In the early days of hip-hop music, there were a handful of DJs that had made a name for themselves in the boroughs of New York City. Some of the biggest include DJ Kool Herc, the originator of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa, a most unlikely student of the wheels of steel.
As a young man, Bam became one of the warlords of the New York City gang, the Black Spades. His job was to expand the territory of the Spades through recruitment of smaller gangs; he was literally the Spades’ diplomat. While it might have been for nefarious reasons, Bam had a knack for bringing people together. This skill was especially important as he discovered the hip-hop scene of the mid-1970s.
The trajectory of his life changed when he won an essay contest in high school that earned him a trip to Africa. Seeing how the small villages there worked together, Bam wanted to create his own beneficial community back home. In addition, he was inspired by the 1964 film Zulu, which saw the members of the African Zulu tribe stand against British colonizers. Combining this appreciation for cooperation, as well as seeing hip-hop as a way to help kids avoid gang life, Bam formed The Zulu Nation, which brought together members of numerous gangs throughout New York City to try to create positive change in the Black community. The Zulu Nation would organize music and dance events for kids in the Bronx that helped break down some of the artificial barriers that were keeping them apart.
Bam would go on to create a few different hip-hop groups, including the the Soulsonic Force, made up of himself and DJ Jazzy Jay, as well as rappers Mr. Biggs, Pow Wow, and The G.L.O.B.E. Their first big hit was “Planet Rock”, released in 1982.
What makes this record special is that it broke away from hip-hop’s use of traditional instruments to create the beat. In the early days of the genre, rappers in the studio were rhyming over a house band that was playing a piece of music, usually something inspired by, if not directly ripping off, a disco song. But Bam had become interested in the electronic music coming out of Europe, especially the records released by the German group, Kraftwerk. This style of music was created using early synthesizers and samplers, most notably the Roland TR-808 drum machine, eschewing traditional instruments to create a brand new sound.
“Planet Rock” was the first hip-hop song to incorporate these electronic instruments and would have a profound impact on the genre moving forward. Equipment like the 808 drum machine meant that artists and producers could experiment and come up with new sounds that would set them apart from other groups, creating beats that had never been heard by audiences before. But perhaps more importantly, the electronic sound of “Planet Rock” was exciting and futuristic, and became symbolic of the new direction that hip-hop was forging in America and throughout the world. If you listen to almost any hip-hop album from 1982 until the early 90’s, the impact of “Planet Rock” is impossible to deny.
I found my copy of “Planet Rock” at an antique mall. I didn’t realize the significance of the song when I bought the record, I just knew that I had heard of Afrika Bambaataa before, so snatched it up for a couple of bucks. Little did I know I was buying one of the most influential albums in the genre’s history.
Funny timing on this blog post. For the past year, I’ve been trying to convince Spotity to stop recommendation disco-inspired music in my Discover Weekly. Sure, I love some funk grooves, but I’m not a disco guy. I’m an 80s and 90s music guy. Only in the past two weeks has Spotify finally started to realize I want more music like Planet Rock.
I never made that connection about the history of hip hop and electronic music. Cool to know that it started with Planet Rock in 1982. Man. 1982. That was really early for this type of music!
Your post has gotten me digging into the back catalog of Afrika Bambaataa.
I started with their oldest album first and I’m moving up through the years. Ok, first I didn’t know UB40 did a track with Afrika Bambaataa! (the track was just ok). I’m up to 1997, and it’s striking how this album “Mind Control” sounds so much like how Prodigy of 1997.
I listened The Prodigy in the early 90s when they were bright, playful rave. Then that 1997 album “The Fat of the Land”, The Prodigy shifted to aggressive, punk-infused, and rock-oriented sound. This 1997 “Mind Control” album by Afrika Bambaataa and The Nebula Funk reminds me of the shift that Prodigy’s 1997 shift. (well, at least the first track in the album, “Mind Control – Nu-Break Mix”).
That’s awesome! I have to admit, I haven’t really dug into his discography all that much. Sounds like maybe I should do a little Spotify crate digging myself!
It’s wild to listen to rap before Planet Rock and then listen to almost any rap song for the next 5 years after Planet Rock! It’s a totally different vibe. Apparently a big part of the reason the 808 caught on is that Roland retired it in 1983, so they became really inexpensive on the resale market, meaning just about anyone could buy one and start cranking out beats.
haha! really! The fact it went on resale is how people started getting attracted to it. I love the poetic nature of that.