Early European Hip-Hop Pioneers...

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

School me on old school European Hip Hop.

― ddd, Sunday, 16 March 2003 17:32 (twenty-three years ago)

falco

― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 16 March 2003 17:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Derek B: Bad Young Brother "Fly girls scream / then they holla / we get pounds / not in dollars"

Wham: Wham Rap / Bad Boys

Morris Minor and the Majors: Stutter Rap

Demon Boyz

The Ragga Twins (amazing stuff, although obviously more ragga-rap than straight up hiphop, but amazing)

London Posse

The Ruthless Rap Assassins

The first 4 were said in jest, btw - although that Derek B track rock!! ; the others were more early 90s - so it really depends on your sense of "old skool". For UK hiphop, they're pretty old skool, but not as old skool as US hiphop - I don't think there is anything much to recall from the eighties as far as UK hiphop.

From mainland Europe, I only know of Nuuk Posse (they're Belgian I think, but not old school enough)

― Nik (Nik), Sunday, 16 March 2003 18:37 (twenty-three years ago)

sorry, the first 3 were said in jest; The Demon Boyz were ace.

― Nik (Nik), Sunday, 16 March 2003 18:38 (twenty-three years ago)

MC Solaar's been around for a while hasn't he - and produced by Zdar and Boombass aka Cassius.

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 16 March 2003 19:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Silver Bullet was late 80's - I don't think he even released an album but deserves a mention for Twenty Seconds... alone.

Did anyone hear the comeback song as 'Silvah Bullet' - Chemissinyadiss??

― Mil, Sunday, 16 March 2003 23:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Hijack!

Gunshot!

― Mark Groves (ujaku), Monday, 17 March 2003 02:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Hmmm? let me refer to my collection of late 80's copies of the Face

― girl scout heroin (iamamonkey), Monday, 17 March 2003 07:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Even though he nowadays makes dance pop with the Bomfunk MC's, Raymond Ebanks was one of the first rappers in the eighties here in Finland. I'm not sure if he ever released anything.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 17 March 2003 09:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Haha, MC Miker G & DJ Sven!

― Siegbran (eofor), Monday, 17 March 2003 10:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Even though he nowadays makes dance pop with the Bomfunk MC's, Raymond Ebanks was one of the first rappers in the eighties here in Finland.

How about Matti Nykänen? :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 17 March 2003 11:51 (twenty-three years ago)

whats Lucas' other stuff like? assuming he did more than 'Lucas With The Lid Off' which i have a soft spot for

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 17 March 2003 13:24 (twenty-three years ago)

"How about Matti Nykänen? :-)"

Oh dear Jesus! How did you know about him?

(For those who don't know: Matti Nykänen is a former Finnish ski jumper who has made a couple of extremely cheesy records - and he raps (badly, of course) on at least one of them. He is sort of a camp hero here, I think there are even Matti Nykänen cover bands.)

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 17 March 2003 15:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Didn't he have a drinking problem too?

― Siegbran (eofor), Monday, 17 March 2003 15:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, the recent news is that he has stabbed his wife (not fatally), and needs to have some mental treatment. At one time he also worked as a stripper. I think he is sort of a Finnish anti-hero; he hasn't done anything noteworthy for years, but the tabloids love to write about his exploits.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 17 March 2003 16:01 (twenty-three years ago)

I guess he should join forces with Kari Pekka Kyrö. Now that would be some pair... :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 02:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Roots Manuva ..even though he's more late then early...and more ragga maybe...?

― Andrzej B. (Andrzej B.), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 04:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Tony Bones wasn't necessarily old skool but he had some nice verses on a couple of Fondle 'Em 12"'s mid-nineties. Oft overlooked.

― scott m (mcd), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 04:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Well Mr. Barclay,
Since no one else has mentioned them, I'll tell you two huge British hip hop records just in case you have yet to hear them in your History of Euro Hip-Hop 101 class...

Malcolm McClaren "Duck Rock" LP (Island Records) 1984
The Clash "This Is Radio Clash" 12" single (Epic Records) 1981

After the demise of the Pistols, their manager spent time in NYC and arrogantly claimed to "discover" hip-hop culture. Whether or not that is to be believed, "Buffalo Gals" undisputably one of the all-time best old-school cuts. Its been sampled to death. The 12" single has a b-side that is just as essential, called "She's Looking Like A Hobo", but it didn't make the album.

As for the Clash, early hip-hop had an effect on them too. The original 12" is worth hunting down for the 3 alternate versions of the song that I believe have never made it on to a CD reissue. If I'm wrong, could someone please enlighten me?

― Marshall Stax (Marshall Stax), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 08:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Also, a Finnish DJ called General Njassa released an electro/rap single called "I'm Young, Beautiful and Natural" as early as 1983. Of course, this is like totally out of print, so I have no idea what the track sounds like.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 08:29 (twenty-three years ago)

PJ and Smiley and other Shut up and Dance people

Smiley Culture

A whole host of 80s sound system people, the wild bunch and others.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 10:19 (twenty-three years ago)

i'm not bothering to mentiond UK acts cos there is such an abundance from the mid 80s onwards, but also in Europe there is:

Stakka Bo (Sweden)
IAM (France)

and er, Ya Kid K...

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 11:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, IAM are great; I've been trying to get hold of "Je Danse Le Mia" for ages...

― Nik (Nik), Tuesday, 18 March 2003 11:07 (twenty-three years ago)

three years pass...

I first saw it in Quebec when it came out, but I never knew 'til this morning that Michel Gondry made the video for "Je Danse Le Mia".

― Eazy (Eazy), Saturday, 13 May 2006 18:50 (twenty years ago)

six years pass...

revisiting this thread, now with the power of "youtube". thanks y'all.

― ddd, Friday, 12 October 2012 16:10 (thirteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.