Roots of Rap: The 12 Inch Singles, Vol. 1

• Artist: Various Artists
• Release Date: 1984
• Total Time: 52:16
• Type: Collection (various artists)
• Genre: Rap

Review

This compilation was put together in 1984, when the art form was still young and still relied more on beatboxes than samplers, when vocoders were new and exotic, and the rhythms tended to be a bit more blocky and straightforward. The artists featured on this collection of 12" mixes are mostly names since consigned to the hip-hop history books -- turntablist Grandmaster D.St is still active (now recording as D.X.T.), but Fab Five Freddy, Futura 2000, and Time Zone haven't been heard from in years. But while no one could call this music timeless -- in light of later developments, much of it sounds fairly rudimentary and simplistic -- it does have a certain enduring charm. The tag-team rapping on Grandmaster D.St's "Home of Hip Hop" celebrates the Bronx in charmingly chest-thumping style to the accompaniment of sparkling keyboards, minimalist machine beats, and shards of metal guitar. On "World Destruction," Time Zone is joined by John Lydon for a heartwarming dose of intercontinental musical insurrection, while the Clash guests on Futura 2000's "Escapades of...." All of it will bring a smile to the face of anyone who was a teenager in the 1980s. ~ Rick Anderson, Rovi

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