The phrase “There’s nothing new under the sun” is just as applicable to music as it is anything else. And while many scholars have defined originality as something new and never seen before, allow me to play devil’s advocate for a moment.

Consider the U.S. patent system and their methods for determining whether an item should be available for mass market. The patent office will typically award a patent to a person who proves their invention to be new. But in most cases, they will also give one to a creation that is ‘non-obvious, useful or industrially applicable.’

Now let us return to music. There are many music producers, past and present, that use samples of other artist’s recordings to create a new composition. Some use a full four-bar measure of an original and loop it. But I don’t find this method to be very artistic unless it is layered with another sample.

This is known as blending, and when done correctly - matching keys, pitches and rhythms between samples - it can be an extremely technical tool in DJing and record producing. But the problem is, very rarely is it done correctly. Using history as a gauge, it would seem that only one in every generation would be able to do it well.

The first of the pioneer in blending melodic compositions was DJ Shadow. In the movie Scratch, DJ Shadow said that looking for records ‘has almost karmic element of finding one record because it works so well with another.’ This is the sound that dominates majority of DJ Shadow’s first album, Endtroducing. Every sample that he uses blends seamlessly with the one before it.

“Building Steam with a Grain of Salt” is the first true song from the album. In this song, DJ Shadow blends the Lexia’s soulful ‘I can fly to the strangest land!’ vocals from “I Worship You” (The Jean Leccia Interpolation) with the opening guitar from Jermey Storch’s “I Feel a New Shadow” (From a Naked Window).

In the early 2000’s, another producer emerged from Columbus, Ohio named RJD2. I heard never heard another producer do what he does - taking an original record and reworking it into his own composition. On his song “1976”, he mixes the unlikely combination of a Spanish record (Sophy’s “Un Amor Original” from Yo Soy Una Mujer Y Una Santa) and a German Pop record (“Istanbul” from Cora’s self-titled album).

Just as DJ Shadow mentioned in Scratch, “The records that producers sample from are like a pile of broken dreams.” But if it is also true that “if you’re making records and DJing you’re adding to the pile of records you’re sampling from”, how can records that contain samples ever be called ‘not original?’

Without African Americans, there is no American music. Some of the most raw, energetic, complex, and groundbreaking music that has ever been played was played by African Americans from the US. Everything we listen to today, in some way or another, was influenced by their musical vision and innovation.

Here are 18 musical innovations that we can thank these amazing musicans for.

The Banjo:

The Banjo

Invented by enslaved Africans in Appalachia, the banjo may not be a hugely popular musical instrument today, but it has proven to be an essential component of many types of American roots music. Roots music is a broad term that refers to music that was developed in the US, and is said to have spawned most forms of American music, including country, folk, jazz, blues, and to a certain extent, rock music too.

Blues:

John Lee Hooker

Evolving from slave-era work songs and spirituals, the blues were invented in African American communities in the deep south. Blues is a very open style of music that can be played in many different ways. Over time, various styles emerged in different locations, and these regional variations would eventually form the basis of what would become Jazz, R&B, and Rock and Roll. Blues is the most important innovation in American music, and it has been massively influential to musicians all around the world, most notably, English musicians in the 1960's such as Cream, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.

Jazz:

Thelonious Monk

Originating in the New Orleans area at the beginning of the 20th century, jazz is arguably the most profound American musical innovation, with just as much significance as European classical music. Jazz has of course evolved within itself many times over, with every evolution spawning even more musical innovations and innovators. While it's true that jazz was influenced in a way by European classical music, it has also remained very distinct. Jazz is the medium that spawned several other forms of African American music, and each era of jazz left a significant mark on the development of American popular music. Let's look at the various eras of jazz music and their effects.

Ragtime:

Scott Joplin

First heard at the very end of the 19th century, Ragtime music was a style of music innovated by freed slaves who worked in vaudeville. It was popularized by classically-trained pianist Scott Joplin. Ragtime music formed the basis for what would soon be called jazz.

Dixieland:

Louis Armstrong

Invented in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century, what later became known as "Dixieland" jazz was a musical style played in bars and brothels in the Storyville area of New Orleans. Using musical instruments from European classical music, and influenced by the Blues, Ragtime, and various Latin and Caribbean music traditions, Dixieland jazz was the beginning of it all. One of the most famous musicians to come from this tradition was one of the most beloved entertainers of the 20th century, Louis Armstrong.

Swing:

Count Basie

Swing music started gaining momentum in the 1920's with the musical innovations of people like Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Featuring large bands that played dance music, swing became the most popular American music from this time through the 40's. In addition, the swing era brought a more broad, and white audience to jazz, and many white musicians were beginning to play jazz music. People such as Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw introduced swing music to this wider audience, and opened the doors for people like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

Bebop:

Charlie Parker

Bebop is an innovation within jazz that initially was exclusively played by black musicians. Bebop is credited for taking jazz away from popular music, and into more creative and innovative territory. Bebop is generally played very fast, and was not intended for dancing. It has even been claimed that bebop music was played so fast and with such virtuosity that white musicians could not play it. Some of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived came from the bebop movement. Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gilespie, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, and Max Roach were masters of their instruments and legendary musical innovators.

Modal Jazz:

Kind of Blue

Before Modal Jazz, most jazz improvization was based on chord progressions. Modal jazz was based on modes (or scales), and shifted the emphasis of the music from harmonies to melodies. The most famous piece to come from the modal jazz movement was Miles Davis' groundbreaking "Kind of Blue". Many of the musicians that worked with Davis on Kind of Blue and other sessions, including John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Bill Evans, Jimmy Cobb, and Paul Chambers were also influential on Modal Jazz. Herbie Hancock was another major player who released several albums in the 1960's that followed the Modal Jazz style.

Free Jazz:

John & Alice Coltrane

In the late 1950's musicians such as Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, and Cecil Taylor were playing a style of jazz that was rooted in bebop, but drew on on various forms of international music. In addition, this type of jazz relied less on the "rules" of tempo, timing, melody, and harmony. To some, the music was hard to listen to, and to others, it was a breath of fresh air. Free Jazz was very controversial, although an important piece in the evolution of Jazz. In the mid 1960's, John Coltrane also began playing free jazz and led younger musicians such as Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, and Sun Ra into the avant garde. Although not nearly as "free" as his later work, Coltrane's 1964 album A Love Supreme is one of the most profound musical achievements ever recorded.

Jazz Fusion:

Herbie Hancock's Headhunters

Mix the musical innovations of Jimi Hendrix, James Brown and Sly Stone with people like Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, and you have the birth of fusion--an electric version of jazz that drew heavily from rock, soul and R&B music. Innovated by Miles Davis on "In a Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew", fusion became a powerful force in the Jazz world in the 1970's. Groups such as Weather Report, Tony Williams Lifetime, Return to Forever, and The Mahavishnu Orchestra took the jazz, r&b, and rock world by storm with this eclectic blend of all three. Herbie Hancock's classic fusion album "Headhunters" is one of the greatest works from the fusion era.

R&B:

Initially, R&B was more of a marketing term rather than a useful definition of a style of music. R&B was used to describe music (initially, at least) that was by African American musicians for an African American audience. The term came into existence during the Rock & Roll era, and it was a combination of jazz, blues, and gospel music--similar to rock & roll. In fact, some may claim that rock & roll and R&B music were the same thing, they just had different intended audiences.

Rock and Roll:

Bo Diddley

What became known as rock & roll music evolved from the blues, jazz, country, gospel and folk music. The earliest forms of Rock & Roll came from the late 1930's and early 1940's. People such as Big Joe Turner and Sister Rosetta Tharpe were probably the first to lay the groundwork for what would become rock & roll. The mid 1950's is when rock & roll really began to gain attention. People like Bo Diddley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry were some of the most important figures in the early development of Rock  & Roll, although the credit is usually given to Bill Haley and Elvis Presley.

Doo Wop:

Frankie Lymon

Rooted in African American vocal groups of the 30's and 40's, plus influenced by the blues and gospel, doo wop was one of the most popular forms of rock & roll/r&b in the 1950's and early 60's. The standout characteristic of doo wop music is vocal harmony. One of the most popular doo wop songs, and the one credited with the rise in popularity of doo wop was Frankie Lymon's "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"? Other famous groups were the Monotones and the Diamonds. During it's heyday, this particular style of music was very popular amongst the youth of America. Towards the end of the doo wop era, many musicians of Italian descent started to produce their own version.

Soul Music:

James Brown and the Flames

Soul music began showing up in the 1950's as a combination of R&B, Doo Wop, and Gospel. This new style of music was yet another important innovation in American music. People such as Ray Charles, James Brown, and Otis Redding were some of the most famous performers to come from the soul movement. Soul, like many other styles of music had regional variants (Motown soul from Detroit, Memphis Soul, Chicago Soul), and has continued to evolve since its inception. The 1970's were a very important time for soul as it moved towards a more socially conscious message. Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield were some of the more visible figures in this movement, and the great James Brown laid it out beautifully with the classic "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud".

Jimi Hendrix's Guitar Style:

Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix came from the blues, re-invented the guitar, and ended up being one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Ask any rock guitar player about Jimi Hendrix, and you'll hear nothing but love. Contemporary rock music, while not dominated by African American musicians, owes its entire basis to Jimi Hendrix's style. At the forefront of the psychedelic movement of the late 1960's, Jimi Hendrix was the catalyst for Funk, Jazz Fusion, contemporary rock, and even heavy metal. Nobody played guitar like Hendrix, and after Hendrix, the guitar was never the same.

Funk:

George Clinton and Funkadelic

With people like Sly Stone, James Brown, and George Clinton came the birth of funk. Influenced directly by Soul, Psychedelic rock and Jazz, Funk was a new style of music that was based on these other genres, yet much more danceable. Funk was well-known for its high-energy, and over the top performances. Funk went on to be influential to disco music, and spawned a world-wide funk craze where musicians of all kinds wanted to create their own unique version of this energetic and electric music.

Rap:

Afrika Bambaataa

In the late 1970's, after the Funk and Disco eras, a new cultural movement emerged from The Bronx in New York. This culture became known as the hip hop movement. DJing, MCing, beatboxing and breakdancing were all innovations that came from the hip hop movement. DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa are often credited as the pioneers of the hip hop movement, and the music that came from that movement, which many people refer to as rap. Artists such as Grandmaster Flash and the Sugar Hill Gang were also important figures in the development of hip hop music. Since the early days of hip-hop, rap music has gone on to become some of the most popular music among young people, both white and black, and has spawned countless variations in the United States and across the world.

1980's Pop:

Prince

In the 1980's, a new sort of pop music was spawned from 1970's soul and funk, plus a sprinkling of jazz, electronic, and rock to form music generally referred to as pop. Many of the performers who innovated this new kind of pop had also been a part of earlier soul and funk music. The biggest name to come from this era was Michael Jackson, although many others achieved massive commercial success during the 80's, including Prince, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, and Whitney Houston. 1980's pop gave birth to the greatest selling album of all time (Michael Jackson's Thriller).

Contemporary R&B:

Mariah Carey

Following the 1980's pop era, several new styles of R&B began to emerge. All-male groups such as Boyz 2 Men, Blackstreet, and Jodeci dominated the airwaves and MTV during the early 90's, and several all-female groups such as SWV, TLC, and also became popular around the same time. Several one-woman acts such as Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Lauryn Hill combined elements of soul and old-school R&B, along with more contemporary hip hop music into a new style of music that is still hugely popular to this day. Even over the past few years, some of the biggest musical acts in history perform this style of music: R. Kelly, Usher, Chris Brown, just to name a few.

Conclusion

As we can see, most of the musical innovations in popular American music are the products of African American musicians. In addition, their music has been profoundly influential on musicians all over the world.

Every time music hits your ears, take a moment to think about where it came from, feel it, and show some love.

-PEACE-

Early Hiphop: The Inception

The place: Bronx, NY. The year: 1973. Gang wars were in full swing, crime was rampant, and a man named Kevin Donovan, member of the Black Spades gang, made somewhat of a mecca to the nation of Africa.

Months later, Donovan returned to the Bronx a.k.a. 'Little Vietnam' as Afrika Bambaataa and began organizing his former gang the Black Spades into a movement called the Zulu Nation. The impact of this group would turn the gang-ridden streets of the Bronx River Houses into a unified neighborhood bleeding of culture.

As with many scientific breakthroughs, the Hip hop 'scratch' was created on accident. It happened when Theodore Livingston, a.k.a. Grand Wizard Theodore, was found blasting music on his record player by his mother. As she stood in the doorway reprimanding him, Theodore held the record with one hand, preventing it from spinning.

That was when he took notice of a strange and new sound - a rhythmic sound similar to a drum set. After his mother left, Grand Wizard Theodore experimented with it before introducing the scratch at a community party later that week.

In the early years, Hip hop was largely competition based. DJs would go so far as to cover the labels of their records to prevent others from seeing what they were using.

The repetitiveness of the single, foundational beat in any given Hip hop song can be credited to DJ Kool Herc. His contribution to Hip hop was to take the most interesting or danceable section of a song and loop it in order to give the breakdancers a chance to perform.

This idea very well might have been inspired by who is deemed the "Godfather of Hiphop", James Brown. Records such as "The Funky Drummer" and "Papa's Gotta Brand New Bag" have given inspiration for the energy that a lot of the early Hip hop fed off of.

DJing began to gain national exposure with the featuring of Grand Master DXT on Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" performance. This crossover of genres added a new dimension to the Jazz music.

In 1980 the Sugar Hill Gang released the first ever all-rap record under the title "Rappers Delight." Before it, rappers (or MCs) had been the ones to take the backseat to DJs; speaking over the microphone only to tell party-goers that their cars were illegally parked or their mothers were telling them to come home.

After it, Hip hop would become a worldwide enterprise.

The Golden Era

D.I.T.C. (Lord Finesse, Diamond D, Showbiz specifically), The Beatminerz as well as DJ Premier and Pete Rock can be credited with being some of the most influential beatdiggers / producers of the early to mid nineties, also known as the golden age of Hiphop.

Songs like "T.R.O.Y" by Pete Rock and CL Smooth and "Above the Clouds" by Gangstarr and have set the bar for the quality of a Hip hop beat. These songs have a sound quality that is absent from much of the albums today... the way the drums sound so real that in listening it almost feels as though you are at a live concert... the manner in which the samples have a crisp and undeniable tonal quality.

Another notable record is the 1997 released album "Endtroducing" by DJ Shadow. The album's make up is the majority record samples, but interestingly enough many of the songs have been used in movies and television shows. Since it's release, many DJs have attempted to do similar stand-alone instrumental albums, most notably RJD2's Deadringer and Prefuse 73's Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives.

It should also be noted that there are even more distinctions between beat diggers. While one beatmaker might only use first edition releases of a record, another might go so far as to sample from a CD when unable to find a particular piece of vinyl. Many purists think of this as cheating, and consider it as a detriment to the culture of Hip hop.

Present Day Hip hop

The late 90s saw a drastic change for Hip hop as the music changed from being largely sample based to synthesizers and keyboards. This change came due to a number or copyright lawsuits from the artists and their record labels that were being sampled.

The denial of sample usage began in 1991, when record executives became savvy to the fact that they could gain residual income from rappers using their music. After this, no one would be able to slay the giant of copyright infringement without a relatively big wallet.

Rap groups such as Public Enemy and Gangstarr were severely hurt by the new laws. When comparing their first album "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" to "Fear of a Black Planet", a definite change can be heard, specifically in the number of sampled parts used in the song.

One lawsuit that did manage to lend some credibility to sampling came with the Beastie Boys being sued by James Newton for their use of his song "Choir" on their track "Pass the Mic." The judge ruled that the Beastie Boys had obtained sufficient rights to the six-second flute stab in question prior to its usage, and all charges were dismissed.

Artists such as Puff Daddy (now known as Diddy) paved the way for an even greater commercialization of Hip hop music. And while much of the music has strayed from it's Hip hop culture, many artists still do a decent job of remaining true it. Below is a listing of essentials from the last decade for any fan of Hip hop records.

RJD2 -Deadringer
Jay Z -Blueprint
Dr. Dre - 2001
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Kanye West - College Dropout
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
El-P - Fantastic Damage
Dead Prez - Let's Get Free
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx II
Common - Like Water for Chocolate

These records prove that beat digging and sampling are not dead, and never will be. The amount of red tape that must be cut might be greater, it's true, but it is necessary in order for Hip hop to return to the art form that it once was.

It's very fashionable to dislike hip hop and rap and make it known. I hear this rhetoric all the time, usually from older folks, and a surprising number of younger folks too. People say that hip hop is not music, that it's offensive, that it's not a useful medium. Hip hop is probably the most heavily criticized music in the world. Why is this the case?

Well, interestingly enough, many of the people who say they dislike hip hop are white. My intent is not to turn this blog into a discussion of social issues; this blog is about music, first and foremost, but I also believe it's difficult to talk about hip hop without talking about race. Anyway, before I offend anybody, let me make it clear that disliking hip hop does not make you a racist. However, I do want to make it clear that there is a very clear racial line between people who like hip hop and people who dislike hip hop.

For most people, this is probably due to upbringing. Many white kids are raised on classical, pop, and rock music--genres which are mostly dominated by white musicians, while many black kids are often raised on R&B--which is mostly dominated by black musicians. When you expose someone to something that they are not used to, it is completely human to be cautious. Many white people don't like hip hop since it is simply new and unlike anything that they're used to. On the flip side of the coin, it also seems true that black people aren't into rock music. So, many people don't like hip hop simply because it's not within their comfort zone. Fair enough, but what about the criticisms of hip hop?

Let's start at the top. Many people say "Hip Hop is not music". Ok, people. It is music. Hip hop is music. Get over it. There is rhythm, melody, harmony, instrumentation, vocals, and so on. I don't understand how you can say it is not music.

Some people might say "Well, what about instrumentalists? There are no instruments in hip hop". First of all, this is a stereotype, and not rooted in reality. You see, many people associate the instrumentation in hip hop and rap with record scratching. And it's true, hip hop does contain record scratching, but that's not all it contains. Most hip hop has a wide variety of instrumentation ranging from keyboards to guitar to horns to computer generated sounds. And even if it only included the sound of a record scratching, making those sounds is a skill that takes practice and finesse, just like playing any other instrument. Sure, anyone can scratch a record, but anyone can also pluck a string on a guitar. That doesn't mean it will sound good. Besides, most people have no trouble calling Britney Spears music, even though she doesn't really produce, perform, or write her melodies, she just shows up and sings.

Hip hop truly is a form of artistic expression, and it is musical. It takes a good ear to put together good hip hop. Even if you're using samples and loops and sounds, and all sorts of other things, it still takes hours of time, and a clear artistic vision to put all of the pieces together to make something interesting to the ears. Composers do it all the time, they simply use different instruments. Repeat after me, hip hop is music.

OK, next many people talk about hip hop being offensive. It's not all offensive, in fact, a pretty small percentage of it is offensive. Sure, we all know about violent and misogynistic "gangsta rap", but this style is not really the dominant force in hip hop. But, on the other hand, how can you completely dismiss it? When you listen to a group like NWA, there are some very revolutionary things being said, and quite honestly, if I was "Straight Outta Compton", I'd probably write a song like "Fuck Tha Police" or "Cop Killa" too. This early gangsta rap brought important issues of police brutality, racial profiling, gang violence, drug abuse, and other ills of society to national attention. This music brought the hard realities of the ghetto life into the public knowledge. It may not be pretty, but now that we're confronted with these problems, we are in a better position to address them. Reality isn't always pretty. Reality can be offensive. That doesn't mean we should hide from it.

Let's take a look at the majority of hip hop now. Most of it is not very offensive. Much hip hop has deep roots in old-school and modern R&B, as well as jazz and electronic music. A lot of this music is about peace, love, happiness, finding a better life, and other good things. Sure, there are some prudish people that are offended by the sometimes explicit descriptions of sexual acts in hip hop, but hey, at least they're not talking about killing people. Instead, they're talking about love, pleasure, making someone feel good, and so on.

**Quick soapbox: Why can they show violent movies on TV, with people getting shot and stabbed, and murdered, and beaten, and other violent, anti-social behavior, yet you'd better not show Janet Jackson's nipple, or two people making love? Just saying...**

Another attribute of hip hop is a keen awareness of social issues. Many great hip hop acts talk about racism, poverty, and violence in a negative way. Much of this music expresses a deep lament for the world in which many children have to grow up in. This is music with a deep consciousness, and while it is sometimes offensive, it does have meaningful things to say. This is a social music that is truly for the people. For the people who have lived it, and for the people who want to know more about it.

Many people also take offense to the language used by many hip hop artists. Of course, when you can look at this slang from a more rational perspective, you can see some more interesting things going on. First of all, much of the language used by hip hop is slang. These words have the same meanings of other phrases that people use all the time, but since they're in hip hop, they're considered more offensive. Bitch, for example. Many people like to say that rappers use the term to describe women. They're not really. They're using it the same way that everyone else does: To describe an unsavory woman. When a rapper says "nigga", he's saying "person". They're reclaiming the word and making it their own. They're taking power from white people who use it as a slur. It's genius and revolutionary. Also, people criticize hip hop because they don't use "proper English". Guess what people? Language evolves. Otherwise, we'd still be speaking middle English. Rappers don't feel supported by the English language, so they've created their own version of it. That is a radical and revolutionary act, and more power to them.

Finally, people say that hip hop has nothing to offer, that it is not a useful medium. I think if you can agree with some of the statements I made above, you can see that this is not true at all. Music serves an important purpose in humanity, and hip hop is music. In addition, hip hop has a lot to say about society and the world. It isn't always pretty, but it is always relevant. You don't have to like hip hop or listen to hip hop, but it does deserve the same artistic credibility as every other type of music.

"Peace and I'm out." -Chuck D.