Hip-Hop and the DJ’s Impact on Regional Styles of Rap Part 2
By the mid-80’s, cities outside of New York started using the same turntable techniques to isolate new breaks from other records and plant the seeds for other subgenres to emerge.
Some of the breaks that originated outside of New York resulted from crate digging for something that sounded dope. Memphis deejay, DJ Spanish Fly would be the first to early popular records in these subgenres in records which planted the seeds for new genres of hiphop. In Memphis, DJ Spanish Fly would pull a break from the track called “drag rap” performed by the Showboys of Queens new york for his track called “triggaman”.
The world-famous “triggerman” beat would be used as the foundation of bounce music in New Orleans that would be spread by MC. T. Tucker and DJ Irv’s “Where Dey At” was released in 1991 and then by Dj Jimi on his track “Where They At”. In the 2000s Juvenile, David Banner, and Drake would all rap over production that features the well-used drum break.
In Miami, Mantronix would popularize the use of the “Amen” drum break that was isolated from the record “Amen, Brother” performed by a soul band called the Winstons. This break would contribute to the Miami bass music scene that would spawn 2 Live Crew with its star Luke Skywalker aka Uncle Luke and would spawn chart-topping crossover hits like “Tootsie Roll” from the 69 Boyz and “Whoomp there it is’’ from Tag Team.
These uptempo rhythmic dance songs would carry on the techno-influenced hiphop that was started with Afrika Bambaataa on “Planet Rock.
Other instrumental breaks were more akin to samples that essentially were hiphop remixes of classic songs. DJ Spanish Fly would contribute another break or sample that would be popularly used and a keystone to the Memphis horrorcore scene of the 90s that would be dominated by 3–6 mafia.
The chaotic and melodic pianos from “Ike’s Mood I’’ would be first used on Spanish Fly’s track called “gangsta walk” which gained its title from the dance native to Memphis and hugely popularized by crunchy black formerly of 3–6 mafia. The sample would be used by DD Paul and lord infamous in their classic track “Where is the Bud?”, Mary J. Blige, and Cam’ron.
In Houston, another Isaac Hayes track would influence a sound that would influence a generation of southern rappers. “Hung Up on My Baby” would be used for the classic Geto boys track, “Mind Playing Tricks on Me”. The song was produced by DD Akshen who became the legendary rapper Scarface. The funky update guitar that served as the wordless chorus would put Rapalot Records on the map as a legit indie powerhouse.
Its owner J. Prince was well respected in the Houston business community and was known to be able to match wits with any slick new york record executive when it came down to business. Despite the success of the ghetto boys, this was J prince’s second time around after having suffered a failure with his first attempt with the first members of the ghetto boys with the album “making trouble” which received little attention.
J Prince calmly assessed the challenges that he felt the group was facing—an identity.