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Forum nameThe Lesson
Topic subjectHey, who really started this rappers singing earnestly business?
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=3034141
3034141, Hey, who really started this rappers singing earnestly business?
Posted by Buddy_Gilapagos, Mon Aug-23-21 02:51 PM
Drake or Kanye get the most credit or visibility for it. Phonte will rightly point out he was doing it before both and his influence on Drake.

But there were folks doing it, maybe not consistently, before these guys right?

I always liked She Said by Pharcyde because it seemed like Slim Kid Tre was seriously singing.

Who else?

And I say "earnestly" because I am no talking about "Just A Friend" type of singing where the singing is for laughs or parody.



**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"
3034142, I don’t know about “first” but Lauryn needs a mention
Posted by DJR, Mon Aug-23-21 02:59 PM
because she sang for the majority of an album.

She’s the “first” I can think of that did it for more than some hooks, verses, or even songs.
3034161, Yeah
Posted by obsidianchrysalis, Tue Aug-24-21 11:07 PM
At the very least, she was the first to validate the technique.
3034144, Myka 9
Posted by javi222, Mon Aug-23-21 04:11 PM
I am sure Biz Markie or somebody else did it first..

Though in regards of an MC that has skills in both singing and rapping, I don’t recall anyone before Myka 9. Also, til this day I don’t see anyone surpassing him.
3034429, In terms of earnest singing, Park Bench People by Myka
Posted by spirit, Sat Sep-04-21 06:28 AM
That’s like 93, right? And Five O Clock Follies is earlier, but not nearly as earnest. Park Bench People is basically a blues song.

Peace,

Spirit (Alan)
http://wutangbook.com
3034145, Tre from the Pharcyde
Posted by bentagain, Mon Aug-23-21 04:28 PM
https://youtu.be/eJunijzmjks
2nd verse.
3034146, Kurtis Blow
Posted by squeeg, Mon Aug-23-21 06:17 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B66q6J6lFRU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmhbJfhmbrk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE2f6Zzr5PA

3034147, The Sequence
Posted by squeeg, Mon Aug-23-21 06:19 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veTPX2TOO9Q
3034148, The Force MDs aka Force MCs, Full Force, & Sugarhill Gang
Posted by Dj Joey Joe, Mon Aug-23-21 10:09 PM
...but that's taking it way way back, a lot of the ol' school rappers did sing and rap cause that's how it was but The Force MCs was a dope group of emcees but it's a shame they never proved it when they got signed but I will admit their r&b stuff was good as well.

As far as Full Force their rapping wasn't always good but they had the r&b & pre-new jack swing sound on lock at the time.

I remember buying a Sugarhill Gang album and out of the six songs on the album only two songs had rapping on it, the rest had them singing on it and I was shocked, I don't ever remember even hearing these songs or knew that they sung, but I see why nobody talks about those songs cause it wasn't good, just some average indie singing.

Nice-N-Smooth was another group that did some harmonizing on their songs, they had a group named Pure Blend on some of their hooks but they was just a singing group not rappers but what some might not know is that Smooth B. was one of the members of Pure Blend.

Also someone mentioned Lauryn but they totally forgot about the queen, Queen Latifah she was always singing here & there on her albums.

You can take your pick as to who was doing it before whom but what I want to know who started the "bad singing rapper" trend, cause all those I mentioned above cause sing well, but I think the original poster is getting at who was the one or artists who started the "bad singing rapper who don't care if they can't sing" trend though, and that I can't really tell ya cause I've always hated that shit and still try to ignore it and hope it goes away but these days rap music is a "No Man's Land" where the signed & unsigned are making names for themselves doing whatever they want regardless if it's a trend or not.


3034152, Respect the Diabolical Biz Markie...
Posted by My_SP1200_Broken_Again, Tue Aug-24-21 10:13 AM
3034248, DJ Hollywood influenced Biz
Posted by micMajestic, Mon Aug-30-21 12:27 AM
Biz took directly from him.
3034268, Yes, "Let me turn you on" is bascily an ode to DJ Hollywood...
Posted by My_SP1200_Broken_Again, Mon Aug-30-21 01:55 PM
...it's also his worst single


3034155, Whistle
Posted by Original Juice, Tue Aug-24-21 12:55 PM
Someone mentioned the Force MD's.. They were
around the same era. Full Force too, if you can consider
them rappers.
3034158, UTFO - Fairytale Lover [1985]
Posted by Selah, Tue Aug-24-21 04:47 PM
this is the oldest I can recall off top

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skHq6k7a4Ac

might also be Whodini (if you consider doing the hooks on stuff like "One Love" as a qualifier)
3034162, Andre is a definite influence
Posted by FuriousStyles3000, Tue Aug-24-21 11:50 PM
From liberation off aquemini, to the last 3 tracks off stankonia, and culminating with the love below album, Dre slowly transitioned to singing. I'm sure that others were before him, but I believe that he set the stage for other rappers, especially those who can't really sing (like dre) to step into that arena.
3034196, Wouldn’t you name Cee-Lo before Andre?
Posted by Anonymous, Thu Aug-26-21 08:57 PM
3034199, Freestyle fellowship -> Pharcyde ->Dungeon Family
Posted by javi222, Thu Aug-26-21 11:37 PM
With regards to influence
3034195, Cold Crush
Posted by Castro, Thu Aug-26-21 08:01 PM
3034202, Anderson Paak so good at that shit man
Posted by grey, Fri Aug-27-21 02:00 AM
having good bars and a good singing voice is one thing but combining that with the ability to structure a song around it..

https://youtu.be/WQps2W1rgWI?t=170

story and voice here travels from boastful conscience to regret. with regret earmarked by switching to a sweeter tone? interesting to see them play with it as a contextual device. yeslawd is a fucking masterclass in shit like that.









3034320, I love his singing voice, and his lyricism, BUT
Posted by spades, Tue Aug-31-21 02:20 PM
I don't find him compelling as a rapper. IONO, I just want him to sing.
3035127, he's def better at singing.
Posted by tariqhu, Sun Oct-10-21 12:34 PM
but he does a great job at blending the two.
3034229, Canada FTW
Posted by reaction, Fri Aug-27-21 10:40 PM
Saukrates thinks k-os and himself helped influence if not the world then at least Drake (from a 2014 interview) https://youtu.be/VlhfsrViWC0?t=97

This first video from k-os "Musical Essence" from 1993 really demonstrates the mixture of rapping and singing that was popularized later on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe0dqfHE6qU&ab_channel=tekniquethekingpin
3034247, DJ Hollywood
Posted by micMajestic, Mon Aug-30-21 12:24 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLi1y1tL_-M

Uptown legend. Apparently he was getting too high to get his recording career off the ground. Meanwhile other acts had success flipping styles he brought to the game .

Nice & Smooth incorporated a bit of his style into their work and it worked well for them. Listen to the end of this song I linked then go straight to Nice & Smooth's "Early to Rise".

There is audio of DJ Hollywood rapping & singing all the way back in 1982. Biz Markie pretty much redid this routine and put it out as a single.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP3ZkvWHMYU

3034292, Dayum, this thread is all worth it now
Posted by Adwhizz, Tue Aug-31-21 06:42 AM
DOPE!
3034321, Holy, shit. I was gonna go with Biz, but I think this is the answer.
Posted by spades, Tue Aug-31-21 02:21 PM
3034344, hm thats wild
Posted by grey, Wed Sep-01-21 02:10 AM
3034358, Yup Yup Yup!
Posted by Castro, Wed Sep-01-21 07:56 PM
3034359, Also Waterbed Kev....
Posted by Castro, Wed Sep-01-21 07:58 PM
this joint was official back in the day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuO3K64noCI
3035108, Good call
Posted by micMajestic, Fri Oct-08-21 03:06 PM
>this joint was official back in the day:
>
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuO3K64noCI

I wasn't as familiar with him but I can hear a bunch things that were taken from this song alone.
3035110, "TOUCH IT WHY DONCHA?" etc
Posted by Castro, Fri Oct-08-21 04:13 PM
3034485, Ive read about DJ Hollywood for years
Posted by spirit, Tue Sep-07-21 08:22 PM
Listening to those two joints you put up lets me hear how he influenced cats. That’s crazy.

I wonder if him using “ooo tang” as a catchphrase planted a group name idea in the minds of a certain legendary crew who already liked karate movies. Ha.

Peace,

Spirit (Alan)
http://wutangbook.com
3034336, Bone Thugs probably the biggest influence on mixing the 2
Posted by Boogie Stimuli, Tue Aug-31-21 08:34 PM
I don't recall anyone doing it the way they did before them where it's fluctuation between rapping and singing the same verse. I'd say Crossroads is as earnest as it gets.

You might be able to throw Nelly in there. Definitely Z-Ro.
3034341, Bone started in 1993 , with a song called Mary ;-)
Posted by javi222, Tue Aug-31-21 11:45 PM
This is my favorite Bone Thugs track

https://youtu.be/RPNCxCa02-4
3034351, I remember reading that Eazy took Bone Thugs to the Good Life to
Posted by micMajestic, Wed Sep-01-21 12:47 PM
>This is my favorite Bone Thugs track
>
>https://youtu.be/RPNCxCa02-4
>

get the sauce. I just don't get how Bone Thugs & Cube got called out for taking styles but Organized Konfusion got a pass. "Stress" is just a polished East Coast version of what Freestyle Fellowship was doing.
3034360, True. I remember them in '93 as well.
Posted by Boogie Stimuli, Wed Sep-01-21 08:00 PM
Was just named their most influential song as far as "earnest" singing is concerned.
3034401, Missy?
Posted by jimaveli, Fri Sep-03-21 10:45 AM
She would straight up have r&b songs and songs where she rapped back to back on albums. And she was one of the ones that got to a point where hearing the beat didn’t let you know what was coming..kinda like where Drake was until his formulas got more recognizable/clear.

To me, she’s the one that usually gets left off of the list and she should be on there fo sho.

>Drake or Kanye get the most credit or visibility for it.
>Phonte will rightly point out he was doing it before both and
>his influence on Drake.
>
>But there were folks doing it, maybe not consistently, before
>these guys right?
>
>I always liked She Said by Pharcyde because it seemed like
>Slim Kid Tre was seriously singing.
>
>Who else?
>
>And I say "earnestly" because I am no talking about "Just A
>Friend" type of singing where the singing is for laughs or
>parody.
>
>
>
>**********
>"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then
>they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson
>
>"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"
3034403, First? Most important? Most influential?
Posted by PolarbearToenails, Fri Sep-03-21 11:17 AM
I mean, I think Kanye then Drake are the most significant influences on the folks who do it now.

Missy and Lauryn Hill and to a lesser extent Cee-Lo did it in their day, but for Missy and Lauryn it was also mixed up in sexism around rap and R&B.

In terms of blending it seamlessly with rapping, certainly Bone Thugs and Freestyle Fellowship.

There are a lot of tributaries. No doubt though that Kanye and Drake are the primary source of nearly everyone doing it now.
3035057, surprised that Q-Tip hasn't gotten a mention
Posted by organix, Wed Oct-06-21 09:34 AM
i mean, his early stuff may have not gotten officially released (until sony put out Kamaal the Abstract) but it was definitely circulating in the early aughties

-----------------------------

my music: www.soundcloud.com/jessewarren
my mixes: www.mixcloud.com/jessewarren
my label: www.fb.com/mettamuzik
3037328, late eighties
Posted by Castro, Sat Apr-02-22 03:09 AM
3035090, Puba not even mentioned here is funny styles...
Posted by My_SP1200_Broken_Again, Fri Oct-08-21 08:05 AM
3035113, Here....but yall won't listen to me anyway
Posted by The3rdOne, Fri Oct-08-21 06:30 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNzKZ7lJRUc
3037327, this is a gospel group
Posted by Castro, Sat Apr-02-22 03:08 AM
ancestral, but not actually hip hop. But I appreciate the link.
3037329, Better that some of the modern day Gospel rap
Posted by obsidianchrysalis, Sat Apr-02-22 05:42 AM
3037397, Speech deserves a mention
Posted by OKdamn, Mon Apr-11-22 12:46 AM
3037451, RE: Hey, who really started this rappers singing earnestly business?
Posted by TR808, Fri Apr-15-22 11:19 AM
probably the best example of this is PM Dawn...
3037454, Why are y'all mentioning artists from late 80s when it started before???
Posted by Castro, Fri Apr-15-22 04:10 PM
All the shit is online too. LOL.