“Music is embedded in the form and function of African society from day one because it is also tied to the metronome of our hearts.”įive years before the party on Sedgwick Avenue, a group called The Last Poets provided the first known of glimpse of Africa’s influence on Western hip-hop culture, during the American Civil Rights movement. “Music is a ritual for us in Africa, it’s not just entertainment,” he added. If you listen to the foundations of Fuji, it’s hip-hop,” Asika reflected, citing various music styles of different Nigerian ethnic groups. If you listen to the Orikis in Yoruba with a priest singing, it’s call-and-response. “Ogene music is at least a thousand years old it’s call-and-response. “Music is embedded in the form and function of African society from day one because it is also tied to the metronome of our hearts.” It was brought to the forefront of hip-hop in the history-making 1980 Kurtis Blow track, “ The Breaks” – with a foundation that can be found throughout African history. “Rap is fundamentally based on vocal styling, based on call-and-response, which is the foundation of all Black music,” said Obi Asika, a Nigerian entrepreneur and record executive who was instrumental in growing the country’s music industry.Ĭall-and-response, where one phrase answers another either vocally or instrumentally, was popularized through artists such as James Brown (himself inspired by gospel music). This widely recognized oral tradition, some argue, could be considered the earliest manifestation of rap, laying the groundwork for the development of hip-hop. Historically, griots have been highly skilled orators, poets, musicians, praise singers, and satirists who traveled around reciting the history of the empire with rhythm and repetition. David Corio/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Imagesĭating back to the 13th century, storytellers called “ griots” existed in West African kingdoms and empires. With such a rich history, CNN set out to track down the answer to another timeless hip-hop debate: which really came first? Did Africa influence hip-hop culture? Or was it influenced by the culture?ĭJ Kool Herc (center) pictured with fellow rappers Ja Rule and Grandmaster Flash, circa 2000. Although most enthusiasts agree the birthplace of hip-hop was in the New York City borough of the Bronx, many believe the artistic foundation of the genre can be traced back to Africa. “The world has been operating on African resources, not just on our minerals.”Ģ023 marks what’s considered by many to be the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, but the origination of the genre continues to be one of the most debated topics in all music. “We can capture all these stories so that future generations can know what all these people were doing and be inspired,” he said. It inspired him to start the South African Hip-Hop Museum in Johannesburg, and the Back to the City Festival. “What’s going to happen when all these individuals pass away, and no one remembers the story?” Menoe said. Yet little had been documented about the origins of the genre there, or the people who took it to new heights. “Africa is the beat, Africa is the soul,” he said. Menoe grew up to realize the elements of hip-hop that he loved went hand-in-hand with history and culture across the continent. “I used to like making different sounds with my mouth. “I got into the culture visually … seeing murals seeing people spraying graffiti,” he explained. But like so many, at first, he didn’t even realize what it was. Osmic Menoe was a young kid in South Africa when he first fell in love with hip-hop culture during the late 1980s, at the height of the country’s anti-apartheid movement.
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