Hip Hop is much more than just music. It’s a feeling that lives in the hearts and souls of all those who respect and appreciate it. The culture could almost be described as a religion by it’s ability to move and inspire people of all walks of life. Let me just say, I could easily write a novel about hip hop and it’s evolution. But there’s plenty of good books out there already, and I really just want to touch a little on the history.

The idea of throwing huge parties for local communities has been around for a very long time. Reggae sound systems, which were first created in Kingston during the 1950′s, had a significant influence on the community with big fancy speaker setups and DJ dubplate battles. Groups of deejays, vocalists, and engineers (or producers) would put together massive street parties and hold competitions to see who had the best music and the most powerful speakers.

In the early ’70′s, block parties became very popular throughout the boroughs of New York. Music such as Funk, Soul, and Disco were popular choices for djs and it wasn’t rare to see hundreds of people come out to party. One seasoned disc jockey by the name Kool DJ Herc decided to give back to his community by playing records outside his complex on Sedgwick Ave (in the West Bronx).

Herc says he introduced the first breakbeat in 1972, which he called “The Merry-Go-Round”. It was the first time anyone had been able to extend just the drum break of a song by using two copies of the same record and juggling the turntables from loop to loop. Thus Hip Hop was born, and an entire culture of MC’s, graffiti artists, b-boys (named so by Kool Herc himself), and DJ’s became instantly devoted to the new lifestyle.

Around the same time, a man named PHASE 2 was one of the first graffiti artists to add style such as bubble lettering and abstract arrows to aerosol art, paving the way for the graffiti movement. Meanwhile a group of b-boys called the Rock Steady Crew helped start a hip hop revolution on the streets of NY through their original form of dance called breakin’. And although there were many other crews involved, I give these guys some of the most respect for the legacy they created and are still an active part of today.

The phrase “Hip-Hop” was created a few years later by a rapper named Keith Cowboy, who was a member of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. He started using the term in his rhymes and it quickly caught on with other emcees that decided to start saying it as well. Although later accused of stealing their material from the rhyme book of Grandmaster Caz, the Sugarhill Gang definitely helped popularize the type of music as Hip Hop with the well known lyrics to Rapper’s Delight.

Some of the first MC’s where probably artists like James Brown, George Clinton, Little Richard, or Gil Scott-Heron (who may have had the most significant influence on hip hop music as we know it through his ability to create spoken word poetry over soulful melodies and jazz beats). Some even credit comedy legends Blowfly and Rudy Ray Moore as being the first rappers. However, the first official rap record was a track by The Fatback Band feat King Tim III.

To be continued…

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He ended up being the first act to go on after I made it inside the club. At first glance, I’d have to admit I wasn’t expecting much. Kind of figured he was just another local up-and-comer with little rhyme skill to offer and maybe even a nerdcore rapper. Probably both stereotypes this MC has heard a lot in his career.

But Mouse’s performer was in fact almost the complete opposite of what some people might think without ever having heard him. The beats had even this DJ going, which is definitely not an easy thing to do. And the rhymes, equally as smooth and fluent, kept me interested in actually listening closely to hear every metaphor and see what was coming next.

So being that I started this blog to give advice and share my opinions on various aspects of the Hip Hop world, I assumed it was only fitting that I do my first album review on non other than the latest from Mighty Mouse Powell himself – Where It’s Cloudy:

Let me first just say that I bought this CD from him at the show. That’s saying a lot about his live performance because I rarely purchase merch at events.

The album starts off with “Getting Grey”, a mellow acapella prelude laced with the melodic voice of Kira Best to help introduce you to the Phoenix MC. The opening number then gets followed up by an old school-esque underground song titled “Hey You” with some nice cuts by DJ LES735. Meanwhile on Track #3, Mouse hits you with one of his instant classics – “Rollin”. This was one of the rhymes I remembered clearly from the show. The soulful production from Make Sense definitely draws in any true head’s attention and keeps you listening to the lyrics.

I’ll skip past a few tracks and try and focus on some of my personal favorites. Seeing as how there are only a small handful of albums I can tolerate from start to finish, it would probably be out of character for me to like every song on this album either.

So I guess if we’re sticking to chronological order, up next would be “Ruby Slippers” produced by ILL AL. Pretty much immediately was feelin’ the beat on this one. Mighty Mouse Powell was right on point with the flow on this song too. With lyrics like “The words leaked out, at the point where the skull split” and “I’m like Cobain pokin’ veins, gettin’ lost in the music”, you begin to get a sense of where this MC’s coming from and the deep emotions behind some of his music.

The next two tracks, “Turn to Gold” and “Extra Extra”, both have an upbeat feel with some nice catchy rhymes and feel good rhythms. Mouse and his crew do a decent job keeping you involved and in tune for the remainder of the album.

“The Walk Out” ended up getting somewhat of a biased opinion from me since I’m always a fan of “relationship” themed raps. But it also has a nice storyline and I’m a strong believer that a truly talented hip hop artist is also a great storyteller. Kira Best also does a good job of representin’ for the ladies with her verse.

Track #10 “Holding Home” is another classic, especially if you’re a Phoenix or Arizona resident. Some heavy sampling along with a jazzy beat and a few scratches helps this track create a nice kick back summer jam feel.

It’s followed up by “Another Day” feat. Brad B and ILL AL the Anglo-Saxon – a gritty underground hip hop cameo not for the fans of mainstream pop music.

Which leads us to the last of my fav’s  and the title track from the record “Where It’s Cloudy”. From the reaction of the crowd at the show, I’d say this is one of his more popular songs. His punchlines such as “rich kids go to rehab, broke kids go to jail” make this rap a song that hits home for a wide audience. And to top it all off, he ends the song with a sample of his mom. Who else does that?

-DJ Twist One

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