HIP HOP BEFORE HIP HOP “The Ghetto Code”

This mix was inspired by an initial discussion with Billy ‘Daniel’ Bunter about Sly & The Family Stone’s 1971 album – “There's A Riot Goin' On”, an album often described as the early blueprint for Hip-Hop. “An album rich in militant social commentary and ground breaking production techniques”. I then spent many hours in the record room digging for artists and albums produced in those early years before the term ‘Hip-Hop’ was coined - artists that shone a light on social and political issues, records that included lo-fi production techniques, anything where the vibe of Hip-Hop could be felt or heard in the lyrics, in the cadence of the poetry, in spoken word, in speeches of the time, and in the beats and the breaks – tracks that would shape the early blueprint and foundation of hip-hop.

As the great Chuck D recently said “Well we were asking questions that ain’t getting answered by the society, at least we need the music to say something…. So it was a snowball effect.. a black snowball effect in our neighbourhood especially, so obviously it bled to the music and reciprocated back and forth”.

So this mix isn’t just a list of tracks that would later be sampled by producers in Hip-Hop (of course many were) but more a collection of records that I feel fed into that ethos, that vibe…. that code …. The Ghetto Code. LISTEN HERE

Tracklisting

Willie Hutch – Brother‘s Gonna Work It Out
24 Carrot Black – Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth
Funkadelic – What Is Soul
Sam Dees - Child Of The Streets
Curtis Mayfield – The Other Side Of Town
The Temptations – Ball Of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today)
Funkadelic – Nappy Dugout
Sly & The Family Stone – Poet
The Escorts – Brother
The Last Poets – When The Revolution Comes
The Last Poets – Black Is Chant
Curtis Mayfield – Cannot Find A Way
Parliament – Dr. Funkenstein
James Brown – Down And Out In New York City
Gil Scott-Heron – Billy Green Is Dead (Alt. Take)
Stevie Wonder – Village Ghetto Land
Lightnin' Rod – The Shit Hits The Fan Again
Gary Byrd – Are You Ready For Black Power
Parliament – P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)
Baby Huey And The Baby Sitters - Hard Times
Sly & The Family Stone – Africa Talks To You “The Asphalt Jungle”
The Undisputed Truth – Lil’ Red Ridin’ Hood
Donny Hathaway - Lil’ Ghetto Boy
Marvin Gaye – Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
The Last Poets – Black People What Y’All Gon’ Do Chant
The Last Poets – Black People What Y’All Gon’ Do
Whatnauts – Why Can’t People Be Colours Too?
James Brown – The Boss
James Brown – Hot Pants
James Brown – The Payback
The Undisputed Truth - Poontang
Esther Phillips – Home Is Where The Hatred is
Tower Of Power – Back On The Streets Again
Lightnin' Rod With Jimi Hendrix – Doriella Du Fontaine
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going Gon
Stevie Wonder – You Haven’t Done Nothin
The Staple Singers – I’ll Take You There
Dr. John – Right Place, Wrong Time
James Brown – Funky President
James Brown – Soul Power
Parliament – Big Footin’
Stevie Wonder – Sir Duke
Syl Johnson – Different Strokes
Sly & The Family Stone – Family Affair
The Whole Darn Family – Seven Minutes Of Funk
The Staple Singers – Respect Yourself
Bobby Womack – Across 110th Street
The Escorts – Corruption
The Last Poets – Mean Machine Chant
The Last Poets – It’s A Trip
Frankie Cocker – Radio Excerpt
James Brown - Say It Loud I’m Black And I’m Proud
James Brown – Give It Up Or Turn It Loose
5th Dimension – Let The Sunshine In
Lightnin' Rod – Sport
Curtis Mayfield – (Don’t Worry) If There’s A Hell Below, We’re All Going To Go
Sarah Webster Fabio – Sweet Songs
Curis Mayfield – Pusherman
Skull Snaps – I’m You’re Pimp
Isley Brothers – Fight The Power
Gil Scott-Heron – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Mountain – Long Red
Honey Drippers - Impeach The President
Sly & The Family Affair – Luv N’ Haight
The Chi-Lites - (For God’s Sake) Give More Power To The People
Camile Yarbrough – All Hid
Marvin Gaye – Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler