Hip Hop Was Born Here
ID | 13195080 |
---|---|
Movie Name | Hip Hop Was Born Here |
Release Name | hip.hop.was.born.here.s01e01.1080p.WEB.H264-SCENE |
Year | 2025 |
Kind | tv |
Language | English |
IMDB ID | 37458166 |
Format | srt |
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00:00:10,140 --> 00:00:12,838
<i>LL COOL J: So, yo, you
perform all over the world.</i>
2
00:00:12,925 --> 00:00:14,965
What makes New York unique
when it comes to hip hop?
3
00:00:15,058 --> 00:00:17,582
For me, what makes
New York unique
4
00:00:17,713 --> 00:00:20,194
is because it's
these five boroughs.
5
00:00:20,281 --> 00:00:24,024
<i>Each one of these boroughs
is like a different culture.</i>
6
00:00:24,111 --> 00:00:25,677
<i>It's a different feel.</i>
7
00:00:25,764 --> 00:00:27,330
<i>-It's a different flavor.
-Yeah.</i>
8
00:00:27,331 --> 00:00:29,899
<i>So, for you to
make it in New York</i>
9
00:00:29,986 --> 00:00:31,595
and to hit all of these boroughs
10
00:00:31,596 --> 00:00:34,294
and for these boroughs to
accept you, you're actually
11
00:00:34,295 --> 00:00:36,210
ahead of the game...
-No question.
12
00:00:36,297 --> 00:00:37,994
...because it's like
five cities in one.
13
00:00:38,081 --> 00:00:39,474
Yep, yep.
14
00:00:39,561 --> 00:00:43,956
<i>I just think New York
trained us differently.</i>
15
00:00:44,044 --> 00:00:45,741
-I agree.
-We think differently.
16
00:00:45,828 --> 00:00:48,439
-We move differently.
-[siren whoops]
17
00:00:48,526 --> 00:00:51,006
<i>In the beginning, hip hop
was just one of those things</i>
18
00:00:51,007 --> 00:00:53,836
<i>in the community that people
really didn't understand.</i>
19
00:00:53,923 --> 00:00:56,011
And we just kept doing it,
20
00:00:56,012 --> 00:01:00,190
<i>and we did it so much
that it was hard to...</i>
21
00:01:00,277 --> 00:01:01,887
stop it.
-Amen.
22
00:01:01,974 --> 00:01:05,152
[hip hop music playing]
23
00:01:05,239 --> 00:01:08,328
<i>LL COOL J: Hip
hop is everywhere,</i>
24
00:01:08,329 --> 00:01:11,375
<i>every corner of the globe.</i>
25
00:01:11,462 --> 00:01:13,464
<i>To understand the
power of hip hop today,</i>
26
00:01:13,595 --> 00:01:15,684
<i>you gotta go back to
where it all started...</i>
27
00:01:15,771 --> 00:01:17,338
<i>♪ Ain't no love... ♪</i>
28
00:01:17,425 --> 00:01:20,428
<i>LL COOL J: ...my
hometown, New York City.</i>
29
00:01:20,515 --> 00:01:23,909
<i>Because listen when I tell
you, hip hop was born here.</i>
30
00:01:23,996 --> 00:01:26,912
<i>SINGER: ♪ In the heart of town ♪</i>
31
00:01:26,999 --> 00:01:29,524
<i>♪ Ain't no love ♪</i>
32
00:01:31,874 --> 00:01:32,962
[horns honks]
33
00:01:33,093 --> 00:01:36,096
<i>LL COOL J: New York, New York.</i>
34
00:01:36,183 --> 00:01:38,141
[siren wailing in distance]
35
00:01:38,228 --> 00:01:41,797
<i>Nowhere else in the world
has an energy like this city.</i>
36
00:01:41,884 --> 00:01:43,841
Street strong on NYC.
37
00:01:43,842 --> 00:01:46,148
<i>Nowhere else sounds
like this city.</i>
38
00:01:46,149 --> 00:01:47,584
<i>I'm rhyming about the Bronx.</i>
39
00:01:47,585 --> 00:01:50,632
It's a place that you
can point to on your map.
40
00:01:50,762 --> 00:01:54,592
<i>LL COOL J: These are the
streets where it all began.</i>
41
00:01:54,940 --> 00:01:55,985
<i>♪</i>
42
00:01:56,116 --> 00:01:57,769
<i>50 years after its inception,</i>
43
00:01:57,856 --> 00:02:01,773
<i>the hip hop we know is
a global phenomenon,</i>
44
00:02:01,860 --> 00:02:05,734
<i>an industry built for and
supported by the masses,</i>
45
00:02:05,821 --> 00:02:08,040
<i>heard around the world,</i>
46
00:02:08,128 --> 00:02:11,740
<i>instantaneously injected
into the mainstream...</i>
47
00:02:11,827 --> 00:02:13,698
<i>through the Internet
and social media,</i>
48
00:02:13,829 --> 00:02:15,613
<i>added to playlists,</i>
49
00:02:15,700 --> 00:02:17,311
<i>reshared</i>
50
00:02:17,398 --> 00:02:19,791
<i>before half the
planet even wakes up.</i>
51
00:02:19,878 --> 00:02:22,620
<i>But it wasn't always like that.</i>
52
00:02:22,707 --> 00:02:25,101
-[whirring]
<i>-It wasn't always so easy.</i>
53
00:02:25,188 --> 00:02:26,581
<i>♪</i>
54
00:02:26,668 --> 00:02:28,539
<i>Before streaming
on the Internet...</i>
55
00:02:28,626 --> 00:02:31,106
<i>♪</i>
56
00:02:31,107 --> 00:02:32,507
<i>Before hip hop hit
the mainstream...</i>
57
00:02:32,761 --> 00:02:34,502
<i>♪</i>
58
00:02:34,632 --> 00:02:37,157
<i>...artists had to grind just
to get their music heard</i>
59
00:02:37,244 --> 00:02:38,941
<i>outside of their
own neighborhood.</i>
60
00:02:39,028 --> 00:02:40,464
<i>♪</i>
61
00:02:40,551 --> 00:02:44,381
<i>To truly understand the
path from then to now,</i>
62
00:02:44,468 --> 00:02:47,602
<i>from a local scene
to a global movement,</i>
63
00:02:47,689 --> 00:02:51,736
<i>is to recognize and appreciate
the pioneers who were hell bent</i>
64
00:02:51,867 --> 00:02:54,304
<i>on spreading the word of hip
hop by any means necessary.</i>
65
00:02:54,652 --> 00:02:56,131
<i>♪</i>
66
00:02:56,132 --> 00:02:59,483
<i>I'm on my way to meet
one of those pioneers</i>
67
00:02:59,614 --> 00:03:02,573
<i>at the former location
of Chung King Studios,</i>
68
00:03:02,660 --> 00:03:03,922
<i>a studio I named myself,</i>
69
00:03:04,053 --> 00:03:05,576
<i>inspired by its location</i>
70
00:03:05,663 --> 00:03:08,449
<i>just outside of
Chinatown in Manhattan.</i>
71
00:03:08,536 --> 00:03:11,321
<i>Now, the biggest names in
the game recorded here...</i>
72
00:03:11,452 --> 00:03:15,847
<i>2Pac, Biggie, Run-D.M.C.,
and yours truly.</i>
73
00:03:15,978 --> 00:03:17,936
<i>But before all of us,</i>
74
00:03:18,023 --> 00:03:19,503
<i>the Cold Crush brothers,</i>
75
00:03:19,634 --> 00:03:23,638
<i>led by their fearless
captain, Grandmaster Caz.</i>
76
00:03:23,725 --> 00:03:25,639
Take one.
77
00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:27,511
Grandmaster Caz.
78
00:03:27,642 --> 00:03:28,773
Yes, indeed.
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00:03:28,904 --> 00:03:30,470
-Casanova Fly.
-[chuckles]
80
00:03:30,471 --> 00:03:32,342
♪
81
00:03:32,473 --> 00:03:34,692
-Well, who are you?
-Well, I'm Caz!
82
00:03:34,779 --> 00:03:36,868
<i>♪ So what? What
do that mean? ♪</i>
83
00:03:36,955 --> 00:03:39,958
<i>♪ That I'm the baddest MC
lover on the hip hop scene ♪</i>
84
00:03:40,045 --> 00:03:41,656
You have to
understand something,
85
00:03:41,743 --> 00:03:44,006
and this is not hyperbole.
86
00:03:44,093 --> 00:03:46,137
This ain't hype.
This ain't bullshit.
87
00:03:46,138 --> 00:03:49,881
You and the Cold Crush are...
88
00:03:49,968 --> 00:03:53,058
definitely one of <i>the</i>
most important groups
89
00:03:53,145 --> 00:03:54,712
in all of hip hop culture.
90
00:03:54,799 --> 00:03:56,801
<i>Am I right in saying
that Cold Crush</i>
91
00:03:56,932 --> 00:03:59,717
<i>initially were reluctant
to record records?</i>
92
00:03:59,804 --> 00:04:01,245
<i>GRANDMASTER CAZ: Yeah,
we was the hottest group</i>
93
00:04:01,328 --> 00:04:04,374
in the streets without a record,
94
00:04:04,461 --> 00:04:07,725
We like, "We good. We ain't
gotta make no record."
95
00:04:07,812 --> 00:04:09,988
<i>♪ Ashes to ashes
and dust to dust ♪</i>
96
00:04:10,075 --> 00:04:11,690
<i>♪ We are the brothers,
don't ask the Cold Crush ♪</i>
97
00:04:11,773 --> 00:04:14,341
<i>- ♪ Not one, not two -
LL COOL J: Understand,</i>
98
00:04:14,428 --> 00:04:16,343
<i>when Caz and the Cold
Crush Brothers came up,</i>
99
00:04:16,473 --> 00:04:17,953
<i>there was no industry</i>
100
00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:19,654
<i>or distribution network
in place of any kind.</i>
101
00:04:19,737 --> 00:04:21,130
<i>♪</i>
102
00:04:21,217 --> 00:04:24,873
<i>The Cold Crush Brothers
and the entire genre</i>
103
00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,355
<i>existed in New York
City, in the Bronx.</i>
104
00:04:28,485 --> 00:04:30,400
<i>That was it...</i>
105
00:04:30,487 --> 00:04:32,446
<i>until...</i>
106
00:04:32,533 --> 00:04:36,711
<i>hip hop discovered
the cassette tape.</i>
107
00:04:36,798 --> 00:04:41,367
All right, now, who were the
first tapes that <i>you</i> heard?
108
00:04:41,368 --> 00:04:43,761
So, well, me.
109
00:04:43,848 --> 00:04:47,199
<i>I came up with an idea to
record what I was doing.</i>
110
00:04:47,330 --> 00:04:49,071
<i>'Cause I thought it was cool,</i>
111
00:04:49,158 --> 00:04:51,856
<i>and I thought other people
would think it was cool.</i>
112
00:04:51,943 --> 00:04:54,036
<i>You should have seen how ancient
my tape recorder was, okay?</i>
113
00:04:54,119 --> 00:04:55,947
<i>[LL Cool J laughs]</i>
114
00:04:56,034 --> 00:04:58,950
And the cassettes...
they were live.
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00:04:59,037 --> 00:05:00,735
They was us performing live.
116
00:05:01,083 --> 00:05:04,173
♪
117
00:05:04,260 --> 00:05:07,263
<i>After flyers, the tapes
was the next best way</i>
118
00:05:07,394 --> 00:05:09,439
<i>to find out what was going on.</i>
119
00:05:09,526 --> 00:05:12,921
That's the way you put
the voices to the names.
120
00:05:13,008 --> 00:05:15,923
You like, "Okay, that's who
that is that sounds like that."
121
00:05:15,924 --> 00:05:19,710
♪
122
00:05:19,797 --> 00:05:24,062
Tapes were how we got music
circulated throughout the hood.
123
00:05:24,149 --> 00:05:25,629
♪
124
00:05:25,716 --> 00:05:27,762
I discovered hip hop
with Cold Crush Brothers
125
00:05:27,892 --> 00:05:29,240
and Kool Moe Dee.
126
00:05:29,241 --> 00:05:31,069
That shit was a fucking tape.
127
00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:32,723
<i>You know, a TDK tape.</i>
128
00:05:32,810 --> 00:05:34,638
<i>♪</i>
129
00:05:34,725 --> 00:05:38,468
Memorex or TDK would give you
the little sticker, right?
130
00:05:38,555 --> 00:05:40,383
And then you'd
write all the songs.
131
00:05:40,470 --> 00:05:42,430
<i>You have to remember what
songs were on what side.</i>
132
00:05:42,516 --> 00:05:44,909
And, uh, LL Cool J
is on this, you know?
133
00:05:46,781 --> 00:05:50,088
♪
134
00:05:50,175 --> 00:05:52,003
You could take your boombox,
135
00:05:52,090 --> 00:05:55,180
<i>listen to the radio, tape
that and press the button</i>
136
00:05:55,267 --> 00:05:57,617
and then start it, and then play
another and press the button,
137
00:05:57,618 --> 00:05:59,924
and you can make
your own mix tape.
138
00:06:00,055 --> 00:06:02,449
-Everyone was doing that.
<i>-Taping off the radio...</i>
139
00:06:02,536 --> 00:06:04,841
we used to do that. That
was probably not legal.
140
00:06:04,842 --> 00:06:07,149
♪
141
00:06:07,236 --> 00:06:09,156
<i>TONE: If someone in your
neighborhood had a tape,</i>
142
00:06:09,281 --> 00:06:11,331
you would run up to their
crib, make a copy of the tape,
143
00:06:11,414 --> 00:06:13,982
and now <i>you</i> had a tape.
144
00:06:14,112 --> 00:06:16,162
<i>ROXANNE SHANTÉ: The mix tape
did get to mixing around.</i>
145
00:06:16,245 --> 00:06:17,990
Like, I thought that was the
reason why they called it
146
00:06:18,073 --> 00:06:20,815
a mix tape, because that's
how it mixed all around.
147
00:06:20,902 --> 00:06:21,772
♪
148
00:06:21,859 --> 00:06:24,122
[clack]
149
00:06:24,209 --> 00:06:27,778
Okay, so what was your
favorite tape back then,
150
00:06:27,865 --> 00:06:29,824
outside of your stuff?
-Nah, nah, good question.
151
00:06:29,911 --> 00:06:31,913
There was a lot of other
influences out there.
152
00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:33,697
-Okay?
-Yeah.
153
00:06:33,784 --> 00:06:35,224
<i>GRANDMASTER CAZ: The
Treacherous Three was some</i>
154
00:06:35,307 --> 00:06:37,266
<i>of the dopest tapes you'll
ever hear in hip hop.</i>
155
00:06:37,353 --> 00:06:40,791
<i>I also like to hear
old DJ Hollywood tapes.</i>
156
00:06:40,922 --> 00:06:42,488
And the first person I heard
talking on a microphone
157
00:06:42,489 --> 00:06:46,753
while the DJ was playing
was Coke La Rock.
158
00:06:46,754 --> 00:06:48,625
People rarely ask me,
"Who inspired you?"
159
00:06:48,712 --> 00:06:50,888
-Because I'm one of the first.
-Right.
160
00:06:50,975 --> 00:06:53,630
But we all were inspired
by something else.
161
00:06:53,717 --> 00:06:56,545
We <i>all</i> were inspired
by something we heard,
162
00:06:56,546 --> 00:06:57,943
something we saw,
something we liked,
163
00:06:58,026 --> 00:07:00,202
and emulated it.
164
00:07:00,332 --> 00:07:02,465
INTERVIEWER: Um, you're
considered New School.
165
00:07:02,552 --> 00:07:04,815
You're considered the new
generation of rap artists.
166
00:07:04,946 --> 00:07:06,647
-What's the difference?
-What's the difference?
167
00:07:06,730 --> 00:07:08,950
The difference is I grew
up listening to them,
168
00:07:09,037 --> 00:07:10,734
you know, the first
rappers to grow up
169
00:07:10,821 --> 00:07:12,822
listening to rappers.
You know what I'm saying?
170
00:07:12,823 --> 00:07:14,699
Grandmaster Flash, Furious
Five, Treacherous Three,
171
00:07:14,782 --> 00:07:17,262
Fearless Four, Crash
Crew, all those brothers.
172
00:07:17,349 --> 00:07:18,829
<i>♪ We came here tonight
to throw down ♪</i>
173
00:07:18,916 --> 00:07:20,788
Listen to all those rappers.
174
00:07:20,875 --> 00:07:23,138
Okay, so these
incredible vibes...
175
00:07:23,225 --> 00:07:25,356
I think we should go to
the Bronx real quick.
176
00:07:25,357 --> 00:07:26,580
-You gon' guide LL.
-Let's get it.
177
00:07:26,663 --> 00:07:29,318
We gon'... we gon'
see where it was born.
178
00:07:29,405 --> 00:07:31,886
All right, so we gon' head
over to the Bronx, baby.
179
00:07:31,973 --> 00:07:33,493
-Make it happen, baby.
-Let's get it.
180
00:07:38,675 --> 00:07:42,070
♪
181
00:07:42,157 --> 00:07:43,680
When I said...
182
00:07:43,767 --> 00:07:46,553
<i>♪ I got bodyguards,
got two big cars ♪</i>
183
00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:48,642
<i>♪ That definitely
ain't the wack ♪</i>
184
00:07:48,729 --> 00:07:50,992
<i>- ♪ I got a Lincoln
Continental</i> - And?
185
00:07:51,122 --> 00:07:52,472
<i>♪ A sunroof Cadillac ♪</i>
186
00:07:52,559 --> 00:07:54,474
I didn't have none of that shit.
187
00:07:54,604 --> 00:07:57,346
-Yeah.
-I was talking about aspiration.
188
00:07:57,433 --> 00:07:58,826
-Right.
-But that's where
189
00:07:58,956 --> 00:08:01,481
the creativity come into play.
190
00:08:01,568 --> 00:08:03,918
You say it, and
then you become it.
191
00:08:04,005 --> 00:08:06,834
"LL" stands for Ladies
Love, Legend and Leather
192
00:08:06,921 --> 00:08:08,836
Long and Lean Love
of Ladies Last
193
00:08:08,923 --> 00:08:10,537
for the red hot Lovers
Looking for a Little,
194
00:08:10,620 --> 00:08:12,361
Look and Learning the
one you're Liking.
195
00:08:12,448 --> 00:08:14,276
Just a lot of L's, you
know what I'm saying?
196
00:08:14,406 --> 00:08:16,191
We wanna be way up
there, like... pssh!
197
00:08:16,278 --> 00:08:18,327
Just like that... the jet going
through the sky over there.
198
00:08:18,410 --> 00:08:21,283
<i>GRANDMASTER CAZ: That's
what I love about hip hop.</i>
199
00:08:21,370 --> 00:08:23,764
I was talking about
what I aspire to have,
200
00:08:23,851 --> 00:08:24,504
-Right.
-...what I wanna have.
201
00:08:24,591 --> 00:08:25,871
I didn't have none of that shit.
202
00:08:26,070 --> 00:08:29,160
♪
203
00:08:32,033 --> 00:08:34,252
-We here.
-There it is.
204
00:08:34,339 --> 00:08:35,950
♪
205
00:08:36,037 --> 00:08:40,737
Here we are. 1520
Sedgwick Avenue.
206
00:08:40,824 --> 00:08:43,479
Gotta pay homage. This
is the birthplace, baby.
207
00:08:43,566 --> 00:08:44,610
♪
208
00:08:44,611 --> 00:08:46,787
1520 Sedgwick Avenue.
209
00:08:46,874 --> 00:08:48,788
This is the place where Kool
Herc and his family live.
210
00:08:48,789 --> 00:08:51,269
And this is the site
of the first documented
211
00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:53,968
hip hop party...
August 11, 1973.
212
00:08:54,316 --> 00:08:56,492
♪
213
00:08:56,579 --> 00:08:58,538
<i>LL COOL J: When you
think about this place,</i>
214
00:08:58,668 --> 00:09:01,149
<i>what does it mean to
you, like, for real?</i>
215
00:09:01,236 --> 00:09:03,151
<i>Like, in your soul, what
does it mean to you?</i>
216
00:09:03,238 --> 00:09:05,370
Origins. I live
right up the block.
217
00:09:05,457 --> 00:09:08,678
You can walk to where I lived
from here. And I was a shorty.
218
00:09:08,809 --> 00:09:10,462
I was too young to
go to the party,
219
00:09:10,593 --> 00:09:14,684
but the energy that
came out of this room
220
00:09:14,771 --> 00:09:17,252
permeated the
whole neighborhood.
221
00:09:17,339 --> 00:09:20,036
<i>So, it's like Kool Herc party,
Kool Herc party, Kool Herc.</i>
222
00:09:20,037 --> 00:09:21,822
<i>Who the fuck is Kool Herc?</i>
223
00:09:22,170 --> 00:09:26,087
<i>♪</i>
224
00:09:26,174 --> 00:09:28,872
<i>Now, a little past
this building,</i>
225
00:09:29,003 --> 00:09:30,612
it's like a little
makeshift park.
226
00:09:30,613 --> 00:09:32,267
-Uh-huh.
-Right?
227
00:09:32,354 --> 00:09:35,966
That's the area where Herc
took the music outside.
228
00:09:36,053 --> 00:09:38,098
♪
229
00:09:38,099 --> 00:09:39,404
That corner right there...
230
00:09:39,491 --> 00:09:41,537
that's where Kool Herc used
to set up his equipment.
231
00:09:41,668 --> 00:09:42,716
-Used to set up in that corner?
-Yep.
232
00:09:42,799 --> 00:09:44,105
LL COOL J: Man.
233
00:09:44,235 --> 00:09:45,806
GRANDMASTER CAZ: And the
park would just be packed.
234
00:09:45,889 --> 00:09:49,284
You saying a little party
here, outside, playground,
235
00:09:49,414 --> 00:09:51,155
break beats playing.
-Yep.
236
00:09:51,242 --> 00:09:53,984
And this thing went
worldwide from right here?
237
00:09:54,071 --> 00:09:56,030
Just from this.
238
00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:57,945
That's crazy.
239
00:09:58,032 --> 00:10:00,687
♪
240
00:10:00,817 --> 00:10:02,602
-[sizzling]
-[children shouting playfully]
241
00:10:02,689 --> 00:10:04,168
LL COOL J: Let's
talk about one word.
242
00:10:04,255 --> 00:10:05,822
GRANDMASTER CAZ: All right.
243
00:10:05,909 --> 00:10:08,956
Legacy. What does the
word "legacy" mean to you?
244
00:10:09,043 --> 00:10:11,132
I think it's more important
than... than the present,
245
00:10:11,262 --> 00:10:13,874
than the here and now,
because this is gon' be over.
246
00:10:13,961 --> 00:10:16,093
-Legacy is forever.
-Oh, wow.
247
00:10:16,180 --> 00:10:18,269
<i>- ♪ Cold Crush - ♪
Grandmaster Caz or GMC ♪</i>
248
00:10:18,356 --> 00:10:19,967
<i>♪ I'm gonna stick ya
on the board, man ♪</i>
249
00:10:20,097 --> 00:10:21,925
<i>♪ Can't you see? ♪</i>
250
00:10:22,012 --> 00:10:24,580
<i>I'm only gon' be here
for a little while,</i>
251
00:10:24,711 --> 00:10:27,627
<i>but the influences that I
leave in other people...</i>
252
00:10:27,757 --> 00:10:28,539
<i>-LL COOL J: Yeah.
-...and in other things,</i>
253
00:10:28,540 --> 00:10:30,020
<i>that's always gon' be here.</i>
254
00:10:30,107 --> 00:10:31,805
-Yeah.
-It's the account
255
00:10:31,892 --> 00:10:33,327
of our history and let
people know we were here
256
00:10:33,328 --> 00:10:34,463
and what we did
when we were here.
257
00:10:34,546 --> 00:10:35,852
Legacy is everything...
258
00:10:35,939 --> 00:10:37,506
-Yeah.
-...to me.
259
00:10:37,593 --> 00:10:38,729
-Yeah. That's powerful.
-Yeah.
260
00:10:38,812 --> 00:10:40,900
Well, yo, I appreciate
you, bro. I love you, man.
261
00:10:40,901 --> 00:10:42,511
-I love you, too.
-And respect, too.
262
00:10:42,598 --> 00:10:44,644
The Grandmaster, the Fly One.
263
00:10:44,774 --> 00:10:46,258
-The flyest of 'em all.
-Got the GOAT in the BX, baby.
264
00:10:46,341 --> 00:10:48,038
-[laughs]
-You know what it is.
265
00:10:48,125 --> 00:10:50,474
-You know exactly what it is.
-[chuckles]
266
00:10:50,475 --> 00:10:52,956
[children shouting playfully]
267
00:10:56,307 --> 00:10:57,395
♪
268
00:10:57,526 --> 00:10:58,875
<i>LL COOL J: Over 50 years ago,</i>
269
00:10:58,962 --> 00:11:01,138
<i>the seed of hip hop was
planted in the Bronx</i>
270
00:11:01,225 --> 00:11:03,880
<i>Thanks to artists like Caz
and the Cold Crush Brothers,</i>
271
00:11:03,967 --> 00:11:05,665
<i>the Treacherous
Three, Melle Mel,</i>
272
00:11:05,795 --> 00:11:07,797
<i>Grandmaster Flash
and the Furious Five,</i>
273
00:11:07,884 --> 00:11:10,539
<i>Afrika Bambaataa, and new
methods of distribution</i>
274
00:11:10,626 --> 00:11:12,410
<i>like the cassette tape,</i>
275
00:11:12,497 --> 00:11:16,631
<i>that seed began to grow, pushing
deeper into the boroughs of NYC.</i>
276
00:11:16,632 --> 00:11:18,329
<i>So, now I'm on the move again,</i>
277
00:11:18,416 --> 00:11:20,549
<i>following the roots of
hip hop into Brooklyn</i>
278
00:11:20,636 --> 00:11:22,638
<i>to meet up with someone who was</i>
279
00:11:22,725 --> 00:11:24,422
<i>at the forefront of
that early wave...</i>
280
00:11:24,509 --> 00:11:26,903
<i>my man, none other than
the hip hop innovator,</i>
281
00:11:26,990 --> 00:11:30,428
<i>Brooklyn's finest,
Big Daddy Kane.</i>
282
00:11:30,515 --> 00:11:33,040
[both laughing]
283
00:11:33,127 --> 00:11:34,215
Greatness.
284
00:11:34,302 --> 00:11:35,998
What up, baby?
285
00:11:35,999 --> 00:11:37,697
-My man.
-You got it, brother.
286
00:11:37,784 --> 00:11:39,046
This shit look good on you.
287
00:11:39,133 --> 00:11:40,529
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
288
00:11:40,612 --> 00:11:41,879
[laughs] This shit
look good on you.
289
00:11:41,962 --> 00:11:43,620
I'm feeling kind of
back in time right now.
290
00:11:43,703 --> 00:11:44,882
-You know what I mean?
-Yeah.
291
00:11:44,965 --> 00:11:46,488
<i>♪ I'm coming ♪</i>
292
00:11:46,618 --> 00:11:48,882
<i>LL COOL J: Now,
this man right here</i>
293
00:11:48,969 --> 00:11:50,797
<i>is one of the absolute
icons of hip hop.</i>
294
00:11:50,884 --> 00:11:52,537
Sincerely yours,
the Smooth Operator.
295
00:11:52,624 --> 00:11:54,539
<i>♪ I'm gonna love you ♪</i>
296
00:11:54,626 --> 00:11:56,628
<i>LL COOL J: A master
lyricist and wordsmith,</i>
297
00:11:56,716 --> 00:11:58,156
<i>broke out in '86
with the Juice Crew.</i>
298
00:11:58,239 --> 00:12:00,023
<i>And he quickly became</i>
299
00:12:00,110 --> 00:12:01,851
<i>one of the most influential
MCs in the game.</i>
300
00:12:01,982 --> 00:12:03,291
The Big Father, the
Smooth Operator,
301
00:12:03,374 --> 00:12:04,680
Big Daddy Kane.
302
00:12:04,811 --> 00:12:07,465
<i>LL COOL J: Rapper,
producer, an actor,</i>
303
00:12:07,596 --> 00:12:09,076
<i>Grammy Award winner,</i>
304
00:12:09,206 --> 00:12:12,993
<i>and a hip hop style icon to
this day... Big Daddy Kane.</i>
305
00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:14,994
<i>- ♪ Ooh - Did I
leave anything out?</i>
306
00:12:14,995 --> 00:12:18,127
The main element is
to be intelligent.
307
00:12:18,128 --> 00:12:21,523
<i>LL COOL J: Often imitated,
never duplicated.</i>
308
00:12:21,610 --> 00:12:25,657
-Big... Daddy... Kane!
-[cheering]
309
00:12:25,745 --> 00:12:28,486
<i>Turntables, drum machines,
and cassette tapes</i>
310
00:12:28,617 --> 00:12:30,405
<i>weren't the only tools
Kane and his hip hop peers</i>
311
00:12:30,488 --> 00:12:32,969
<i>had at their disposal
in the early days.</i>
312
00:12:33,056 --> 00:12:35,842
<i>They also had internal
combustion engines.</i>
313
00:12:35,929 --> 00:12:39,149
<i>-I'm talking about car services.
-♪ Ooh ♪</i>
314
00:12:39,236 --> 00:12:42,109
<i>Car services</i> before
<i>they were on an app.</i>
315
00:12:42,239 --> 00:12:43,719
<i>♪ I'm coming ♪</i>
316
00:12:43,850 --> 00:12:45,246
<i>LL COOL J: They served
as a distribution network</i>
317
00:12:45,329 --> 00:12:47,418
<i>for tapes and mixes
across the city.</i>
318
00:12:47,505 --> 00:12:50,204
<i>♪ Oh, I'm coming ♪</i>
319
00:12:50,291 --> 00:12:52,597
Okay, so first of all, did
you use the car services?
320
00:12:52,684 --> 00:12:54,903
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lots of times.
We would, you know, use it to,
321
00:12:54,904 --> 00:12:56,558
like, to like, go to a party.
-Yeah.
322
00:12:56,645 --> 00:12:58,365
Back in the days, you
know, there was OJays,
323
00:12:58,473 --> 00:13:00,692
Touch of Class. From
a music standpoint,
324
00:13:00,780 --> 00:13:03,783
did you get any hip hop
influence in them cars?
325
00:13:03,870 --> 00:13:05,872
Sometimes in the
Black Pearl joints,
326
00:13:06,002 --> 00:13:07,351
<i>you hear master mixes.</i>
327
00:13:07,438 --> 00:13:08,700
<i>♪</i>
328
00:13:08,831 --> 00:13:11,312
<i>KIM OSORIO: So, car services</i>
329
00:13:11,442 --> 00:13:15,533
were a non-traditional
way of spreading hip hop.
330
00:13:15,620 --> 00:13:19,319
<i>NELSON GEORGE: In New York,
if you were Black or Latino,</i>
331
00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:20,843
it was very hard to get a taxi.
332
00:13:20,930 --> 00:13:22,845
<i>So, all of these
different cab companies</i>
333
00:13:22,932 --> 00:13:25,064
<i>developed to serve
you in Brooklyn,</i>
334
00:13:25,065 --> 00:13:27,197
to serve you in
Harlem and Uptown.
335
00:13:27,284 --> 00:13:28,808
♪
336
00:13:28,895 --> 00:13:32,246
<i>We had Black Pearl, Godfather's.</i>
337
00:13:32,333 --> 00:13:34,725
<i>There were OJay's.</i>
338
00:13:34,726 --> 00:13:36,554
Every barbershop,
every beauty parlor,
339
00:13:36,685 --> 00:13:38,992
every grocery store, there'd
be a card in the window.
340
00:13:39,079 --> 00:13:41,776
<i>You call 'em up. That's
how you got around.</i>
341
00:13:41,777 --> 00:13:43,953
-Thank you. Enjoy your day.
<i>-And a lot of these guys</i>
342
00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,173
<i>in the car, it's
part of their patter</i>
343
00:13:46,260 --> 00:13:48,262
to get you to take a longer ride
344
00:13:48,349 --> 00:13:51,177
so they can charge
you more with tapes.
345
00:13:51,178 --> 00:13:53,484
You would hear new things
that you wouldn't hear before.
346
00:13:53,833 --> 00:13:55,269
♪
347
00:13:55,356 --> 00:13:57,140
<i>This was pre-hip
hop being on radio.</i>
348
00:13:57,227 --> 00:13:59,012
<i>♪</i>
349
00:13:59,142 --> 00:14:02,058
<i>This is pre-hip hop
getting circulated</i>
350
00:14:02,189 --> 00:14:04,626
to people's Walkmans and
things of that nature.
351
00:14:04,713 --> 00:14:06,280
<i>♪</i>
352
00:14:06,367 --> 00:14:08,891
You talking to Roxanne Shanté.
Now, there were OJay cars,
353
00:14:08,978 --> 00:14:10,762
<i>and people did get
picked up in 'em,</i>
354
00:14:10,893 --> 00:14:12,634
<i>and they rode around in 'em.</i>
355
00:14:12,764 --> 00:14:15,289
But, <i>baby,</i> I mean, I was
seeing people who had cars,
356
00:14:15,376 --> 00:14:17,334
so I ain't really
taking car services.
357
00:14:17,421 --> 00:14:20,772
♪
358
00:14:20,903 --> 00:14:23,863
As things were
happening in the Bronx
359
00:14:23,993 --> 00:14:25,690
and obviously in
the other boroughs,
360
00:14:25,777 --> 00:14:27,214
what was the movement like
361
00:14:27,301 --> 00:14:29,607
in those early
years in Brooklyn?
362
00:14:29,738 --> 00:14:31,827
<i>Bronx is a thousand
miles away, sometimes</i>
363
00:14:31,958 --> 00:14:33,311
<i>it feel like, from here.
-Mm-hmm. Yeah.</i>
364
00:14:33,394 --> 00:14:36,136
Like, my first dose was
'77, going to a block party.
365
00:14:36,223 --> 00:14:37,572
-Okay.
-I'm a kid.
366
00:14:37,659 --> 00:14:38,707
You know, I'm only
nine years old.
367
00:14:38,790 --> 00:14:40,139
-Mm-hmm.
-Everybody crowded around
368
00:14:40,140 --> 00:14:41,798
like they was watching
a movie or something.
369
00:14:41,881 --> 00:14:42,794
Mm-hmm.
370
00:14:42,882 --> 00:14:44,708
And then you saw
a mic line form...
371
00:14:44,709 --> 00:14:47,234
-Mm.
-...and about, you know,
372
00:14:47,364 --> 00:14:50,193
20 cats got up, you know,
waiting to get on a mic.
373
00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,239
<i>And I had never seen
nothing like that before.</i>
374
00:14:52,369 --> 00:14:54,328
<i>♪ They rally ♪</i>
375
00:14:54,415 --> 00:14:55,937
<i>LL COOL J: You saw that
passion, you saw that vibe...</i>
376
00:14:55,938 --> 00:14:57,634
-Yeah.
-...that hunger that they had...
377
00:14:57,635 --> 00:14:59,072
-Yeah.
-...to get <i>on</i> the mic.
378
00:14:59,202 --> 00:15:00,116
It had me like, "What's
this?" And I knew I wanna be
379
00:15:00,203 --> 00:15:02,249
a part of it, whatever this is.
380
00:15:02,336 --> 00:15:03,728
Like, how did you
ultimately say,
381
00:15:03,815 --> 00:15:05,343
"You know what? I'm-a do
this. Like, I could do this"?
382
00:15:05,426 --> 00:15:07,645
Well, I was really focused
on the DJ side, right?
383
00:15:07,776 --> 00:15:08,733
What was your name
when you was DJing?
384
00:15:08,820 --> 00:15:09,560
-Sir Romeo.
-Sir Romeo.
385
00:15:09,691 --> 00:15:11,170
DJ Sir Romeo.
386
00:15:11,171 --> 00:15:12,563
[laughter]
387
00:15:12,694 --> 00:15:14,087
Fucking love it.
388
00:15:14,174 --> 00:15:16,480
♪
389
00:15:16,611 --> 00:15:20,571
<i>So, then at a certain point,
you went from listening</i>
390
00:15:20,658 --> 00:15:23,792
<i>and vibing and being
influenced to actually writing.</i>
391
00:15:23,879 --> 00:15:26,795
I started off really, like,
just writing battle rhymes,
392
00:15:26,882 --> 00:15:28,840
battling people in school.
I felt like, I'm good.
393
00:15:28,928 --> 00:15:29,971
-Right.
-And when I heard Caz...
394
00:15:29,972 --> 00:15:31,668
<i>LL COOL J: The Grandmaster.</i>
395
00:15:31,669 --> 00:15:34,237
<i>Yeah, like, the stuff
that he was spitting,</i>
396
00:15:34,324 --> 00:15:37,588
<i>I just was like, yeah, I'm
doing everything wrong.</i>
397
00:15:37,675 --> 00:15:40,634
<i>I'll never be dope if I'm
not half as good as this guy.</i>
398
00:15:40,635 --> 00:15:43,681
So, I threw my whole rap
book away. I started...
399
00:15:43,768 --> 00:15:45,209
-Really?
-Yeah. I started all over. Yeah.
400
00:15:45,292 --> 00:15:46,597
-That's crazy.
-Yeah.
401
00:15:46,684 --> 00:15:48,164
So, look, I wanna see Brooklyn.
402
00:15:48,251 --> 00:15:50,079
I want you to show me,
point some things out.
403
00:15:50,210 --> 00:15:51,606
-You know what I'm saying?
-Say less.
404
00:15:51,689 --> 00:15:53,086
Teach your Queens
brother about Brooklyn,
405
00:15:53,169 --> 00:15:53,953
you know what I mean?
406
00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:55,214
-Say less, baby.
-Love.
407
00:15:55,215 --> 00:15:58,740
♪
408
00:15:58,827 --> 00:16:02,831
[siren wailing in distance]
409
00:16:02,962 --> 00:16:04,354
[engine revs]
410
00:16:04,441 --> 00:16:06,226
♪
411
00:16:06,313 --> 00:16:10,056
Do this feel Black Pearl,
in particular, people-ish?
412
00:16:10,143 --> 00:16:12,623
[laughs] Just need the
pine tree air freshener.
413
00:16:12,710 --> 00:16:14,151
LL COOL J: The pine
tree air freshener.
414
00:16:14,234 --> 00:16:15,278
-Yeah.
-[laughs]
415
00:16:15,626 --> 00:16:17,759
♪
416
00:16:17,889 --> 00:16:19,326
So, we're gon' go
up to your school,
417
00:16:19,456 --> 00:16:21,283
where a lot of Big
Daddy Kane battles
418
00:16:21,284 --> 00:16:22,677
took place and all that?
419
00:16:22,807 --> 00:16:24,200
A lot of rap battles.
420
00:16:24,287 --> 00:16:28,204
<i>The majority of time,
I would be in class,</i>
421
00:16:28,291 --> 00:16:31,425
and someone would
come to the door...
422
00:16:31,512 --> 00:16:33,083
-"Yo."
-...and let me know that someone
423
00:16:33,166 --> 00:16:34,345
outside wanted to battle.
-Wanted to battle.
424
00:16:34,428 --> 00:16:35,907
<i>-Yeah.
-And you'd go out there.</i>
425
00:16:35,995 --> 00:16:37,391
<i>Yeah, I get the bathroom
pass, go out there,</i>
426
00:16:37,474 --> 00:16:39,041
<i>wear somebody ass out...
-[laughs]</i>
427
00:16:39,128 --> 00:16:41,652
<i>...then bring the pass
back, like, a period later.</i>
428
00:16:41,739 --> 00:16:43,350
<i>LL COOL J: Yo, that's hilarious.</i>
429
00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:45,138
<i>-BIG DADDY KANE: Yeah.</i>
-[school bell rings]
430
00:16:45,221 --> 00:16:48,529
[engine rumbling]
431
00:16:48,616 --> 00:16:51,096
Hold up.
432
00:16:51,097 --> 00:16:52,359
MAN: Peace, I.
433
00:16:52,489 --> 00:16:54,839
-Peace, baby. We here.
-[horn honks]
434
00:16:54,926 --> 00:16:57,537
Sarah J. Hale High School.
435
00:16:57,538 --> 00:16:59,848
What's the first thing come to
mind when you look over here?
436
00:16:59,931 --> 00:17:01,455
That sign wasn't there.
437
00:17:01,542 --> 00:17:03,500
[laughter]
438
00:17:03,587 --> 00:17:05,937
For my man B.D.K.,
439
00:17:06,068 --> 00:17:08,201
hip hop was born here.
440
00:17:08,288 --> 00:17:12,508
In here, like, it used to be
me and the guidance counselor.
441
00:17:12,509 --> 00:17:14,510
-Like, he knew that I rap.
-Right.
442
00:17:14,511 --> 00:17:16,191
So, he would, like,
during official period,
443
00:17:16,296 --> 00:17:17,906
he would let me get
on the microphone
444
00:17:17,993 --> 00:17:20,778
and say a rhyme
about attendance,
445
00:17:20,865 --> 00:17:23,259
about staying off of drugs.
-Oh, really?
446
00:17:23,346 --> 00:17:25,696
Then by noon, we go cut
class and go get drunk.
447
00:17:25,783 --> 00:17:27,089
[laughter]
448
00:17:27,176 --> 00:17:28,743
<i>BIG DADDY KANE: Nah.
But it was, like,</i>
449
00:17:28,830 --> 00:17:31,224
<i>so much support in
this here school.</i>
450
00:17:31,354 --> 00:17:34,662
<i>I had the whole
school in my corner.</i>
451
00:17:34,749 --> 00:17:35,967
-Mm-hmm.
-The whole school
452
00:17:36,055 --> 00:17:37,534
rooting for me.
-Mm-hmm.
453
00:17:37,621 --> 00:17:40,233
<i>BIG DADDY KANE: I felt
like one day I'm-a make it.</i>
454
00:17:40,363 --> 00:17:42,495
And let me ask you a question.
<i>Why</i> did you wanna make it?
455
00:17:42,496 --> 00:17:45,455
♪
456
00:17:45,586 --> 00:17:47,936
<i>When I was younger, I always
wanted to be Marvin Gaye.</i>
457
00:17:48,067 --> 00:17:51,070
-I just can't sing.
-[laughing]
458
00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:55,030
You know? But I knew I
could rap my ass off.
459
00:17:55,117 --> 00:17:58,512
INTERVIEWER: So, I understand
you're the Marvin Gaye of rap.
460
00:17:58,599 --> 00:18:00,601
That's what people are saying.
461
00:18:00,688 --> 00:18:02,993
Are they? Good.
462
00:18:02,994 --> 00:18:06,346
It wasn't about, you know,
selling a bunch of records.
463
00:18:06,433 --> 00:18:09,000
It wasn't about, you know,
buying a Bentley or a Rolls.
464
00:18:09,088 --> 00:18:10,441
-Yeah, just being the dopest...
-Just wanted to be
465
00:18:10,524 --> 00:18:11,659
the dopest MC, that's all.
-Yeah.
466
00:18:11,742 --> 00:18:13,226
That's all I really
envisioned at that time.
467
00:18:13,309 --> 00:18:15,572
Everything is still
the same, you know?
468
00:18:15,659 --> 00:18:18,271
I'm still living the same
place I was living before.
469
00:18:18,401 --> 00:18:20,490
Well, I got more things
than I did before,
470
00:18:20,621 --> 00:18:24,407
you know, like all big
jewelry and Dapper Dan suits.
471
00:18:24,494 --> 00:18:29,325
♪
472
00:18:29,412 --> 00:18:33,329
Okay, one word. Talk to
me about it... "legacy."
473
00:18:33,416 --> 00:18:37,027
I mean, nothing means more to me
474
00:18:37,028 --> 00:18:40,031
than to have someone
say that my music
475
00:18:40,162 --> 00:18:43,164
helped them get
through high school,
476
00:18:43,165 --> 00:18:46,299
through college,
through Desert Storm.
477
00:18:46,386 --> 00:18:48,649
If I can give you just
something motivational
478
00:18:48,736 --> 00:18:51,217
to make you do better in life,
479
00:18:51,304 --> 00:18:53,871
I feel like then I did a
good thing with my music.
480
00:18:54,002 --> 00:18:57,484
I'm not trying to tell nobody,
you know, to do this or do that,
481
00:18:57,571 --> 00:19:00,226
you know, trying to tell
nobody right from wrong.
482
00:19:00,313 --> 00:19:02,271
I'm just trying to
show you that I was
483
00:19:02,402 --> 00:19:04,273
in that same position
where I had a choice,
484
00:19:04,360 --> 00:19:07,058
you know, to go this
way or that way.
485
00:19:07,146 --> 00:19:09,452
And I believe that I
went the right way.
486
00:19:09,539 --> 00:19:11,976
<i>It's like, we're
not paying the fans.</i>
487
00:19:12,063 --> 00:19:14,370
-Mm-hmm.
-They're paying <i>us.</i>
488
00:19:14,501 --> 00:19:17,068
Right. They're paying for that
inspiration and that escape.
489
00:19:17,156 --> 00:19:18,809
-Right.
-It's our spirit
490
00:19:18,896 --> 00:19:21,160
sharing with their spirits.
-Exactly.
491
00:19:21,290 --> 00:19:22,857
There it is. You
know what I'm sayin'?
492
00:19:22,944 --> 00:19:25,599
My man. King Asiatic, baby.
493
00:19:25,686 --> 00:19:27,253
That's what it is.
494
00:19:27,601 --> 00:19:33,476
♪
495
00:19:33,563 --> 00:19:36,349
<i>SINGER: ♪ Brooklyn, Brooklyn,
Brooklyn, Brooklyn ♪</i>
496
00:19:36,436 --> 00:19:38,394
<i>♪ We go hard ♪</i>
497
00:19:38,481 --> 00:19:39,743
<i>♪</i>
498
00:19:39,830 --> 00:19:43,573
<i>LL COOL J: From B.D.K.
to B.I.G. to Lil' Kim,</i>
499
00:19:43,660 --> 00:19:45,401
<i>countless more,</i>
500
00:19:45,488 --> 00:19:47,795
<i>there's no doubt
Brooklyn goes hard.</i>
501
00:19:47,882 --> 00:19:50,885
<i>Now I'm headed north to
visit a Harlem rapper who,</i>
502
00:19:50,972 --> 00:19:54,410
<i>in my humble opinion,
is hip hop personified.</i>
503
00:19:54,497 --> 00:20:02,497
[beat boxing]
504
00:20:02,940 --> 00:20:05,421
[continues beat boxing]
505
00:20:05,508 --> 00:20:07,902
-Yo.
-What's up, man?
506
00:20:07,989 --> 00:20:11,252
-My man Doug! Doug with an E!
-Come on, man. Come on, man.
507
00:20:11,253 --> 00:20:12,472
Chillin' with... uhh!
508
00:20:12,559 --> 00:20:13,864
<i>♪ Hit it ♪</i>
509
00:20:13,951 --> 00:20:15,736
<i>LL COOL J: Doug E. Fresh,</i>
510
00:20:15,823 --> 00:20:18,042
<i>the human beat box.</i>
511
00:20:18,129 --> 00:20:21,872
<i>While other MCs and DJs used
drum machines and turntables,</i>
512
00:20:21,959 --> 00:20:23,526
<i>the equipment that
Doug E. Fresh used</i>
513
00:20:23,657 --> 00:20:26,486
<i>was basically Doug
E. Fresh himself.</i>
514
00:20:26,573 --> 00:20:28,618
<i>♪ Somebody say...</i>
[high-pitched] <i>"Oh, my God!" ♪</i>
515
00:20:28,749 --> 00:20:31,230
<i>LL COOL J: The most ionic
beat boxer of all time.</i>
516
00:20:31,317 --> 00:20:33,319
<i>Doug E. took the art mainstream</i>
517
00:20:33,406 --> 00:20:35,325
<i>with his partner, Slick
Rick and the Get Fresh Crew.</i>
518
00:20:35,408 --> 00:20:37,236
The toast of America's
rap generation,
519
00:20:37,323 --> 00:20:39,760
<i>Doug E. Fresh.</i>
520
00:20:39,847 --> 00:20:42,937
<i>LL COOL J: The single,
"The Show/La Di Da Di"</i>
521
00:20:43,067 --> 00:20:44,808
<i>is a hip hop classic</i>
522
00:20:44,939 --> 00:20:47,115
<i>and one of the most sampled
tracks in all of music.</i>
523
00:20:47,202 --> 00:20:48,682
[beat boxing]
524
00:20:48,769 --> 00:20:52,728
<i>- ♪ Excuse me, Doug
E Fresh - ♪ Yes ♪</i>
525
00:20:52,729 --> 00:20:56,211
Me and you, in terms of our
industry, we are true peers.
526
00:20:56,342 --> 00:21:00,128
We really came out together.
How were you exposed to hip hop?
527
00:21:00,259 --> 00:21:02,522
You know, my sister
just came home
528
00:21:02,609 --> 00:21:04,915
and started talking
about DJ Hollywood.
529
00:21:05,002 --> 00:21:07,570
<i>She started saying the
rhyme... "ring-a-ding-a-ding,</i>
530
00:21:07,657 --> 00:21:09,877
da-dong, the dong-dong,
the dang, the dang-dang,
531
00:21:09,964 --> 00:21:12,053
the ding, the dong-dong
to the hip hop..."
532
00:21:12,140 --> 00:21:13,620
And all of a sudden, I said,
533
00:21:13,750 --> 00:21:15,709
"Wow, that's crazy.
Do that again."
534
00:21:15,796 --> 00:21:18,189
Right now, rap music is
number one over here.
535
00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:19,930
Rap music is ruling.
536
00:21:20,017 --> 00:21:22,629
The main message to our
rap music is have something
537
00:21:22,716 --> 00:21:24,417
to believe in and be
yourself and let people hear
538
00:21:24,500 --> 00:21:29,288
that we're not as stupid and as
ignorant as they think we are.
539
00:21:29,375 --> 00:21:32,160
Know what I'm saying?
540
00:21:32,247 --> 00:21:33,595
I used to write
poetry all the time.
541
00:21:33,596 --> 00:21:35,816
-Oh, wow.
-So, I wrote poetry in school.
542
00:21:35,903 --> 00:21:40,429
I won the Langston Hughes
award. But when hip hop started,
543
00:21:40,516 --> 00:21:45,304
it turned from poetry into
just coming up with rhymes.
544
00:21:45,391 --> 00:21:48,263
Y'all be beatin'
on the lunch table.
545
00:21:48,350 --> 00:21:49,525
Yeah.
546
00:21:49,612 --> 00:21:52,223
So, all of these different
things collectively
547
00:21:52,311 --> 00:21:54,616
<i>just changed my
whole perspective.</i>
548
00:21:54,617 --> 00:21:55,966
[cheers and applause]
549
00:21:56,053 --> 00:21:57,403
<i>LL COOL J: As Doug
E. was evolving</i>
550
00:21:57,490 --> 00:21:59,274
<i>into the hip hop
icon he is today,</i>
551
00:21:59,405 --> 00:22:01,232
<i>something else
popped on the scene</i>
552
00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:03,147
<i>that completely changed the game</i>
553
00:22:03,234 --> 00:22:08,109
<i>and further spread the gospel
of hip hop in an all new way.</i>
554
00:22:08,196 --> 00:22:10,807
Now let's talk
about the boombox.
555
00:22:10,894 --> 00:22:15,421
The boombox is like an
icon of hip hop culture.
556
00:22:15,508 --> 00:22:17,988
<i>GEORGE: The boombox is not
just music that you can hear...</i>
557
00:22:18,075 --> 00:22:20,426
everybody can hear.
558
00:22:20,513 --> 00:22:24,255
<i>OSORIO: The whole point was to
make sure that everybody heard</i>
559
00:22:24,386 --> 00:22:26,735
so when you <i>hear</i> the music,
560
00:22:26,736 --> 00:22:28,434
you can start looking
for what's going on.
561
00:22:28,564 --> 00:22:31,741
<i>It really was a way
to call people in.</i>
562
00:22:31,828 --> 00:22:33,787
♪
563
00:22:33,874 --> 00:22:35,876
<i>Whoever it was that
had the biggest boombox</i>
564
00:22:35,963 --> 00:22:38,444
<i>had the party on the block.</i>
565
00:22:38,531 --> 00:22:40,054
<i>GEORGE: It played
cassette tapes.</i>
566
00:22:40,141 --> 00:22:42,230
<i>It also had a radio component.</i>
567
00:22:42,317 --> 00:22:45,754
You could carry it outside.
You have enough D batteries,
568
00:22:45,755 --> 00:22:48,932
<i>then you can take
your boombox outside.</i>
569
00:22:49,019 --> 00:22:51,065
<i>♪</i>
570
00:22:51,152 --> 00:22:55,765
<i>SHANTÉ: We're talking anywhere
from 12 to 18 D batteries.</i>
571
00:22:55,852 --> 00:22:57,113
They also had to have money
572
00:22:57,114 --> 00:22:58,681
'cause D batteries
was expensive.
573
00:22:58,768 --> 00:23:04,165
♪
574
00:23:04,252 --> 00:23:06,602
The boombox came
from the b-boys.
575
00:23:06,950 --> 00:23:09,083
♪
576
00:23:09,170 --> 00:23:11,259
<i>They needed to
dance to some music,</i>
577
00:23:11,346 --> 00:23:13,695
<i>so the bigger the radio,
the louder the music,</i>
578
00:23:13,696 --> 00:23:15,350
the more people gon' come around
579
00:23:15,437 --> 00:23:16,656
and make that circle again.
580
00:23:16,743 --> 00:23:18,353
♪
581
00:23:18,484 --> 00:23:20,442
<i>The boombox became
a fashion statement.</i>
582
00:23:20,529 --> 00:23:23,053
<i>LL... he was the first
one to be talking</i>
583
00:23:23,140 --> 00:23:25,491
<i>about how big his radio was.</i>
584
00:23:25,578 --> 00:23:27,144
<i>SHANTÉ: Then they
got the two speakers,</i>
585
00:23:27,275 --> 00:23:28,672
<i>then they got the four speakers,
then they got the six speakers,</i>
586
00:23:28,755 --> 00:23:30,713
then they got the three parts.
587
00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,149
<i>[laughs] We're talking
about a big strap</i>
588
00:23:33,150 --> 00:23:34,674
and somebody having
a strong back.
589
00:23:35,022 --> 00:23:36,893
♪
590
00:23:36,980 --> 00:23:38,504
<i>LL COOL J: When I
would see a dude</i>
591
00:23:38,591 --> 00:23:40,114
<i>walking down the
street with a boombox,</i>
592
00:23:40,201 --> 00:23:42,464
it was so much power.
593
00:23:42,595 --> 00:23:44,466
You know, look,
when you growing up
594
00:23:44,597 --> 00:23:46,642
in New York in that
time, you feel invisible.
595
00:23:46,729 --> 00:23:48,165
-Right.
-Your friends get killed.
596
00:23:48,252 --> 00:23:50,603
It means nothing to
anybody. Nobody cares.
597
00:23:50,733 --> 00:23:54,258
-Right.
-But there was so much joy
598
00:23:54,389 --> 00:23:56,347
and such high
vibration around this.
599
00:23:56,435 --> 00:23:58,567
And it was all about
the dude walking
600
00:23:58,654 --> 00:24:01,831
down the block like
this. He just walking.
601
00:24:01,918 --> 00:24:03,707
LL COOL J: No doubt. Or
with it on his shoulder.
602
00:24:03,790 --> 00:24:05,709
-Right, right, right, right!
-With it on his shoulder.
603
00:24:05,792 --> 00:24:08,576
And it's so crazy because
it's right in his ear.
604
00:24:08,577 --> 00:24:11,406
-Blowing his ears off the frame.
-[laughs]
605
00:24:11,493 --> 00:24:12,759
<i>LL COOL J: All right,
so this what we gon' do.</i>
606
00:24:12,842 --> 00:24:15,062
<i>This what we gon' do.
We gon' hit the rooftop,</i>
607
00:24:15,149 --> 00:24:17,586
and you gon' be able to see the
whole city from where we at.
608
00:24:17,673 --> 00:24:20,022
And I'm-a show you where
the beat box was first done.
609
00:24:20,023 --> 00:24:21,503
All right, let's
get to it, baby.
610
00:24:21,590 --> 00:24:24,288
<i>♪ Ain't no half steppin' ♪</i>
611
00:24:24,375 --> 00:24:28,249
[siren wailing in distance]
612
00:24:28,336 --> 00:24:30,251
[speaking Dutch]
613
00:24:30,381 --> 00:24:31,948
...the human beat boxer.
614
00:24:32,035 --> 00:24:34,255
[resumes in Dutch]
615
00:24:34,385 --> 00:24:37,998
...in studio, Doug E. Fresh
and the Get Fresh crew.
616
00:24:38,085 --> 00:24:41,914
Doug here... [speaks Dutch]
and Rick. [speaks Dutch]
617
00:24:41,915 --> 00:24:45,092
Uh, could you explain what
a human beat box is, Doug?
618
00:24:45,179 --> 00:24:46,833
[beat boxes] Ladies...
619
00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:48,704
[beat boxes]
620
00:24:48,791 --> 00:24:50,793
...and gentlemen...
[resumes beat boxing]
621
00:24:50,924 --> 00:24:52,099
We are...
622
00:24:52,186 --> 00:24:53,883
[resumes beat boxing]
623
00:24:54,014 --> 00:24:55,494
ALL: The Get Fresh Crew!
624
00:24:55,581 --> 00:24:56,538
♪
625
00:24:56,625 --> 00:24:59,409
[seabirds calling]
626
00:24:59,410 --> 00:25:01,761
So, yo, origins of the beat box.
627
00:25:01,848 --> 00:25:05,504
Okay. All right. I went
to a school over here.
628
00:25:05,591 --> 00:25:06,983
LL COOL J: Mm-hmm.
629
00:25:07,070 --> 00:25:08,463
-I had a teacher...
-Mm-hmm.
630
00:25:08,550 --> 00:25:09,246
...who wanted me to
play the trumpet.
631
00:25:09,333 --> 00:25:10,552
Mm-hmm.
632
00:25:10,639 --> 00:25:12,467
So, I'm taking
this trumpet home.
633
00:25:12,554 --> 00:25:15,035
Every day I'm practicing.
I'm practicing.
634
00:25:15,122 --> 00:25:17,167
And then one day
I come to school,
635
00:25:17,254 --> 00:25:19,648
and he is no longer there.
636
00:25:19,735 --> 00:25:21,132
It ain't 'cause of your
trumpet playing, is it?
637
00:25:21,215 --> 00:25:24,043
-No, no, no! [laughs]
-Terrible teacher. That's...
638
00:25:24,044 --> 00:25:26,350
But I... what it was is that
they cut the music program
639
00:25:26,437 --> 00:25:28,309
in most of the urban schools.
640
00:25:28,439 --> 00:25:30,572
-Of course.
-And that's what happened.
641
00:25:30,703 --> 00:25:32,487
<i>So, long story short,
I'm walking home.</i>
642
00:25:32,618 --> 00:25:34,533
<i>But while I'm walking home,</i>
643
00:25:34,663 --> 00:25:36,273
<i>every day I'm
hearing these musics.</i>
644
00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:37,583
<i>I'm hearing... ♪ It
was a party night ♪</i>
645
00:25:37,666 --> 00:25:39,538
<i>♪ Everybody was breakin' ♪</i>
646
00:25:39,625 --> 00:25:42,453
<i>- ♪ Was breakin' in the house</i> -
Oh, man, that gave me... Whoo!
647
00:25:42,541 --> 00:25:44,581
<i>♪ And it won't be long till
everybody knowin' that ♪</i>
648
00:25:44,673 --> 00:25:46,065
<i>♪ On that beat box
goin' that... ♪</i>
649
00:25:46,066 --> 00:25:47,154
-[laughs]
-And...
650
00:25:47,284 --> 00:25:48,590
<i>♪ Sha-na-na ♪</i>
651
00:25:48,677 --> 00:25:50,504
<i>♪ Italian,
Caucasian, Japanese ♪</i>
652
00:25:50,505 --> 00:25:53,682
<i>♪ Spanish, Indian,
Negro, Vietnamese ♪</i>
653
00:25:53,769 --> 00:25:56,946
<i>DOUG: We hear that, Spoonie,
Treacherous, everything.</i>
654
00:25:57,077 --> 00:25:59,209
So, I'm walking
home. I'm hearing...
655
00:25:59,296 --> 00:26:01,690
[hums]
656
00:26:01,777 --> 00:26:04,258
So, now you got the bass
and the beat box, right?
657
00:26:04,345 --> 00:26:05,302
-Yeah.
-Then you got...
658
00:26:05,389 --> 00:26:08,479
[humming, clicking]
659
00:26:08,567 --> 00:26:11,265
Then you putting the hi-hat
in there, and the crash is...
660
00:26:11,352 --> 00:26:13,528
[humming, clicking]
661
00:26:13,615 --> 00:26:15,835
Then you putting the
other thing in there.
662
00:26:15,965 --> 00:26:18,838
[humming, clicking,
making blooping sounds]
663
00:26:18,925 --> 00:26:20,840
And now you starting
to... now you going...
664
00:26:20,970 --> 00:26:23,537
<i>Now</i> it's starting to
get real crazy, right?
665
00:26:23,538 --> 00:26:26,715
-[laughing]
-So, now I'm doing it outside.
666
00:26:26,846 --> 00:26:28,978
Everybody lost they mind.
667
00:26:29,109 --> 00:26:31,720
That was the beginning,
and then it took off.
668
00:26:31,851 --> 00:26:35,681
[beat boxing]
669
00:26:35,768 --> 00:26:38,073
Yeah. Come on.
670
00:26:38,074 --> 00:26:39,728
♪
671
00:26:39,815 --> 00:26:43,558
[beat boxing]
672
00:26:43,645 --> 00:26:45,386
No, I'm working out, y'all.
673
00:26:45,473 --> 00:26:51,739
♪
674
00:26:51,740 --> 00:26:53,699
<i>LL COOL J: Okay. And
this is something</i>
675
00:26:53,786 --> 00:26:55,226
<i>I've been asking
people... your legacy.</i>
676
00:26:55,309 --> 00:26:56,919
<i>What's legacy mean to you?</i>
677
00:26:57,006 --> 00:26:59,792
What is my legacy? Uh...
678
00:26:59,922 --> 00:27:02,185
I never really put too
much thought into that.
679
00:27:02,272 --> 00:27:05,711
I'm so busy living in the now,
680
00:27:05,798 --> 00:27:08,104
in this moment <i>right now,</i>
681
00:27:08,191 --> 00:27:10,541
that I don't even really
think about the legacy.
682
00:27:10,629 --> 00:27:13,457
I think it writes itself.
683
00:27:13,588 --> 00:27:15,072
I think it writes
itself. You know that?
684
00:27:15,155 --> 00:27:16,373
Yep.
685
00:27:16,504 --> 00:27:20,073
And I mean this so sincerely.
686
00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:21,595
There's no words.
687
00:27:21,596 --> 00:27:24,991
There's nothing
that I can ever say
688
00:27:25,078 --> 00:27:28,081
to thank God enough...
689
00:27:28,168 --> 00:27:29,256
Amen.
690
00:27:29,386 --> 00:27:33,564
...for giving me
this moment right now
691
00:27:33,652 --> 00:27:35,697
and the opportunities
that I've had
692
00:27:35,784 --> 00:27:38,134
and just to be here now with you
693
00:27:38,221 --> 00:27:41,616
and us growing up together
and us standing here
694
00:27:41,703 --> 00:27:45,751
from the time when we
were little kids, man.
695
00:27:45,838 --> 00:27:47,882
-Doug E. Fresh.
-Appreciate you, brother.
696
00:27:47,883 --> 00:27:49,624
-You already know.
-Hip hop was born here.
697
00:27:49,755 --> 00:27:50,756
-Yes, sir.
-Here.
698
00:27:50,843 --> 00:27:51,626
-Yes, sir.
-No doubt, no doubt.
699
00:27:51,757 --> 00:27:54,020
-Let's roll.
-Yeah.
700
00:28:00,069 --> 00:28:01,074
[Boogie Down Production's
"South Bronx" playing]
701
00:28:01,157 --> 00:28:02,158
<i>♪ South Bronx ♪</i>
702
00:28:02,245 --> 00:28:03,985
<i>♪ The South, South Bronx ♪</i>
703
00:28:03,986 --> 00:28:05,813
I got the GOAT with me, baby.
704
00:28:05,814 --> 00:28:08,077
LL Cool J! Get over here!
705
00:28:08,164 --> 00:28:10,209
[laughter]
706
00:28:10,210 --> 00:28:14,344
[crowd cheering and laughing]
707
00:28:14,431 --> 00:28:15,828
<i>♪ South Bronx, the
South, South Bronx ♪</i>
708
00:28:15,911 --> 00:28:18,827
<i>♪ South Bronx, the
South, South Bronx ♪</i>
709
00:28:18,914 --> 00:28:21,395
<i>♪ South Bronx, the
South, South Bronx ♪</i>