Chance Meeting
Friday February 2nd, 2024 with Heavy Ben
Black History Month: the return of the wayback machine to early hip hop, electro and disco rap

Chance meeting on the move of a rap and a beat Respecting that this was not made to cater to a white audience in the first place, to me there is a distinct, brief, sweet spot in hip hop history. Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" took everyone by surprise in 1979, but then it took several years for rap to catch on in a big way. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's "The Message" in 1982 was an early breakthrough. Def Jam records started in 1983. Run-DMC's first album was in 1984. L.L. Cool J's in 1985. Electro and break dancing took hold and motion pictures Breakin' and Beat Street soon followed. What came in between? Less played these days is the 1979-83 disco rap that I personally find to be real party starters. Leagues away from today's hip hop, the nascent scene had a message from day one, but was distinguished by organic productions based on actual musicians (!) amid accessible disco and funk loops. Not yet commercial. 10-minute songs. Independent artists and record labels. It is more positive, less cynical, less gangsta, not digital, and not contrived for an algorithm. Pictured: T-Ski Valley. It was acceptablie in the 80s. T is for Tyrone. S for Sensation. K is for Koolest in the Nation. I is for Inspiration. Valley is where I came from [the Valley in the Bronx]. Tyrone Cox recorded for Grand Groove Records, a sub label of Brad Osborne's reggae label Clock Tower Records. Interesting interview with T-Ski Valley that talks about growing up in Harlem, working in a reggae record store, Brad Osborne's murder, early New York hip hop (Spoonie Gee, Kool Herc, AJ DJ), stories of the music business, and shenanigans. https://www.thafoundation.com/tski.htm