Kool Herc and U Roy interview

[Islandman]

This is a nice little video clip of Herc talking about his Jamaican roots and influences. Even though we all know that Herc got some of his ideas that laid the foundation of hip-hop music from Jamaican sound systems I never had a good feel of how much he followed Jamacian music after migrating to the Bronx. In this this video he make sure it clear that he has a sound knowledge of the sound system movement going back to Coxone and Count Machukie who was the original dancehall toaster.

Worth a watch, he sounds authentically Jamaican as well.

https://youtu.be/guhdPYnq-gc

[Sir X]

He definitely respects the foundation.

[Don1]

Foundation yute...

Wikid tings

[Historian]

Re: Kool Herc and U Roy interview

Absolutely nothing new has been stated in this “feel-good” interview. It’s simply a meeting between U Roy and a couple of so-called Jamaicans. Everything that has been stated in this video has, countless times before, been stated much more eloquently and accurately by other Jamaicans.

By the way, when was this interview recorded? I ask because DJ Kool Herc is probably the youngest looking 61-year-old man that I have seen in a long, long time! I’m also happy that he’s now stating positive views about dancehall’s history in the history of rap music.

This is a nice little video clip of Herc talking about his Jamaican roots and influences. Even though we all know that Herc got some of his ideas that laid the foundation of hip-hop music from Jamaican sound systems I never had a good feel of how much he followed Jamacian music after migrating to the Bronx. In this this video he make sure it clear that he has a sound knowledge of the sound system movement going back to Coxone and Count Machukie who was the original dancehall toaster.

Worth a watch, he sounds authentically Jamaican as well.

https://youtu.be/guhdPYnq-gc

[Jangle]

Welcome back Historian

[Islandman]

Historian, I have never seen or heard Kool Herc himself speak about Jamaican music in any detail before this clip. In all the Herc interviews I have seen he sounds very American and speaks about his experimenting with extending breaks etc , while it is casually mentioned that his is a Jamaican immigrant. Herc really did not play Jamaican music after he made a name and built a following for himself. He came to the Bronx as a child so it was never clear to me before this how strong his connection to JA music was and how much it really influenced him. If you know of clips which show Herc speaking about JA music in more detail than this I would love to watch them.

Merry Christmas although this rant isn't exactly an encouraging return to the rum bar.

[Gamma]

FIrst Mosiah then....? Nah! Must be coincidence.

Wonder how often he was reading?

Anyway welcome back to the kitchen, don't mind the heat, it is after all a kitchen!

[Historian]

Not Often

Wonder how often he was reading?

Anyway welcome back to the kitchen, don't mind the heat, it is after all a kitchen!

The truth is, about once every two or three weeks. I never commented before because during my brief occasional visits, I never saw any compelling reason to respond to anything.

[Historian]

You are absolutely correct

Historian, I have never seen or heard Kool Herc himself speak about Jamaican music in any detail before this clip. In all the Herc interviews I have seen he sounds very American and speaks about his experimenting with extending breaks etc , while it is casually mentioned that his is a Jamaican immigrant. Herc really did not play Jamaican music after he made a name and built a following for himself. He came to the Bronx as a child so it was never clear to me before this how strong his connection to JA music was and how much it really influenced him.

You have made a lot of sense, as usual, I’man, and you’ve stated the situation with Kool Herc much more articulately than I have.

For example, I gave the implicit and erroneous suggestion that he spoke of reggae music before. However, my “rant” is precisely because I saw a somewhat paradoxical situation in the video: a man who, as far as I know, never once acknowledged reggae and its role in the birth of rap, is (in this video) coming across somewhat as if that was not the case. This is why I deliberately referred to it as a “feel-good” interview.

Merry Christmas, my friend!

[Historian]

Lol

Welcome back Historian

Thank you, Jangle my friend, but I’m not exactly “back”. I have no major problems with the forum; it’s just that I eventually lost interest, like so many others apparently have.

[Islandman]

I take your point and I was often perplexed about his unwillingness to do that myself. I wonder if he felt that there would be a price to pay by making such a direct link. My understanding is that he makes some money from speaking at events about hip hop history and I have noticed that some black Americans are not very receptive to the fact that there is Jamaican DNA in rap music. To be fair, many Jamaicans also like to play down the idea that black American music was what got the sound system culture in Jamaica started and by extension the Jamaican music industry.

In terms of new information in the video, one thing that I was not aware of before this was that Herc used to scratch off labels from records he used to make his break extensions so they would not be easily identified and he got the idea from his father. As URoy correctly states, that was something Coxone and other JA sound systems did regularly when they brought home unknown music from the USA. Perhaps it has been mentioned in hip hop documentaries before but I had never heard it.

[Sir X]

He always mentioned it when asked,true he high lights his rap foundation but when asked he does speak affectionately about that link.

I wouldn't take that as hiding anything or fear of any backlash,in fact reggae and rap have always promoted each other,from BDP- KRS one " the bridge is over" "# 1 in the late 80s to almost every rap group in Brooklyn in the 90s with a Jamaican lingo or linguistics link,to heavy bangdiddlee Dee.To Biggie - supercat combo ...Dolly my baby.

Island I am shocked,Historian,I am not.

[Gamma]

Didn't Kool Herc pass away?

[Islandman]

But KRS One, Heavy and Biggie are Jamaican born or of Jamaican parents so that would be expected. Same with Busta Rymes.

I don't see it as a criticism of Herc, 1972 New York was a different place from 1992. Not even Bob was well known back then.

[Islandman]

No he is still around. Just saw him on an Anthony Bourdain episode of the Bronx.