ISMIR 2016: Why Hip-Hop Is Interesting

Ethan Heinethanhein.com@ethanhein

Hip-hop is the musical language of global urban youth

Hip-hop and rap are not the same thing

Hip-hop is built on the appropriation and creative manipulation of existing recordings

Hip-hop rarely involves traditional instruments; the digital studio is the instrument

Hip-hop production is about sound and rhythm, not harmony and form

The music is the productionThe production is the music

Run-DMC - "Sucker MCs"

Sister Nancy

"Do What You Gotta Do" (1968)

"Wake Up Mr. West" (2005)

Kanye West

"Famous" (2016)

SwizzBeatz Rihanna

"Bam Bam" (1982) "Bam Bam" (1966)

"Stalag 17" (1974)

Ansel Collins

The Maytals

Byron Lee &The Dragonaires

"The Well-Tempered Clavier" (1722)

"Mi Sono Svegliato E... Ho Chiuso Gli Occhi" (1973)

Nina Simone

Il RovescioDella Medaglia Johann Sebastian Bach

"Someone That I Used To Love" (1980)

Natalie Cole

Sample sources in "Famous"

We ne- ver gonna die

Kanye's vocal melody

Eric B and Rakim - "Follow The Leader"

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OutKast - "B.O.B."

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer

Hip-hop is heavily syncopated

Impeach The President

The FunkyDrummer

AmenBreak

musedlab.org/groovepizza

Herbie Hancock - "Chameleon"

America's music springs from the African diaspora

Copyright law is sampling-unfriendly

Auto-Tune: the death of authenticity or the next step in vocal expression?