People often talk about the "the four elements of hip hop" … DJing, MCing, breakdance and grafitti. Each one is rooted in the origins of hip hop culture, and they all continue to evolve as distinct art forms today.
But there's a fifth element that people often forget about: BEATBOXING.
Origins of Beatboxing
Beatboxing grew out of the same foundations that defined hip hop culture in the 1970s and '80s. Like the other elements, it's a form of artistic expression – one that takes INSANE amounts of talent, time and practice to master.
Early MCs and DJs used beatboxing to gain cred for their unique beats and musical talents at neighborhood block parties.
Pioneers like DJ Kool Herc gained notoriety for using turntables more like instruments. In the 1980s, drum machines (which were sometimes referred to as "beat boxes") entered the scene and became a staple of hip hop, as well as other music genres.
But since most drum machines weren't affordable to most, people had to get more creative …
The human beatbox
Hip hop DJs, MCs and fans began to recreate their own beats …. with their mouths, lips, tongues and voices.
It wasn't the first time this had been done. Vocal percussion has been used in cultures around the world for centuries. But in the world of hip hop, this musical expression quickly became known as human beatboxing.
Early influential beatboxers included The Fat Boys (Mark "Prince Markie Dee" Morales, Damon "Kool Rock-Ski" Wimbley and Darren "Buff the Human Beat Box" Robinson), Doug E Fresh, Biz Markie and Ready Rock C.
Doug E. Fresh is one of several early beatboxers who have claimed to coin the term "the human beatbox" in the early '80s, but the exact origins of the term—and beatboxing itself—are still being debated.
Beatboxing today
The art of beatboxing has exploded beyond hip hop over the last three decades, but it's never detached from its roots, no matter what form it takes.
Today, professional beatboxing competitions can be found over the world. Beatboxing sounds and talents are incorporated into a range of music styles and often featured in TV and movies. Acclaimed universities, like SUNY Fredonia and Rice University, even teach beatboxing as part of their music programs.
While grounded in the hip hop culture where it originated, beatboxing continues to evolve today as an artistic form of self-expression, music and identity. At a.fatti, we are here to amplify and recognize all the amazing beatboxers out there whose art and talents deserve way more recognition.