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hip-hop
7 OffStereo shows on hip-hop, spanning 1969–2006. Among them: Washington DC go-go, Dilla Time: Off The Grid.
Washington DC go-go
From Chuck Brown's 1970s D.C. grooves to E.U.'s national hit "Da Butt," go-go defines a city and lays the rhythmic foundation for modern Black music.
Answers: what should I listen to to understand D.C. go-go?
Dilla Time: Off The Grid
J Dilla's off-grid timing and "uncanny" sample chops on "Workinonit" redefine hip-hop's swing, building on Pete Rock's legacy to shape neo-soul and producers like Madlib.
Answers: how did j dilla create his signature rhythmic feel?
Stronger: Funk to Future
Kanye West's "Stronger" bridges his soulful sampling past with an electronic future, connecting Edwin Birdsong's 1979 funk to Daft Punk and reshaping hip-hop.
Answers: what did Kanye West sample for the song Stronger?
808: Flaws into Future
From Afrika Bambaataa to Egyptian Lover, the Roland TR-808's 'failed' synthetic drums birthed hip-hop, electro, and house, proving its artificial pulse could define a generation's sound.
Answers: How did the Roland TR-808 become popular despite being a commercial failure?
Mixing Board as Instrument
King Tubby's dub innovations in Jamaica turned the mixing board into an instrument, birthing remix culture and shaping disco, hip-hop, and ambient sounds from Grandmaster Flash to Burial.
Answers: who pioneered using the mixing board as an instrument?
The Amen Break: A Sampled Legacy
From The Winstons' 1969 B-side, Gregory Coleman's Amen Break travels from N.W.A.'s hip-hop to Photek's drum and bass, becoming music's most sampled loop.
Answers: what is the amen break?
Tines, Tones, & Timeless Samples
The Fender Rhodes' unique dynamic range, from its jazz fusion origins with Herbie Hancock to Donny Hathaway's soulful growl, transforms into the sampled, buttery sound of A Tribe Called Quest's hip-hop.
Answers: why does an electric piano sound warmer than a synthesizer?