One of the Hip Hop greats died yesterday.
Heavy D was a major star in the 90's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSRyCMExqk4&ob=av3e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJEbfeG2oAE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNEgUPKxk7A&ob=av3n
(I made a thread about this earlier but it vanished?)
R.I.P Heavy D
- flash gunner
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- QuartzGooner
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Does indeed sound like a huge gulf between the two.LyusN1 wrote:RIP Heavy D.
Weird listening to Mr. Big Stuff and thinking it was only 5 years before Nas started recording Illmatic. Seems like a lifetime between the two!
I digress, sad day for Hip Hop.
Mr Big Stuff was 1987, Illmatic was released 1994 (though maybe Nas started recording it a long time before it was released?).
Hip Hop rapidly evolved from 1986 - 1994, it almost had a new "sound" every year.
This was in part down to technology evolving, so sampling got more advanced as the CPU's got more powerful and computer memory increased, and drum sounds became more varied.
In part too because of the rap itself evolving, with MCs such as Rakim, Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane inventing more complicated wordplay and flows than the more basic rhyme styles of the early 80's.
If I'm not wrong, I think Nas started recording it in 1992. Just the first few bars of NY State of Mind must have been such a statement of intent for him at that time and I just imagine it was a real game changer as far as albums go. I really love Hip Hop of that era (although I was only born in '89). To be honest I like all Hip Hop up until about...1996-97 I suppose.QuartzGooner wrote:Does indeed sound like a huge gulf between the two.LyusN1 wrote:RIP Heavy D.
Weird listening to Mr. Big Stuff and thinking it was only 5 years before Nas started recording Illmatic. Seems like a lifetime between the two!
I digress, sad day for Hip Hop.
Mr Big Stuff was 1987, Illmatic was released 1994 (though maybe Nas started recording it a long time before it was released?).
Hip Hop rapidly evolved from 1986 - 1994, it almost had a new "sound" every year.
This was in part down to technology evolving, so sampling got more advanced as the CPU's got more powerful and computer memory increased, and drum sounds became more varied.
In part too because of the rap itself evolving, with MCs such as Rakim, Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane inventing more complicated wordplay and flows than the more basic rhyme styles of the early 80's.
That film from a few years ago, 'The Wackness', really sort of cemented my interest in it all - one of the central plot points is the release of 'Ready to Die'. If I remember right, they make a brief mention of the meter that Biggie uses and how unique it is.
I've noticed that 'Hip Hop' production in the States at the moment is really similar to the UK sound - especially the London sound of a few years ago. Wonder what the next thing will be...
- QuartzGooner
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Yeah the Americans have tried to copy our "Grime" sound!LyusN1 wrote:If I'm not wrong, I think Nas started recording it in 1992. Just the first few bars of NY State of Mind must have been such a statement of intent for him at that time and I just imagine it was a real game changer as far as albums go. I really love Hip Hop of that era (although I was only born in '89). To be honest I like all Hip Hop up until about...1996-97 I suppose.QuartzGooner wrote:Does indeed sound like a huge gulf between the two.LyusN1 wrote:RIP Heavy D.
Weird listening to Mr. Big Stuff and thinking it was only 5 years before Nas started recording Illmatic. Seems like a lifetime between the two!
I digress, sad day for Hip Hop.
Mr Big Stuff was 1987, Illmatic was released 1994 (though maybe Nas started recording it a long time before it was released?).
Hip Hop rapidly evolved from 1986 - 1994, it almost had a new "sound" every year.
This was in part down to technology evolving, so sampling got more advanced as the CPU's got more powerful and computer memory increased, and drum sounds became more varied.
In part too because of the rap itself evolving, with MCs such as Rakim, Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane inventing more complicated wordplay and flows than the more basic rhyme styles of the early 80's.
That film from a few years ago, 'The Wackness', really sort of cemented my interest in it all - one of the central plot points is the release of 'Ready to Die'. If I remember right, they make a brief mention of the meter that Biggie uses and how unique it is.
I've noticed that 'Hip Hop' production in the States at the moment is really similar to the UK sound - especially the London sound of a few years ago. Wonder what the next thing will be...
1989 - 94 was the best Hip Hop era.
Three excellent A Tribe Called Quest albums (have you seen the documentary 'Beats, Rhymes and Life?"), Nas, Biggie, Wu Tang, Jungle Brothers, 3rd Bass etc.
I recommend Brain Coleman's book "Check The Technique", inside stories of the albums of that era.
- Percy Dalton
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