Weird Theory: The Scottish Origin of Rap
The theory, argued by Prof. Ferenc Szasz of the University of New Mexico, is that modern rap music derives from the ancient Caledonian art of "flyting", in which rival poets hurled obscene rhyming insults at each other. From the Telegraph:Scottish slave owners took the tradition with them to the United States, where it was adopted and developed by slaves, emerging many years later as rap. Professor Szasz is convinced there is a clear link between this tradition for settling scores in Scotland and rap battles, which were famously portrayed in Eminem's 2002 movie 8 Mile.
The more conventional theory is that the roots of rap music trace back to ancient West African poets called "griots". From Wikipedia:
the griots of West Africa were delivering stories rhythmically, over drums and sparse instrumentation. Because of the time that has passed since the griots of old, the connections between rap and the African griots are widely established, but not clear-cut. However, such connections have been acknowledged by rappers, modern day "griots", spoken word artists, mainstream news sources, and academics.
Actually, given the big gap in time between these two possible origins and the emergence of rap in the 1970s, both theories sound a little iffy to me.
Comments
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Personally I think both of these possible origins are BS. I thought rap music originated with inner-city black kids who couldn't afford to buy instruments. They started using mom and dad's turntable and albums, and started adding their own words.
In the fanatical church I was forced to attend as a child, I use to hear the same kind of crap about rock music. Some BS missionary who went to Africa and was surprised to find that the african drum beats sounded like the drum beats in rock music. And since these african tribes were pagan, the drum beats are evil thus rock music is evil.
In the fanatical church I was forced to attend as a child, I use to hear the same kind of crap about rock music. Some BS missionary who went to Africa and was surprised to find that the african drum beats sounded like the drum beats in rock music. And since these african tribes were pagan, the drum beats are evil thus rock music is evil.
Posted by Madd Maxx on 01/08 at 05:41 AM
What comes around goes around. You could pretty much link any type of todays music to any type of yesterdays music if you felt like it.
Posted by AGFH on 01/08 at 06:15 AM
And didn't Shakespeare invent the 'Yo momma' fight?
Posted by Matt in Florida on 01/08 at 07:14 AM
Thy mama is so corpulent-- when she sitteth around the dwelling, she sitteth around the dwelling.
Posted by Big Gary in Poetry, Texas on 01/08 at 07:20 AM
Makes sense to me that the same people who invented bagpipes, invented rap.
Posted by Edgar on 01/08 at 07:25 AM
Yesterday I had to endure someone slighting country music and today along comes Edgar bad mouthing the pipes! What's this web page coming to!?!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 01/08 at 07:54 AM
Thou Mother is less enlightened than the common buffoon, when she watcheth 60 minutes an Hour shall pass twice for her to accomplish.
Posted by avmayes614 in the wt"F"-State on 01/08 at 08:30 AM
The most plausible theory I've read regarding the origins of rap music is that it originated in Jamaica in the late 50's/ early 60's. The MCs would organize parties and make the most of their limited number of albums by mixing them up with "boasting and toasting" as a way to self promote themselves as party planners. Many jamaicans emigrated to Brooklyn, taking the concept with them. However, if you read The Flyting of Loki aloud with a thumping bassline in the background, you understand where the scotsman is coming from.
Posted by Odd on 01/08 at 08:42 AM
"Makes sense to me that the same people who invented bagpipes, invented rap."
The ancient Anatolians invented rap?
The ancient Anatolians invented rap?
Posted by Dumbfounded on 01/08 at 08:44 AM
Props, Big Gary and avmayes!! Well doneth.
Posted by BikerPuppy on 01/08 at 09:21 AM
Actually, I buy BOTH the Scottish and African origin story. American music is basically a blending of Western (scales, instruments, Irish/Scotch jigs and reels, English) and African (rhythms, arrangements, call and response, "the dozens.") Rap is simply the melding of all these influences.
Posted by FOS on 01/08 at 10:18 AM
There's no connection to Scotland or Africa. Rap is just an after-effect of defecating on everything that people fought and died for in the civil rights movement. Now that they're no longer interested in going to the schools people battled to get them into and being intelligent (dismissed as "acting white"), they haven't the music or language skills to do any better.
Posted by Dave on 01/08 at 10:21 AM
FOS - The melding you are discussing resulted in Blues...not rap. From there, blues gave birth to jazz and rock.
Posted by Madd Maxx on 01/08 at 10:26 AM
BTW, Expat, I think I would prefer the bagpipes over country any day. Unless you are discussing real country music and not the BS that is put out today by people who couldn't break into the rock industry.
Posted by Madd Maxx on 01/08 at 10:52 AM
No, Maxx, the REAL stuff from back when it was music! Roy, Tammy, Loretta, Tex, Johnny, and Elton.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 01/08 at 11:35 AM
Expat, don't forget good ol' Hank.
Posted by Madd Maxx on 01/08 at 11:41 AM
Maxx- Big Band and swing ushered in Jazz, Blues always existed and was an extension of gospel in african american circles. Country and blues together brought us Rock-n-Roll...OZZIE brought us METAL!
Posted by avmayes614 in the wt"F"-State on 01/08 at 01:48 PM
to understand the modern orgins of RAP & Hip Hop because the is a DIFFERENCE. I invite you all to D/L or purchase Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters early works or The Last Poets.
Posted by avmayes614 in the wt"F"-State on 01/08 at 01:50 PM
i thought rap was the result of wanna be rock stars who couldn't carry a tune in a paper bag, so they speak the lerics rhythmicly.
just a thought.
just a thought.
Posted by patty in ohio on 01/08 at 02:24 PM
Maxx--yeah, that's my whole point. The blues begat jazz, jazz begat rock, rock begat soul, soul begat rap.
Note: I realize the above is a simplification, missing out on major genres like country, funk, disco, and punk, but this is the main trend as far as I can see.
614--uh, big band did NOT usher in Jazz. Jazz was originally performed by small combos. When these combos were expanded to orchestras, the big band era was born.
To all the haters who think rap takes no talent: I dare you to do your own. It's WAY, WAY harder than it seems! Also, you sound like total squares. If you were a bit older, you would be probably be complaining about that rock music being nothing but a racket and you would implore the kids to "turn that garbage down!"
Note: I realize the above is a simplification, missing out on major genres like country, funk, disco, and punk, but this is the main trend as far as I can see.
614--uh, big band did NOT usher in Jazz. Jazz was originally performed by small combos. When these combos were expanded to orchestras, the big band era was born.
To all the haters who think rap takes no talent: I dare you to do your own. It's WAY, WAY harder than it seems! Also, you sound like total squares. If you were a bit older, you would be probably be complaining about that rock music being nothing but a racket and you would implore the kids to "turn that garbage down!"
Posted by FOS on 01/08 at 02:58 PM
Category: Weird Theory