Jazz and Hip Hop

[Mark Stryker]

Question: What are generally recognized as the first attempts at fusing jazz and hip hop/rap? Not looking to start a long discussion on the topic but am interested in dating the attempts to bring the genres together and I'm frankly not exactly sure where ground zero actually is..

[Alexander Hawkins]

Sorry for rushed response...but part of the story: Steve Williamson

[Mark Stryker]

1 hour ago, Alexander Hawkins said:

Sorry for rushed response...but part of the story: Steve Williamson

Thanks for getting the ball rolling.

[mjazzg]

That Williamson album was a favourite when it first came out. Strong player who has been sadly underrecorded

and from the other angle

 

 

Edited June 2, 2017 by mjazzg

[david weiss]

I'm no expert but at the time, I recall Red, Hot + Cool "Stolen Moments" and Guru "Jazzmatazz" making a lot of noise in this area...at the forefront of it all as it were...

Also Greg Osby...

One mustn't forget the infamous youmustbe's contribution to this genre which was more from the jazz side but you have to give him credit for a being a bit ahead of the curve in this genre....

 

[mjazzg]

Yes, I thought Osby too but was then surprised to see that 3-D Lifestyles was 1993. Surprisingly later than I remembered. Listening to it now for probably the first time in at least a decade. I can hear why I enjoyed when it came out.

[JSngry]

 

[sidewinder]

2 hours ago, mjazzg said:

Yes, I thought Osby too but was then surprised to see that 3-D Lifestyles was 1993. Surprisingly later than I remembered. Listening to it now for probably the first time in at least a decade. I can hear why I enjoyed when it came out.

His 'Man Talk For Moderns' on Blue Note came immediately to mind when I saw this thread. From a bit earlier - 1991ish I think.

Edited June 3, 2017 by sidewinder

[mjazzg]

Love those Max clips. Thanks for posting

[Mark Stryker]

Thanks for the overview guys. Appreciate it.