So what is Hip-Hop anyway?
Ask this question in a forum on the Internet and you’ll most likely get a number of swift replies which speak of Hip-Hop as a culture, an attitude or a way of living. This may be true for many people, but as musicians we need to understand the tangible, aesthetic qualities that set Hip-Hop apart from other styles of music.
The most obvious answer has to do with rapping – the art of speaking rhythmically over music rather than singing. This is certainly a necessary element, but not a sufficient one, as huge numbers of Hip-Hop songs have melodic verses or choruses, either sung or sampled from other records.
(Besides, we can find similar vocal techniques employed in music that has never been called Hip-Hop – e.g., C. W. McCall’s Convoy, Laurie Anderson’s O Superman, Bob Dylan etc.) The thing that sets Hip-Hop apart from every other style of music is its inclusiveness – no sound is off-limit. This was first achieved by the use of what then was new technology to take the most effective elements from any record and distill it into something new.
Hip-Hop began in the early 1970s, when a group of young people living in the Bronx in New York – poor, mostly black and largely neglected by the government – began to loop the hard-hitting percussive breakdowns of records like James Brown’s Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose and The Incredible Bongo Band’s Apache to lift and prolong the energy at house parties.
The near universal rhythmic and repetitious appeal of these sections would (and still does) encourage energetic dancing and a general feeling of excitement and solidarity among the crowd. Hip-Hop vocals began at these parties too.
They quickly evolved from DJs giving shout-outs to their friends in the crowd to MCs rapping about current affairs, politics, the music itself… or anything else on their minds. Later on, DJs and producers began using digital samplers to give themselves more options and control when constructing music.
What does this mean for a real-life drummer who wants to play Hip-Hop? The good news is that Hip-Hop percussion is not just the domain of machines. Drummers like Ahmir Thompson (?uestlove), Karriem Riggins and Chris Dave have as much credit as anybody in the industry.
As Hip-Hop drummers, we have to be versatile and have a good understanding of a lot of different styles – we might have to do our best to sound like Zigaboo Modeliste, John Bonham, Art Blakey and Kraftwerk in one gig.
But playing in a Hip-Hop style is more than just this; it is being supportive to the rappers, which means usually playing at medium tempos and not inserting fills where they will interrupt the flow of the vocals.
Drums are often very prominent in the mix of a Hip-Hop track, so be strong and play with conviction, but take care not to drown others out or fill up all the sonic space as this can quickly make you a very unpopular person to play with. Also remember that Hip-Hop music is still inextricably linked with dancing, so being funky is always your best bet.
While it is important to learn the notes and the patterns, if you want to really learn Hip-Hop (as with any style of music) there is no substitute to spending time actually listening to a serious amount of music. Buy albums, go to concerts, read interviews.
Just as Q-Tip’s father could famously hear echoes of 1940s Jazz in Hip-Hop, many styles from the last 30 years have been informed by Hip-Hop tendencies too (Jazz, Pop, Rock, Metal etc).
However, this is often achieved by producers in the studio and many drummers have only an elementary understanding of Hip-Hop drumming – if this is you, then it is my hope that working through this book will add a new dimension to your playing and perhaps give you an edge over your fellow drummers.
Good luck, and have fun! - Jarrad Payne
The best and fastest way to learn is to use this book in conjunction with:
- Practicing and playing with other musicians. It is surprising how good a basic drums/bass/guitar combination can sound, even when playing easy music.
- In the early stages it is helpful to have the guidance of an experienced teacher. This will help you maintain a steady practice schedule and obtain weekly goals.
- To be sure to develop a good sense of time right from the beginning, it is essential that you always practice with a metronome or drum machine. If you choose to use a metronome, use an electronic one with a volume control and earphones input, as an old style metronome will not be loud enough to hear when you are playing.
