This week’s episode of Fresh Tracks with David Hersrud we take you from the Super Bowl halftime show to a historical journey to find 'Rap Music for people who don’t like Rap.'
This year’s Superbowl half-time show, some people said there were too many west coast performers, the stars were too old, Eminem got down on one knee. One politician called the show satanic.
I had the privilege of working in the music industry when it first started making waves in the early 70s in New York and then when it really took off toward the end of the decade. Centuries ago, West African historians told rhythmic stories of the past while Caribbean folk artists were telling stories in rhyme. And one of the first recorded rap songs “Me and Mr. Hohner” was released in 1969 by none other than Bobby Darin:
“Here Comes The Judge” from singer and comedian Pigmeat Markham released in 1968. At the time it was considered a novelty record:
There is poet and social critic Gil Scott Heron’s classic “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” from 1970 is an important records in music history:
The Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”, the first rap record to become a top-40 hit in 1979:
1980 saw the release of a new album by Blondie which included a song called “Rapture”
“Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa that sampled music by Kraftwerk. Released in 1982, it was voted the third greatest rap record of all time by Rolling Stone:
And who can forget The Beastie Boys, their 1986 classic album “License to Ill” and a song called “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)”:
1990’s “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer from his album “Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em” has sold over 18 million copies:
Moving on a few years we have Diggable Planets’ 1993 hit “Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like That)”; if you like rap with a jazzy feel:
‘The Roots’ 2010 hit “Radio Daze”:
2015 produced 2 rap classics Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Downtown”
Recently Dionne Warwick with Chance The Rapper called “Nothings Impossible”
“Under The Wheels” by Calexico:
