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60 Hip-Hop ‘Firsts': Rap’s Must-Know Milestones

Dave LiftonPublished: August 10, 2018

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Aug. 11, 1973 is widely considered to be the day that hip-hop was born, when DJ Kool Hercbrought out his "merry-go-round" style of record-spinning during a party at 1520 Sedgewick Ave., in the Bronx, N.Y. Since then, hip-hop has grown, both as an art form and in popularity. We've compiled the must "must-know" milestone moments in its history, from before the first single was released up to the present day, in our list of 60 Hip-Hop Firsts.

1. First Female Rapper: MC Sha-Rock of Funky 4 + 1 (1976)

As crews came together around the new sound, the Funky 4+1 stood out, largely because of the "plus one": Sharon Green, aka MC Sha-Rock, the first female MC. Even before they put out their first record, 1979's "Rappin & Rocking the House," she established herself by going toe-to-toe in battle raps with male counterparts such as Grandmaster Flash.

2. First Single: Fatback, '“King Tim III (Personality Jock)" (1979)

While the origins of rap can be traced back to the spoken-word-over-music recordings by the Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron, the first commercially available single rooted in DJ Kool Herc's creation was “King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by Fatback, a funk/disco group that had been around since 1972. "King Tim" refers to Tim Washington, who provided the vocals. Originally released as the b-side of "You're My Candy Sweet" on March 25, 1979, DJs opted for the flip side and the track reached No. 26 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart. The line "A little left hand, right hand in the air / And you sway 'em like you just don't care" is believed to be the first recorded instance of what would soon become "Throw your hands in the air / And wave 'em like you just don't care."

3. First Rap Song to Chart on the Hot 100: The Sugarhill Gang, "Rappers Delight" (1979)

'“King Tim III (Personality Jock)" may have been the first commercially available rap single, but not by long. Only a few months later, on Aug. 2, 1979, the Sugarhill Gang released "Rapper's Delight." And possibly because it outperformed Fatback, peaking just inside the Top 40 at No. 36, it became widely accepted, erroneously, that "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single.

4. First Hip-Hop Radio Show: Mr. Magic's Disco Showcase (1979)

John "Mr. Magic" Rivas, a member of the Juice Crew from the Queensbridge housing project in Queens, N.Y., began spinning hip-hop records during his Disco Showcase on WHBI 105.9 FM. The two-hour program began at 2AM and Rivas paid $75 an hour for the airtime. Three years later, he moved to WBLS, a much bigger station, and rebranded the show as Rap Attack. Marley Marl served as his DJ and sidekick until Rivas left the station in 1989. Whodini paid tribute to him with "Magic's Wand"

5. First Single by a Female Group: The Sequence, "Funk You Up" (1979)

Twenty years before her breakthrough as a solo artist, Angie Stone, then calling herself "Angie B," was a member of Columbia, S.C.'s the Sequence with Cheryl "The Pearl" Cook and Gwendolyn "Blondy" Chisolm. After getting backstage at a Sugarhill Gang concert and proving themselves to Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson, they got signed and recorded "Funk You Up," the second single ever on the label. It peaked at No. 15 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart and they released nine more singles -- two of which charted -- and three albums for the label. In 2017, they sued Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson on the grounds that "Uptown Funk" was too similar to their biggest hit.

6. First Rap Video: "Rapper's Delight" (1979)

The Sugarhill Gang made good use of their 1979 appearance on the syndicated New Jersey-based Soap Factory Disco Show, turning the surprisingly high-quality production into rap's first video. Multiple sources state that Whodini's "Magic's Wand" was the first officially commissioned video, but the clip currently can't be found on the internet.

7. First Rapper to Sign With a Major Label: Kurtis Blow (1979)

Even though so many major labels had offices in New York, it was a British company that became the first to sign a rapper, Kurtis Blow. As he told All Hip-Hop, he cut a record called "Christmas Rappin'," which producers J.B. Moore and Robert Ford unsuccessfully shopped around to 22 labels before John Stains of Mercury made a deal.

8. First Album: The Sugarhill Gang, The Sugarhill Gang (1980)

Hip-hop took its first tentative steps into the album format in 1980. The Sugarhill Gang’s self-titled effort from February of that year is widely considered to be the first full-length rap album. However, Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson reportedly didn’t think people were ready to buy an entire long-player featuring nothing but rap music. So alongside a handful of songs in the style of “Rapper’s Delight” you’ll also find a full side's worth of R&B ballads and instrumental disco tracks.

Kurtis Blow's September 1980 eponymous album is credited as the first to be released by a major label. The Sequence also released their debut full-length effort that year, and multi-artist compilations such as the The Great Rap Hits and Rap… Rap… Rap… began to appear on record shelves around this time.

9. First Gold Single: Kurtis Blow, "The Breaks" (1980)

One of the conditions of Blow's deal allowed him to record a second if "Christmas Rappin'" sold 30,000 copies. It sold 373,000, which led to his self-titled debut and the follow-up single, "The Breaks." Once again, Blow defied expectations, reaching No. 4 on the R&B chart and selling 940,000 copies to become the first rap single to be certified gold.

10. First to Appear on National Television: Kurtis Blow, Soul Train (Sept. 27, 1980)

The ultimate tastemaker for black America, Soul Train, took note of hip-hop's growing popularity when they brought Blow on for "The Breaks" during their Sept. 27, 1980 episode. Also appearing on the show were L.T.D. and Seventh Wonder.

11. First Beef: Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy Bee (1981)

Given that boasting and trading insults has long been a part of African American music -- see Otis Redding and Carla Thomas' "Tramp" for a perfect example -- it's all-but impossible to pinpoint the start of battle rapping. The earliest we could find was Kool Moo Dee's slaying of Busy Bee at a contest at Harlem World in 1981.

12. First Rappers on Saturday Night Live: Funky 4+1 (Feb. 14, 1981)

Deborah Harry of Blondie served as both the host and musical guest on the Valentine's Day 1981 episode of Saturday Night Live. In addition to singing covers of Teddy Pendergrass' "Love TKO" and Devo's "Come Back Jonee," she also brought along the Funky 4+1 to perform "That's the Joint." As Blondie guitarist, and Harry's then-boyfriend Chris Stein told WaxPoetics, "[T]hey let us pick a musical guest to be on with us," he said. "The people on the show were so nervous about them doing it. I remember trying to explain to them how scratching worked. Trying to verbalize what that is for someone who has no idea, it’s really difficult.” Instead, the group wound up rapping to a backing tape. You can see their performance at the 11-minute mark of the video above, right after Harry introduces them as "among the best street rappers in the country" and "her friends from the Bronx."

13. First No. 1 Hot 100 Song With a Rap, Blondie, "Rapture" (March 28, 1981)

Six weeks after Saturday Night Live, Blondie's "Rapture" began its two-week stint at No. 1. The track concluded with a rap by Harry that gave a shout-out to both Fab Five Freddy and Grandmaster Flash. Harry had been hip to them since 1977. "She said, 'I'm going to write a rap about you on my next record.' And I was like, 'Yeah, right," Flash told the Daily News. "And about five or six months later, 'Eatin' cars and . . . eat up bars . . . and Flash is fast, Flash is cool.' She kept her word. ... "I was introduced. So now ...white people and people of other colors were, 'Who is Flash?' So she tremendously opened the door."

14. First National News Story About Hip-Hop: 20/20 (July 1981)

Eight years after DJ Kool Herc's party, ABC's 20/20 news magazine show devoted a segment to the "overnight phenomenon" of rap by Steve Fox. He credited "Rapture" for bringing it to the masses and also pointed out its deep roots in African American traditions. Fox concluded by predicting that rap would become a cultural force because "it lets ordinary people express ideas they care about, in language they can relate to, put to music they can dance to. Not everyone can sing, but everyone can rap." "That's marvelous," host Hugh Downs said.

15. First International Tour: New York City Rap Tour (November 1982)

Before hip-hop had ventured out into America, it had gone global. Bernard Zekri, a French journalist who was living in New York, had fallen in love with rap and decided to take it to his native country. In November 1982, thanks to Roxy founder Kool Lady Blue, the New York City Rap Tour brought the nascent culture to France and London, with performances by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force, Fab 5 Freddy, Grandmaster D.ST and the Infinity Rappers, Futura 2000, Dondi, Rammellzee, the breakdancing Rock Steady Crew, and the World Champion Fantastic Four Double Dutch Girls. "They had this whole show," David Hershkovits, who covered it for the Daily News, recalled in Jeff Chang's Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. "It wasn't just a band, it was the graffiti and the breakdancers and the DJs and the whole experience."

16. First Hip-Hop Movie: Wild Style (1983)

Written, directed and produced by Charlie Ahearn, 1983's Wild Style told the story of a graffiti artist (real-life artist Lee Quinones) and features Grandmaster Flash, Fab 5 Freddy, Busy Bee and others. As a part of New York's downtown art scene, Ahearn had been observing the intersection of graffiti and rap cultures for a few years and decided to chronicle it.

"I was interested in making a pop movie," he told Red Bull Music Academy. "I knew that I should be documenting this thing, but I hated the idea of making a documentary. So the question is how can I make a pop movie out of this thing? To me, the Bruce Lee movies were the thing that I was most excited by. You go to 42nd Street, you go to see kung fu movies. I wanted something that could be on that level, something that could show on 42nd Street. My idea was to do what excited me most. There was no historical perspective. Let’s go on this trip, it’s like a cartoon version of what was happening."

17. First Rap Group Signed to a Major Label: The Fearless Four (1983)

After a pair of successful singles on Enjoy, including "Rockin' It," Harlem's Fearless Four jumped to Elektra. They released two singles for the label, "Just Rock" and "Problems of the World," the latter of which was produced by Kurtis Blow.

18. First Hip-Hop Radio Station: KDAY 93.5 FM, Los Angeles (1983)

At a time when rap was still considered a fad, Greg Mack was hired to be the music director at KDAY 1580-AM in Los Angeles. He convinced his bosses to allow him to add rap to the station's playlists, first in the evening and, when the ratings jumped, in the afternoon during his "Mack Attack" show. The station would soon go all hip-hop and Mack's program became the place for those on the rising West Coast scene to be heard.

19. First Hollywood Movie With Breakdancing: Flashdance (1983)

A year before Beat Street and Breakin', filmgoers got to see breakdancing on the big screen via a scene in Flashdance. Irene Cara, who sang the movie's No. 1 theme song, included a song called "Breakdance" on her album What a Feelin'. It reached No. 8 and was her last Top 10 hit.

20. First Music Video Show Dedicated to Hip-Hop: Video Music Box (April 1984)

Before MTV decided to start broadcasting rap videos, Ralph McDaniels, an engineer at WNYC-TV, and Lionel Martin created Video Music Box. With Whodini's "Five Minutes of Funk" as its theme, it became the place to see hip-hop in TV in New York, and Jay-Z and Nas watched it regularly. The show is still running, although it moved to WNYE-TV in 1996. "I knew this was a passion but I didn't see that it would go this long," McDaniels said.

21. First Gold Album: Run-D.M.C., Run-D.M.C. (Released March 27, 1984)

On the strengths of the singles "It's Like That," "Hard Times" and "Rock Box," Run-D.M.C.'s self-titled debut was the first hip-hop record to sell 500,000 copies. In his original Village Voicereview, Robert Christgau, the self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics" gave it a grade of A-. "It's easily the canniest and most formally sustained rap album ever," he wrote, "a tour de force I trust will be studied by all manner of creative downtowners and racially enlightened Englishmen. While their heavy staccato and proud disdain for melody may prove too avant-garde for some, the style has been in the New York air long enough that you may understand it better than you think. Do you have zero tolerance for namby-pamby bullshit? Do you believe in yourself above all? Then chances are you share Run-D.M.C.'s values."

22. First Hip-Hop Video Played on MTV: Run-D.M.C., "Rock Box" (1984)

Although "Rapture" was shown twice on the day that MTV launched, Aug. 1, 1981, it took them a few years to work rap videos by black acts into their rotation. That changed with Run-D.M.C.'s video for "Rock Box." But it would still take them four years to devote an entire show to hip-hop, when Yo! MTV Raps debuted in August 1988.

23. First U.S. Tour: 1984 Swatch Watch New York City Fresh Fest Tour (September 1984)

Hip-hop first ventured out on the road thanks to the 1984 Swatch Watch New York City Fresh Festival. Headlined by Run-D.M.C., the tour also starred Whodini, the Fat Boys, Newcleus, the Dynamic Breakers, Magnificent Force, Uptown Express, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, T. La Rock, with Kurtis Blow as host. According to Murray Forman's The 'Hood Comes First: Race, Space, and Place in Rap and Hip-Hop, it played 27 cities, beginning Labor Day Weekend in Greensboro, N.C., and took in $3.5 million, with five percent of proceeds going to the United Negro College Fund.

24. First Diss Track: Roxanne Shante, "Roxanne's Revenge" (1984)

In 1984, U.T.F.O. put out a track called "Roxanne, Roxanne," a rap about a girl who had rejected all the members of the crew. Shortly thereafter, a teenager called Lolita Shante Gooden was askedby Mr. Magic and Marley Marl to put a new rap over their beats. She assumed the identity of U.T.F.O.'s ire and rebranded herself as Roxanne Shante, slamming them in "Roxanne's Revenge." That began the famous "Roxanne Wars," with U.T.F.O. responding by finding their own woman who called herself "The Real Roxanne." Over the next year, dozens of people portraying members of her family, doctor and even someone who claimed that Roxanne was a man, recorded answer songs.

25. First Rap Album to Be Released on CD: Run-D.M.C., King of Rock (Jan. 21, 1985)

Two and a half years after compact discs first became commercially available in stores, hip-hop went digital. Possibly because of the unprecedented success of the first album, Profile was able to press King of Rock on CD. The record slightly improved on the chart successes of its predecessor, peaking at No. 52 on the 200 Albums chart and at No. 12 at R&B, where Run-D.M.C. had reached Nos. 53 and 14, respectively.

26. First High-Profile Hip-Hop Couple: Salt and Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor (1985)

Cheryl "Salt" James met Sandra "Pepa" Denton when they were students at Queensborough Community College and started calling themselves Super Nature. James' boyfriend, Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, asked them to record a song he wrote for a project at the Center of Media Arts, an answer to Doug E. Fresh's "The Show." The single, "The Show Stoppa (Is Stupid Fresh)," became a hit and they changed their name to Salt-n-Pepa. Azor would write and produce the bulk of Salt-n-Pepa's material over the next decade.

27. First Platinum Album: Run-DMC, Raising Hell (Released May 15, 1986)

If King of Rock defied those who thought rap wouldn't last, Raising Hell served as the proof of its staying power. It not only reached No. 3 and topped the R&B chart, it became the first to sell one million copies, with its platinum certification coming on July 15, 1986. Within a year, it would sell three million and new fans went back and bought King of Rock, which went platinum on Feb. 18, 1987.

28. First Hip-Hop / Rock Crossover: Run-D.M.C. & Aerosmith, "Walk This Way" (1986)

Raising Hell's success was bolstered by a bonafide pop smash. Run-D.M.C. had used the opening of Aerosmith's 1975 hit "Walk This Way" as break, but didn't know the whole song until producer Rick Rubin played it for them and suggested they cut their own version.

"I went through my whole album collection looking for a song that Run-D.M.C. could do that would point out the relationship between hip-hop and other kinds of music," Rubin said. "'Walk This Way' had a familiar rock sensibility to it, but at the same time, with very little change, would function as a hip-hop song."

Rubin brought in Aerosmith singer Steven Tylerand guitarist Joe Perry, who had only recently reunited, to be on the song and the video, which saw Tyler, quite symbolically, breaking a hole in the wall that separated hip-hop and rock.

29. First No.1 Album: Beastie Boys, Licensed to Ill (Released Nov. 15, 1986)

Rubin took the hard-rock-meets-hip-hop approach even further with one of his signings to Def Jam, an all-white trio from New York that had switched from hardcore punk to rap, the Beastie Boys. Packed with Led Zeppelin and AC/DC samples, and even an appearance from Slayer guitarist Kerry King, Licensed to Ill was loud, brash and snotty, and it did the trick. On March 7, 1987, it topped Billboard's 200 Albums chart and stayed there for seven weeks.

30. First Rappers on the Cover of Rolling Stone: Run-D.M.C. (Dec. 4, 1986)

With a story called "Run-D.M.C. Is Beating the Rap," Rolling Stone finally put a hip-hop act on its cover. The piece, by Ed Kiersh, portrayed them as thoughtful, middle-class young men from Hollis, Queens who were adjusting to their fame and took their status as role models seriously. But they also had to defend themselves against the idea that their music promotes violence, following a series of incidents during their tour, including a fight between the Bloods and the Crips at the Long Beach Arena that summer.

31. First Gold and Platinum Album by Women: Salt-n-Pepa, Hot, Cool & Vicious (Released Dec. 8, 1986)

Despite the groundbreaking work by MC Sha-Rock, the Sequence and Roxanne Shante, women rappers didn't achieve mainstream success until Salt-n-Pepa's debut, Hot, Cool & Vicious. Featuring the Top 20 hit "Push It," it became not only the first rap album by a female act to go gold, but also platinum.

32. First Rappers on the Cover of Spin: Beastie Boys (March 1987)

Although Spin had marketed itself as more hip-hop friendly than the rock-focused Rolling Stone, they still took three months longer than its rival to put rappers on their cover. Scott Cohen's "Crude Stories: Meet the Beastie Boys" was a portrait of the "rudest, loudest, deffest, most obnoxious rappers in the world" that was the opposite of Rolling Stone's piece on Run-D.M.C. As recounted in Dan Charnas' The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop, Henry Allen, a friend of Chuck D, wrote a letter to the editor taking the magazine to task for putting a white hip-hop group on the cover.

33. First Rap LP to Receive an Explicit Lyrics Warning Sticker: Ice-T, Rhyme Pays (July 28, 1987)

In 1990, the Recording Industry Association of America, after years of pressure from the Parents Music Resource Center, began rolling out the "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" sticker on albums with content that may be unsuitable for youngsters. Perhaps fittingly, Banned in the U.S.A.by 2 Live Crew, who were in the midst of their obscenity trial over As Nasty as They Wanna Be, was the first record to be affixed with the now-familiar black-and-white sticker. But three years prior, Ice-T warned potential listeners of explicit content on the cover of his debut, Rhyme Pays.

34. First Double Album: DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (March 29, 1988)

The breakthrough record by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince contained 85 minutes of music, forcing it to be put on two vinyl records. In order to make it fit onto a 72-minute CD, seven songs -- "Nightmare on My Street", "As We Go", "D.J. on the Wheels," "He's the D.J., I'm the Rapper," "Hip Hop Dancer's Theme," "Jazzy's in the House" and "Human Video Game" -- were edited and "Another Special Announcement" was removed entirely.

35. First Album by a Solo Female Rapper: MC Lyte, Lyte as a Rock (Sept. 13, 1988)

It took nearly two years after Salt-n-Pepa struck platinum for a female rapper to release a solo album. But MC Lyte made up for lost time with the heralded Lyte as a Rock. Featuring the No. 1 Rap Single "Paper Thin," the record launched her career, which has seen her branch out into acting, artist management and philanthropy.

36. First Platinum Single: Tone-Loc, "Wild Thing" (Oct. 15, 1988)

Once again, rock and hip-hop combined to make history. Tone-Loc's No. 2 smash "Wild Thing" had the requisite hard rock sample (Van Halen's "Jaime's Cryin'") and a video that put its own spin on Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" clip to cross over into the mainstream in then-record numbers for a rap single. It was certifiedplatinum and double platinum on Feb. 3, 1989.

37. First Grammy for Best Rap Performance: DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, "Parents Just Don't Understand" (Feb. 22, 1989)

A decade after "Rapper's Delight," the Grammys could no longer ignore hip-hop's role in American culture. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince's "Parents Just Don't Understand" was perhaps an obvious choice for the first award, in a field that contained J. J. Fad ("Supersonic"), Kool Moe Dee ("Wild Wild West"), LL Cool J ("Going Back to Cali") and Salt-n-Pepa ("Push It"). Although even then it caused controversy when the RIAA announced that the presentation of the award would not be televised. In response, Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen of Def Jam organized a boycott, with Public Enemy and Slick Rick among those who took part.

38. First Song to Top the Hot Rap Songs Chart: Stop the Violence Movement, "Self-Destruction" (March 11, 1989)

A month after the Grammys, Billboard debuted its own chart to list the most popular hip-hop songs in the country. Its inaugural No. 1 was "Self-Destruction" by the Stop the Violence Movement. After the 1987 killing of his Boogie Down Productions partner Scott La Rock, KRS-One brought together some of his fellow East Coast rappers -- including Public Enemy, Heavy D, MC Lyte, Doug E. Fresh and Kool Moe Dee -- to denounce violence. Proceeds were donated to the National Urban League. The song remained atop the chart for five weeks.

39. First to Get in Trouble With the FBI for Their Lyrics: N.W.A. (Aug. 1, 1989)

A year after the release of N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton, Priority Records received a letter from Milt Ahlerich, the assistant director for the Office of Public Affairs at the FBI on official stationery. Without specifically naming "Fuck tha Police," he claimed one of their songs "encourages violence against and disrespect for the law enforcement officer" and told them that 152 officers had been killed in the line of duty in the past two years. Speaking to The Washington Post, Ahlerich denied that he was trying to put governmental pressure on the band or its label, but rather address concerns within Bureau over violence directed at police officers. Barry Lynn of the American Civil Liberties Union called the letter "intimidating. ... It's designed to get Priority to change its practices, policies and distribution for this record, and that's the kind of censorship by intimidation that the First Amendment doesn't permit."

40. First Diamond Album: MC Hammer, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em (Feb. 12, 1990)

The statistics on MC Hammer's third disc, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em, are astounding, especially given how hip-hop was still widely considered a novelty only a few years earlier. It spent 21 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and 28 weeks at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. On April 15, 1991, only 14 months after its release, it was certified diamond platinum for sales in excess of 10 million copies.

41. First Rapper to Be Nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy: Tone-Loc (Feb. 21, 1990)

Tone-Loc's success earned him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, and two other acts with hip-hop leanings, Neneh Cherry and Soul II Soul, were also recognized, as was the folk duo Indigo Girls. But the winners were Milli Vanilli, whose award was rescinded nine months later when group mastermind Frank Farian was forced to admit that Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, who represented them in the videos and onstage, did not sing on their album.

42. First Rapper on the Cover of Major U.S. News Magazine: Tone-Loc (March 19, 1990)

As hip-hop was dominating the charts, one of mainstream America's two most widely read news magazines took notice. Newsweek's coverboasted "Rap Rage" in big letters, followed by "Yo! Street rhyme has gone big time. But are those sounds out of bounds?" But who did they choose to represent the anger? Tone-Loc, hardly the most controversial or threatening rapper on the scene. Reportedly Newsweek were debating between Tone-Loc and LL Cool J for the cover.

43. First Full Rap Song to Top the Hot 100: Vanilla Ice "Ice Ice Baby" (Nov. 3, 1990)

In the midst of what became known as the "golden age" of hip-hop, rap finally got a song to top Billboard's Hot 100. But it wasn't one of the defining tracks by critical favorites like Public Enemy, the Native Tongues groups or the up-and-coming West Coast gangstas. Instead, it was "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice, the much-derided, Queen-sampling Dallas rapper whose label had created a fake bio in order to boost his street cred.

44. First Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance: MC Hammer, "U Can't Touch This" (Feb. 20, 1991)

Two years after debuting a category for rap (Young MC's "Bust a Move" won in 1990), the Grammys added a second to distinguish between solo acts and groups (although not between albums and songs). They went with MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This," which beat out Queen Latifah's All Hail the Queen album, Big Daddy Kane's "I Get The Job Done," Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" and Monie Love's "Monie In The Middle."

45. First Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Quincy Jones, Big Daddy Kane, Ice-T, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel & Quincy Jones III, "Back on the Block" (Feb. 20, 1991)

For the second award dedicated to hip-hop that night, voters gave the Grammy to longtime favorite Quincy Jones for his star-studded "Back on the Block" over Digital Underground ("The Humpty Dance"), DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (the And in This Corner... album), Public Enemy (Fear of a Black Planet) and the West Coast Rap All-Stars ("We're All in the Same Gang").

46. First Rapper to Meet a President: Eazy-E: (March 18, 1991)

Even as the culture wars over rap lyrics continued, Eazy-E and N.W.A. manager Jerry Heller were invited to lunch with President George H.W. Bush and the Republican Senatorial Inner Circle by Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole. According to Heller in his book Ruthless, the invitation came as a result of a donation Eazy-E made to a South Central charity and the meal consisted of poached salmon and roast beef -- and that Eazy-E was stoned. But the rapper denied that he was a Republican, or even political. "How the fuck can I be a Republican when I got a song called 'Fuck tha Police?'" he said. "I ain't shit—ain't a Republican or Democrat. I didn't even vote. My vote ain't going to help! I don't give a fuck who's the president."

47. First Rapper to Launch a Clothing Line: Christopher "Play" Martin (1991)

With his star on the rise thanks a pair of gold records and the hit House Party movies, Christopher "Play" Martin of Kid 'n Play opened up a boutique featuring his own designs called IV Plai, taking over an old game room in his hometown of East Elmhurst, Queens, N.Y. "I love fashion," he told The New York Times. "And I knew I would give back to the neighborhood when I could. ... There is this fear in the entertainment business that you'll end up going back to your old job at Burger King. I'm going to make sure that never happens."

48. First Rappers to Win a Grammy in a Non-Rap Category: Arrested Development (Feb. 24, 1993)

Prior to 1993, rappers had only won Grammys in their designated categories. That changed when Arrested Development beat out Billy Ray Cyrus, Sophie B. Hawkins, Kris Kross and Jon Secada for Best New Artist thanks to their album 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... The record was one of the most popular socially conscious hip-hop records of its day.

49. First Platinum Album by a Solo Female: Da Brat, Funkdafied (June 28, 1994)

Funkdafied introduced the world to Shawntae Harris, aka Da Brat, who was all of 20 when it was released. It topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and went platinum on Jan. 6, 1995. She'd break the million mark again with 2000's Unrestricted.

50. First Hip-Hop Video Game: Rap Jam: Volume One (January 1995)

Released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995, Rap Jam: Volume One featured such popular rappers as Coolio, House of Pain, Queen Latifah, Warren G and Onyx playing one-on-one on the streets of five cities. Each rapper had their own special move, and no fouls were called. A second volume was never produced.

51. First Rap Double Album to be Released on CD: Various Artists, Down South Hustlers: Bouncin' and Swingin' (Oct 31, 1995)

As discussed above, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper was edited to fit on a single CD, but no such changes were made to Master P's No Limit two-disc compilation, which featured "Playaz from the South," his hit with UGK and Silkk the Shocker. A few months later, on Feb. 13, 1996, 2Pacdropped his own double album, All Eyez on Me.

52. First Artist to Have Two No. 1 Albums in One Year: 2Pac, All Eyez on Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)

As if All Eyez on Me being a double album didn't prove how creative 2Pac was at the end of his life, nine months later he posthumously put out The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, which was credited to Makaveli. Its title referred to how much time he spent working on it -- three days to record his vocals and another four to mix it -- during the first week of August 1996, only a month before he was fatally shot on Sept. 7, 1996. Both albums went to No. 1

Two years later, DMX also hit the top spot twice in one year when he put out Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood only seven months after It’s Dark and Hell is Hot. He did it because Island Def Jam boss Lyor Cohen offered him $1 million if he did.

“I wanted to get that bonus,” DMX later told the Fader. ‘So I wasn’t playing with that show studio shit.” Indeed, he and his production crew took over numerous New York City recording studios at once, and also recorded in Miami and Los Angeles. “I used to sleep at Powerhouse,” remembered producer Dame Grease. “I’d be in there eating turkey sandwiches, Chinese and sleeping on the boards. Just cranking, cranking, cranking around the clock. The energy was crazy.”

53. First Best Rap Album Grammy: Naughty by Nature, Poverty's Paradise (Feb. 28, 1996)

For five years, Grammy nominations given out to solo and group rappers could be for one song or a whole album. That changed in 1996 with the debut of the Best Rap Album category. That night, Naughty by Nature claimed the award, beating out 2Pac (Me Against the World), Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (E. 1999 Eternal), Ol' Dirty Bastard (Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version) and Skee-Lo (I Wish).

54. First Rap Album to Win Album of the Year Grammy: Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1999)

The 1999 Grammy Album of the Year category was noteworthy from the start, as all five nominees were made by female artists or female-fronted bands. When Lauryn Hill’s solo debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was named the first hip-hop album to win this honor, it became historic. Co-presenter Whitney Houstonmade sure everybody in the audience understood and acknowledged just how important the moment was, but Hill was and remains determined to stay focused on self-improvement. To that end, she says she gives all her trophies to her mother.

“If I walked downstairs every day, and I saw all of my achievements,” she told Manufacturing Intellect in 2000, ”it would be so easy to become complacent. ‘Ive got all of these, and look at those, I don’t need to do anything else.’ But life is continued work, it’s constant learning… I get really afraid of those little comforts, those things that make us feel like we did something great. Because I’ve done nothing, and I mean that sincerely.”

55. First Oscar for Best Original Song: Eminem, "Lose Yourself" from 8 Miile (March 23, 2003)

Starring in the semi-autobiographical 8 Milegave Eminem the opportunity to finish "Lose Yourself," a track he had demoed a few years earlier. “I had to make ["Lose Yourself" and "8 Mile"] while I was in the movie,” he toldFunkmaster Flex. “Because once I stepped out of that movie ... I wouldn’t feel like I was in [the character.]” But despite its massive success -- it spent nearly three months at No. 1 -- Eminem didn't even bother attending the Academy Awards. "I was sleeping that night," he continued. "I just felt like I had no chance of winning. ... At that point in my life, I always felt like rap never got its fair shake on anything."

Since then, two other hip-hop songs have won the Oscar for Best Original Song: "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" by Three 6 Mafia (Hustle & Flow) and "Glory" by John Legend and Common(Selma).

56. First to Reach 1 Million Downloads: Outkast, "Hey Ya" (2004)

The popularity of OutKast's Speakerboxx/The Love Below coincided neatly with the rise of Apple's iTunes music store. Their smash "Hey Ya" became the first song, in any genre, to be legally downloaded 1 million times from iTunes and other sites. The record's popularity -- it sold 10 million copies -- led Andre 3000 to focus less on music, preferring instead to follow other pursuits, like fashion and acting. "Now it’s more like a hobby for me, so I don’t think about it in that way," he said in 2017. "Even with Outkast — if we never do another album, I’m totally fine with that. When I was 25, I said I don’t want to be a 30-year-old rapper. I’m 42 now, and I feel more and more that way. Do I really want to be 50 years old up there doing that? When I watch other rappers that are my age I commend them, but I just wonder where the inspiration is coming from. At this stage I’m really more focused on what I am going to be doing 10 years from now. And I hope to God it won’t be rapping.”

57. First Rappers Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (March 12, 2007)

Three years after the earliest hip-hop recording acts had become eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five were inducted. The news from the T.V. woke Melle Mel out of his sleep, but Grandmaster Flash didn't believe it. "There had been two false alarms on it," Flash told Reuters, "so when somebody called my house, I didn’t take it too serious, to be honest. But when they told me, I just looked at the phone, hung up and went on my merry way. The next morning I started getting a lot of calls, so I just said, 'Note to self: This is it.' But it’s wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Later than sooner still beats never!"

They were inducted by Jay-Z, who surprised the crew with his appearance. Since then, five other hip-hop acts have been enshrined: Run-D.M.C., the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, N.W.A. and Tupac Shakur. While there will always be a segment of society that doesn't believe hip-hop belongs in the Hall of Fame, Flash sees his induction as validation that his music is all part of the same lineage.

“When you go back into the ‘70s, into the ingredient years of hip-hop, I played rock,” he told Yahoo. “I actually produced tracks that sounded like rock, from rock samples; we were into the rock sound. My instrument is the turntable, and so, I was able to walk into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with my turntables. All I know is I’m in company with some of the greatest musicians of all time — some of the greatest guitar players, greatest drummers, greatest ax players, greatest keyboardists, greatest singers. It’s incredible.”

58. First Woman to Rap at the White House: MC Lyte (2015)

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the legislation that created the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, President and Mrs. Obama threw A Celebration of American Creativity. The evening, broadcast on PBS, included MC Lyte, Usher, Smokey Robinson, blues legend Buddy Guy, Trombone Shorty and Broadway stars Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Introduced by Queen Latifah, who called her "my mentor, my inspiration, my all in all, the 'Godmother of Hip Hop,'" MC Lyte performed her then-recent "Dear John" and her 1989 classic "Cha Cha Cha."

59. First to Win a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award: Run-D.M.C. (2016)

Despite having never won a Grammy for any of their hit songs or albums (Raising Hell was nominated in 1986 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal), the RIAA recognized Run-D.M.C. with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Darryl McDaniels admitted to Rolling Stone that he was conflicted with the idea.

"I guess it’s cool," he said, "’cause — and I’m talking from my egotistical rap microphone stage right now — they shoulda gave it to me in ’86 when even Michael Jackson said there was nothing in the world more popular, not even him."

But at the same time, he felt those who came before him deserved it more: "[D]on’t acknowledge Run-D.M.C. until [you] give that award to Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation for 'Planet Rock.' Give that award first to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, the first rap group to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and it’s a damn shame that nobody in hip-hop knows that, you know what I’m saying?"

Ruth Brown, Celia Cruz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Herbie Hancock, Jefferson Airplane, Linda Ronstadt were the other recipients that year.

60. First Pulitzer Prize for Music: Kendrick Lamar, DAMN (2018)

Kendrick Lamar's DAMN wasn't just the first hip-hop album to win the Pulitzer. It was the first recording in any genre that wasn't classical or jazz to earn the prestigious award in its 75-year history. The Pulitzer board called the album “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”

Although Lamar publicly didn't say anythingmore than “It’s an honor … I’ve been writing my whole life, so to get this type of recognition – it’s beautiful" on the night he accepted the award, he later said that it was "one of those things that should have happened with hip-hop a long time ago."

"It took a long time for people to embrace us—people outside of our community, our culture—to see this not just as vocal lyrics," he told Vanity Fair, "but to see that this is really pain, this is really hurt, this is really true stories of our lives on wax. And now, for it to get the recognition that it deserves as a true art form, that’s not only great for myself, but it makes me feel good about hip-hop in general. Writers like Tupac, Jay-Z, Rakim, Eminem, Q-Tip, Big Daddy Kane, Snoop [Dogg] . . . It lets me know that people are actually listening further than I expected."

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90363462 · 2 years ago

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60 Hip-Hop ‘Firsts': Rap’s Must-Know Milestones

Dave LiftonPublished: August 10, 2018

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1. First Female Rapper: MC Sha-Rock of Funky 4 + 1 (1976)

2. First Single: Fatback, '“King Tim III (Personality Jock)" (1979)

3. First Rap Song to Chart on the Hot 100: The Sugarhill Gang, "Rappers Delight" (1979)

'“King Tim III (Personality Jock)" may have been the first commercially available rap single, but not by long. Only a few months later, on Aug. 2, 1979, the Sugarhill Gangreleased "Rapper's Delight." And possibly because it outperformed Fatback, peaking just inside the Top 40 at No. 36, it became widely accepted, erroneously, that "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap single.

4. First Hip-Hop Radio Show: Mr. Magic's Disco Showcase (1979)

5. First Single by a Female Group: The Sequence, "Funk You Up" (1979)

Twenty years before her breakthrough as a solo artist, Angie Stone, then calling herself "Angie B," was a member of Columbia, S.C.'s the Sequence with Cheryl "The Pearl" Cook and Gwendolyn "Blondy" Chisolm. After getting backstage at a Sugarhill Gang concert and proving themselves to Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson, they got signed and recorded "Funk You Up," the second single ever on the label. It peaked at No. 15 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart and they released nine more singles -- two of which charted -- and three albums for the label. In 2017, they sued Bruno Mars and Mark Ronsonon the grounds that "Uptown Funk" was too similar to their biggest hit.

6. First Rap Video: "Rapper's Delight" (1979)

7. First Rapper to Sign With a Major Label: Kurtis Blow (1979)

8. First Album: The Sugarhill Gang, The Sugarhill Gang (1980)

9. First Gold Single: Kurtis Blow, "The Breaks" (1980)

10. First to Appear on National Television: Kurtis Blow, Soul Train (Sept. 27, 1980)

11. First Beef: Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy Bee (1981)

12. First Rappers on Saturday Night Live: Funky 4+1 (Feb. 14, 1981)

13. First No. 1 Hot 100 Song With a Rap, Blondie, "Rapture" (March 28, 1981)

14. First National News Story About Hip-Hop: 20/20 (July 1981)

15. First International Tour: New York City Rap Tour (November 1982)

16. First Hip-Hop Movie: Wild Style (1983)

17. First Rap Group Signed to a Major Label: The Fearless Four (1983)

18. First Hip-Hop Radio Station: KDAY 93.5 FM, Los Angeles (1983)

19. First Hollywood Movie With Breakdancing: Flashdance (1983)

20. First Music Video Show Dedicated to Hip-Hop: Video Music Box (April 1984)

21. First Gold Album: Run-D.M.C., Run-D.M.C. (Released March 27, 1984)

On the strengths of the singles "It's Like That," "Hard Times" and "Rock Box," Run-D.M.C.'s self-titled debut was the first hip-hop record to sell 500,000 copies. In his original Village Voice review, Robert Christgau, the self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics" gave it a grade of A-. "It's easily the canniest and most formally sustained rap album ever," he wrote, "a tour de force I trust will be studied by all manner of creative downtowners and racially enlightened Englishmen. While their heavy staccato and proud disdain for melody may prove too avant-garde for some, the style has been in the New York air long enough that you may understand it better than you think. Do you have zero tolerance for namby-pamby bullshit? Do you believe in yourself above all? Then chances are you share Run-D.M.C.'s values."

22. First Hip-Hop Video Played on MTV: Run-D.M.C., "Rock Box" (1984)

23. First U.S. Tour: 1984 Swatch Watch New York City Fresh Fest Tour (September 1984)

24. First Diss Track: Roxanne Shante, "Roxanne's Revenge" (1984)

In 1984, U.T.F.O. put out a track called "Roxanne, Roxanne," a rap about a girl who had rejected all the members of the crew. Shortly thereafter, a teenager called Lolita Shante Gooden was asked by Mr. Magic and Marley Marl to put a new rap over their beats. She assumed the identity of U.T.F.O.'s ire and rebranded herself as Roxanne Shante, slamming them in "Roxanne's Revenge." That began the famous "Roxanne Wars," with U.T.F.O. responding by finding their own woman who called herself "The Real Roxanne." Over the next year, dozens of people portraying members of her family, doctor and even someone who claimed that Roxanne was a man, recorded answer songs.

25. First Rap Album to Be Released on CD: Run-D.M.C., King of Rock (Jan. 21, 1985)

26. First High-Profile Hip-Hop Couple: Salt and Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor (1985)

27. First Platinum Album: Run-DMC, Raising Hell (Released May 15, 1986)

28. First Hip-Hop / Rock Crossover: Run-D.M.C. & Aerosmith, "Walk This Way" (1986)

Rubin brought in Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, who had only recently reunited, to be on the song and the video, which saw Tyler, quite symbolically, breaking a hole in the wall that separated hip-hop and rock.

29. First No.1 Album: Beastie Boys, Licensed to Ill (Released Nov. 15, 1986)

30. First Rappers on the Cover of Rolling Stone: Run-D.M.C. (Dec. 4, 1986)

31. First Gold and Platinum Album by Women: Salt-n-Pepa, Hot, Cool & Vicious (Released Dec. 8, 1986)

32. First Rappers on the Cover of Spin: Beastie Boys (March 1987)

33. First Rap LP to Receive an Explicit Lyrics Warning Sticker: Ice-T, Rhyme Pays (July 28, 1987)

In 1990, the Recording Industry Association of America, after years of pressure from the Parents Music Resource Center, began rolling out the "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" sticker on albums with content that may be unsuitable for youngsters. Perhaps fittingly, Banned in the U.S.A. by 2 Live Crew, who were in the midst of their obscenity trial over As Nasty as They Wanna Be, was the first record to be affixed with the now-familiar black-and-white sticker. But three years prior, Ice-Twarned potential listeners of explicit content on the cover of his debut, Rhyme Pays.

34. First Double Album: DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper(March 29, 1988)

35. First Album by a Solo Female Rapper: MC Lyte, Lyte as a Rock (Sept. 13, 1988)

36. First Platinum Single: Tone-Loc, "Wild Thing" (Oct. 15, 1988)

37. First Grammy for Best Rap Performance: DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, "Parents Just Don't Understand" (Feb. 22, 1989)

A decade after "Rapper's Delight," the Grammys could no longer ignore hip-hop's role in American culture. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince's "Parents Just Don't Understand" was perhaps an obvious choice for the first award, in a field that contained J. J. Fad("Supersonic"), Kool Moe Dee ("Wild Wild West"), LL Cool J ("Going Back to Cali") and Salt-n-Pepa ("Push It"). Although even then it caused controversy when the RIAA announced that the presentation of the award would not be televised. In response, Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen of Def Jam organized a boycott, with Public Enemy and Slick Rick among those who took part.

38. First Song to Top the Hot Rap Songs Chart: Stop the Violence Movement, "Self-Destruction" (March 11, 1989)

A month after the Grammys, Billboarddebuted its own chart to list the most popular hip-hop songs in the country. Its inaugural No. 1 was "Self-Destruction" by the Stop the Violence Movement. After the 1987 killing of his Boogie Down Productions partner Scott La Rock, KRS-One brought together some of his fellow East Coast rappers -- including Public Enemy, Heavy D, MC Lyte, Doug E. Fresh and Kool Moe Dee -- to denounce violence. Proceeds were donated to the National Urban League. The song remained atop the chart for five weeks.

39. First to Get in Trouble With the FBI for Their Lyrics: N.W.A. (Aug. 1, 1989)

40. First Diamond Album: MC Hammer, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em (Feb. 12, 1990)

41. First Rapper to Be Nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy: Tone-Loc (Feb. 21, 1990)

42. First Rapper on the Cover of Major U.S. News Magazine: Tone-Loc (March 19, 1990)

43. First Full Rap Song to Top the Hot 100: Vanilla Ice "Ice Ice Baby" (Nov. 3, 1990)

44. First Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance: MC Hammer, "U Can't Touch This" (Feb. 20, 1991)

Two years after debuting a category for rap (Young MC's "Bust a Move" won in 1990), the Grammys added a second to distinguish between solo acts and groups (although not between albums and songs). They went with MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This," which beat out Queen Latifah's All Hail the Queenalbum, Big Daddy Kane's "I Get The Job Done," Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" and Monie Love's "Monie In The Middle."

45. First Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Quincy Jones, Big Daddy Kane, Ice-T, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel & Quincy Jones III, "Back on the Block" (Feb. 20, 1991)

46. First Rapper to Meet a President: Eazy-E: (March 18, 1991)

47. First Rapper to Launch a Clothing Line: Christopher "Play" Martin (1991)

With his star on the rise thanks a pair of gold records and the hit House Party movies, Christopher "Play" Martin of Kid 'n Playopened up a boutique featuring his own designs called IV Plai, taking over an old game room in his hometown of East Elmhurst, Queens, N.Y. "I love fashion," he told The New York Times. "And I knew I would give back to the neighborhood when I could. ... There is this fear in the entertainment business that you'll end up going back to your old job at Burger King. I'm going to make sure that never happens."

48. First Rappers to Win a Grammy in a Non-Rap Category: Arrested Development (Feb. 24, 1993)

49. First Platinum Album by a Solo Female: Da Brat, Funkdafied (June 28, 1994)

50. First Hip-Hop Video Game: Rap Jam: Volume One (January 1995)

51. First Rap Double Album to be Released on CD: Various Artists, Down South Hustlers: Bouncin' and Swingin' (Oct 31, 1995)

52. First Artist to Have Two No. 1 Albums in One Year: 2Pac, All Eyez on Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)

53. First Best Rap Album Grammy: Naughty by Nature, Poverty's Paradise (Feb. 28, 1996)

54. First Rap Album to Win Album of the Year Grammy: Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1999)

The 1999 Grammy Album of the Year category was noteworthy from the start, as all five nominees were made by female artists or female-fronted bands. When Lauryn Hill’s solo debut The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was named the first hip-hop album to win this honor, it became historic. Co-presenter Whitney Houston made sure everybody in the audience understood and acknowledged just how important the moment was, but Hill was and remains determined to stay focused on self-improvement. To that end, she says she gives all her trophies to her mother.

55. First Oscar for Best Original Song: Eminem, "Lose Yourself" from 8 Miile (March 23, 2003)

Since then, two other hip-hop songs have won the Oscar for Best Original Song: "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" by Three 6 Mafia (Hustle & Flow) and "Glory" by John Legend and Common (Selma).

56. First to Reach 1 Million Downloads: Outkast, "Hey Ya" (2004)

57. First Rappers Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (March 12, 2007)

58. First Woman to Rap at the White House: MC Lyte (2015)

59. First to Win a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award: Run-D.M.C. (2016)

Ruth Brown, Celia Cruz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Herbie Hancock, Jefferson Airplane, Linda Ronstadt were the other recipients that year.

60. First Pulitzer Prize for Music: Kendrick Lamar, DAMN (2018)

Kendrick Lamar's DAMN wasn't just the first hip-hop album to win the Pulitzer. It was the first recording in any genre that wasn't classical or jazz to earn the prestigious award in its 75-year history. The Pulitzer board calledthe album “a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African-American life.”

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#hip hop culture #hip hop #rap #rap music #rapper #hip hop awards #hip hop 50

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talkingharrystyles · 3 years ago

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“I notice that lying bitch 🌌 has disappeared too.”

🌌 Awh, come on! You’re making this too easy for me.

You must be, somewhat, smart to construct an insult much better than that.

I do understand stupidity is your constant companion, but only elementary kids say “lying bitch” nowadays.

What’s next? You’re going to refuse me a glittered coated invite to your pool party?

Not allow me to sit at the lunch table, while you keep Harry hostage?

Plagiarize a more articulate insult, girl.

You sounded more stupider than you try to pretend you are not.

Nevertheless, I must not be that much of a “lying bitch” for my presence to hold such a profound impact in your thoughts, as YOU specifically remembered and named ME of all the other anons who have shared the same or, even, more exposing posts.

In fact… I must be so correct that it terrified you to close your inbox, thinking it’ll avoid me from confronting you.

Because of your cowardice, this public humiliation of you in front of a public audience is entirely of your own doing.

What triggered you, girl? Was it the destruction of your fantasies? The suggestion to make it through a Dr. Seuss book?

Perhaps, it was reality that you WILL NOT be the one whom “King Harry” will seek to “orally pleasure”, as you fantasy and reblog daily, in order, to compensate for that lack of attention you receive.

That’s not a MINE problem.

That’s a result of YOU, which you secretly know.

No man is going to tolerate some bitter, little girl who demands that the world is given to her simply because… exactly what are you contributing to society, again?

Precisely.

You are the sole reason as to why people can barely tolerate the sight of you.

Your “friends” tolerate you, as misery loves company and, most often, your face is deeply up in their asses with all the ass kissing you do to bribe them to stomach you.

Your parent(s) tolerate you, since they’re morally bounded to you, and have better dignity than the little you possess.

Even for the men whom you have weakly tried imprisoning with your “impressive head game” and other sex “tricks” they, ALL, tired of you and found you insufferable, suffocating, and unbelievably insane.

As for Harry… considering that you truthfully buy his merchandise, his tolerance of you is simply an indirect result of purchased services.

Lastly…. grammatically correct would had been to write, “I notice(d) that the lying bitch 🌌 has disappeared too”.

It was illiterate to combine both the past and present tenses together in a sentence, as was your absence of the definite article “the” preluding a specific noun.

For your insanity to have convinced you that Harry, someone who is known for correcting erroneous grammar, would willingly want to spend time around someone who talks like middle school boy, and whose weak and pathetic vagina and mouth has barely kept any man interested in her, truly redefines delusional.

Perhaps you should start visiting your local health clinic, though?

Clearly your vagina, and mouth, are the only two currencies that you’re going to be using to make it through in life.

No person, not even Harry, is wanting to inhale the funk of a swamp that predates the Civil War, and could be used as chemical warfare.

Then again; the lack of relationships in your life has already proven this to be factually true.

For future shippers, and burner accounts from Olivia’s team… you saw how easily it was for Brian to unmask Deuxmerde’s identities.

The few Olivia and Co. accounts that have been found were not that difficult to track down, as your stealth tactics are child’s play.

You all are more than welcomed to step up to the plate of dissenting opinions, but do be mindful: do not to let your mouths write checks your asses are not ready to cash.

Best believe myself and others will be going to the banks, and CEOs of those asses by the end of our posts.

For everyone else in regards to the last week content: damage control is the name of the game. Desperation of the end, as well.

If Harry wanted to- He WOULD.

If Harry could- He WOULD.

I wrote it weeks before Howard Stern, and will write it again- Harry deems Olivia nothing more than a contractual obligation, and will only acknowledge her within the parameters of business/work.

HE corrected the context in which she was originally posed as from “romance/love” to “work/director”.

Like, damn. If that was not publicly humiliating for someone who has devoted the last year and a half forcing herself to be publicly believed to be someone he is romantically involved with… I don’t know what was.

Perhaps, that is the reason for Olivia’s swollen and distorted face lately? Yes it’s a result of cheap cosmetic procedures, but it’s mainly the scorch of being publicly burned in the worse form.

I’m not going to criticize her stomach, as she did carry two kids. It’s looseness is a culmination of aging, health neglect, and post pregnancy. She most likely is, however, exploiting it to hype up pregnancy rumors. You want to know how Harry would act if she was pregnant? How did he react during every other personal milestone in life?

Right. He didn’t publicize it until AFTER it happened. Same with whenever he decides to start having children of his own. The public won’t know ANYTHING until HE releases an official statement.

No amount of pap walks, “fan sightings”, aimless walks (Seriously: What are you two always walking towards? Are they on a hunt to relocate the pieces of Olivia’s sanity, intelligence, and self worth she lost last year before fall comes?) blinds, coordinated outfits, orchestrated family affectionate moments, couple “vacations”, liking sprees, and all other desperation tactics will ever fix what “Olivia’s boy toy” did last week.

Or on Valentines Day.

Or on her birthdays. Those WERE NOT the floral arrangements that Harry is known to customize for romantic partners. Even close associates. That looked like some tasteless arrangement that screamed, “I’m desperate for romance!”

When Harry’s presence should and would had counted to be seen, he was always “conveniently unavailable” to make an appearance.

Like damn. Holivia isn’t just the circus. They’re the circus, the horror show, the parody of romance, and the self help guide on what not to do, if you want to sell a convincing storyline to the public.

Harry who is known to have fed the homeless, watch strangers’ pets, fit the bill for people who mistreated him, over-generously tip servers, treat fans and strangers as friends, financially help past partners when they were in a bid ….. he didn’t deem it necessary drive to the inn where the “love of his life” was staying, and pick her up before going to the bridge?

Listen I like Harry; it is very telling that he allowed for a WOMAN to WALK alone in a foreign country to his house.

This is the same man who grew up with TWO women in his life, and advises FEMALE fans to demand respect from males who mistreat them.

Not to mention the excessive cell phone usage, and social distancing space that can literally fit the whole cast of CATS.

If anyone is more invested in their cell phones, while in the presence of the one that they “love”… that relationship is completely one sided.

What should all of these visible signs inform you about the current state of “romance” in Holivia’s love story?

What does it tell you about the mutual sign of respect?

What humiliation is next?

Olivia’s extensions being blown away at the DWD’s premiere?

Her botox and injections being too excessive that she’s mistaken for Jocelyn Wildenstein on the red carpet?

Olivia attempting to steal the loaned accessories she wears to pawn for cash, since her precious backend deal will be crumbs?

What little is earned will need to be divided, as promised, to Harry Co. for their time and services given to promote the film and to resuscitate her dead career.

Warner Brothers executives are depending on all of YOU to generate sales.

Shippers account for such a small substrate of the fandom. Harry’s WHOLE fandom is being targeted for DWD’s success. Which does indirectly affects Olivia’s career.

Not to mention the projects she may even up losing, amongst other humiliating consequences that will be publicized.

No. The greatest humiliation will come a few years down the road when Harry releases another album, and actually acknowledges and names the person who inspired it.

No ambiguity, “dodging”, or “how do I answer this question?”.

Simply, “this was/is about my time with ()”.

🌌🌌

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kemetic-dreams · 4 years ago

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Soca music is a genre of music defined by Lord Shorty, its inventor, as the Soul of Calypso, African and East Indian rhythms. It was originally spelt Sokah by its inventor but through an error in a local newspaper when reporting on the new music it was erroneously spelt Soca, Lord Shorty confirmed the error but chose to leave it that way to avoid confusion. It is a genre of music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 1970s and developed into a range of styles during the 1980s and after. Soca was initially developed by Lord Shorty in an effort to revive traditional Calypso, the popularity of which had been flagging amongst younger generations in Trinidad due to the rise in popularity of Reggae from Jamaica and Soul and Funk from the USA. Soca is an offshoot of Kaiso/Calypso, with influences from East Indian rhythms and hooks.

Soca has evolved since the 1980s primarily through musicians from various Anglophone Caribbean countries, not only from its birthplace Trinidad and Tobago but also from Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Lucia, the US and British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Guyana and Belize. There have also been significant productions from artists in Venezuela, Canada, Panama, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan.

Soca began its development in the early 1970s and grew in popularity throughout that decade. Soca's development as a musical genre included its fusion with Calypso, Chutney, Reggae, Zouk, Latin, Cadence and traditional West African rhythms.

Lord Shorty

The "father" of Soca was a Trinidadian named Garfield Blackman, who rose to fame as "Lord Shorty" with his 1964 hit "Cloak and Dagger" and who adopted the name "Ras Shorty I" in the early 1980s. He started out writing songs and performing in the Calypso genre. A prolific musician, composer and innovator, Shorty experimented with fusing Calypso and elements of Indo-Caribbean music after 1965 before debuting "the Soul of Calypso", Soca music, in the early 1970s.

Shorty was the first to define his music as "Soca" during 1975 when his hit song "Endless Vibrations" caused musical waves on radio stations and at parties and clubs - not just in his native Trinidad and Tobago, but also in cities like New York, Toronto and London. Soca was originally spelled Sokah, which stood for the "Soul of Calypso" with the "kah" part being taken from the first letter in the Sanskrit alphabet, representing the power of movement as well as the East Indian rhythmic influence that helped to inspire the new beat. Shorty stated in a number of interviews that the idea for the new Soca beat originated with the fusion of Calypso with East Indian rhythms that he used in his 1972 hit "Indrani". Soca solidified its position as the popular new beat adopted by most Trinidadian Calypso musicians by the time Shorty recorded his crossover hit "Endless Vibrations" in 1974.

In 1975, Shorty recorded an album entitled "Love in the Caribbean" that contained a number of crossover Soca tracks. During the subsequent promotional tour, Shorty stopped at the isle of Dominica and saw the top band there, Exile One, perform at the Fort Young Hotel. Shorty was inspired to compose and record a Soca and Cadence-lypso fusion track titled "E Pete" or "Ou Petit", which was the first in that particular Soca style. Shorty consulted on the Creole lyrics he used in the chorus of his "E Pete" song with Dominica's 1969 Calypso King, Lord Tokyo, and two Creole lyricists, Chris Seraphine and Pat Aaron.

#soca #african music #indian music #island music #trinidad and tobago #african culture #lord shorty #kemetic dreams #carnival #garfield blackman

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thenukacolachallenge · 4 years ago

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fun facts about Cash that i’m thinking about to distract myself from writing fic(bc i am a menace to myself):

putting under a read more bc this bitch got long lmao

-Cash works as a drug and alcohol runner to a lot of different companies and organizations in the MK universe, including the Black Dragon.

-she gives literally everyone she meets a nickname. Kabal is “Kabobble”, Erron is “Fellow Yeehaw”(since theyre both into cowboy shit) or “Old Man” once she learns how old he really is, Kano is either “Bossman” if she’s trying to stay on his good side or “Pissboy” if not.

-she is not related to Erron at all, even though they both have the surname Black and dress in cowboy hats. most of the BD base either doesn’t believe them when they tell people this, or assume they’re fucking(they’re definitely not lmao, Cash is bi but mostly into women)

-Cash has a big mouth and loves to be goofy and talkative. she punctuates almost every doofy thought she has with awkward finger guns. she’s very much a “class clown” type of person. she just likes to shoot shit and make people laugh.

-she has good luck powers(like Domino but way dumber in execution). she’s never been able to tangibly prove it, since how the fuck do you measure luck? but her adoptive dad(Pops Black, she calls him) called her “his good luck charm” growing up, and one time while on a drug bender in the desert she was approached by a random very shiny woman and told she was “an avatar of good fortune”. she still has no idea if that actually happened or not.

-once time Kabal went to take a piss in the middle of the night and found Cash passed out in his bathtub. nobody knows how she got in there to this day(she was incredibly drunk at the time). nothing was stolen so she wasn’t in there to rob him. he’s still pissed about how badly it scared the shit out of him. Cash was mostly just happy she didn’t puke on the floor.

-She’s done a few scavenging runs for Kano on the side, finding rare and valuable artifacts in hard to reach places. she always found more than she came for, bc of the whole good luck thing. as a result he’s tried to recruit her into the Black Dragon by force a few times, but she always manages to both escape and cause problems for him at the same time inadvertently. after the third time, which actually caused damage to the Black Dragon compound, he decided to stop trying and just let her work freelance before something really expensive got destroyed.

-Cash LOVES music. it’s her favorite thing in the whole world, even more than booze and other fun chemicals. she’s a huge fan of old country music(Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn etc), but also loves funk, blues, grunge, and desert rock. Queens of the Stone Age are her favorite modern band. she can play multiple different instruments, including the harmonica, both acoustic and electric guitar, and bass. she’s trying to learn banjo and piano at the moment. she’ll occasionally bring a beat-up old guitar or cheap keyboard on her visits to the BD compound and play some music for anyone who wants to listen. since it’s usually old country covers, it’s usually just Erron listening.

-She once started a bar fight bc someone said Dolly Parton was overrated.

-she was raised by a hired gun, so guns are her go-to weapons. she usually keeps a shotgun and a pistol on her. she also names all her weapons. her shotgun is named Jolene(after the Dolly song obvs) and her pistol is named Valerie(after an Amy Winehouse cover). she also has a machete. its name is Betty. she will get mad if you make fun of the names.

-the first time she met Erron, she managed to fleece a good amount of money from him playing blackjack, since she didn’t tell him about her luck powers. he was not happy when he found out. she managed to smooth things over by bringing him some really nice Outworld whiskey next time she delivered to the BD compound. he still plays card games with her but refuses to bet actual money, instead just using beer bottle caps(Cash collects them). he has yet to actually win a game against her.

-loves to dance. cannot dance at all. it’s like watching a drunk suburban dad at a summer backyard party: all elbows and shoulders. she still does it anyways, bc dancing is fun, and she likes to do dumb shit that makes other people laugh, even if it’s at her expense. ironically enough, she’s much more coordinated on stage with an instrument in her hand.

-literally always has a cigarette in her hand. during the daytime she’s got coffee on her at all times; at night, it’s a bottle or flask of some kind of alcohol(usually tequila, whiskey, or beer). she and Kano constantly make fun of each others’ choices in beer(when they’re not pissed at each other anyways).

-was raised by a part-time cattle rancher, part-time hired gun out in the Mojave desert, and thus has little idea about modern pop culture. she hasn’t seen most movies or tv shows.

-she almost starved to death as a child before her Pops found her. as a result, she is not a picky eater whatsoever, and will eat just about anything, no matter how gross it is. the only thing she dislikes even a little is anything well-done when it doesn’t have to be(ie well-done steaks, eggs with no runny yolk, etc), but she’ll still eat it. in fact. she has terrible eating habits. people are very confused how she stays so stick-thin when her primary diet is shitty gas station coffee and donuts, and she just shrugs and tells them she takes her gummy vitamins every day(she doesn’t.)

-occasionally she’ll just fuck off into the desert for a few days on a drug-fueled bender. if she had her way, she’d live out in a tent on her own in the middle of the Mojave.

#OC: Cash Black #mk cash

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malicedragoness · 6 years ago

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Baby reactions: MK guys

So this was originally supposed to be a humorous reaction. However it turned more serious and fluffy. Erron’s part is REALLY long! He requires so much more explaining and development than the other guys.

This has fluff, humor, and seriousness in it. Please enjoy!

Kabal - You’re gonna have an ‘oops’ baby. And that’s exactly what he says when you tell him you’re pregnant.

“Kabal, do you want a baby?”

“Like a living one?”

You roll your eyes at him. “Yes. Like an actual baby.”

“Well, maybe later on when-“

“I’m pregnant.”

“....oops.”

Just like his powers, things go so fast when he’s in the mood. He forgets to wrap his willy one time because he was away on a mission for three months. Once he saw you, he immediately jumped you in the living room and he just. Couldn’t. Stop.

Kabal is happy, but shit he needs a minute to take all this in. He wanted kids, but he always imagined it would happen much later and he’d have his life together by then. Now he feels an immense pressure to find a more responsible job and have enough money for all the doctor/medical bills within nine months. When you start to panic because of how quiet he is, he’ll immediately snap out of his funk.

Kabal wraps you in a bone crushing hug and tells you he’s so happy he going to be a dad. It’s his dream to have a large family. He can’t wait to do birthday parties, go to Disney world, costume shopping for comic book conventions. If he has a girl she’s going to be dressed up like a Little Sister and he’s going to be a Big Daddy. He wants it all.

He’s going to be at every doctors appointment that he can get to. If he’s out of town, you better call him and put him on speaker. When he sees that first ultrasound he cries. You’re going to have twins. (I LOVE that part of his tower ending!) He so excited but he also feels so freaking macho! In one shot he was able to get two babies inside of you! He’s feeling proud of himself right now. Let him have his moment. He will also want to know the gender of the babies. He’s too impatient to wait, so don’t expect him to.

Once Kabal finds a house for you two, he’s going to get that nursery set up ASAP. It’s so much fun shopping for baby clothes and toys, he’s practically a big child himself.

“Hey babe, lets get them these nerf guns!”

“That’s for when they’re five.”

“Well...this one won’t be here in five years...they need this one.”

When you go into labor, he’s going to be that guy that asks you if you’re ok a million times until you tell him to shut up. He rocks on his heels, cards his hands through his hair, and breathes heavily. He’s so nervous. He doesn’t want anything bad to happen.

When the babies are born, he’s in absolute bliss. Kabal never thought he could love something so unconditionally like he does these babies. He holds one in each arm while you sit back and sleep. No one is going to take these babies from him.

He is definitely going to be the fun dad. Birthday parties are at the house and he invites all of the twins’ friends over. There’s a pool, bouncy castle, water guns, face painting, silly string, and lots of junk food. There’s also a mountain of gifts for them. When it’s time to cut the cake and they wish on their birthday candles, they both say they want a little brother or sister. You and Kabal talk at the same time.

“Maybe-“

“I’m pregnant.”

“...oops.”

Well...he did say he wanted a big family.

Kuai Liang - “I want a baby.” Kuai looks up at you with hopeful eyes. “Say that again.”

You do as he says, and he walks towards you with a look of amazement. He thinks you’re the most divine being to ever exist. You’re kind, intelligent, and beautiful. And now you want him to father your children.

Kuai gently caresses your face. He has a genuine smile and his eyes hold so much adoration for you. “I would be honored to have children with you.” He gives you such a sweet kiss that makes you blush as his cold hands cup your face. He will make tea that increases fertility and will also use positions that have deep penetration. He wants this baby as much as you do, and he takes this seriously.

Out of all the kombat men, Kuai is the best partner to have when you’re pregnant. He attends to your every need, no matter how silly. You want to eat a whole bowl of macaroni and cheese and a pop tart instead of a healthy lunch the Lin Kuei prepared? That’s all right with him. But he will encourage you to eat at least some vegetables.

When it’s three in the morning and you have legs cramps, he will be right there to massage them out and give you some water. As your bump gets bigger Kuai will want you to stay off your feet more. If you need something, either Kuai himself or whomever is assigned to you will get it. Your feet hurt and he doesn't want you to strain yourself.

When you go into labor, he will keep a level head and listen to the doctors. Not once will he leave your side unless instructed to. In fact, his experience mentoring comes in handy here when he encourages you to push. Just knowing that he’s there and he believes in you, helps you through the pain of the contractions.

When the baby is born he feels as if half of his heart is living outside of his body. This baby is the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. ‘I wish Bi-Han could see this’ zips across his mind unwarranted. He can’t help but cry and hold the both of you to him.

Kuai is a wonderful father without even trying. He teaches his child about discipline, honor, and respect. He has a strict schedule for them including schooling, training, and housework. They will also go to bed on time and eat healthy meals, no exceptions. The way they will bond will be through training. Most of the time it is taken seriously. However, there will be times where Kuai can’t help it and let them wrestle him to the ground. He’s such a good dad.

Kenshi - One thing about dating a telepath, they always know what you’re thinking. It’s both a blessing and a curse. Kenshi could tell you wanted children. He knows it will be a while before you ask him about it. So he takes this time to contemplate whether if he's ready for another child. He's older and missed out on most of Takeda's life.

He feels guilty because he never got to be the father Takeda deserved. It would be so selfish of him to start a family with you, when he couldn't even be there for his own son. It wouldn't be the right thing to do. Kenshi decides he won't have any more kids, and he desperately hopes this won't break your relationship.

Takeda and Jacqui come over to visit frequently. While you and Jacqui go into one room to talk about art, the men are at the table alone. Takeda could tell something was on his father's mind, and he's too stubborn to leave until Kenshi talks about it.

He cracks and tells Takeda that you have been thinking about children recently. However, he fears that would be unfair to him as he was never around. He was more concerned about revenge than being in his only son's life. Why should he get a second chance at being a father again?

What Kenshi didn't expect was to feel a wave of sadness coming off Takeda.

"So, not only were you not there during my childhood, but you'll deny me a sibling."

Kenshi is taken aback and doesn't say anything. They have a heart to heart talk for over an hour about the mistakes they have made and what they would have done differently. Takeda wants his father to be happy. And he wants a little brother or sister to take care of.

After they leave, you put your hand on Kenshi's arm and ask him what him and Takeda were talking about. He grabs your hand and follows your voice. "Let's have a baby."

He smirks as he can feel shock, happiness, and hesitation all run through your body. "Are-are you sure?"

His hands run up your sides pulling you closer to him. Beard hair scratches against your neck as he whispers in your ear, "Yes, I am."

When you're pregnant Kenshi is a very helpful partner around the house. He helps with the dishes, laundry, vacuuming, anything you need help with. What pisses you off is when he uses his telekinesis to handle multiple chores at one time. You spend all day cleaning the house and here comes this handsome dork doing everything within forty five minutes. And he does all this with a cheeky smile, knowing you get so annoyed.

Kenshi experiences everything you do during your pregnancy. He feels your mood swings, cravings, leg cramps. He can even tell when the baby kicks and gets excited everytime. And since postpartum depression can start happening even during pregnancy, he's there to bring you back from the edge. He also knows when he needs to bring you to the hospital when the contractions start getting closer together.

After the baby is born, Kenshi is in a state of nirvana. You're relaxing in the hospital bed, Takeda and Jacqui are there holding the newborn, and he's soaking in everyone's happiness, being lost in the moment.

Kenshi missed out on this part of Takeda's life, and both of you are thankful that him and Jacqui are there to help out when they are able to.

Kung Lao - "I want a baby."

Lao looks up at you with big eyes and the widest smile you've ever seen on his face. He grabs you in a bone crushing hug and spins you around, laughing in pure happiness. He plants a big kiss on your lips and leans his forehead against yours.

You smirk at him, "So that's yes, I take it."

"I would be honored to father your children." He kisses you again and then picks you up bridal style. "Well, we better start now."

You laugh as he takes the steps two at a time to the bedroom.

When you announce you're pregnant, everyone is ecstatic for you two. Although they do have some interesting words.

"That's wonderful news," Jade says. "And also very..."

"The timing of it..." Kitana trails off her sentence.

Johnny Cage walks by and notices everyone staring at you and Lao. "What's going on?"

Lao has a big grin on his face, "We're having a baby!"

Johnny lets out a quick laugh. "That was quick!"

He wants to do his best to take care of you while you're pregnant. He gives the best back and foot massages you've ever had. If you're craving cookies in the middle of the night, he gets right up and does his best to get some for you.

However, when it comes to giving birth, he will be that dad who faints when the baby's head starts to come through. Which then takes some of the nurses away from you as they try to revive him.

I've mentioned this before, but if you have a boy his name is going to be Lao. He was adamant about the name and carrying on the line of the Great Kung Lao. You cannot change his mind.

After the baby is born, the weight of responsibility hits Lao quickly. He knew having a child wasn't going to be an easy task. He just didn't realize how much hard work goes into raising them. And he couldn't be more thankful to have you at his side.

He matures significantly and is more focused on raising your child than trying to become the best Shaolin or beating Liu Kang. After all, Liu Kang and Kitana don't have any children yet. In his eyes he already won.

Erron Black - So lets be honest. Erron in his Black Dragon days will only be your fuck buddy. He’s not committed to anything or anyone. This is the prime of his thrill riding days. So if you ask him for a baby, he’s gonna deuce out. He’s not looking for that shit, he’s looking to have fun.

Fast forward to his Outworld days. Yes, he’s 150 years young, but he’s definitely getting older. More scars, more wrinkles, and a lot of grey hair. You can tell he’s feeling it in his bones, and he’s getting to the point that thrill seeking isn’t getting to be as fun as he thought. He’s still not going to commit that easily. His parents weren’t exactly the best role models in life.

I imagine his father knocked up his mother and they just dealt with the idea that they’re having a kid now. He was abused by his dad, so when he excelled at handling guns he finally decided to shoot him. His mother was a tough woman and didn’t show any affection. She was more of a tough love kind of lady, but I suspect she slapped him around when it suited her. This is also why he’s attracted to strong and dangerous women. It’s familiar and it feels like he’ll get his mother’s stamp of approval and some type of closure. (“My Ma would’ve loved you, Cassie Cage.”)

Erron doesn’t want kids because he’s scared of that kid having the same childhood he had. He doesn’t want to be like his father and he doesn’t want anyone like his mother to bare his children. Best to forget the whole idea all together.

But then here you come along, with your irresistible smile, quick wit, and dynamic personality. And it completely threw him for a loop. How was he supposed to ignore you when you’re so damn beautiful and you can make him laugh and feel young again. He sure as hell was not gonna let some other man steal you away.

It’s still going to take time and patience for him to break down that wall he’s spent decades building before he lets you in completely. There’s going to be fights, there’s going to be him walking out to the bar to run from his feelings and his past. He’s not used to healthy relationships of any kind.

Erron does notice when you cook for him, do his laundry, and take care of him when he gets hurt. Especially one time when he had to have bed rest for a week and he was acting like a child about it. You waited on him hand and foot without even being asked to. And goddamn it if that didn’t make him love you. Once he finally breaks down his wall, it’ll still take him a couple years before even considering the idea of kids.

One day, the two of you are out on the back patio looking at the stars. Erron is strumming an acoustic guitar, humming a little song to you. You look up at him and he looks back with a slight smirk. “Erron, do you want children?”

Cue the screech sound of his hand slipping from the guitar. He freezes as he gives you an unreadable look. After a minute of silence you start to panic. You tell him it’s ok if he doesn’t want kids. You love him and you’re not going to leave if he decides against it. You just wanted to see if he was interested.

You continue to babble until he tells you to let him think on it for a while, and then he’ll give you an answer. When you agree to that he’ll continue strumming his guitar, but now he’s staring off in the distance.

The next few weeks you can feel his eyes burning a hole in your back. When you turn to look at him, he just stares at you with a heavy look.

“You all right, handsome?”

“I’m good, baby doll.”

It’s all that’s ever said.

You’re cleaning the dishes from dinner. When Erron wraps his arms around you from behind and rests his face against your neck, swaying you from side to side. He eventually turns you around and looks you deep in your eyes. His calloused hands cup your face and he leans his forehead against yours. “I love you.”

When your breath catches in your throat, he gives you the sweetest kiss you’ve ever received. In the few years you’ve been together, he’s never once said that. And that night is the most sweet and passionate he’s ever been with you, that it made you cry.

When you’re pregnant expect Erron to be super protective of you. He doesn’t want to take jobs that are far away, but that’s not always possible. So while he’s gone, Ermac and a few midwives are there for you. He gave them specific instructions to not let you pick up anything heavy, make sure you’re eating enough, and to go walking once a day. Walking is supposed to help you when it comes to pushing, and he doesn’t want you in anymore pain more than necessary. He wants his sugar taken care of.

Erron loves to hold you from behind and rub your bump. He can’t believe any of this is actually happening. This beautiful and kind woman is going to be the mother of his child. He never plans anything in his life. It’s mainly just seeing where the day takes him. But now he can’t wait to take them horseback riding, shooting a gun, and going hunting together.

When you go into labor he has no idea what the fuck to do. So he calls for the midwives and they get to work. Erron is sweating bullets the entire time. But holy shit, he is amazed by how strong you are. When he sees you give birth to his child, he tells you it’s one of the most amazing things he has ever witnessed.

Erron is used to not getting much sleep when he’s out on missions. So when the baby cries, he’ll usually get up and help out. He loves to hold and stare at them. Never once did he think this moment would be possible in his long life. Yet here he is with a good woman beside him and this little bundle of life in his hands. He’s trying to be the best dad that he can be. He’s so terrified of his child growing up and hating him. But he knows you’re a much better person than his Ma, so he relies on you a lot for what’s best for the baby.

Erron may not be a super fun dad like Kabal will be, but he teaches his kid how to defend themself. He’ll teach them everything there is to know about guns, hunting, and fighting. This is how they will bond, and your child will know they can always rely on their pops to protect them.

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat x reader #mortal kombat imagines #erron black #kabal #kung lao #kenshi takahashi #kuai liang #sub-zero

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generalasshattery · 5 years ago

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Music the Kombatants Listen to

Erron Black

It would surprise no one to say that Erron Black loves country and rock music, in fact he’s an absolute aficionado of the country genre. So much so he’s become a man with some rather vocal opinions on it. At his core he’s a man that loves his Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and even some Dolly Parton. He loves the classics, in fact it’s best to avoid asking him about modern country. He has an especially passionate hatred of bro-country.

Favorite song:

The Highwayman by the Highwaymen

Guilty pleasure song:

Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under by Shania Twain

Kano

Some people listen to music to unwind, but Kano isn’t one of them. When he listens to music it’s to hype up. He prefers fast past rock or rap (and you know he likes that old gangsta rap) that makes him go harder. Harder while working out, harder while fighting, harder while fucking. Keep your easy listening shit far away from him.

Favorite song:

Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes

Guilty pleasure song:

The Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

...and may god help you if you tell anyone he listens to it.

Cassie Cage

Cassie is always adding new music to her list, and she stays up to date on what she listens to. She doesn’t have a favorite genre really, her taste is pretty eclectic, as long as it’s a good song she loves it. She always has the perfect song for the moment, music to relax to, music to party to, or music to work out to (she even has been known to bust out her phone and play a well timed song for comedic effect).

Favorite song (currently):

Good as Hell by Lizzo

Guilty pleasure song:

She’s not guilty about it, in fact she’s not guilty about any music she listens to, but the song she likes to get silly to will always be...

Lollipop by MIKA

Johnny Cage

Johnny is pretty good at keeping up with music, but the older he gets the more he defaults to the songs he loved when he was younger. He still folds in plenty of new music into his playlists, and it can make for a weird listening experience to someone that isn’t picking up the vibe he’s going for. Johnny tends to like fun music, the vapid sort of shallow pop that exists just to make people feel good and spend money. He listens to plenty of other genres too, like rock and hip hop, but he’s not a man that ever digs for hidden gems. What’s popular and well known does him just fine.

Favorite song:

Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars*

Guilty Pleasure:

Wannabe by the Spice Girls

*please don’t come for me, I’m not saying Uptown Funk is vapid, it fuckin slaps

#mortal kombat #mk #mortal kombat headcanon #headcanon #erron black #cassie cage #johnny cage #kano

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randomvarious · 5 years ago

Audio

LCD - “Endor Fun” The Chemistry Set Song released in 1996. Compilation released in 1998. Breakbeat / Breaks / Big Beat

If you feel like you might’ve heard this song before, it’s probably because you’ve seen Zoolander. “Endor Fun” is not on the movie’s official CD soundtrack, but the song does play at some point in the film. Now, you’d think having your song featured in one of the most rewatchable comedies of the past 25 years would raise your profile some, but there’s really not that much info available about the Swedish duo, LCD. In fact, the IMDB soundtrack page for Zoolander erroneously lists “Endor Fun” as being performed by LCD Soundsystem instead (so do a handful of other sites, for that matter). And I don’t know when all the different recordings of “Endor Fun” were added to Spotify, but in total, they’ve only amassed less than 5,000 plays, which again, is a paltry amount for a song that’s appeared in such a popular movie.

The story of LCD isn’t all that clear either. A Discogs user claims that they originated in the mid-80s as Oagadougo(sp?), but I haven’t been able to find anything to confirm that. However, if that is indeed the case, the pair of Conny Rytterlund and Jonas Malmberg would rebrand as techno artists in 1993 under the LCD name. They would then be well received for their sudden, unexpected shift into ambient the following year before transforming themselves yet again into big beat and breaks junkies by ‘96. That apparent final turn would then lead them to a much greater degree of accessibility thanks to landing a record deal with the California-based Hypnotic label.

“Endor Fun,” which has also been stylized as “Endorfun,” is the title track of LCD’s third album (Is it a Star Wars reference, or a play on the word “endorphin,” or possibly both? Could it maybe be inspired by the 1995 computer puzzle game, Endorfun?). After appearing on there, Hypnotic then included it on their label sampler, The Chemistry Set, in 1998. The song would also play in the 1999 electronic dance documentary, Better Living Through Circuitry (not to be confused with the Fatboy Slim album, Better Living Through Chemistry), which was produced by Hypnotic’s parent label, Cleopatra. And then in 2001, “Endor Fun” made its way into Zoolander.

This is, simply put, a pretty wild and fun dance groove. LCD underlie the track by cycling through a series of great, dusty, b-boy funk breaks, some of which whose basslines rev and hum like Liquid Liquid’s “Cavern,” a song that would soon after its release directly inspire Grandmaster Melle Mel’s “White Lines.” On top of those changing breaks, LCD perpetually max out on their Roland TB-303, yielding heaps of jarringly melodic, and sometimes hypnotic, zappy acid distortion. They also mix in what sounds like a sample of the iconic “WOO!” that was used for 2 Unlimited’s “Twilight Zone,” as well as a much quieter James Brown soul grunt. And then, for a final push, LCD throw in another dusty sample in the form of some lightly malevolent organ chords, which has a nice way of complementing the combination of the wicked breakbeats and acid.

Great mid-90s party tune from this relatively unknown Swedish duo whose song ultimately was featured in Zoolander.

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kingskeley · 6 years ago

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I thought it’d be fun to get what all I could find of the nicknames that Johnny gives people when he’s announcer (I didn’t include Frost because I can’t make myself play story to unlock her and also I’m too fucking cheap/poor to outright buy her character)

Shang Tsung:[none???] Shao Kahn: KAAAHNNNN, Stock Villian, Outworld OG Nightwolf: Chief, Wolfy, Bad. Ass. Johnny: Me, Best Choice, pfft of Course Sonya: My Better Half, Aaaallll mine, Future Ex-Wife Cassie: Minnie Me, Cage 2.0, Daddy's Girl Jax: Real Steel, One Man Army, TEN-HUT! Hanzo Hasashi: GET OVER HERE, Toasty, Sting Noob Saibot: Mr. Evil, Mopey Ghost, Grime Shady Baraka: Fang face, [disgusted noise], The Drooler Raiden: Thunder Cat, Electric Slide, 1.21 Gigawatts Jacqui: Junior Jax, Lil Punchy, JB 2 Kuai Liang: Snowman, Tundra, Chilly Willy Kano: Rat Bastard, Wonder from down under, Citizen Kano Kabal: Footloose, Fu-Ugly, Captain Hooks Liu Kang: Pipi Longstockings, Chosen Dude, Mild Mannered Monk Kitana: Lady Kitana, Blueberry, Fangirl, Nacy Ninja Kung Lao: Shaolin Funk, Number 2 Shaolin, Nice Hat Jade: Bo Rai Wow, Sassy Milassy, Foxy Lady Skarlet: Once Bitten, Fright Night, Skarlet Johansen Erron Black: Six Guns Sam, Erron [retching sounds], Tex D'Vorah: Mama Roach, Creature Feature, Lady Bug Kotal Kahn: Aztec Asskicker, Kotal Barbarian, Total Kahn Kollector: Bag man, Inspector Collector, Grabby Gary Geras: Hardcore Historian, Nowhere Man, Busta Times Cetrion: Elder Diva, Nature Girl

#mk #Mortal Kombat #too many people to tag but they're all there as far as I know

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internutter · 6 years ago

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Go back to your roots. Give us some circus angst.

Everyone knew about the horrors of St Vingo’s by the time the twins fount Montgomery’s circus again. Montgomery had made the mistake of assuming that they would be safe in the arms of their extant family. He had assumed erroneously.

Their remaining living relatives - pure assholes. Once the grandfathers died, all promises of a safe home and a good future were forfeit. Which was why the circus found them again - destitute, desperate prostitutes who ran for the shelter of scum and villainy that was Montgomery’s Amazing Circus.

He let them be as idle as they wanted to be until they hit the Winter Campgrounds in Varmvale. It seemed fair. They needed time. Time to recover. Time to establish normalcy. Time to heal both mentally and physically from their misadventures. Time... that nobody had enough of.

Montgomery woke in the wee small hours to the sound of shouting and camp gear getting knocked over. That was Koko’s voice. He slithered out of his warmed bed to see what the ruckus was, not even bothering to sling on a coat, and remaining in only his sleeping cap.

Koko was out in the campgrounds, shouting at phantoms. He had a wooden spoon in one hand, aiming it like a wand. Judging by the burned end, it was not a wood that was friendly to magic. Judging by the scorch marks around camp, this was not an activity friendly to anyone.

He had to get this situation calmed down before anyone happened to anyone else.

“Keep away from them, you bitch,” Koko panted. “I got my wand. You can’t get them. You can’t have them!”

“That’s right,” said Montgomery, facing the invisible foe of Koko’s imagination with him. “You want them, you’ll have to get through me.”

Koko seemed startled a little. “Monty?”

“That’s right. It’s me.” Because of the situation, he used his least-favourite nickname on himself. “Monty. I want you to take three deep breaths, and name five things you can see. Take your time, now.” Time was the important factor. Koko’s body was awake, but his brain was still having a nightmare.

Koko looked around, still having difficulty discerning reality from phantasm. “Moon. Moon! I see th’ moon. Trees. Caravans. Campfire. You look fuckin’ stupid in your sleep cap, Monty.”

“I’ve been told,” he said dryly. “You’re doing great. Name four things you can hear, now.”

Koko’s ears twitched. “I hear... leaves rustling. The campfire coals cracking. There’s an owl... I hear La’ming snoring.”

Montgomery snorted. “Halverdale could hear La’ming snoring... That’s great. Concentrate on three things you can feel. Let’s hear them.”

Koko closed his eyes. “I... have... too tight a grip on this spoon... I feel... dirt... under my feet...”

He was starting to panic a little. Montgomery could tell by the way Koko’s ears drooped back and started swivelling closer to his head. He reached out and stroked Koko’s cheek while holding his hand. “Take your time, Koko.”

Tears gathered at the edge of his eyes. “I feel you.”

“That’s good. Good. Deep breath. Tell me about two things you can smell.”

“Horse farts and Naga’s bed funk.” Koko opened his mismatched eyes. The little asshole was fully awake and skating on thin ice as he always did.

“Last step, kid,” Montgomery started guiding him back to the caravan from whence he had come. “One thing you can taste.”

Koko smacked his lips and grimaced. “I need to brush my teeth. My mouth is gross.”

“After dawn,” Montgomery suggested. Inside the twins’ caravan, Lulu was still in bed, arms outstretched for a sibling that wasn’t there. She had only just begun whimpering in her sleep.

Sleep. Not meditation. They didn’t trust their safety. Not yet. The Starlights and their dreams of riches had ruined what little trust had remained in the twins’ souls. Now they slept every time, and meditated rarely, if at all.

Koko clambered into Lulu’s reach, whispering, “It’s all right. We’re safe. They’re gone.” The fact that he could summon only half a breath’s worth of a safe-comfortable-secure kind of purr was telling, and telling harshly, that he wasn’t sure, either.

Montgomery closed their door for them, fetched his coat, and kept watch over their caravan until the dawn coloured in the landscape. They would both likely need sleeping sacks to prevent another random outbreak of somnambulistic battles of old ghosts from their past.

They would definitely need heavy counselling from Exandria when they were safely within the boundaries of Varmvale.

Which left Montgomery the problem of finding light, summer-rated sleeping sacks as the Autumnal chill kept strengthening, and puzzling out who the twins could talk to until Exandria was within reach.

All he could do in the meantime was keep them supplied with dandelions and mead, in the hopes that it would at least calm their fears until something better came along.

[TAZ Prompts Remaining: 8]

[Be sure to visit internutter (dot) org for details on how to support this artist]

#reader request #taz #taz: balance #monty pithon's trying circus #angst #dualityandsuch

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cyarsk5230 · 2 years ago

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Since hip hop is 50 years old I think it’s important to learn about the “firsts” in history of the genre

60 Hip-Hop ‘Firsts': Rap’s Must-Know Milestones

Dave LiftonPublished: August 10, 2018

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Aug. 11, 1973 is widely considered to be the day that hip-hop was born, when DJ Kool Herc brought out his "merry-go-round" style of record-spinning during a party at 1520 Sedgewick Ave., in the Bronx, N.Y. Since then, hip-hop has grown, both as an art form and in popularity. We've compiled the must "must-know" milestone moments in its history, from before the first single was released up to the present day, in our list of 60 Hip-Hop Firsts.

1. First Female Rapper: MC Sha-Rock of Funky 4 + 1 (1976)

Hip hop is a predominantly male genre but that doesn’t mean female rappers aren’t just as good if not better than their male counterparts. There’s plenty of female rappers who are worth discussing but let’s talk about the first.

2. First Single: Fatback, '“King Tim III (Personality Jock)" (1979)

3. First Rap Song to Chart on the Hot 100: The Sugarhill Gang, "Rappers Delight" (1979)

before there was Wu-Tang, OutKast, run-dmc, etc there was the sugar hill gang

4. First Hip-Hop Radio Show: Mr. Magic's Disco Showcase (1979)

John "Mr. Magic" Rivas, a member of the Juice Crew from the Queensbridge housing project in Queens, N.Y., began spinning hip-hop records during his Disco Showcase on WHBI 105.9 FM. The two-hour program began at 2AMand Rivas paid $75 an hour for the airtime. Three years later, he moved to WBLS, a much bigger station, and rebranded the show as Rap Attack. Marley Marl served as his DJ and sidekick until Rivas left the station in 1989. Whodini paid tribute to him with "Magic's Wand"

What radio station do you think is representing hip hop?

5. First Single by a Female Group: The Sequence, "Funk You Up" (1979)

Twenty years before her breakthrough as a solo artist, Angie Stone, then calling herself "Angie B," was a member of Columbia, S.C.'s the Sequence with Cheryl "The Pearl" Cook and Gwendolyn "Blondy" Chisolm. After getting backstage at a Sugarhill Gang concert and proving themselves to Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson, they got signed and recorded "Funk You Up," the second single ever on the label. It peaked at No. 15 on Billboard's Hot Soul Singles chart and they released nine more singles -- two of which charted -- and three albums for the label. In 2017, they sued Bruno Marsand Mark Ronson on the grounds that "Uptown Funk" was too similar to their biggest hit.

6. First Rap Video: "Rapper's Delight" (1979)

what’s your favorite hip hop music video?

The Sugarhill Gang made good use of their 1979 appearance on the syndicated New Jersey-based Soap Factory Disco Show, turning the surprisingly high-quality production into rap's first video. Multiple sources state that Whodini's "Magic's Wand"was the first officially commissioned video, but the clip currently can't be found on the internet.

7. First Rapper to Sign With a Major Label: Kurtis Blow (1979)

8. First Album: The Sugarhill Gang, The Sugarhill Gang (1980)

9. First Gold Single: Kurtis Blow, "The Breaks" (1980)

10. First to Appear on National Television: Kurtis Blow, Soul Train(Sept. 27, 1980)

11. First Beef: Kool Moe Dee vs. Busy Bee (1981)

the bridge wars. Roxanne wars. East coast vs west coast. Jay z vs nas . Ice cube vs Nwa. Nothing is more exciting than a good old fashioned hip hop rivalry.

Given that boasting and trading insults has long been a part of African American music -- see Otis Reddingand Carla Thomas' "Tramp" for a perfect example -- it's all-but impossible to pinpoint the start of battle rapping. The earliest we could find was Kool Moo Dee's slaying of Busy Bee at a contest at Harlem World in 1981.

12. First Rappers on Saturday Night Live: Funky 4+1 (Feb. 14, 1981)

13. First No. 1 Hot 100 Song With a Rap, Blondie, "Rapture" (March 28, 1981)

Pop music and rap are nothing new in this genre

14. First National News Story About Hip-Hop: 20/20 (July 1981)

15. First International Tour: New York City Rap Tour (November 1982)

16. First Hip-Hop Movie: Wild Style(1983)

What’s your favorite hip hop movie