Captain Rapp
Encyclopedia
Captain Rapp is the stage name
of Larry Earl Glenn, an American
hip hop
/post-disco
musician, producer and West Coast Rap pioneer.
He is best known for his politically conscious song "Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)", which was a West Coast
response to Grandmaster Flash
's "the Message".
called Rappers Rapp Disco Record Company. His first record, party-oriented, "Gigolo Rapp" was a minor hit on the East Coast yet the record failed in his home state.
In 1983, his most successful single "Bad Times" came out on Saturn Records and reached number 23 on Billboard
Dance Charts. The single was arranged and produced by emerging Contemporary R&B
moguls Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
.
In 1992, Glenn recorded a sequel to his previous hit single, titled "Bad Times, Part 2: The Continuance".
, child sexual abuse
, AIDS
, Salvadoran Civil War and even nuclear war, in contrast to uptempo synth-funk melody and soulful vocals.
The song is a West Coast variant of "The Message" whereas the title is lampooning a name of the most sampled song in hip-hop
history, "Good Times" by Chic
.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of Larry Earl Glenn, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
/post-disco
Post-disco
Post-disco refers to a historically significant period in popular music history beginning with the commercial death of disco music in the late 1970s and ending with the mainstream appearance of house music in late 1980s.The stripped-down musical trends followed from the DJ- and producer-driven,...
musician, producer and West Coast Rap pioneer.
He is best known for his politically conscious song "Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)", which was a West Coast
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
response to Grandmaster Flash
Grandmaster Flash
Joseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
's "the Message".
History
Glenn's musical career started in 1981 when he was signed to a small indie labelIndependent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
called Rappers Rapp Disco Record Company. His first record, party-oriented, "Gigolo Rapp" was a minor hit on the East Coast yet the record failed in his home state.
In 1983, his most successful single "Bad Times" came out on Saturn Records and reached number 23 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Dance Charts. The single was arranged and produced by emerging Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
moguls Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
.
In 1992, Glenn recorded a sequel to his previous hit single, titled "Bad Times, Part 2: The Continuance".
Themes
"Bad Times" lyrically touches sensitive topic, including unemploymentUnemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
, child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
, AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, Salvadoran Civil War and even nuclear war, in contrast to uptempo synth-funk melody and soulful vocals.
The song is a West Coast variant of "The Message" whereas the title is lampooning a name of the most sampled song in hip-hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
history, "Good Times" by Chic
Chic (band)
Chic was an African American disco and R&B band that was organized during 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It is known best for its commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " , "Everybody Dance" , "Le Freak" , "I Want Your Love" , "Good Times"...
.
Charts
| Year | Song | Label | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Dance |
U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
|||
| 1981 | "The Gigolo Rapp" | Rappers Rapp | – | – |
| 1983 | "Bad Times" | Saturn | #23 | – |
| 1984 | "When Doves Cry Rapp" | Rappers Rapp | – | – |
| 1985 | "Bite Em" | Evejim | – | – |
| 1985 | "Agony" | Evejim | – | – |
Singles
"Bad Times"| 12" / SAT-2003 |
|
|---|