According to Bronx rapper Kool Keith, the city of New York is to blame for the belief that a particular sound in music is appointed to a certain region.
In a newly-published interview, the Hip Hop veteran spoke with Vlad TV about bass music and 808s, and revealed that those particular sounds are universal and not assigned to any city or region.
The rapper then stated that those in New York ran away from their own sound and instead relied heavily on music that incorporated samples, making it a “sample city.”
“Everybody got a miscommunication with [what] bass music is,” Kool Keith said. “I think the 808s, snare drum, you know, a lot of people think it belongs to certain regions. It’s all over. I mean, when Run-DMC came up, ‘Together Forever’ and the Def Jam stuff. That was all 808s stuff and the drums. And the same type of kits. But now all of a sudden it’s supposed to be just in a certain region. Like they think the South’s supposed to only have it, Texas and Miami and maybe Atlanta. I think those drums are still universal. They can be used anywhere. I think where New York messed up was they ran away from they own sound. New York was the first using the 808s and the bass and stuff. The vision of the music industry saying that we gotta sample and go find samples from records, it made New York more of a sample city. And a city that ran away from they own original sound.”
Kool Keith revealed that at times he too gets tired of sampling records in his music. He says that if today’s artists were to ease up on sampling they could become the artists who musicians sample years from now.
“I’m getting tired of sampling records myself,” he said. “It’s time to make original stuff. What’s the matter with turning on the keyboards? You got people who think it’s a crime to use a keyboard. You get 10 years to life if you play your keys on your song. It’s cool to sample, but let those guys—Let somebody else become a creative. Let somebody else coming up become a synthesizer player. Or let me be Billy Preston one day. Let me grow up and people sample me.”
Kool Keith first got his start in music in the 1980s as a member of the Bronx-based rap group Ultramagnetic MC’s. In addition to albums released as a member of the Ultramagnetic MC’s, Kool Keith released well over a dozen solo albums, including Love & Danger.
RELATED: Kool Keith Responds To Eminem’s “The Monster” Reference
im sueing state of nj for 1.2 trillion dollars for false in prinsment.racist attcks,acts of cloneing of my race being mixed.’attcked in school.fake family members aunts.my legal name passed around to make fun of me in beyonce ft jay z crazy in love.striped naked beating.spyed on by illgeal rissins for being normal.forced slavery by whites and blacks.threaten in songs videos.hacvked useing new unknown machines to make me think things i dont think.breaking all milltary codes 1 million and one line forces and nasa code 668.atteted murdder 3 counts by racist white police.my race being made fun of my wigger trying to clone me. black girls passing chain letters while im beating wanting me to be raped.unlawfull acts of opinion leading to the almost mudder of jeremi echandy while killers danceing smile play on tv
hi hello any helo??
oh speaking of help
ppl knowing the where abouts of inncount u.s citasins and putting hits on them acts of 666
hi ts jeremi echandy sos help
ppl are putting hits on me
and others
redord labels are getting black ppl an wiggers to jump me
case i dont wanna sign with them
somebody please help the cops are bad too help in belmar nj sos
im being attcked sos somebody help nj sos
help record labels are sending singers to kill me
abc
hehe
i cant laugh now
i cant walk talk
welp i cant laugh at killers trying kill me lol
hahaaa
awwwwww watss matter bo bo to to
come on DO IT TAXER IT FUKER
TAZER IT FUKER HAAA
TELL BLACKS WIGGERS EAT MY DUST
HAHAAAA
NO U CANT PUT GLITTER ON UR SKIN TRYING TO LOOK LIKE MIXED PPL LOL
DO I WEAR AFRO WIGS
U STUPID FUKER
U MOTHER FUCKERS MIGHT WELL CALL NJ KILL JEREMI
WHERSS MY MONEY BITCHHHH
LETS GET PAYED FOR SAYING WHERES MY MONEY BITCHH
ITS CALLED RAP
TOO BELMAR NEPTUNE EATONTOWN POLICE THEIR GONNA SEE LEATHER FACE NEXT TIME THEY COME AROUND ME
IF NOT ILL DIE SAYING IT
TELL BELMAR”
WELL IN STTE OF NJ ITS ILLGEAL TO WALK DOWN YOUR STREET LOL
MY MOM SEEN THE SHIT
WTF YOO
IM BURNNING PPLS HOUSES DOWN SINCE EVERYONE WANTS PLACE QUIET HOMO
PLAY’
Only 50 represent New York.puffy is gay only fucking wit south nigga.jigga is a skirt wearing nigga.nas is done
thats why I fuxx wit 50…he’s sticking to the blue print.
Everybody needs there own sound. I think this guy Gold has his own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMs6luM0Nzo
NYC music fell the fuck off 10 years ago, Kool Keith is right in everything he says and has been saying this shit for years…listen to Hot97 and 105.1. None of them niggaz play much NYC cats on the air, its mostly South and West Coast bullshit. I hear Drake and all those whack Cash Money dudes on NY airwaves damn near every hour and the shitty ass “trap” music. You will never hear KRS-1, PE, NAS, AZ, ( I can list waaay more than this, just a example)real shit on the air anymore, its all about buffoonery now. Just spin “copy and paste” rappers with the same sound and flow on the air.
No wonder these kids today are fuckin’ stupid and slow…look at what they listen too and recite on their way to school or wherever they are walking too. Nothing is original anymore with rap. I know there are plenty of artist underground and such that can turn this shit around, but these white stiffs in suits won’t let that happen.