Peter M Howard ::

The Sound of Philadelphia
or The Myth of Locality in US Hip Hop

Nov2003

This was originally written as a Music and Popular Culture major assessment. Basically just a run-down of the artists involved, but based on my realisation that there's something very different about the hip hop coming out of Philly. Still not quite sure what it is though; this essay will have to be revisited at some stage...

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. 'Neo-Soul'
  3. The Past
  4. DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (CD Tk 1)
  5. The Roots (CD Tk 2)
  6. Common (CD Tk 3)
  7. The Movement
  8. The Future (CD Tk 4)
  9. Bibliography

Introduction

This project is primarily driven by an exploration of the largely Philadelphia-based 'neo-soul' movement. It identifies many of the current recording artists in Philadelphia hip hop, and explores their backgrounds and their views as expressed through their body of work. The project is inspired by a recognition that the 'neo-soul' movement appears tied to a location, Philadelphia, and that it is dramatically different to black musics appearing from other (American) locations.

CD Contents

Track 1: Will Smith feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff, 'Pump Me Up', from Willenium
Track 2: The Roots feat. Erykah Badu, Eve, 'You Got Me', the Grammy award winning single from Things Fall Apart, co-written by Jill Scott
Track 3: Common, 'Jimi Was A Rock Star', from Electric Circus, 8-minute tribute to Jimi Hendrix, heavy funk
Track 4: The Roots feat. Common, 'Act Too (Love of My Life)', from Things Fall Apart, the seminal hip hop song of the late 90s

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'Neo-Soul'

For the sake of this project, I have divided American hip hop roughly into three areas. It is an artificial breakdown, and because at times I am talking about music made nearly 20 years ago, does not always work. But for the purposes of this project these rules stick:

By 'gangster rap' I am referring to most mainstream rap music - music that is mistakenly called 'gangster' but because the title has stuck I will use it for now. This music includes what can actually be called 'gangsta' as well as other commercial rap. The music is generally easily identifiable by its lyrical content, and is generally the same musically (and is certainly unique when compared to the other two areas I identified). 'Gangster rap' is also generally tied to a locality - usually an area of New York or Los Angeles. Other localities have been represented more recently, but normally by artists who then base themselves in NY or LA. Lyrically the music identifies the artists with either the street or the high life, or a (paradoxical) combination of the two. It is the music generally associated in the media with guns, drugs and sexism. This area of music includes artists such as Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Puff Daddy, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent.

What I'm calling 'alternative hip hop' can be identified musically. Generally it consists of groups that are searching for an alternative (!) to mainstream rap, by using a range of other musical influences - most commonly 'old school hip hop'. For that reason this music is sometimes also referred to, when it's referred to at all, as 'old school' - but that's different to 'old school' which is old school because it's actually old. The sound then has a lot of old sounds, including DJs scratching, the use of samples, and clever rhymes. As an alternative to gangster rap, the lyrical content is generally positive - although sometimes that just means hearking back to the days of the communal block party. I could get into the romanticisation of 'community', but much of that is beyond the scope of this project. This area of hip hop includes artists such as the Fugees, De La Soul, Jurassic 5 and the Black Eyed Peas. Importantly, although the artists identify somewhat with localities, their musical identity is not tied to a place like in gangster rap. For example, though most of the members of Jurassic 5 come from Los Angeles, this fact is rarely mentioned in their music. And while the members of the Fugees grew up together in New York, the localities they mention are staples of old school and reggae musics.

Finally, there's 'neo-soul'. While it's something of an inappropriate title (the cover of Erykah Badu's new album 'Worldwide Underground' claims "neo-soul is dead") and I'm expanding it beyond it's initial uses, it works to group together the artists my project will cover. The term 'neo-soul' was used in the media to describe artists such as Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. Their music was marked by a revival of 60s soul music, but much of it was also influenced by other black soul musics including jazz and reggae. For this reason, and because of the huge amount of collaboration that goes on between these artists and the others I will discuss, I have also grouped the hip hop artist Common and band The Roots. While that may seem a purely arbitrary decision on my part, it is driven by a recognition that these artists share something in common. All are influenced by a range of soul musics; those who could be labelled 'alternative hip hop' (eg Common or The Roots) are even more 'alternative', mainly because of their different influences; and all are based in Philadelphia, most having grown up there and been together in Philadelphia's artist community, and now working together regularly.

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The Past

It is beyond this project to give any sort of history, but there are some important points to raise about the past in order to reflect on the soul revival. When discussing the beginnings of hip hop, Nelson George explains: "These b-boys (and girls) were mostly black and Hispanic. They were hip hop's first generation. They were America's first post-soul kids. ...Some say this is the first generation of black Americans to experience nostalgia. And it all showed up in the music." (George, 1998, p xi) This 'nostalgia' is a driving force behind neo-soul.

Nelson George also explains the values in hip hop. He argues that the values present in gangster rap are merely a reflection of values in the wider American society:

"It is also essential to understand that the values that underpin so much hip hop - materialism, brand consciousness, gun iconography, anti-intellectualism - are very much by-products of the larger American culture. Despite the 'dangerous' edge of so much hip hop culture, all of its most disturbing themes are rooted in this country's dysfunctional values. Anti-Semitism, racism, violence, and sexism are hardly unique to rap stars but are the most sinister aspects of the national character.

"...Hip hop has brought America a new language of rhythm, speech, and movement that has inspired a generation to take to verse to say what was too long unspoken about this nation." (George, 1998, p xiii)

This is worth keeping in mind in relation to neo-soul: it is a movement of artists using the language to speak about the culture - whether it is outright political preaching, or advancing black culture through music. It is also a response to the 'dysfunctional values' in mainstream gangster rap.

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DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith)

While not necessarily artists I would group as part of the neo-soul movement, both have played an important part in the Philadelphia hip hop scene. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince were hip hoppers in the late 80s and early 90s, with a handful of hits and Rap Grammies in 1988 and 1991. Will Smith hit mainstream success as a TV actor in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. After movie successes, he returned to hip hop with Big Willie Style in 1997. While the album was undeniably a success, in hip hop circles, suddenly Will Smith wasn't 'real'. This is despite the fact that he was rapping about the same things as when he was Fresh Prince, and so he can't be accused of 'selling-out' like gangster artists when they become successful. But what is important for this project is his response. To make some claim of real-ness, Smith hooked up with his old partner, Philadelphia staple DJ Jazzy Jeff. Jazzy Jeff had been a part of the Philadelphia hip hop scene for years, supporting and producing other artists. And not only did Smith get Jazzy Jeff to produce his album, and to appear on a couple of 'old-school'-flavoured songs, but he also shot videos to match - complete with B-boys and Philadelphia streets featured prominently.

Jazzy Jeff can be grouped with the neo-soul movement, because though his music is more old school, he now works with various artists in the movement, including The Roots and Jill Scott. Will Smith is much more pop, but it is interesting that when called on to make some claim to real-ness he returns to his Philadelphia roots and the neo-soul movement.

Smith also supports his fellow Philadelphia artists when he can. When The Roots had trouble getting a song published, he included it on his Men In Black soundtrack CD - The 'Notic featuring D'Angelo. And he got Common and Jill Scott a spot on the Wild Wild West soundtrack.

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The Roots

The Roots are a hip hop band, led by ?uestlove (Ahmir Thompson, the band's lead drummer) and Black Thought (Tariq Trotter, the lead MC). These two founded the band in 1987 while studying together at Philadelphia's High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Since then they've changed their name a few times, added and lost band members. Today they are a 6 member live band, but regularly perform with other artists. Their first album was self-released in Europe only, leading them to perform in jazz festivals in Europe. They are still acclaimed in Europe, and perform for both jazz and hip hop crowds. Back in America, after releasing 2 albums for Geffen Records (their 2nd sold over 400,000), they were signed to MCA in 1998. Their first MCA album, Things Fall Apart, broke them into the US market proper. They won a 1999 Grammy for their single 'You Got Me', featuring Erykah Badu and Eve and co-written by Jill Scott. All 3 artists were relatively unknown at the time, all are from Philadelphia.

?uestlove and Black Thought are important players in the hip hop scene, with a strong interest in black culture. In one song Thought raps that he is "loved by thugs and intellectuals". ?uestlove, as well as being the band's drummer, is also a DJ and producer. He also co-founded okayplayer.com, a website for other artists in the movement.

It should be noted that though the 'movement' is not strictly defined by anyone, it exists enough that when fellow artist Cody ChestnuTT features on their newest album, ?uestlove writes in the liner notes: "Shameless Plug Time: THE HEADPHONE MASTERPIECE by Cody ChestnuTT, | Support a Movement damnit."

But back to ?uestlove: "if you listen real closely to our music we're not heavy preachers anyway. Our politics really comes in when we speak to the public and that's where you see our conscience." (Walker, 2001, interview with ?uestlove) While not as political as some other hip hop, their music is however filled with cultural references. The album cover for their latest, Phrenology, is covered in images from the culture: a Black Panther logo, a lynching, black power fists, KKK, a kid shooting up heroin, Elvis, a breakdancer, turntables, drums, a mic.

And ?uest talks of the war going on: "Black music right now is like this whole Star Wars battle. There are very few people who are on the side of art and are goin' up against the Death Star. D'Angelo is Luke Skywalker. Prince, Stevie, James, Marvin and George are our Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi. And, most definitely, Lauryn [Hill] is Princess Leia." (quoted in Rolling Stone, 1999) To this end, The Roots are all about pushing the boundaries of music, helping other artists do the same, and hopefully changing the culture in the process.

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Common

Common is a hip hop rapper who is truely neo-soul. His music is influenced by a range of sounds, including jazz, soul, Creole, and funk. His latest album, Electric Circus was named for the studio where much of it was recorded - the Electric Lady Studios where Jimi Hendrix recorded. In his opening track, Soul Power, he claims "Common Sense is like the future of the B-boy" (Common, 2002). This statement sums up his music - searching new ground to keep hip hop moving. While he doesn't enjoy huge commercial success, there is no doubt that his work has influence - acclaimed throughout the hip hop community. His albums have been produced by ?uestlove, from The Roots, with whom he has worked many times.

Where The Roots save politics for their public appearances, Common's lyrics are full of cultural criticism - of society, of hip hop, of black culture. He has songs addressing everything from prostitution to freedom and Assata Shakur. His latest album cover is also full of cultural references - a collage of 86 head shots of his influences - from political figures to fellow artists to family.

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The Movement

Jill Scott met ?uestlove and DJ Jazzy Jeff when she became involved in Philadelphia's artist community. She co-wrote The Roots' hugely successful single 'You Got Me'. Jazzy Jeff helped produce her debut album. She appears on Common's album. Erykah Badu appeared on The Roots 'You Got Me', and now works closely with Common. Jazzy Jeff appears on songs for The Roots and Common. The Roots and Common collaborated on the seminal Act Too (Love of My Life), since remixed for Erykah Badu.

Now might be a good time to mention two other Philadelphia-raised artists who don't fit the 'neo-soul' group: Eve and Kurupt. But both can be excused. Kurupt grew up in Philadelphia, but left in 1986 for Los Angeles, where he met Snoop Dogg. He returned to Philadelphia in 1997 to start a record company, but it was short-lived. Even now he is still considered part of Snoop Dogg's LA-based Dogg Pound. Eve appeared on The Roots' 'You Got Me' as Eve of Destruction, but went almost unnoticed at first. Since then she has moved and joined Ruff Ryders, based in New York. She has enjoyed much success since this move, but she can no longer (if ever) be considered part of the neo-soul movement. In the popular imagination, neither artist is tied to Philadelphia - which is the key to my idea that neo-soul is somehow a unique Philadelphia movement.

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The Future

The Roots and Common's Act Too (Love of My Life) tells of their love for hip hop - and her history, her unfaithfulness, and ongoing love nonetheless. The song was written in the key few years after the deaths of 2Pac and the Notorious BIG. At the time people thought things were going to change. With their deaths came the death of 'gangsta' and there was brief soul-searching as people explored other musics. But, as Nelson George predicted, writing in 1998:

"The long term direction of America, and hip hop's role in it, will be decided by two very different factors. First, the state of America's soul. Will a commitment to social justice, to nonpolarizing politics and old-fashioned community resurface? If so, such a humanist movement would certainly alter the culture, perhaps spawning a musical movement as optimistic as the golden days of Motown. Don't hold your breath." (George, 1998, p 212)

The 'neo-soul' movement was and still is an attempt to affect the "state of America's soul". But since writing Act Too, some would suggest that Common and The Roots have fallen out of love with hip hop. There is certainly evidence on their latest albums of a desperate search for something else - both albums are much more rock/funk driven. This is similar to Erykah Badu's claim that "neo-soul is dead". Perhaps this can be explained by Nelson George's comment on hip hop: "most profoundly, it is a product of schizophrenic, post-civil rights movement America." (George, 1998, p xiv)

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Bibliography

Discography

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