This week's Ghetto Pass we take a Hip Hop spin and explore The Cipher:It is a telling indictment on the flimsy state of Hip Hop right now that emcees and the music they create are inescapable, but The Cipher, where all the great rap craftsman honed their skills, is a fading institution. There was a time when ghetto streets were perpetually filled with the sweet sounds of beatboxing overdubbed with sharp, rhythmic staccato flows. The Cipher was hip hop's training ground, where the architects of the renaissance learned to express in different ways, and the crowd was always the final arbiter of talent. Now modern technology allows anyone to have a studio and a dream in the comfort of their own home, and rarely do you experience the art form live outside of a formal venue. There's nothing inherently wrong with this, but it means this week's Ghetto Pass is an old-school edition, as we flashback and examine hip hop's communal dojo, The Cipher. The beat drops after the jump.Ghetto Pass [Gawker]
another good spot to find these is MNN. I saw one where the guys also drank while they freestyled and then vomited in a trashcan. it was amazing.
ReplyDeleteGreat piece
ReplyDeletebut I think the all suburban white kids actin' hard in the Mall parking lot but softer than Lance Bass should be below Soft Pitch...Maybe T-ball. Saldy I haven't seen a Cypher since I moved from Atlanta to Memphis much less different levels of Cyphers.
anon - MNN is crazy, what you said sounds ludicrous, but from my MNN experience I know its probably true. i wonder if that particular show is on youtube.
ReplyDeleteknots - word. there are probably a couple more divisions. i should have went with the "y" spelling also, but thought the "i" version would be more translatable to the masses ...