was called "rap", expanding the word's earlier meaning in the African-American community "to discuss or debate informally." hip hop's first DJ, Kool Herc. Herc, a Jamaican immigrant, started delivering simple raps at his parties, inspired by the Jamaican tradition of toasting. Old school rap Old school rap ( ) was "easily identified by its relatively simple raps" according to Allmusic, "the emphasis was not on lyrical technique, but simply on good times", one notable exception being Melle Mel, who set the way for future rappers through his socio-political content and creative wordplay. The golden age Golden age hip hop (cited as either just the late '80s or the late 80s to early 90s) was the time period where hip-hop lyricism went through its most drastic transformation writer William Jelani Cobb says "in these golden years, a critical mass of mic prodigies were literally creating themselves and their art form at the same time" and Allmusic writes, "rhymers like PE's Chuck D, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, and Rakim basically invented

54 the complex wordplay and lyrical kung-fu of later hip-hop. The golden age is considered to have ended around '93 '94, marking the end of rap lyricism's most innovative period. Flow 'Flow' is defined as "the rhythms and rhymes" of a hip-hop song's lyrics and how they interact the book How to Rap breaks flow down into rhyme, rhyme schemes, and rhythm (also known as cadence). 'Flow' is also sometimes used to refer to elements of the delivery (pitch, timbre, volume) as well, though often a distinction is made between the flow and the delivery. Staying on the beat is central to rap's flow many MCs note the importance of staying on-beat in How to Rap including Sean Price, Mighty Casey, Zion I, Vinnie Paz, Fredro Starr, Del The Funky Homosapien, Tech N9ne, People Under The Stairs, Twista, B-Real, Mr Lif, 2Mex, and Cage. with the four beats of a bar are the only ones that need to be emphasized in order to keep MCs stay on-beat by stressing syllables in time to the four beats of the musical backdrop. Poetry scholar Derek Attridge describes how this works in his book Poetic Rhythm rap lyrics are written to be performed to an accompaniment that emphasizes the metrical structure of the verse. He says rap lyrics are made up of, lines with four stressed beats, separated by other syllables that may vary in number and may include other stressed syllables. The strong beat of the accompaniment coincides with the stressed beats of the verse, and the rapper organizes the rhythms of the intervening syllables to provide variety and surprise. The same technique is also noted in the book How to Rap, where diagrams are used to show how the lyrics line up with the beat "stressing a syllable on each of the four beats gives the lyrics the same underlying rhythmic pulse as the music and keeps them in rhythm... other syllables in the song may still be stressed, but the ones that fall in time the lyrics in time with the music". History of flow Old School flows were relatively basic and used only few syllables per bar, simple rhythmic patterns, and basic rhyming techniques and rhyme schemes. Melle Mel is cited as an Old School MC who epitomizes the Old School flow Kool Moe Dee says, from 1970 to 1978 we rhymed one way [then] Melle Mel, in 1978, gave us the new cadence we would use from 1978 to 1986 he s the first emcee to explode in a new rhyme cadence, and change the way every emcee rhymed forever. Rakim, Biggie, and Eminem have flipped the flow, but Melle Mel s downbeat on the two, four, kick to snare cadence is still the rhyme foundation all emcees are building on". Artists and critics often credit Rakim with creating the overall shift from the more simplistic Old School flows to more complex flows near the beginning of Hip Hop s new school Kool Moe Dee says, any emcee that came after 1986 had to study Rakim just to

55 know what to be able to do Rakim, in 1986, gave us flow and that was the rhyme style from 1986 to 1994 from that point on, anybody emceeing was forced to focus on their flow. Kool Moe Dee explains that before Rakim, the term flow wasn t widely used Rakim is basically the inventor of flow. We were not even using the word flow until Rakim came along. It was called rhyming, it was called cadence, but it wasn t called flow. Rakim created flow! He adds that while Rakim upgraded and popularized the focus on flow, he didn t invent the word. Kool Moe Dee states that Biggie introduced a newer flow which dominated from 1994 to 2002, and also says that Method Man was one of the emcees from the early to mid- 90s that ushered in the era of flow Rakim invented it, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-One, and Kool G Rap expanded it, but Biggie and Method Man made flow the single most important aspect of an emcee s game. He also cites Craig Mack as an artist who contributed to developing flow in the 90s. There are many different styles of flow, with different terminology used by different Music scholar Adam Krims says, the flow of MCs is one of the profoundest changes that separates out new-sounding from older-sounding music it is widely recognized and remarked that rhythmic styles of many commercially successful MCs since roughly the beginning of the 1990s have progressively become faster and more complex. He cites members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, AZ, Big Pun, and Ras Kass, just to name a few as artists who exemplify this progression. Kool Moe Dee adds, in 2002 Eminem created the song that got the first Oscar in Hip- Hop history and I would have to say that his flow is the most dominant right now (2003). Styles people stic.man of Dead Prez uses the following terms The Chant, which he says is used by Lil Jon and Project Pat The Syncopated Bounce, used by Twista and Bone Thugs N Harmony Straight Forward, used by Scarface, 2Pac, Melle Mel, KRS-One circa Boogie Down Productions era, Too Short, Jay-Z, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg The Rubik s Cube, used by Nas, Black Thought of The Roots, Common, Kurupt, and Lauryn Hill Alternatively, music scholar Adam Krims uses the following terms sung rhythmic style, used by Too Short, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, and the Beastie Boys percussion-effusive style, used by B-Real of Cypress Hill speech-effusive style, used by Big Pun

56 Rhyme MCs use many different rhyming techniques, including complex rhyme schemes, as Adam Krims points out the complexity involves multiple rhymes in the same rhyme complex (i.e. section with consistently rhyming words), internal rhymes, [and] offbeat rhymes. There is also widespread use of multisyllabic rhymes, by artists such as Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, and Eminem. It has been noted that rap s use of rhyme is some of the most advanced in all forms of poetry music scholar Adam Bradley notes, rap rhymes so much and with such variety that it is now the largest and richest contemporary archive of rhymed words. It has done more than any other art form in recent history to expand rhyme s formal range and expressive possibilities. In the book How to Rap, Masta Ace explains how Rakim and Big Daddy Kane caused a shift in the way MCs rhymed: Up until Rakim, everybody who you heard rhyme, the last word in the sentence was the rhyming [word], the connection word. Then Rakim showed us that you could put rhymes within a rhyme now here comes Big Daddy Kane instead of going three words, he s going multiple. How to Rap explains that "rhyme is often thought to be the most important factor in rap writing... rhyme is what gives rap lyrics their musicality. Delivery/performance To successfully deliver a rap, a rapper must also develop vocal presence, enunciation, and breath control. Vocal presence is the distinctiveness of a rapper's voice on record. Enunciation is essential to a flowing rap; some rappers choose also to exaggerate it for comic and artistic effect. Breath control, taking in air without interrupting one's delivery, is an important skill for a rapper to master, and a must for any MC. An MC with poor breath control cannot deliver difficult verses without making unintentional pauses. Raps are sometimes delivered with melody. West Coast rapper Egyptian Lover was the first notable MC to deliver "sing-raps." Popular rappers such as 50 Cent and Ja Rule add a slight melody to their otherwise purely percussive raps whereas some rappers such as Cee-Lo Green are able to harmonize their raps with the beat. The Midwestern group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony was one of the first groups to achieve nationwide recognition for using the fast-paced, melodic and harmonic raps that are also practiced by Do or Die, another Midwestern group. Another rapper to harmonize his rhymes is Nate Dogg, a rapper part of the group 213. Rakim experimented not only with following the beat, but also with complementing the song's melody with his own voice, making his flow sound like that of an instrument (a saxophone in particular). The ability to rap quickly and clearly is sometimes regarded as an important sign of skill. In certain hip hop subgenres such as chopped and screwed, slow-paced rapping is often considered optimal. The current record for fastest rapper is held by Spanish rapper

57 Domingo Edjang Moreno, known by his alias Chojin, who rapped 921 syllables in one minute on December 23, Subject matter "Party rhymes", meant to pump up the crowd at a party, were nearly the exclusive focus of old school hip hop, and they remain a staple of hip hop music to this day. In addition to party raps, rappers also tend to make references to love and sex. Love raps were first popularized by Spoonie Gee of the Treacherous Three, and later, in the golden age of hip hop, Big Daddy Kane, Heavy D, and LL Cool J would continue this tradition. East Coast hip hop artists such as KRS One, Public Enemy, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Jay-Z, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., and dead prez are known for their sociopolitical subject matter. Their West Coast counterparts include Emcee Lynx, The Coup, Paris, and Michael Franti. Tupac Shakur was also known for rapping about social issues such as police brutality, teenage pregnancy and racism Other rappers take a less critical approach to urbanity, sometimes even embracing such aspects as crime. Schoolly D was the first notable MC to rap about crime. Early on KRS- One was accused of celebrating crime and a hedonistic lifestyle, but after the death of his DJ, Scott La Rock, KRS-One went on to speak out against violence in hip hop and has spent the majority of his career condemning violence and writing on issues of race and class. Several years later, he would go on to influence Ice T, who had more overtly "gangsta" lyrics. Gangsta rap, made popular largely because of N.W.A, brought rapping about crime and the gangster lifestyle into the musical mainstream. Materialism has also been a popular topic in hip-hop since at least the early 1990s, with rappers boasting about their own wealth and possessions, and name-dropping specific brands: liquor brands Cristal and Rémy Martin, car manufacturers Bentley and Mercedes- Benz and clothing brands Gucci and Versace have all been popular subjects for rappers. Various politicians, journalists, and religious leaders have accused rappers of fostering a culture of violence and hedonism among hip hop listeners through their lyrics. However, there are also rappers whose messages may not be in conflict with these views, for example Christian hip hop. Others have praised the "political critique, innuendo and sarcasm" of hip hop music. In contrast to the more hedonistic approach of gangsta rappers, some rappers have a spiritual or religious focus. Christian rap is currently the most commercially successful form of religious rap. Aside from Christianity, the Five Percent Nation, an Islamic esotericist religious/spiritual group, has been represented more than any religious group in popular hip hop. Artists such as Rakim, the members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Brand Nubian, X-Clan, Busta Rhymes, and Nas, have had success in spreading the theology of the Five Percenters.

58 Literary technique Rappers use the literary techniques of double entendres, alliteration, and other forms of wordplay that are also found in classical poetry. Similes and metaphors are used extensively in rap lyrics; rappers such as Fabolous and Lloyd Banks have written entire songs in which every line contains similes, whereas MCs like Rakim, GZA, and Jay-Z are known for the metaphorical content of their raps. Rappers such as Lupe Fiasco are known for the complexity of their songs that contain metaphors within extended metaphors. Diction and dialect Many hip hop listeners believe that a rapper's lyrics are enhanced by a complex vocabulary. Kool Moe Dee claims that he appealed to older audiences by using a complex vocabulary in his raps. Rap is famous, however, for having its own vocabulary from international hip hop slang to regional slang. Some artists, like the Wu-Tang Clan, develop an entire lexicon among their clique. African American Vernacular English has always had a significant effect on hip hop slang and vice versa. Certain regions have introduced their unique regional slang to hip hop culture, such as the Bay Area (Mac Dre, E-40), Houston (Chamillionaire, Paul Wall), Atlanta (Ludacris, Lil Jon, T.I.), and Kentucky (Nappy Roots). The Nation of Gods and Earths, aka The Five Percenters, has influenced mainstream hip hop slang with the introduction of phrases such as "word is bond" that have since lost much of their original spiritual meaning. Preference toward one or the other has much to do with the individual; GZA, for example, prides himself on being very visual and metaphorical but also succinct, whereas underground rapper MF DOOM is known for heaping similes upon similes. In still another variation, 2Pac was known for saying exactly what he meant, literally and clearly. Freestyle and battle There are two kinds of freestyle rap: one is scripted (recitation), but having no particular overriding subject matter, the second typically referred to as "freestyling" or "spitting", is the improvisation of rapped lyrics. When freestyling, some rappers inadvertently reuse old lines, or even "cheat" by preparing segments or entire verses in advance. Therefore, freestyles with proven spontaneity are valued above generic, always usable lines. Rappers will often reference places or objects in their immediate setting, or specific (usually demeaning) characteristics of opponents, to prove their authenticity and originality. Battle rapping, which can be freestyled, is the competition between two or more rappers in front of an audience. The tradition of insulting one's friends or acquaintances in rhyme goes back to the dozens, and was portrayed famously by Muhammad Ali in his boxing matches. The winner of a battle is decided by the crowd and/or preselected judges. According to Kool Moe Dee, a successful battle rap focuses on an opponent's weaknesses, rather than one's own strengths. Television shows such as BET's 106 and Park and MTV's DFX host weekly freestyle battles live on the air. Battle rapping gained

59 widespread public recognition outside of the African-American community with rapper Eminem's movie, 8 Mile. The strongest battle rappers will generally perform their rap fully freestyled. This is the most effective form in a battle as the rapper can comment on the other person, whether it be what they look like, or how they talk, or what they wear. It also allows the rapper to reverse a line used to "diss" him or her if they are the second rapper to battle. This is known as a 'flip'. Social impact Derivatives and influence Throughout hip hop's history, new musical styles and genres have developed that contain rapping. Entire genres, such as rap rock and its derivatives rapcore and rap metal (rock/metal/punk with rapped vocals), or hip house have resulted from the fusion of rap and other styles. Many popular music genres with a focus on percussion have contained rapping at some point; be it disco (DJ Hollywood), jazz (Gang Starr), new wave (Blondie), funk (Fatback Band), contemporary R&B (Mary J. Blige), Reggaeton (Daddy Yankee), or even Japanese dance music (Soul'd Out). UK garage music has begun to focus increasingly on rappers in a new subgenre called grime, pioneered and popularized by the MC Dizzee Rascal. Increased popularity with the music has shown more UK rappers going to America as well as tour there, such as Sway DaSafo possibly signing with Akon's label Konvict. Hyphy is the latest of these spin-offs. The style originated in Oakland California and gained national attention in 2006, beginning with E-40's album My Ghetto Report Card. It is typified by slowed-down atonal vocals with instrumentals that borrow heavily from the hip hop scene and lyrics centered on illegal street racing and car culture. Another Oakland, California group, Beltaine's Fire, has recently gained attention for their Celtic fusion sound which blends hip hop beats with Celtic melodies. Unlike the majority of hip hop artists, all their music is performed live without samples, synths, or drum machines, drawing comparisons to The Roots and Rage Against the Machine. Bhangra, a widely popular style of music from Punjab (India) has been mixed numerous times with reggae and hip hop music. The most popular song in this genre in the United States was "Mundian to Bach Ke" or "Beware the Boys" by Panjabi MC and Jay-Z. Although "Mundian To Bach Ke" had been released previously, the mixing with Jay-Z popularized the genre further. Though the majority of rappers are male, there have been a number of female rap stars, including Nicki Minaj, Lauryn Hill, MC Lyte, Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott, Queen Latifah, Da Brat, Eve, Trina, Khia, Foxy Brown, and Lisa Lopes from TLC. As these all are hearing rap artists, there is also deaf rap artist Signmark.

60 Chapter- 10 How to Start Rapping So you want to become a rapper. Well you came to the right spot. When you have finished reading every word of this page, your rapping skills will definitely improve. Steps 1. Start off by free styling and clearing your throat. (Free styling means rapping without having time to write anything down.) Practice free styling with your friends and improve at this. 2. Move on to writing rhymes yourself and learn more rhymes. 3. Start recording your rhymes with/without a beat. This is important because you wont know how good you are until you actually hear yourself. 4. Start making demos and improve your 'flow'. This is all about the timing and your pace, flow is very important. 5. Remember to practice free styling all the time and keep at practice. 6. If making a song, do the beats first then try to rap over it.

61 Tips 7. Don't rush yourself while recording a verse, remember to calm down otherwise you'll either be offbeat or you'll mumble your words. Speak to the Microphone like it was a girls eardrums and your basically flirting with it(be smooth) 8. You'll need to find out what your style is, Yukmouth has a Nasty Monsterous voice, Method Man has a grimey cloudy voice, Snoop dogg has a Laid Back style like Richie Rich, Twista has a fast tongue twisting style, Bone thugs n Harmoney all have the Fast yet Harmonizing singin style. Find what youre most comfortable with and it'll be your gimick Make that when you rap, you is feeling your self, remember you can be the best rapper alive it you try.(yung Soulja, Dub Zero)I wanna see you is one of our songs1 Never bite lines (steal somebody else's rhymes)! Form a crew with other MCs to learn from one another. Once you have written your rhymes, you should improve them by counting up how many syllables are in each line, then editing them to vary your tempo. If you want a steady tempo, keep a relatively similar number of syllables in each line. Once you have this down, you should experiment with different tempos. This will improve your flow. Keep it real. This means to rap about what's real as opposed to writing rhymes about something thats just plain not true. For example, don't say something like, you have a bazooka and a tech nine, 'cause you most likely don't. A rhyming dictonary will definitely help. Speak clearly when you are rapping. Alot of people want to be like Eminem and Lil Wayne when they rap, just be your own self and rap the way that makes you(the artist) feel confortable. Warnings If you don't keep it real or if you bite lines from others, especially famous rappers you will get dissed by a million other MCs. Do not drop out of school to become a rapper because there's a very small chance you will make it, even if you're talented. Even if you do make it big, there will be time to rap and time to learn. Things You'll Need Basically you just need a pen and paper to start. But on the other hand if you are more serious about rapping, you might need to buy some equipment to record. Rhyming dictionary. Only if you want some extra help. Get a rap name. e.g Lil Wayne (Dwayne Carter).

62 How to Rap Do you want to rap to impress your friends, or do you find rap music awesome?? 1. Listen to the beats of the instrumental. Download a beat online or create your Steps own. o Get some of your favorite artist lyrics that rap in study it. 2. Feel the beat (feel how it going find the "pulse" in match it), it is a heart beat that need to be killed with words, your words cause a heart attack... shut it down. 3. Start thinking of what you want to say, make sure they matter, they should be short in concise. (If you write start with a title in write about that name) 4. Start reading a dictionary to improve your vocabulary, and have a more vast reference to draw from. Read the urban dictionary to learn some slang. 5. Listen to different types of music, for this will expand your creativity. 6. Perform at local shows if you can. When you do, look at the reaction from the crowd or have it video taped to see how you can improve. 7. Stress the consonants. If you try to rap the way you talk, it won't be comprehensible. 8. Write when inspired not every day, you over do your self if your first starting off. 9. Freestyle every day (alone or with others)... battle your favorite rappers, put on there CD in let them rap. Then try to beat them 10. Practice by just reading the lyrics. Then, read the lyrics like you're trying to get a raise from your boss. Try to get it on the beat. Imagine when you are rapping

63 Tips that you are doing it in front of someone who knows you well and you respect. Don't try to make your voice sound like someone you're not. Relax. 11. Don't start rapping just immediately in front of others just as you have written your rap. Practice it until you're both comfortable and confident with the way it sounds. 12. Practice makes perfect. 13. It's easy and fun. Download rap instrumentals like you would download regular songs. Try rapping to slow-flowing songs before trying to rap quick--you are not Krayzie Bone! Don't think a word can only rhyme if it's spelled the same. It's all about your flow and delivery. Get started improving your vocabulary. Write at least 10 rhymes a day. Even if you don't like what you've written, later on you could come back and re-word those rhymes into something you do like. When you finally like what you're hearing, test them in front of your friends and see what they think. Warnings Be careful with racial, sexist, or hate lyrics or anything like that, it can get you in trouble. Don't steal other rappers' styles or lyrics, but learn from them and incorporate their style into yours if you want. Don't try to sound like you're someone you're not! If your voice is not low like Biggy then just accept it and work YOUR voice into your style, don't try to pretend. Don't rap to a beat that you're not comfortable with. That means: Don't clump too many words to a sentence to fit the beats, especially if you are doing a parody if you will just end up running out of breath or have really watery mouth. And don't rap a song that is too fast for you to begin with. Learning to rap is very unlike singing. You can't rap-along to songs on the radio. You will hear Fantasia singing 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word' by Elton John, but it is highly unlikely that you will hear The Game rapping to Eminem's 'When I'm Gone'. The reason why people will never pick a rap song to sing in a karaoke is this: While you can take advantage of the 'transpose' button to drop or raise the key to suit your own range (which is how most cover songs are done), there are NO keys in the system to let you speed up or slow down the tempo of the song, unless if you have a live band or something. Rap about everything that come to your mind pertaining to the subject Let your style be your but you have to fine tune it so it will sound good.

64 Chapter- 11 How to Survive a Freestyle Rap Battle Battling is the basis for all rap music. The battle is the truest essence of rap and where rap music started. The object of a rap battle is to come up with insulting rap lyrics on the spot (not pre-written or pre-meditated) and rap them towards an opponent. The rapper with the best delivery, lyrics, and crowd response usually wins. This manual will outline the basic steps of how to begin battling, and some tips that will make you better. Make sure that the lyrics match the beat, because the beat is an important factor in the final process in a rap battle. Also, learn to accept that it's only a vocal battle and there is no chance of you actually losing your life, surviving a rap battle is easier than it seems.

65 Steps 1. Watch videos online of battles, or try to go to rap battles near your hometown. There is a scene in the movie 8 Mile that is a good representation of what a freestyle rap battle is really like. 2. Try to get your ears on some freestyle raps done by accomplished artists who are well known for their rap battles. You can learn a lot from rappers like Eyedea, Tech N9ne, AMB, Nas, Eminem, Tupac, Jin and Biggie. Good battles to look up include the Blaze Battles from HBO, Scribble Jam, among others. 3. Pay careful attention to the techniques those artists use to battle, and try to mirror them which will help you enhance your own techniques. 4. Start writing. Write down anything that comes to mind and try to rhyme it. Write down sets of rhymes and then choose the best rhymes to go with your subject of rap. Consider getting a rhyming dictionary. The ability to write an effective battle rhyme will aid you when it comes to the battle. Note: Some rappers don't write everything down, they keep everything in their head so that they can only talk about what's 'real' 5. Practice free styling (rapping without pre-written lyrics on the spot or impromptu) - anytime, anywhere, as much as you can. Even if you run out of things to freestyle about, just keep going, the longer you force yourself to rap without giving up the stronger you'll become mentally. It's like a mental workout. 6. Try free styling battle rhymes, once you get free styling down. Take a picture of someone, look at your dog, do what ever you can to picture an opponent you are about to rap against and try and come up with clever ways to insult the opponent with rap lyrics. 7. Start freestyle battling. The best way to start battling is to find opponents that are just for fun and don't care if you insult them or mess up for that matter. Constantly battle like that with people, especially if you can find a friend who is actually good at battling so they can teach how to improve what you lack. Again, continue to practice this until other friends you know (especially those into hiphop music) think you're pretty good. House parties and rap concerts are also good places to practice your battle rap techniques before actually entering a staged freestyle rap battle. 8. Don't worry if you lose your first few real battles, the point is to constantly practice free styling and writing. As with anything, the longer you do it the better you'll become. Continue practicing until you've got it down. There are many techniques to battling, but these are just the basics. 9. Most of all, don't get nervous, try and keep calm. Be sure to drink water and hydrate before and after the battle. Tips When in a rap battle, you want to make sure that your verse includes three major things. o Similes - Making comparisons with your opponent to something that insults them.

66 o o Disses - (a diss is an insult) You want to diss your opponent on broad topics like: how they dress, speak, spit, look, walk, talk, act, or their personality; or personally: the way they live, their past, their lifestyle, or any other weaknesses about them. Humor - Make the crowd and judges and even your opponent laugh. Sometimes that will win the battle for you. Battle raps are made up of two parts; a set up and a punch line. The set up is a line that is an opener or rhyme line that your punch-line (where the insult is) will follow. A Punch-Line is basically a line that incorporates a Metaphor, Diss, and/or anything else to enhance the flow directed at your opponent. o Example: In Nas' song called Ether (a famous rap battle song directed towards Jay-Z) he says "Put it together (the set up), I rock hoes y'all Roc- Fellas" (the punch line is an insult using the name of Jay-Z's rap label and insinuating that Jay-Z and his camp prefer men over women). If someone beats you in a battle and it gets to you, practice more until you think you're really ready. Then challenge them again: if you win, you will earn a lot of respect back. It's a great feeling, and chicks or dudes will dig your system and flair. The more you write the better your freestyle will become. When you think you lost it, don't worry - just relax. The worst thing to do is freak out. Just relax and keep going. There is always value in overcoming a mess up. While your opponent is rapping, you should be figuring out what you are going to say in your next verse. But be careful not to tune your opponent out, because sometimes the insults they say to you can be flipped (re-directed as an insult towards the person who said it) and used to your advantage. Ordering of the spit is also important to some degree. While you are trying to rebut someone dissing you when you reply back, but when you spit first, you want to take that away. You can do that by self-deprecation. Anyone who can selfcriticize can be very unexpected for the opponent trying to find flaws. Take 8 Mile's Final Battle for example, since B-Rabbit was put to spit first, he insulted himself and basically said a big 'so what?'. "Yes, I'm white, I'm a bum, I live in a trailer, my mum's a drug addict...", thus basically taking every possible insult directed at him away from Papa Doc before Papa has anything to fight back. Then B-Rabbit dissed Papa Doc for being a private-schooler, then he closed out his turn by saying this battle is pointless, "Here, tell these people something they don't know about me". Use humor in your rhymes, especially if your opponent is dead serious, that will make them mess up and possibly crack up. If you can get your opponent to agree with you during your battle verse, you are making great strides towards a win. Just stay focused and be confident in what your saying. Remember delivery is everything. There are two types of battles, free style and thought out, now. A battle may go longer than you thought so just remember to practice and bring out words out of the blue. Try to write the lyrics that are thought out when you're angry or hyper, energy puts words on paper.

67 Don't say anything that is unrelated to the person, and don't say your going to kill them or that you sell drugs if you don't. Even if the opponent is not using pre-writtens, say that he is using them. Create some uncertainty in the crowd. Don't look down, when you look down you show that you are getting beat, stay looking into his eyes, but not like you are hard and you're gonna hit him, cause chances are he will hit you. You should prefer facts and actualities in your freestyle rap battle, they will reduce your opponent's self-confidence. If you had made pre-writtens don't think too far ahead of yourself. Thinking ahead may make you bring up lines from, say your second verse, thus bringing up the problem of you repeating that line in the second verse because you had spit it before. Just take your time and go with the flow. Make your opponent feel embarrassed, for example by saying something about his hair. Don't get down on yourself if you don't win the first few times, you have to practice, nobody's good when they are just starting Smash them with punchlines. Lyricism is important, but usually three or four punchlines will make sure you win. Warnings Like anything else, practice makes perfect. Stick with it and you're on your way. Don't battle anyone who you think will become violent if you win. Be confident, and make sure to NEVER copy someone else's lyrics, no matter how horrible you might think your lyrics are. Rap with Confidence

68 How to Freestyle Rap 1. You need to listen to a lot of Hip Hop music especially freestyles so that you Can you think of several different words that rhyme with "stitches"? If so, you could be the next great freestyle rapper. All it takes is a lot of practice and a great vocabulary. So step up to the mic and let's see what you've got! It's not that easy, it's best if you write down lyrics, then use a ceep mic on your computer and try it out, makes some beats with FL Steps can learn from others. Study other rappers' skills until you can form your own style. This is also good to find some solid beats that you may want to try rapping over, for example, Tech N9ne, Fort Minor, Twiztid, Amb, Eminem, or Jay-Z. 2. Listen to other rapper's freestyles. Go to Youtube, and watch videos of freestyle battles or download songs of rappers free styling. Listen to how they do it, and find the cadence of your voice before trying to rap in time to music. 3. Write. The more you write raps and rhymes, the more raps and rhymes you ultimately know. This way, when you are free styling and you say the word you intend to rhyme with something else, you can think of something quickly because you have used these rhymes before. For example, if you are going to use the word Veracious for the first time, it would be very difficult to think of a rhyme for it off the top of your head. (Side note - Don't just repeat whole verses, or even whole bars or lines for that matter, this is called spitting a "Pre-written verse", and defeats the purpose of free styling in the first place.) 4. Have a back-up line. This is like the fire extinguisher sitting in the red box that's mounted on the wall of rap. It's to be used only in emergencies. This is a line, or a

69 phrase that you use when you can't think of anything else just so you can buy yourself some time to go back out on a tangent. The better you get at free styling the smaller this phrase will become. Really good free stylers will use a one syllable filler line like "Yo" while less talented free stylers will use lines that are longer like "Matter of fact". Your Back-UP, or "Filler" line, will be something that you just start saying without realizing it. 5. Begin with the downbeat. The vast majority of rap music is written with a traditional four-four time signature, also known as Common Time. This means that every measure will have a strong downbeat at the beginning: ONE-two-threefour-ONE-two-three-four. In most rap songs, the rappers allow the beat to come in at the beginning and fade out at the end without rapping over it. Use these "blank" spaces to try out your own raps. Do this in the privacy of your own home first, because chances are, you will sound like exactly what you are: a novice rapper with no skills. 6. Stop thinking. Just spit and go with your gut feelings, and just let yourself fall into it. If you think too much about your next line you are going trip up and stumble over it. Just let your mind flow freely from one thought to the next. Practice and writing will help you learn how to do this. 7. Come up with a good, solid, different, non-bitten punch line that will make the listeners go crazy. Using similes are for beginners for a punchline artist. Like when Cassidy says "goin' platinum like sisqo hair." The next level is metaphores or in other word "word play". A line that you won't have to explain but at the same time people would have to think about. Another thing that makes the crowd go crazy is a one liner. Lil' Wayne displays that in a lot of his songs. In other words: A line that will forever be remembered as yours, and will be repeated. A good way to see if you made that impact with your lines is to look at peoples myspace page names. If it was something good they will put it as their name. 8. Once you feel relatively comfortable, invite some people to watch and critique your skills. Have them hold up various items and see if you can incorporate them in your raps. Note: Your mother is ok, just don't be too profane and don't let anyone in the streets know your mom is helping you with your skills. 9. Play Games. The great part about this is that you don't always have to have friends who rap to play certain games. There are several games you can play. Use your creativity to come up with your own if you want, but heres two games. The first one is Pick a Topic/Item, and what you do is you have a friend just pick a topic, or an item in the room, or even just a random word and say it out loud. Then you start free styling and trying to rap about that topic, item or use that word. This forces you to keep on your toes because your friends are the ones leading the direction your freestyle goes. Another game that is quite effective is not a game at all really. It's called Cyphering, you need a friend(s) who raps to do this one, and what you do in it, is get at least one friend who raps and one of you just start free styling about whatever. When you "Lose the flow", or your time expires, (However you guys/girls choose to do it) your friend takes over and does his/hers until he/she "Loses the flow" or their time expires, and then you pick it back up. The key to this exercise is to start free styling as soon as they stop. Try to run with the same topic or rhyme scheme. Here's another one. Try rapping

70 Tips nonstop for a few hours. Start with a single topic in your surroundings and branch out to either narrate in verse or describe objects or people. People around you may get annoyed, but it's really fun! 10. Hook it up. Get some up-and-coming producers (they're everywhere) to provide you with some killer beats to work with. This will impress people more than using beats from other songs that many people have already rapped over. However if you want to compete as a freestyle MC in battles you won't get to choose your beats, you'll have to rap over whatever instrumental the DJ plays, so get used to rap over all type of different beats and try to develop a style that is as versatile as you can. 11. Get some exposure. If you have connections with a radio show, see if you can get on to display your skills. Otherwise, show up at some rap battle events and try your hand. Hopefully, you won't get booed off the stage. 12. Practice inside your head while doing your every day things, walking down the streets, in the bus or train, riding a bicycle... it's even better if you carry some instrumental beats on your discman or mp3 player to inspire you. 13. Keep Flowing. Even if you make a mistake just keep going. You will get better as long as you keep trying, anyone can rap it just takes practice. If you think you sound stupid, there s no sense dwelling on it when all you need to do is just come back with a clever rhyme. Remember, rap is like comedy, all you have to do is make your audience laugh while rhyming at the same time and relating your words to things that have happened in the past like "inside jokes" for example. your friends, usually this helps. Try to impose as much verbal assault as you can Don't give up, if you mess up, that's alright just get back to it like nothing happened if it is truly off the top then it is expected occasionally Do not get into a rap battle if you cannot freestyle. Hint: Practice at home or with Start off mastering the smaller, simpler rhymes. Remember, having a good flow but mediocre rhymes is better than having a terrible flow and good rhymes! This means that you should start rhyming words like that have general sounds like "it", "at", "air", etc. Warnings Everyone has seen "Nycks vs ENJ" and "Math vs Dose" (Youtube those for the vids). There is nothing wrong with dissin, Free styling is supposed to be a fun time for all, and yes, things get heated. Respect a persons space. Don't get in someones face, and spit at them and expect to walk away ok. Because 9 times out of 10, you are going to get punched. Don't drop names. It's as simple as that. You drop a name, you are going to start trouble. Unless you are with friends who can take a diss. Name Dropping will get you stomped.

71 Freestyle battles are meant to be a fun thing, in which the "disses" are not to be taken seriously or personally. Don't make things too personal, talk about things that are visible, like some ugly shoes, and stay relevant

72 Chapter- 12 How to Write a Rap Song This will show you how to create the standard rap song and how to add your own style to it. Start with the fundamentals, then shape your creation into a masterpiece. Steps 1. Think about the topic of your Rap. 2. Create a low tone (low note etc). The bass line should be in the same key as the song so that there are no 'sour notes' and the beat is easy to work with. The bass line should not be as lengthed as the melody line but should work with it and fit together. Also never forget to add lyrics. o If you dont have softwares or instruments, search for beat on youtube 3. Structure the song. A popular song structure would be: Intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, chorus, middle 8 (AKA breakdown), chorus, outro. The intro

73 usually consists of all the parts playing, the verse would be just the bass and the drum beat, then the chorus should be all parts playing, the middle 8 (breakdown) should be anything of your choice but must distinguish itself from the rest of the song and the outro is simply the beat just playing on until the song ends. 4. Write lyrics. Rap about anything, but remember to write to the beat, and make sure that your 'flow' is not whack! Just make sure that the lyrics match or just associate with the name of the song. Put your heart into it, be in love with the song when recording it or writing it. Just keep rapping. 5. Listen to your inner rapper to figure out what works best. If you are not sure what to say, remember that the point is to get beyond your mind/memory. Make up sounds and let new language emerge. Try focusing on famous musical artists you respect/love ones/jah/your heart and see if that affects what comes out. Focus on rhythm and feeling... Let go, flow and appreciate. o Ask people for advice 6. Keep in mind, what you're going to rap about and keep writing everything that runs through it on something, if your on a bus, paper or your hand will work just fine, a book would be nice too. Then read everything later and keep the BEST material. 7. Try to rhyme at least once a sentence, make sure not to repeat words, unless it's a verse, or at least sounds cool. Keep a constant tone, if you want to have fun with different voices then dub it over later. People can tell when you're changing your voice and it's lame at best. 8. You don't need to buy FL Studio to get started. There's plenty of free audio editors, such as Audacity that provide a free way to make music. If you happen to have an apple mac computer, those come with Garageband, which will allow you to record right out of the box! Also remember to keep it simple and make sure it has rhythm and beat! To write a rap song the best thing to do is write from your heart and things that you have experienced in your life and would like sharing with the outside world. Writing a rap song is about writing your feelings and expressing yourself in the best way you can. The hook should be something infectious and catchy. The hook is basically the chorus. Like most of those songs listed, listen to the way the artist works with the beat to create a hook and do the same with your beat. Add flavor to the beats by including drum fills (e.g. before chorus or verse, add additional bass and melody lines and make the song shine). When creating a bass line: the bass could play a note on every kick of the drum beat. A hi-hat can be good, because it keeps the song flowing and keeps the pace, but it's optional. If you don't have access to studio equipment, the following cheap packages can help with your quest: FL Studio, MTV Music Generator, and Hip Hop Ejay. However, the best beats you can get are a live band, so if you have friends who Tips

74 play guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and even brass give them a call and try to hook something up. You can get online for free or a low price on site such as Tightbeatz, Soundclick, etc. Don't show up to a battle in bad looking clothes or shoes, etc because that just makes you more vulnerable to being a target for dissing. It may seem bizarre, but even if you have a good flow, if you have an easily targetable appearance or qualtiy, it can cost you the battle. You will win rap battles like tong. Try to make it reflect a personal experience as that will give it more passion Warnings Don't rap about personal things that are not true. While some people might take a "I can rap about anything I want to!" attitude, it's best to really look at things before almost universally known as posing. o Also keep in mind that just because popular rappers write about that stuff, doesn't make your raps any *It's always ok to have the knowledge to rap about anything, but remember you'll lose respect and word will go out on the streets if you don't keep it real. Don't be fake with it, just be real and have fun. If your rap lyrics suggest someone who you're really not, then refrain from such lyrics. For example, don't just take it all the way and say that you were born in the hood, if you really weren't. The more you expose your false lyrics, the less respect you will gain. By just keeping the content simple, you can impress many more Be careful, try not to make the rhythm of the song faster then you can rap, you people. o If you really, really, really want to write a rap about something you don't do, make sure you make them as ridiculous as possible. Buff up the braggadocio; exaggerate to insane levels. Don't do it often, and not in serious songs, but have fun with it. could end up rapping out gibberish! Dont diss other rapper until you are good at freestyle

75 How to Become a Great Rap Performer Have you ever wanted to write a rap song, become a professional at rapping, or are you just plain bored and looking for something to do? This will tell you how to write a rap song, promote yourself, develop your own style, and more. Steps 1. Pick a topic for your rap song. You can rap about school/work, friends, family, or whatever you want! 2. Most rap lyrics are simply made up of couplets, or two rhyming lines. Write about certain things you want to rap about relating to your topic, then try to put it together in rhymes. 3. Once you are done writing your lyrics, practice in front of your friends or family, people who you feel comfortable around with or won't laugh but instead will help you and give you tips. 4. Raps are talk songs. They go with the flow and follow the beat. When rapping, keep in mind that you talk, not sing. Put a lot of feeling into your words, because if you don't, you might not sound as nice as you wanted. 5. Practice facial expressions. If you look pained or really nervous while rapping, instead of having fun, feeling excited, and being enthusiastic, the audience will know something is wrong and they won't be impressed by your performance. 6. Try to connect with the crowd by making eye contact, make them feel special.

76 Tips 7. While rapping, move, swagger, or walk around a little, don't be stiff. Watching a person stand around all day is boring. 8. Develop your own distinctive style. You can study other rappers' styles, and find out what sounds bad and what sounds good. Don't be too predictable. 9. A good way to promote yourself if your name is not already known is to pass out flyers or make t-shirts with your song, album name, or band printed on them. 10. Never hold the microphone down to your side. It gives the impression you don't want to be there and the audience won't hear you properly and you may get bad feedback. 11. Give the audience an experience they will never forget. Start off with a hype song everyone would know you for, something that reflects your own self and something they haven't heard before. Warnings Practice performing in front of friends, family, etc. Practice performing songs of other artists. Practice everyday. Be nice to your crowd. If they ask for pictures or autographs, politely say no, or say yes if you have time. If you be grumpy around them, they will think you're rude. Have confidence in yourself while performing, you should have an attitude of rapper too. Don't try to steal another rapper's style. Don't do anything stupid which might ruin your reputation while on stage. Not everyone will like your style.

77 Chapter- 13 How to Become a Professional Rapper Rapping is a different type of singing. It can bring out your full potential or you may get some boos from the audience. Follow these steps and sooner or later, you will be a professional rapper! Good luck to you! 1. Write as many rhymes as you can on a piece of paper and save them until you need to. 2. Write down as many good raps as possible. The ones you've heard from TV, friends, etc. 3. Spend your free time writing raps! 4. Search for Internet pages that will help you, such as poetry sites. It might be useful. 5. Ask for people's opinions on your work, but be sure they're trustworthy. 6. When you hear raps that dont belong to you, (like the ones from your friends or TV) compare them to yours. 7. Listen to as many rap songs as you want. Do not copy lines, copying lines Steps Tips makes you look incredibly unoriginal and unable to be creative. Listen to as much music as possible not just rap. Never give up. Keep trying until you've accomplished it. Practice everyday. Rap about real things. Don't use the same word again and again. Try not to get in touch with a professional rap artist, or a record label. Do as much as you can on your own the record labels will notice hard work, and get as much feedback about your music as you can good or bad it will help you grow. Warnings If you're doing rap battles against friends or family, be careful because this could ruin your relationship with them.

78 Make sure your rapping is getting good feedback from people other than your family or friends before you send to a record company. How to Write Rap Lyrics So, do you want to be a rapper? Before you can write a rap song, you need to know how to do the lyrics. You can't just rhyme one word with another. Here are some tips to help you get started. Steps 1. Think of a subject to help start off your rap, like how you can't be messed with, etc. Example: "If you're going to mess with me, you better realize that it's not free, because I can easily rob you off your glee, messing with me has a fee." 2. Make sure the intro to your verse is strong. Set yourself up for a good rhyme scheme. Example: Man, it's strong palm down, punch'em get 'em strong man. Girls you too but you've never heard a girl put it down like this, kill for. 3. Create a good rhyme scheme. You don't always need one, but it helps! It helps the flow sound more enjoyable. Example: 50 cent has a bounce flow, up and down, Jay-Z Flow goes side to side. This is important if you're making hits.

79 Tips 4. Notice that most rappers use multi-rhymes(example: Kill For, Still Roll).Put these at the end line after each bar and see how hot your raps turn out. Count the syllables. 5. Let some of your friends read it. Get their opinions, and if they have any suggestions write them down. (Get at least three friends' opinions). When you get back to your writing area, redo the song with the suggestions from your friends and then go over it and make sure that the changes keep the flow. Write the chorus in a way that makes the listener really want to hear more of the song, but make sure the chorus goes with the verses. If you're unsure about rapping your own rap, ask someone else who could rap your rap for you. Deciding the title isn't really that big of a deal, but try to make it something out of the chorus. If you want you can even have your friends in your song to have more variety of lyrics. Get a good book on writing lyrics, get some ideas from those. Be real - rapping about your own life gives the song credibility. Usually rap songs have at least two to three verses, but as long as your song makes the point you're trying to convey and is, in your opinion, length doesn't really matter. If you ever have songwriters' block, listening to a couple of rap tunes can help give you fresh ideas. If you write for 30 days you should become hooked on writing lyrics and find it easier to write. Rapping does not have to be written, many rappers can also freestyle Free styling on a good rhythm can also let you jump into new ideas, and listening to other rappers rap can also give you inspiration too. Keep your rap original. Don t copy someone else's style. Words on beat. Find some synonym if there is more or less syllables. Show the rap to your friends, parents, people you know [someone that your trust] and ask for advice. Warnings You can make up things in your lyrics, but make sure they don't single out any one specific person or group of persons. Yet, at the same time, do not censor yourself or limit the potential of your expression because you're afraid of offending someone. In other words, if your going to say something with impact, it had better possess some sort of meaning or otherwise you will just be spitting out mindless hatred. Don't get upset just because some people don't like your raps. Other people will probably like it, and, in most cases, there will be more lovers than haters. You need talent, but PERSISTENCE is the key to being successful

80 Chapter- 14 How to Dance to Rap Music The key to dancing to rap and hip hop is to realize that most every song tells a story. An easy way to get over the shyness is to act the story out and have fun. Steps 1. Start out by going to the clubs and trying to catch the names of the songs you like best. Go to the DJ and ask; it's a compliment, and he or she will more often than not be happy to tell you. If it's too loud and you don't get it by the second time, don't sweat it, you're almost certain to hear it again. 2. Download the song or get it in the store. 3. After listening to it, go online and get the lyrics to the song. Then you learn the lyrics and get the story. Rap music (particularly hip hop as opposed to rap) almost always has an infectious beat so it's cool to dance to. You'll feel it when you listen

81 Tips to what they say (even if it's old territory like braggin' on them). LL Cool J hasn't said all that much different from his first album, but Head sprung rocks, and knowing the lyrics helps. 4. Listen to the song often (while you run, while you clean the house, in the car, over and over). The beat will start to take you over. 5. Go to the club and start by checking out the basic moves people do, they are often good bridges. However, very few people let loose and those who do usually get tons of compliments. But don't do it to get the compliments or even to pick up women necessarily. Instead, dance because it's the ultimate way for you to feel the message and the music. 6. Go by yourself or go with a friend you really feel comfortable with that you don't have to hang out with the whole night. Hit the floor and dance while you spit as many of the lyrics as you can and act out the lyrics. (Like when Outcast says "drip drop, there goes an ear-gasm", you can lean your head to the side like you're trying to get water out of your ear. Or when T.I. says "Bring 'Em out", put both hands in the air and wave 'em on.) Go by yourself because rap has this unusual ability to make groups of dancers (guys in particular) become really peacock-ish and aggressive. It's so unfortunate, because dancing to rap and hip hop is just about having fun. You should be able to dance comfortably with dudes far tougher than you, because you are all just doing your thing. 7. Keep it real. Don't pretend you're something you're not. The very best rap and hip hop is that because it's real. You don't have to be hard to dance to rap well. your friends go a little two on two, it doesn't mean you should fight. Have fun and It's not a competition or even a way to send "messages". Even if someone else sees it that way, let it go. Rap and hip hop are totally ruined by clubbers who turn the scene into fights and confrontations. People who hate and become very aggressive miss the point. Just because TI raps about two guns drew and you and draw two guns with your fingers and then change your fingers into two for peace or something like that. Just ignore the haters. Move to the other side of the club or whatever. It is totally unnecessary to hate and it is a sure fire way to ruin everyone's night letting our insecurities and fear ruin a good night out. Warnings Don't assume. It can be enlightening to experience how dancing can open up cool relationships with folks you might never have talked to before. Assumptions create divisions; a smile (even to a dude) breaks down a lot of barriers. If a fight starts, and you're not involved (it doesn't happen much) stay out. Go somewhere safe, don't clown around like it's "cool" that you're not in the fight. Let the bouncers handle it, they are, generally speaking, really adept at doing so and really are there for your safety.

82 How to Rap in a Talent Show Are you a student who enjoys rapping, and you want to display those skills to everyone? This will help you with that! Steps Tips 1. Start writing rhymes in a notebook. Make sure they make sense, and are nicely written. 2. Work on your skills. Free styling is always a good exercise in rap. You can just start writing random rhymes, and use the good ones later on. You may have to read books to acquire new words, this will take your skills to the next level. You will also need to hear a lot of rap, both old school, and mainstream. 3. Build a reputation. To make your talent known you will have to rap in class, in the halls, lunchroom, or on the bus. (Make sure this doesn't interfere with your school work, or that it doesn't annoy the teachers or other student!) 4. Make a signature style. This would be your stage name, how you rap, what you rap about, and what you wear; you could wear a cap, a team jersey, your backpack (if you're an intellectual/conscience rapper), you could wear either shorts or pants, sneakers or even ostrich boots! 5. The performance. Well this is it, time to rhyme, and show 'em what you got. Make sure you move when your rapping, and that the beat isn't louder than you. Just have a good time. Whenever you write raps, make sure they're legit, no "I live in the hood, and my life ain't good." Don't do that unless it's true, that'll make you a poser. Work on your rapping before showing it to others. Don't get down with a frown if some say that you suck at rapping, others will probably say that your rhyming is the bomb.com! Tell people your stage name, so they can shout it when you're preforming. If you mess up keep going, do your best! Warnings Don't make diss raps towards others, this might be funny, but could get you beat up! Make sure the beat isn't blocking your lyrics. Don't stand there and rap, have swagger and move around. Things You'll Need Pen/Pencil Notebook

83 Talent Stage name Fans/groupies Rap instrumentals Confidence

84 Chapter- 15 How to Have Rap Battles Rap battles are a great way to pass the time. Freestyle rap is an improv form of rapping. It is done without previously composed lyrics. Freestyle rapping forces each rapper to think and respond swiftly. It is similar in this sense to improvisational music or acting or to improvisational Jazz. There are groups that meet at Hip Hop clubs, just for the fun of having a rap battle. It is the biggest thing going on for those that enjoy this type of clean fun.

85 Steps 1. Tips 2. Have a rap battle with one friend, or a few friends. A rap battle can be done Challenge your friend OR PROFESSOR DEAN to a Freestyle Rap battle at the Hip Hop Club. Tell him you will sign them both up. Make sure that you do not tell him what you are going to say in your rap routine. Remember that the rap battle is an improvisation, and he has to think fast in response to your rap. just about everywhere. You will have to ask someone to act as a judge. Decide a point system, such as best of three. 3. Have someone beatbox and take turns rapping insults at each other. Make it a rule that the judge will then name winner of each round based on quality of insult and rap skill. Whoever gets the most points, wins. Think of punchlines (basically insults) for the next round while your opponent is rapping at you. However, don't let your thoughts drown out your opponent's words. Have a retort ready in response to their insults. Pick on yourself at times. This brings down their game and limits what they can say about you. Use this time to bring the roof down on them. Figure out an appropriate prize for the winner. Respect is always the greatest prize.

86 Try your best to make sense. You won't win if people have no clue what you're rapping about. Don't take the battle too seriously, just have fun. Don't get too down if you don't win right away. Practice, practice, practice. Obtain a rhyming dictionary. Warnings Be a good sport if you lose. Remember, this is just for fun, and the next time you have a battle with the same opponent, it might be you who wins. How to Make a Comedic Remix to a Song Steps 1. Choose a song to remix. It can be any genre from hip hop to country. 2. Choose a topic for you to sing/rap about. 3. Go online, listen to original songs to think of lyrics that will fit to the beat. 4. Look at lyrics of original song to find some words that fit some of the songs syllables meaning, you don't want the word freakish in the place of fantastic it won t sound very good. (On rare occasions you can lengthen the syllables of new word. 5. Test out a section of song alone before going any further. that way if u don't like it then u don't have to go back and have to make space and all that crap. 6. Go farther on your song make sure its not completely done and sing it to one close friend to see if they like it. 7. Once you're finished, share it with more people and soon you'll be known across your class or club or gathering. 8. Record on computer and send it on s if you want 9. Continue making songs and make sure to have fun with it Tips Make sure that when you're singing it or rapping it that you are loud enough for people to hear you. Also be sure it's funny Warnings If you're in school or anything, make sure you're not disrupting class.

87 Chapter- 16 Hip Hop Music Hip hop music is a musical genre that developed as part of hip hop culture, and is defined by four key stylistic elements: rapping, DJing/scratching, sampling (or synthesis), and beatboxing. Hip hop began in the South Bronx of New York City in the 1970s. The term rap is often used synonymously with hip hop, but hip hop also denotes the practices of an entire subculture. Origin of the term Rapping, also referred to as MCing or emceeing, is a vocal style in which the artist speaks lyrically, in rhyme and verse, generally to an instrumental or synthesized beat. Beats, almost always in 4/4 time signature, can be created by sampling and/or sequencing portions of other songs by a producer. They also incorporate synthesizers, drum machines, and live bands. Rappers may write, memorize, or improvise their lyrics and perform their works a cappella or to a beat. Creation of the term hip hop is often credited to Keith Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. However, Lovebug Starski, Keith Cowboy, and DJ Hollywood used the term when the music was still known as disco rap. It is believed that Cowboy created the term while teasing a friend who had just joined the U.S. Army, by scat singing the words "hip/hop/hip/hop" in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of marching soldiers. Cowboy later worked the "hip hop" cadence into a part of his stage performance, which was quickly used by other artists such as The Sugarhill Gang in "Rapper's Delight". Universal Zulu Nation founder Afrika Bambaataa is credited with first using the term to describe the subculture in which the music belonged; although it is also suggested that it was a derogatory term to describe the type of music. The first use of the term in print was in The Village Voice, by Steven Hager, later author of a 1984 history of hip hop.

88 1970s Origins DJ Kool Herc - generally recognized as the father of hip hop

89 Grandmaster Flash The roots of hip hop are found in African-American music and ultimately African music. The griots of West Africa are a group of traveling singers and poets who are part of an oral tradition dating back hundreds of years. Their vocal style is similar to that of rappers. The African-American traditions of signifyin', the dozens, and jazz poetry are all descended from the griots. In addition, musical 'comedy' acts such as Rudy Ray Moore and Blowfly are considered by some to be the forefathers of rap. Within New York City, griot-like performances of spoken-word poetry and music by artists such as The Last Poets, Gil Scott-Heron and Jalal Mansur Nuriddin had a significant impact on the post-civil rights era culture of the 1960s and 1970s. Hip hop arose during the 1970s when block parties became increasingly popular in New York City, particularly in the Bronx, where African American and Puerto Rican influences combined. Block parties incorporated DJs who played popular genres of music, especially funk and soul music. Due to the positive reception, DJs began isolating the percussion breaks of popular songs. This technique was then common in Jamaican dub music and had spread to New York City via the substantial Jamaican immigrant community. One of the first DJs in New York to use dub style mixing was the Jamaicanborn DJ Kool Herc, who emigrated to the United States in Dub music had become popular in Jamaica due to the influence of American sailors and rhythm & blues. Large

90 sound systems were set up to accommodate poor Jamaicans who couldn't afford to buy records and dub developed at the sound systems. Because the New York audience did not particularly like dub or reggae, Herc switched to using funk, soul and disco records. As the percussive breaks were generally short, Herc and other DJs began extending them using an audio mixer and two records. Turntablist techniques, such as scratching (seemingly invented by Grand Wizzard Theodore), beat mixing/matching, and beat juggling eventually developed along with the breaks, creating a base that could be rapped over. These same techniques contributed to the popularization of remixes as the looping, sampling and remixing of another's music, often without the original artist's knowledge or consent, can be seen as an evolution of Jamaican dub music, and would become a hallmark of the hip hop style Sedgwick Avenue, the Bronx, a venue used by Kool Herc that is often considered the birthplace of hip hop

91 Jamaican immigrants also provided an influence on the vocal style of rapping by delivering simple raps at their parties, inspired by the Jamaican tradition of toasting. DJs and MCs would often add call and response chants, often comprising of a basic chorus, to allow the performer to gather his thoughts (e.g. "one, two, three, y'all, to the beat"). Later, the MCs grew more varied in their vocal and rhythmic delivery, incorporating brief rhymes, often with a sexual or scatological theme, in an effort to differentiate themselves and to entertain the audience. These early raps incorporated the dozens, a product of African American culture. Kool Herc & the Herculoids were the first hip hop group to gain recognition in New York, but the number of MC teams increased over time. Grand Wizzard Theodore (on the right) Often these were collaborations between former gangs, such as Afrikaa Bambaataa's Universal Zulu Nation - now an international organization. Melle Mel, a rapper with The Furious Five is often credited with being the first rap lyricist to call himself an "MC." During the early 1970s B-boying arose during block parties, as b-boys and b-girls got in front of the audience to dance in a distinctive and frenetic style. The style was documented for release to a world wide audience for the first time in documentaries and movies such as Style Wars, Wild Style, and Beat Street. The term "B-boy" was coined by DJ Kool Herc to describe the people who would wait for the break section of the song, getting in front of the audience to dance in a distinctive, frenetic style.

92 Although there were many early MCs that recorded solo projects of note, such as DJ Hollywood, Kurtis Blow and Spoonie Gee, the frequency of solo artists didn't increase until later with the rise of soloists with stage presence and drama, such as LL Cool J. Most early hip hop was dominated by groups where collaboration between the members was integral to the show. An example would be the early hip hop group Funky Four Plus One, who performed in such a manner on Saturday Night Live in Hip hop music was an outlet and a "voice" for the disenfranchised youth of loweconomic areas as the culture reflected the social, economic and political realities of their lives. Influence of disco Hip hop music was both influenced by disco and a backlash against it. According to Kurtis Blow, the early days of hip hop were characterized by divisions between fans and detractors of disco music. Hip hop had largely emerged as "a direct response to the watered down, Europeanised, disco music that permeated the airwaves", and the earliest hip hop was mainly based on hard funk loops. However, by 1979, disco instrumental loops/tracks had become the basis of much hip hop music. This genre got the name of "disco rap". Ironically, hip hop music was also a proponent in the eventual decline in disco popularity. music behaved similarly, eventually evolving into what is known as house music in DJ Pete Jones, Eddie Cheeba, DJ Hollywood, and Love Bug Starski were disco-influenced hip hop DJs. Their styles differed from other hip hop musicians who focused on rapid-fire rhymes and more complex rhythmic schemes. Afrika Bambaataa, Paul Winley, Grandmaster Flash, and Bobby Robinson were all members of this latter group. In Washington, D.C. go-go emerged as a reaction against disco and eventually incorporated characteristics of hip hop during the early 1980s. The genre of electronic Chicago and techno in Detroit. Transition to recording The first hip hop recording is widely regarded to be The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight", from However, much controversy surrounds this allegation as some regard "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by The Fatback Band, which was released a few weeks before "Rapper's Delight", as a rap record. There are various other claimants for the title of first hip hop record. By the early 1980s, all the major elements and techniques of the hip hop genre were in place. Though not yet mainstream, hip hop had permeated outside of New York City; it could be found in cities as diverse as Atlanta, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, San Antonio, Miami, Seattle, St. Louis, New Orleans, Houston, and Toronto. Indeed, "Funk You Up" (1979), the first hip hop record released by a female

93 group, and the second single released by Sugar Hill Records, was performed by The Sequence, a group from Columbia, South Carolina which featured Angie Stone. Despite the genre's growing popularity, Philadelphia was, for many years, the only city whose contributions could be compared to New York City's. Hip hop music became popular in Philadelphia in the late 1970s. The first released record was titled "Rhythm Talk", by Jocko Henderson. The New York Times had dubbed Philadelphia the "Graffiti Capital of the World" in Philadelphia native DJ Lady B recorded "To the Beat Y'All" in 1979, and became the first female solo hip hop artist to record music. Later, Schoolly D, another Philadelphia artist, helped invent what became known as gangsta rap. 1980s machines to construct their beats from small excerpts of other beats in synchronisation, in The 1980s marked the diversification of hip hop as the genre developed more complex styles. Early examples of the diversification process can be identified through such tracks as Grandmaster Flash's "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" (1981), a single consisting entirely of sampled tracks as well as Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" (1982), which signified the fusion of hip hop music with electro. In addition, Rammellzee & K-Rob's "Beat Bop" (1983) was a 'slow jam' which had a dub influence with its use of reverb and echo as texture and playful sound effects. The mid- 1980s was marked by the influence of rock music, with the release of such albums as King of Rock and Licensed to Ill. Heavy usage of the new generation of drum machines such as the Oberheim DMX and Roland 808 models was a characteristic of many 1980s songs. To this day the 808 kickdrum is traditionally used by hip hop producers. Over time sampling technology became more advanced; however earlier producers such as Marley Marl used drum his case, triggering 3 Korg sampling-delay units through a 808. Later, samplers such as the E-mu SP-1200 allowed not only more memory but more flexibility for creative production. This allowed the filtration and layering different hits, and with a possibility of re-sequencing them into a single piece.

94 Afrika Bambaataa (on the left) With the emergence of a new generation of samplers such as the AKAI S900 in the late 1980s, producers did not require the aid of tape loops. Public Enemy's first album was created with the help of large tape loops. The process of looping break into a breakbeat now became more common with a sampler, now doing the job which so far had been done manually by the DJ. In 1989, DJ Mark James under the moniker "45 King", released "The 900 Number", a breakbeat track created by synchronizing samplers and vinyl. The lyrical content of hip hop evolved as well. The early styles presented in the 1970s soon were replaced with metaphorical lyrics over more complex, multi-layered instrumentals. Artists such as Melle Mel, Rakim, Chuck D, and KRS-One revolutionized hip hop by transforming it into a more mature art form. The influential single "The Message" (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five is widely considered to be the pioneering force for conscious rap. During the early 1980s, electro music was fused with elements of the hip hop movement, largely led by artists such as Cybotron, Hashim, Planet Patrol and Newcleus. The most notable proponent was Afrika Bambaataa who produced the single "Planet Rock". Some rappers eventually became mainstream pop performers. Kurtis Blow's appearance in a Sprite commercial marked the first hip hop musician to represent a major product. The 1981 song "Christmas Wrapping" by the new-wave band The Waitresses was one of the first pop songs to use some rapping in the delivery.

95 Nationalization and internationalization Prior to the 1980s, hip hop music was largely confined within the context of the United States. However, during the 1980s, it began its spread and became a part of the music scene in dozens of countries. In the early part of the decade, B-boying became the first aspect of hip hop culture to reach Germany, Japan, Australia and South Africa, where the crew Black Noise established the practice before beginning to rap later in the decade. Musician and presenter Sidney became France's first black TV presenter with his show H.I.P. H.O.P. which screened on TF1 during 1984, a first for the genre worldwide. Radio Nova helped launch other French stars including Dee Nasty whose 1984 album Paname City Rappin' along with compilations Rapattitude 1 and 2 contributed to a general awareness of Hip Hop in France. Hip hop has always kept a very close relationship with the Latino community in New York. DJ Disco Wiz and the Rock Steady Crew were among early innovators from Puerto Rico. combining English and Spanish in the lyrics. The Mean Machine recorded their first song under the label "Disco Dreams" in 1981, while Kid Frost from Los Angeles began his career in be most directly influenced by old school hip hop, taking from the era's catchy beats, Cypress Hill was formed in 1988 in the suburb of South Gate outside Los Angeles when Senen Reyes (born in Havana) and his younger brother Ulpiano Sergio (Mellow Man Ace) moved from Cuba to South Gate with his family in They teamed up with DVX from Queens (New York), Lawrence Muggerud (DJ Muggs) and Louis Freese (B- Real), a Mexican/Cuban-American native of Los Angeles. After the departure of "Ace" to begin his solo career the group adopted the name of Cypress Hill named after a street running through a neighborhood nearby in South Los Angeles. Japanese hip hop is said to have begun when Hiroshi Fujiwara returned to Japan and started playing Hip-Hop records in the early 1980s. Japanese hip hop generally tends to dance culture, and overall fun and carefree nature and incorporating it into their music. As a result, hip hop stands as one of the most commercially viable mainstream music genres in Japan, and the line between it and pop music is frequently blurred. New school hip hop The new school of hip hop was the second wave of hip hop music, originating in with the early records of Run-D.M.C. and LL Cool J. As with the hip hop preceding it, the new school came predominately from New York City. The new school was initially characterized in form by drum machine-led minimalism, with influences from rock music. It was notable for taunts and boasts about rapping, and socio-political commentary, both delivered in an aggressive, self-assertive style. In image as in song its artists projected a tough, cool, street b-boy attitude. These elements contrasted sharply with the funk and disco influenced outfits, novelty hits, live bands, synthesizers and party rhymes of artists prevalent prior to 1984, and rendered them old-school. New school artists made shorter songs that could more easily gain radio play, and more cohesive LPs

96 than their old school counterparts. By 1986 their releases began to establish the hip hop album as a fixture of the mainstream. Hip hop music became commercially successful, as exemplified by the Beastie Boys' 1986 album Licensed to Ill, which was the first rap album to hit #1 on the Billboard charts. Golden age hip hop Public Enemy in 2006 Hip hop's "golden age" (or "golden era") is a name given to a period in mainstream hip hop usually cited as between the mid 1980s and the mid 1990s said to be characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence. There were strong themes of Afrocentricity and political militancy, while the music was experimental and the sampling, eclectic. There was often a strong jazz influence. The artists most often

97 associated with the phrase are Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Big Daddy Kane and the Jungle Brothers. The golden age is noted for its innovation a time when it seemed that every new single reinvented the genre according to Rolling Stone. Referring to hip-hop in its golden age, Spin s editor-in-chief Sia Michel says, there were so many important, groundbreaking albums coming out right about that time, and MTV s Sway Calloway adds: "The thing that made that era so great is that nothing was contrived. Everything was still being discovered and everything was still innovative and new. Writer William Jelani Cobb says "what made the era they inaugurated worthy of the term golden was the sheer number of stylistic innovations that came into existence... in these golden years, a critical mass of mic prodigies were literally creating themselves and their art form at the same time". Gangsta rap and West Coast hip hop The specific time period that the golden age covers varies slightly from different sources. Some place it square in the 1980s and 1990s Rolling Stone refers to rap's '86-'99 golden age, and MSNBC states, the Golden Age of hip-hop music: The 80s and 90s. Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop that reflects the violent lifestyles of inner-city American black youths. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word gangster. The genre was pioneered in the mid 1980s by rappers such as Schooly D and Ice T, and was popularized in the later part of the 1980s by groups like N.W.A. Ice-T released "6 in the Mornin'", which is often regarded as the first gangsta rap song, in After the national attention that Ice-T and N.W.A created in the late 1980s and early 1990s, gangsta rap became the most commercially lucrative subgenre of hip hop. N.W.A is the group most frequently associated with pioneering gangsta rap. Their lyrics were more violent, openly confrontational, and shocking than those of established rap acts, featuring incessant profanity and, controversially, use of the word "nigger". These lyrics were placed over rough, rock guitar-driven beats, contributing to the music's hardedged feel. The first blockbuster gangsta rap album was N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton, released in Straight Outta Compton would establish West Coast hip hop as a vital genre, and establish Los Angeles as a legitimate rival to hip hop's long-time capital, New York City. Straight Outta Compton sparked the first major controversy regarding hip hop lyrics when their song "Fuck Tha Police" earned a letter from FBI Assistant Director, Milt Ahlerich, strongly expressing law enforcement's resentment of the song. Due to the influence of Ice T and N.W.A, gangsta rap is often credited as being an originally West Coast phenomenon, despite the contributions of East Coast acts like Boogie Down Productions in shaping the genre. The subject matter inherent in gangsta rap has caused a great deal of controversy. Criticism has come from both left wing and right wing commentators, and religious

98 leaders. Gangsta rappers often defend themselves by saying that they are describing the reality of inner-city life, and that they are only adopting a character, like an actor playing a role, which behaves in ways that they may not necessarily endorse. 1990s In 1990, MC Hammer hit mainstream success with the multi platinum album Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em. The record reached #1 and the first single, "Can't Touch This" charted on the top ten of the billboard hot 100. MC Hammer became one of the most successful rappers of the early nineties and one of the first household names in the genre. The album raised rap music to a new level of popularity. It was the first hip-hop album certified diamond by the RIAA for sales of over ten million. It remains one of the genre's all-time best-selling albums. To date, the album has sold as many as 18 million units. In 1992, Dr. Dre released The Chronic. As well as helping to establish West Coast gangsta rap as more commercially viable than East Coast hip hop, this album founded a style called G Funk, which soon came to dominate West Coast hip hop. The style was further developed and popularized by Snoop Dogg's 1993 album Doggystyle. artists such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Tech N9ne, and Twista. By the end of the The Wu-Tang Clan shot to fame around the same time. Being from New York City's Staten Island, the Wu-Tang Clan brought the East Coast back into the mainstream at a time when the West Coast mainly dominated rap. Other major artists in the so-called East Coast hip hop renaissance included The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and Nas. The Beastie Boys continued their success throughout the decade crossing color lines and gaining respect from many different artists. Record labels based out of Atlanta, St. Louis, and New Orleans gained fame for their local scenes. The midwest rap scene was also notable, with the fast vocal styles from decade, hip hop was an integral part of popular music, and many American pop songs had hip hop components. World hip hop In Haiti, hip hop was developed in the early 1980s, and is mostly accredited to Master Dji and his songs "Vakans" and "Politik Pa m". What later became known as "Rap Kreyòl" grew in popularity in the late 1990s with King Posse and Original Rap Stuff. Due to cheaper recording technology and flows of equipment to Haiti, more Rap Kreyòl groups are recording songs, even after the January 12th earthquake. In the Dominican Republic, a recording by Santi Y Sus Duendes and Lisa M became the first single of merenrap, a fusion of hip hop and merengue.

99 De La Soul at Demon Days Live in 2005 New York City experienced a heavy Jamaican hip hop influence during the 1990s. This influence was brought on by cultural shifts particularly because of the heightened immigration of Jamaicans to New York City and the American-born Jamaican youth who were coming of age during the 1990s. Hip hop artists such as De La Soul and Black Star have produced albums influenced by Jamaican roots. In Europe, Africa, and Asia, hip hop began to move from the underground to mainstream audiences. In Europe, hip hop was the domain of both ethnic nationals and immigrants. British hip hop, for example, became a genre of its own and spawned many artists such aswiley, Dizzee Rascal, The Streets and many more. Germany produced the well-known Die Fantastischen Vier as well as several Turkish performers like the controversial Cartel, Kool Savaş, and Azad. Similarly, France has produced a number of native-born stars, such as IAM and Suprême NTM, MC Solaar or Booba. In the Netherlands, important nineties rappers include The Osdorp Posse, a crew from Amsterdam, Extince, from Oosterhout, and Postmen. Italy found its own rappers, including Jovanotti and Articolo 31, grow nationally renowned, while the Polish scene began in earnest early in the decade with the rise of PM Cool Lee. In Romania, B.U.G. Mafia came out of Bucharest's Pantelimon neighborhood, and their brand of gangsta rap underlines the parallels between life in Romania's Communist-era apartment blocks and in the housing projects of America's ghettos. Israel's hip hop grew greatly in popularity at the end of the decade, with several stars both Palestinian (Tamer Nafer) and Israeli (Subliminal).

100 In Asia, mainstream stars rose to prominence in the Philippines, led by Francis Magalona, Rap Asia, MC Lara and Lady Diane. In Japan, where underground rappers had previously found a limited audience, and popular teen idols brought a style called J-rap to the top of the charts in the middle of the 1990s. Latinos had played an integral role in the early development of hip hop, and the style had spread to parts of Latin America, such as Cuba, early in its history. In Mexico, popular hip hop began with the success of Calo in the early 1990s. Later in the decade, with Latin rap groups like Cypress Hill on the American charts, Mexican rap rock groups, such as Control Machete, rose to prominence in their native land. An annual Cuban hip hop concert held at Alamar in Havana helped popularize Cuban hip hop, beginning in Hip hop grew steadily more popular in Cuba, because of official governmental support for musicians. The Brazilian hip hop scene is considered to be the second biggest in the world, just behind American hip hop. Brazilian hip hop is heavily associated with racial and economic issues in the country, where a lot of black people live in a bad situation in the violent slums, known in Brazil as favelas. São Paulo is where hip hop began in the country, but it soon spread all over Brazil, and today, almost every big Brazilian city, such as Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife and Brasilia, has a hip hop scene. Racionais MC's, MV Bill, Marcelo D2, Rappin Hood, Jay Nano, Thaíde and Dj Hum, Bonde do Tigrão, Bonde do Rolê, GOG, RZO are considered the most powerful names in Brazilian hip hop. West Coast hip hop After N.W.A broke up, Dr. Dre (a former member) released The Chronic in 1992, which peaked at #1 on the R&B/hip hop chart, #3 on the pop chart and spawned a #2 pop single with "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang." The Chronic took West Coast rap in a new direction, influenced strongly by P funk artists, melding sleazy funk beats with slowly drawled lyrics. This came to be known as G-funk and dominated mainstream hip hop for several years through a roster of artists on Death Row Records, including Tupac Shakur, whose single "To Live & Die in LA" was a big hit, and Snoop Dogg, whose Doggystyle included the songs "What's My Name" and "Gin and Juice," both top ten hits. Detached from this scene were other artists such as Freestyle Fellowship, The Pharcyde as well as more underground artists such as the Solesides collective (DJ Shadow and Blackalicious amongst others) Jurassic 5, Ugly Duckling (hip hop group), People Under the Stairs, The Alkaholiks, and earlier Souls of Mischief represented a return to hip-hops roots of sampling and well planned rhyme schemes. East Coast hip hop In the early 1990s East Coast hip hop was dominated by the Native Tongues posse which was loosely composed of De La Soul with producer Prince Paul, A Tribe Called Quest, The Jungle Brothers, as well as their loose affiliates 3rd Bass, Main Source, and the less

101 successful Black Sheep & KMD. Although originally a "daisy age" conception stressing the positive aspects of life, darker material (such as De La Soul's thought-provoking "Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa") soon crept in. Artists such as Masta Ace (particularly for SlaughtaHouse) & Brand Nubian, Public Enemy, Organized Konfusion had a more overtly militant pose, both in sound and manner. Biz Markie, the "clown prince of hip hop", was causing himself and all other hip-hop producers a problem with his appropriation of the Gilbert O'Sullivan song "Alone again, naturally". In the mid-1990s, artists such as the Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. increased New York's visibility at a time when hip hop was mostly dominated by West Coast artists. The mid to late 1990s saw a generation of rappers such as the members of D.I.T.C. such as the late Big L and Big Pun. Later in the decade the business acumen of the Bad Boy Records tested itself against Jay- The productions of RZA, particularly for Wu-Tang Clan, became influential with artists such as Mobb Deep due to the combination of somewhat detached instrumental loops, highly compressed and processed drums and gangsta lyrical content. Wu-Tang affiliate albums such as Raekwon the Chef's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and GZA's Liquid Swords are now viewed as classics along with Wu-Tang "core" material. Producers such as DJ Premier (primarily for Gangstarr but also for other affiliated artists such as Jeru the Damaja), Pete Rock (With CL Smooth and supplying beats for many others), Buckwild, Large Professor, Diamond D and The 45 King supplying beats for numerous MCs regardless of location. Albums such as Nas's Illmatic, Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt and O.C.'s Word...Life are made up of beats from this pool of producers. Z and his Roc-A-Fella Records and, on the West Coast, Death Row Records. The rivalry between the East Coast and the West Coast rappers eventually turned personal, aided in part by the music media. Although the "big business" end of the market dominated matters commercially the late 1990s to early 2000s saw a number of relatively successful East Coast indie labels such as Rawkus Records (with whom Mos Def gained great success) and later Def Jux; the history of the two labels is intertwined, the latter having been started by EL-P of Company Flow in reaction to the former, and offered an outlet for more underground artists such as Mike Ladd, Aesop Rock, Mr Lif, RJD2, Cage and Cannibal Ox. Other acts such as the Hispanic Arsonists and slam poet turned MC Saul Williams met with differing degrees of success.

102 Diversification of styles In the late 1990s, the styles of hip hop diversified. Southern rap became popular in the early 1990s, with the releases of Arrested Development's 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... in 1992, Goodie Mob's Soul Food in 1995 and OutKast's ATLiens in All three groups were from Atlanta, Georgia. Later, Master P (Ghetto D) built up a roster of artists (the No Limit posse) based out of New Orleans. Master P incorporated G funk and Miami bass influences; and distinctive regional sounds from St. Louis, Chicago, Washington D.C., Detroit and others began to gain popularity. In the 1990s, elements of hip hop continued to be assimilated into other genres of popular music. Neo soul, for example, combined hip hop and soul music. In the 1980s and 1990s, rapcore, rap rock and rap metal, fusions of hip hop and hardcore punk, rock and heavy metal became popular among mainstream audiences. Rage Against the Machine and Limp Bizkit were among the most well-known bands in these fields. Digable Planets' 1993 release Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) was an influential jazz rap record sampling the likes of Don Cherry, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, Herbie Mann, Herbie Hancock, Grant Green, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. It spawned the hit single "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" which reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 Though white rappers like the Beastie Boys, House of Pain and 3rd Bass had had some popular success or critical acceptance from the hip hop community, Eminem's success, beginning in 1999 with the platinum The Slim Shady LP, surprised many.

103 2000s Eminem performing live at the DJ Hero Party in Los Angeles The popularity of hip hop music continued through the 2000s. In the year 2000, The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem sold over ten million copies in the United States and was the fastest selling album of all time. Nelly's debut LP, Country Grammar, sold over nine million copies. In the 2000s, crunk music, a derivative of Southern hip hop, gained considerable popularity via the likes of Lil Jon and the Ying Yang Twins. Hip hop influences also found their way increasingly into mainstream pop during this period mainly the mid 2000s. In the East Coast, popular acts during this period included 50 Cent, whose 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin' debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 charts.

104 In addition to the mainstream success, the United States also saw the success of alternative hip hop in the form of performers such as The Roots, Dilated Peoples, Gnarls Barkley and Mos Def, who achieved significant recognition. Gnarls Barkley's album St. Elsewhere, which contained a fusion of funk, neo soul and hip hop, debuted at number 20 on the Billboard 200 charts. In addition, Aesop Rock's 2007 album None Shall Pass was well received, and reached #50 on the Billboard charts. World and national music The continuation of hip hop can also be seen in different national contexts. In Tanzania, maintained popular acts of their own in the early 2000s, infusing local styles of Afrobeat and arabesque melodies, dancehall and hip-hop beats, and Swahili lyrics. Scandinavian, especially Danish and Swedish, performers became well known outside of their country, while hip hop continued its spread into new regions, including Russia, Japan, Philippines, Canada, China, Korea, India and especially Vietnam. Of particular importance is the influence on East Asian nations, where hip hop music has become fused with local popular music to form different styles such as K-pop, C-pop and J-pop. In the Netherlands, MC Brainpower went from being an underground battle rapper to In Germany and France, gangsta rap has become popular among youths who like the violent and aggressive lyrics. Some German rappers openly or comically flirt with Nazism, Bushido (born Anis Mohamed Youssef Ferchichi) raps "Salutiert, steht stramm, Ich bin der Leader wie A" (Salute, stand to attention, I am the leader like 'A') and Fler had a hit with the record Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) complete with the title written in Third Reich style Gothic print and advertised with an Adolf Hitler quote. These references also spawned great controversy in Germany. Meanwhile in France, artists like Kery James' Idéal J maintained a radical, anti-authoritarian attitude and released songs like Hardcore which attacked the growth of the French far right. mainstream recognition in the Benelux, thus influencing numerous rap artists in the region. In Israel, rapper Subliminal reaches out to Israeli youth with political and religious-themed lyrics, usually with a Zionist message. One of the countries outside the US where hip-hop is most popular is the United Kingdom. In the 2000's a derirative genre from Hip-Hop (as well as UK Garage and Drum and Bass) known as Grime became popular with artists such as Dizzee Rascal becoming successful. Although it is immensely popular, many British politicians criticize the music for what they see as promoting theft and murder, similar to gangsta rap in America. These criticisms have been deemed racist by the mostly Black British grime industry. Despite its controversial nature, grime has had a major affect on British fashion and pop music, with many young working class youth emulating the clothing worn by grime stars like Dizzee Rascal and Wiley. There are many subgenres of grime, including Rhythm and Grime, a mix of R&B and grime, and grindie, a mix of indie rock and grime popularized by indie rock band Hadouken!.

105 Hip hop has globalized into many cultures worldwide, as evident through the emergence of numerous regional scenes. It has emerged globally as a movement based upon the main tennets of hip hop culture. The music and the art continue to embrace, even celebrate, its transnational dimensions while staying true to the local cultures to which it is rooted. Hip-hop's inspiration differs depending on each culture. Still, the one thing virtually all hip hop artists worldwide have in common is that they acknowledge their debt to those African American people in New York who launched the global movement. While hip-hop is sometimes taken for granted by Americans, it is not so elsewhere, especially in the developing world, where it has come to represent the empowerment of the disenfranchised and a slice of the American dream. American hip-hop music has reached the cultural corridors of the globe and has been absorbed and reinvented around the world. Crunk and snap music Snap music is an subgenre of crunk that emerged from Atlanta, Georgia, in the late Crunk originated from southern hip hop in the late 1990s. The style was pioneered and commercialized by artists from Memphis, Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia. Looped, stripped-down drum machine rhythms are usually used. The Roland TR-808 and 909 are among the most popular. The drum machines are usually accompanied by simple, repeated synthesizer melodies and heavy bass stabs. The tempo of the music is somewhat slower than hip-hop, around the speed of reggaeton. The focal point of crunk is more often the beats and music than the lyrics therein. Crunk rappers, however, often shout and scream their lyrics, creating an aggressive, almost heavy, style of hip-hop. While other subgenres of hip-hop address sociopolitical or personal concerns, crunk is almost exclusively party music, favoring call and response hip-hop slogans in lieu of more substantive approaches. 1990s. The genre soon gained mainstream popularity and in mid-2005 artists from other southern states such as Texas and Tennessee began to emerge with this style. Tracks commonly consist of an 808 bassdrum, hi-hat, bass, snapping, a main groove and a vocal track. Hit snap songs include "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" by "Dem Franchize Boys", "Laffy Taffy" by D4L, "It's Goin' Down" by Yung Joc and "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em. Glitch hop and wonky music Glitch hop is a fusion genre of hip hop and glitch music that originated in the early to mid 2000s in the United States and Europe. Musically, it is based on irregular, chaotic breakbeats, glitchy basslines and other typical sound effects used in glitch music, like skips. Glitch hop artists include Prefuse 73, Dabrye and Flying Lotus. Wonky is a subgenre of hip hop that originated around 2008 all around the globe (but most notably in the United States and United Kingdom, and among international artists of

106 the Hyperdub music label), under the influence of glitch hop and dubstep. Wonky music is of the same glitchy type as glitch hop, but it was specifically noted for its melodies, rich with "mid-range unstable synths". Scotland has become one of the most prominent places, where wonky music was shaped by artists like Hudson Mohawke and Rustie. In Glasgow, Rustie has created the substyle of wonky music called "aquacrunk", a fusion of wonky and crunk music; the most specific trait of aquacrunk are its "aquatic" synths. Glitch hop and wonky are popular among a limited amount of people interested in alternative hip hop and electronic music (especially dubstep); neither glitch hop nor wonky have met any mainstream popularity. Decline in sales Starting in 2005, sales of hip hop music in the United States began to severely wane, leading Time magazine to question if mainstream hip-hop was "dying." Billboard Magazine found that, since 2000, rap sales dropped 44%, and declined to 10% of all music sales, which, while still a commanding figure when compared to other genres, is a significant drop from the 13% of all music sales where rap music regularly placed. NPR culture critic Elizabeth Blair noted that, "some industry experts say young people are fed up with the violence, degrading imagery and lyrics." is Soulja Boy Tell 'Em's 2007 debut album souljaboytellem.com was met with negative Others say the music is just as popular as it ever was, but that fans have found other means to consume the music." It can also be argued that many young people now download music illegally, especially through P2P networks, instead of purchasing albums and singles from legitimate stores. For example, Flo Rida is known for his low album sales regardless of his singles being mainstream and having digital success. His second album R.O.O.T.S. sold only 200,000+ total units in the U.S., which could not line up to the sales of the album's lead single "Right Round". This also happened to him in Some put the blame on the lack of lyrical content that hip hop once had, another example reviews. Lack of sampling, a key element of hip hop, has also been noted for the decrease in quality of modern albums. For example, there are only four samples used in 2008's Paper Trail by T.I., while there are 35 samples in 1998's Moment of Truth by Gang Starr. The decrease in sampling is in part due to it being too expensive for producers. In Byron Hurt's documentary Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, he claims that hip hop had changed from "clever rhymes and dance beats" to "advocating personal, social and criminal corruption." Despite the fall in record sales throughout the music industry, hiphop has remained a popular genre, with hip-hop artists still regularly topping the Billboard 200 Charts. In the first half of 2009 alone artists such as Eminem, Rick Ross, Black Eyed Peas, and Fabolous all had albums that reached the #1 position on the Billboard 200 charts. Eminem's album Relapse was one of the fastest selling albums of In 2010, five hip hop acts have topped the Billboard 200; Ludacris, B.o.B, Drake, Eminem and Lil Wayne.

107 Innovation and revitalization Kanye West performing in 2008

108 In 2009, Time magazine placed M.I.A. in the Time 100 list of "World's Most Influential People" It was in the later 2000s that alternative hip hop finally secured a place within the mainstream, due in part to the declining commercial viability of gangsta rap as well as the crossover success of artists such as OutKast, Kanye West, and Gnarls Barkley. Not only did OutKast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below receive high acclaim from music critics, manage to appeal to listeners of all ages, and span numerous musical genres including rap, rock, R&B, punk, jazz, indie, country, pop, electronica and gospel but it also spawned two number-one hit singles and has been certified diamond by selling 11 times platinum by the RIAA for shipping more than 11 million units, becoming the best selling rap album of all time as well as winning a Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards being only the second rap album to do so. Industry

109 observers view the sales race between Kanye West's Graduation and 50 Cent's Curtis as a turning point for hip hop. West emerged the victor, selling nearly a million copies in the first week alone, proving that innovative rap music could be just as commercially viable as gangsta rap, if not more so. Although he designed it as a melancholic pop rather than rap, Kanye's following 808s & Heartbreak would have a significant effect on hip hop music. While his decision to sing about love, loneliness, and heartache for the entirety of the album was at first heavily criticized by music audiences and the album predicted to be a flop, its subsequent critical acclaim and commercial success encouraged other mainstream rappers to take greater creative risks with their music. During the release of The Blueprint 3, New York rap mogul Jay-Z revealed that next studio album would be an experimental effort, stating, "... it's not gonna be a #1 album. That's where I'm at right now. I wanna make the most experimental album I ever made." Jay-Z elaborated that like Kanye, he was unsatisfied with contemporary hip hop, was being inspired by indierockers like Grizzly Bear and asserted his belief that the indie rock movement would play an important role in the continued evolution of hip-hop. The alternative hip hop movement is not limited only to the United States, as rappers such as Somali-Canadian poet K'naan, Japanese rapper Shing02, and Sri Lankan British artist M.I.A. have achieved considerable worldwide recognition. In 2009, TIME magazine placed M.I.A in the Time 100 list of "World's Most Influential people" for having "global influence across many genres." Today, due in part to the increasing use of music distribution through the internet, many alternative rap artists find acceptance by far-reaching audiences. Several burgeoning artists such as Kid Cudi and Drake have managed to attain record-breaking, chart-topping hit songs, "Day 'n' Night" and "Best I Ever Had" respectively, which they both released on free online mixtapes without the help of a major record label. The pair, along with other new artists such as Wale, The Cool Kids, Jay Electronica, and B.o.B, openly acknowledge being directly influenced by their nineties alt-rap predecessors in addition to alt-rock groups while their music has been noted by critics as expressing eclectic sounds, life experiences, and emotions rarely seen in mainstream hip hop.

110 Chapter- 17 Battle Rap Battle rap (also known as battle rapping or battle rhyming) is a type of rapping that includes a lot of braggadocio (bragging and boasting) content "combined with put-downs, insults, and disses against real or imaginary opponents". Battling can occur on recorded albums, though battle raps are often recited or freestyled spontaneously in live battles, "where MCs will perform on the same stage to see who has the better verses". Moe Dee challenged Busy Bee Starski - Busy Bee Starski's defeat by the more complex Battle rapping is described by 40 Cal in the book How to Rap as "extracurricular" and he compares it to the dunk contest in the NBA. Battle raps are often written solely for the purpose of impressing people with technically inventive rapping, and knowing a wide variety of rapping styles and a wide range of MCs is recommended. Some MCs started out writing mostly battle raps and battling other MCs before they began making records. Battles History Battling is generally believed to have originated in the East Coast hip hop scene in the late 1970s. One of the earliest and most famous battles was in December 1982 when Kool raps of Kool Moe Dee meant that "no longer was an MC just a crowd-pleasing comedian with a slick tongue; he was a commentator and a storyteller", which KRS-One also credits as creating a shift in rapping in the documentary Beef. In the 1980s, battle raps were a popular form of rapping - Big Daddy Kane in the book How to Rap says, "as an MC from the '80s, really your mentality is battle format... your focus was to have a hot rhyme in case you gotta battle someone... not really making a rhyme for a song". Battle rapping is still sometimes closely associated with old school hip-hop - talking about battle rapping, Esoteric says, "a lot of my stuff stems from old school hip-hop, braggadocio ethic". Some of the most prominent battle raps that took place on record are listed in the book, ego trip's Book of Rap Lists, and include such battles as the Roxanne Wars ( ), Juice Crew vs. Boogie Down Productions ( ), Kool Moe Dee vs. LL Cool J ( ), MC Serch vs. MC Hammer ( ), Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg vs. Luke

111 ( ), Common vs. Ice Cube ( ), MC Pervis & Brand New Habits and LL Cool J vs. Canibus ( ) - all of which include memorable battle rap verses. Recent history Battling has been mostly an underground phenomenon since the early nineties, partly due to rap lyrics becoming considerably more complex in terms of rhyme scheme and meter. Furthermore, many rappers often deliver standalone written verses on radio shows that are referred to or labelled on records or on filesharing programs as freestyles, which has somewhat distorted the meaning of the term. There is often confusion as to whether or not "freestyle verses" are in fact freestyled, with many rappers' written lyrics being simple enough to seem freestyled and many of the best freestylers' improvised lyrics being complex and confident enough to seem written. In the early 21st century, freestyling (particularly freestyle battling) experienced a resurgence in popularity of sorts as successful freestyle battle competition TV shows were shown by both BET and MTV. In addition, Eminem's movie 8 Mile brought the excitement of the freestyle battle to mainstream movie audiences. Freestyle Friday is a watered-down battle segment on BET's popular show 106 & Park. Two rappers compete in a freestyle battle before the studio audience and three celebrity judges (the DJ sometimes acts as the 3rd judge). Each competitor alternates freestyling for 30 seconds in each of the two rounds (originally only 1 round when the segment first began). The rappers are not allowed to use profanities or sexually suggestive lyrics, punishable by disqualification. After the battle, the judges decide the winner, per majority vote. underground Cuban rappers. Freestyle battles often turn political when artists incorporate In Cuba, freestyle battles often follow organized concerts and juxtapose composed songs with flowing lyrics that are relevant to the present situation. Freestyling can allow audience members to integrate into the performance stage. This provides a forum for upand-coming underground artists to engage in a musical discussion with already prominent perspectives on social disparities and issues plaguing the Cuban population. Some of the most recognized battle leagues include Grind Time Now, King Of The Dot, Don't Flop, Ultimate Rap League, Got Beef?, Real Talk and Flip Top. Some of the most heralded battle rappers today are Iron Solomon, Eurgh, Hollow Da Don, The Saurus, Loaded Lux, Murda Mook, Soul Khan, and Loe Pesci. More recently, battle rapping has moved to digital mediums, especially with the burgeoning growth in technology over the last several years. It is now possible to engage in a freestyle battle with someone halfway around the world with products and services such as Rah Digga's Straight Spittin. Types of battles Battles can either be "freestyle" or "written" form. A freestyle battle is a contest in which two or more rappers compete or battle each other using improvised lyrics. Each

112 competitor's goal is to 'diss' their opponent through clever lyrics. As hip-hop evolved in the early 80s MCs gained their fame through live battles with other MCs. Freestyle battles can take place anywhere: street corners, on stage at a concert, or in school. The idea of such poetic battles, or jousts, has a long history that can be found in genres of poetry such as Haikai and flyting. A live audience is critical to a battle. Each MC must use skill and lyrical ability to not only 'break down' his or her opponent, but to convince the audience that they are the better rapper. Appointed judges have been used in formal contests, but even when no winner is announced, the rapper who receives the best audience response is viewed as the victor. In addition, it is considered an act of dishonor to recite written and memorized raps in a freestyle battle, because it shows the rapper to be incapable of 'spitting' spur-ofthe-moment lyrics. The cipher is the crowd which forms around the battles, consisting of spectators and onlookers. This group serves partly to encourage competition and partly to enhance the communal aspect of rap battles. The cipher is known for making or breaking reputations in the hip hop community; if you are able to step into the cipher and tell your story, demonstrating your uniqueness, you might be more accepted". These groups also serve as a way for messages about hip hop styles and knowledge to be spread, through word-ofmouth and encouraging trends in other battles. Battling is a prominent part of hip hop culture. Chicken in which Elmer Fudd competes in a rap battle against Bugs Bunny.

113 Beat A Taiwanese taiko drummer The beat is the basic time unit of music, the pulse of the mensural level, also known as the beat level. However, since the term is in popular use, it often connotes the tempo of a piece or a particular sequence of individual beats, the meter, rhythm or groove. In hip hop and R&B music, the term 'beat' commonly refers to the entire instrumental, non-vocal layer of the song, which is frequently based on a looped recording of a drum-rhythm. It may also refer to particular beats in the measure. Much music is characterised by a repeating sequence of stressed and unstressed beats (often called "strong" and "weak") organised into measures and perhaps indicated by a time signature and tempo indication. Downbeat The downbeat is the impulse that occurs at the beginning of a bar in measured music. Its name derives from the downward stroke of the director or conductor's baton at the start of each measure. It frequently carries the strongest accent of the rhythmic cycle. However, in some cases, the downbeat may not be emphasized. Such departure from the normal stress pattern of a measure is form of syncopation.

114 Upbeat (Ger. Auftakt). Beginning of Bach's BWV736, with upbeat (anacrusis) in red 1. An unaccented beat or beats that occur before the first beat of the following measure. In other words, this is an impulse in a measured rhythm that immediately precedes, and hence anticipates, the downbeat. It can be the last beat in a bar where that bar precedes a new bar of music. On-beat and off-beat 2. An anticipatory note or succession of notes occurring before the first barline of a piece, sometimes referred to as an upbeat figure, section or phrase. An alternative expression is "anacrusis" (from Greek. ana: "up towards" and krousis: "to strike"; Fr. anacrouse). This term was borrowed from poetry where it refers to one or more unstressed extrametrical syllables at the beginning of a line. 3. The upward stroke made by a conductor to indicate the beat that leads into a new measure. N.B. This expression is sometimes loosely used outside the field of music to denote anything positive-sounding; e.g. an "upbeat assessment of a company's prospects". Off-beat or backbeat pattern, popular on snare drum "Skank" guitar rhythm. Often referred to as "upbeats", in parallel with upstrokes.

115 In music that progresses regularly in 4/4 time, counted as " , ", the first beat of the bar (down-beat) is usually the strongest accent in the melody and the likeliest place for a chord change, the third is the next strongest: these are "on" beats. The second and fourth are weaker - the "off-beats". Subdivisions (like eighth notes) that fall between the pulse beats are even weaker and these, if used frequently in a rhythm, can also make it "off-beat". The effect can be easily simulated by evenly and repeatedly counting to four: Bold denotes a stressed beat. As a background against which to compare these various rhythms a bass drum strike on the downbeat and a constant eighth note subdivision on ride cymbal have been added, which would be counted as follows: 1&2&3&4&1&2&3&4& -- play eighth notes and bass drum alone the stress here on the "on" beat. But one may syncopate that pattern and alternately stress the odd and even beats, respectively, creating syncopation: the stress is on the "unexpected" or syncopated beat. Backbeat So Off-beat is a musical term commonly applied to syncopation that emphasizes the weak even beats of a bar, as opposed to the "normal" on-beat. This is a fundamental technique of African polyrhythm that transferred to popular western music. According to Grove Music, the Offbeat is [often] where the downbeat is replaced by a rest or is tied over from the preceding bar". The downbeat can never be the off-beat because it is the strongest beat in 4/4 time. Certain genres in particular tend to emphasize the off-beat. This emphasis is a defining characteristic of rock'n'roll and Ska music. Back beat

116 It's got a backbeat, you can't lose it - Chuck Berry A back beat (also backbeat) is a syncopated accentuation on the "off" beat. In a simple 4/4 rhythm these are beats 2 and 4. Emphasized back beat, a feature of some African styles, defined rhythm and blues recordings in the late 1940s and so became one of the defining characteristics of rock and roll and much contemporary popular music. An early record with an emphasised back beat throughout was "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Wynonie Harris in However drummer Earl Palmer claimed the honour for "The Fat Man" by Fats Domino in 1949, which he played on, saying he adopted it from the final "shout" or "out" chorus common in Dixieland jazz. However urban contemporary gospel was stressing the back beat much earlier with hand-clapping and tambourines. There is a hand-clapping back beat on "Roll 'Em Pete" by Pete Johnson and Big Joe

117 Turner, recorded in A distinctive back beat can be heard on "Back Beat Boogie" by Harry James And His Orchestra, recorded in late Other early recorded examples include the final verse of "Grand Slam" by Benny Goodman in 1942 and some sections of The Glenn Miller Orchestra's "(I've Got A Girl In) Kalamazoo", while tapes of Charlie Christian and Thelonious Monk jamming at Minton's Playhouse around the same time have a sustained snare-drum back-beat on the hottest choruses. Delayed backbeat (last eighth note in each measure) as in funk music In the mid 1940s "hillbilly" musicians the Delmore Brothers were turning out boogie tunes with a hard driving back beat, such as the #2 hit "Freight Train Boogie" in 1946, as well as in other boogie songs they recorded. Similarly Fred Maddox s trademark back beat, a slapping bass style, helped drive a rhythm that came to be known as rockabilly, one of the early forms of rock and roll. Maddox had used this style as early as In today's popular music the snare drum is typically used to play the backbeat pattern. Early funk music often delayed one of the backbeats so as, "to give a 'kick' to the [overall] beat". Hyperbeat Hypermeter: 4 beat measure, 4 measure hypermeasure and 4 hypermeasure verses. Hyperbeats in red.