Miami bass
Encyclopedia
Miami bass is a type of hip hop music
, that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the Electro-funk sound of the early 1980s, pioneered by Afrika Bambataa & The Soulsonic Force
and later on by UK-based musician Paul Hardcastle
. The use of the Roland TR-808
sustained kick drum, raised dance tempos, and occasional sexually explicit lyrical content differentiate it from other hip hop subgenres. Music author Richie Unterberger
has characterized Miami Bass as using rhythms with a "stop start flavor" and "hissy" cymbal
s with lyrics that "reflected the language of the streets, particularly Miami's black neigborhoods such as Liberty City and Overtown". Miami bass has had a profound impact on the development of drum and bass
, Baltimore Club
, Southern rap
, Funk carioca
, and other genres.
s, rather than individual performers. Record label
s such as Pandisc
, HOT Records, 4-Sight Records, and Skyywalker Records, released much material of the genre. Unterberger has referred to James (Maggotron
) McCauley (also known as DXJ, Maggozulu 2, Planet Detroit and Bass Master Khan) as the "father of Miami bass," a distinction McCauley himself denies choosing rather to confer that status on producer Amos Larkins.
"Bass Rock Express" by MC ADE
(with music and beats produced by Amos Larkins) is often credited as being the first Miami bass record to gain underground popularity on an international scale. The single "Throw The Dick" by 2 Live Crew
(Produced by David "Treach DJ Mr. Mixx" Hobbs) in January 1986 gave a permanent blueprint to how future Miami Bass songs were songwritten and produced.
Luther 'Luke Skyywalker' Campbell
along with David "Treach DJ Mr. Mixx" Hobbs of 2 Live Crew
played a key role in popularizing Miami bass in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The group's 1986 release, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are
, became controversial for its sexually explicit lyrics. 1989's As Nasty As They Wanna Be
, along with its hit single "Me So Horny
", proved more controversial still, leading to legal troubles for both 2 Live Crew and retailers selling the album (all charges were eventually overturned on appeal).
areas by local DJs, radio stations, and clubs. For the better part of the mid-'80s and early '90s, DJs such as Luke Skyywalker’s Ghetto Style DJs, Norberto Morales’ Triple M DJs, Space Funk DJs, Mohamed Moretta, DJ Nice & Nasty
, Felix Sama, Ramon Hernandez, Bass Master DJs, Lazaro Mendez (DJ Laz)
, Earl "The Pearl" Little, Uncle Al, Raylo & Dem Damn Dogs, DJ Slice, K-Bass, Jam Pony Express and others were heavily involved in playing Miami bass at local outdoor events to large audiences at area beaches, parks, and fairs. Clubs in South Florida, including Pac-Jam, Superstars Rollertheque, Bass Station, Studio 183, Randolphs, Nepenthe, Video Powerhouse, Skylight Express, Beat Club and Club Boca, were hosting bass nights on a regular basis. Miami radio airplay and programming support was strong in the now defunct Rhythm 98, as well as WEDR and WPOW (Power 96). Contribution and promotion of Miami Bass also came out of Orlando
. Orlando radio station 102 Jamz (WJHM
) was the prominent station in the late 80s to feature Miami bass and helped its popularity in and around Central Florida. DJ’s such as DJ Magic Mike
contributed to the "Orlando Sound" which emulated Miami Bass in addition to house
, deep bass, and eventually “Florida breaks”. Thus, Miami bass was quickly becoming a Florida staple.
, Tag Team,
69 Boyz
, Quad City DJ's
, and Freak Nasty
all scoring big Miami Bass hits. Examples of these songs are Whoomp! (There It Is)
" by Tag Team in 1993, "Tootsee Roll
" by 69 Boyz in 1994, "C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)
" by the Quad City DJ's
in 1996 and "Whoot, There It Is" by 95 South
in 1993. These songs all reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100
charts and exposed Miami bass - nationally. These artists generally used a Miami Bass sound and production but did it in a far less explicit and far more accessible way than had been previously done by Campbell and the 2 Live Crew
.
Miami bass is closely related to the electronic dance music genres of Ghettotech
and Booty House
, genres which combine Detroit techno and Chicago
house with the Miami bass sound. Ghettotech follows the same sexually oriented lyrics, hip-hop bass lines and streetwise attitude, but with harder, up-tempo Roland TR-909
techno-style kick beats. In 2007, contemporary hip-hop and R&B songs became more dance oriented, showing influences of Miami bass and techno, and are typically sped up to a "chipmunk" sound for faster tempos for dances such as Jooking, Wu- Tanging, and Bopping (usually only done in Miami, Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties in south Florida)
combined with sine waves or the classic 808 kick
, or sometimes simply the sine wave by itself. Some artist examples would be Afro-Rican (as Power Supply), Techmaster P.E.B.
and Bass 305
.
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...
, that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the Electro-funk sound of the early 1980s, pioneered by Afrika Bambataa & The Soulsonic Force
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
and later on by UK-based musician Paul Hardcastle
Paul Hardcastle
Paul Hardcastle is an English composer and musician, specialising in the synthesizer.-Discography:In the early 1980s, Hardcastle played the keyboards on several singles on the Oval record label by the dance music groups Direct Drive and First Light, before going solo.He achieved some acclaim for...
. The use of the Roland TR-808
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
sustained kick drum, raised dance tempos, and occasional sexually explicit lyrical content differentiate it from other hip hop subgenres. Music author Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
has characterized Miami Bass as using rhythms with a "stop start flavor" and "hissy" cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s with lyrics that "reflected the language of the streets, particularly Miami's black neigborhoods such as Liberty City and Overtown". Miami bass has had a profound impact on the development of drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
, Baltimore Club
Baltimore Club
Baltimore club, also called "Bmore Club" or "Club Music" is a breakbeat genre. As blend with hip hop and chopped, staccato house music, it was created in Baltimore, Maryland, United States in the late 1980s by 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell, Frank Ski, Big Tony , Scottie B...
, Southern rap
Southern rap
Southern hip hop, also called Southern rap, is a genre of American music influenced by hip hop that emerged from a late-1980s club-oriented vibe in southern U.S...
, Funk carioca
Funk carioca
Funk carioca , favela funk and, elsewhere in the world, baile funk, is a type of dance music from Rio de Janeiro, derived from Miami bass....
, and other genres.
1980s
During the 1980s, the focus of Miami bass tended to be on DJs and record producerRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s, rather than individual performers. Record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s such as Pandisc
Pandisc Records
Pandisc Records is a record label founded in Miami, FL. Pandisc specializes in releasing Miami Bass, Electronic, and other Bass and urban artists...
, HOT Records, 4-Sight Records, and Skyywalker Records, released much material of the genre. Unterberger has referred to James (Maggotron
Maggotron
Maggotron is one of the pioneers of Bass music. He uses samples from many sources, and is influenced by Parliament, Funkadelic and Earth Wind and Fire among others. In 2000, he worked together with his former engineer Bass Mekanik on the album Bass Alien - Tales from the Lo-Zone...
) McCauley (also known as DXJ, Maggozulu 2, Planet Detroit and Bass Master Khan) as the "father of Miami bass," a distinction McCauley himself denies choosing rather to confer that status on producer Amos Larkins.
"Bass Rock Express" by MC ADE
MC ADE
M.C. A.D.E. is an American music producer and rapper who helped pioneer the hip hop sub-genre of Miami bass music. His 1985 single, "Bass Rock Express", a collaboration with Amos Larkins, is often considered to be the start of Miami bass. His single "Bass Mechanic" is also considered a seminal...
(with music and beats produced by Amos Larkins) is often credited as being the first Miami bass record to gain underground popularity on an international scale. The single "Throw The Dick" by 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
(Produced by David "Treach DJ Mr. Mixx" Hobbs) in January 1986 gave a permanent blueprint to how future Miami Bass songs were songwritten and produced.
Luther 'Luke Skyywalker' Campbell
Luther Campbell
Luther R. Campbell , also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke or Luke, is a record label owner, rap performer , and actor...
along with David "Treach DJ Mr. Mixx" Hobbs of 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
played a key role in popularizing Miami bass in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The group's 1986 release, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are
The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are
The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are is the first album by hip-hop group the 2 Live Crew. It was released in 1986 on Luke Records to a great deal of controversy and promptly was certified gold by the RIAA...
, became controversial for its sexually explicit lyrics. 1989's As Nasty As They Wanna Be
As Nasty As They Wanna Be
As Nasty As They Wanna Be is the third album by Miami rap group 2 Live Crew. It was released in 1989, and became their largest seller, going 2x Platinum. In 1990, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled that the album was legally obscene; this ruling was later...
, along with its hit single "Me So Horny
Me So Horny
"Me So Horny" is a song by rap group 2 Live Crew on their album As Nasty As They Wanna Be. It reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart and #26 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1989 despite lack of airplay due to the controversial nature of the lyrics...
", proved more controversial still, leading to legal troubles for both 2 Live Crew and retailers selling the album (all charges were eventually overturned on appeal).
Popularity
The popularity of Miami bass was in part due to its successful promotion in the South Florida and OrlandoOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
areas by local DJs, radio stations, and clubs. For the better part of the mid-'80s and early '90s, DJs such as Luke Skyywalker’s Ghetto Style DJs, Norberto Morales’ Triple M DJs, Space Funk DJs, Mohamed Moretta, DJ Nice & Nasty
Hypno5ive
Hypno5ive is a south Florida alternative dance music dj and designer. He founded the historic Edge in Kendall, Florida in 1990 and helped give rise to the fledgling South Beach dance club scene of the time while promoting EBM and industrial music...
, Felix Sama, Ramon Hernandez, Bass Master DJs, Lazaro Mendez (DJ Laz)
DJ Laz
Lazaro Mendez, better known by his stage name DJ Laz is a Cuban-American rapper and DJ from Miami, Florida.He is best known for his albums DJ Laz and Category 6, which charted on U.S. Billboard album charts...
, Earl "The Pearl" Little, Uncle Al, Raylo & Dem Damn Dogs, DJ Slice, K-Bass, Jam Pony Express and others were heavily involved in playing Miami bass at local outdoor events to large audiences at area beaches, parks, and fairs. Clubs in South Florida, including Pac-Jam, Superstars Rollertheque, Bass Station, Studio 183, Randolphs, Nepenthe, Video Powerhouse, Skylight Express, Beat Club and Club Boca, were hosting bass nights on a regular basis. Miami radio airplay and programming support was strong in the now defunct Rhythm 98, as well as WEDR and WPOW (Power 96). Contribution and promotion of Miami Bass also came out of Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. Orlando radio station 102 Jamz (WJHM
WJHM
WJHM is a radio station that is licensed to Daytona Beach but primarily serves the Orlando and Space Coast areas of Central Florida. It is owned by CBS Radio. It was a urban-leaning rhythmic contemporary hit station with a playlist consisting of a heavy-emphasis on hip-hop and R&B...
) was the prominent station in the late 80s to feature Miami bass and helped its popularity in and around Central Florida. DJ’s such as DJ Magic Mike
DJ Magic Mike
DJ Magic Mike from Orlando, Florida is one of the most pivotal Miami bass producers.- Career :Magic Mike made his debut in the world of Miami Bass productions when he met Miami based producer/rapper Rod Whitehead in 1986...
contributed to the "Orlando Sound" which emulated Miami Bass in addition to house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, deep bass, and eventually “Florida breaks”. Thus, Miami bass was quickly becoming a Florida staple.
1990s
By the mid 1990s, the influence of Miami Bass had spread outside South and Central Florida to all areas of Florida and the Southern United States. In the mid 1990s it saw a commercial and mainstream resurgence, with Miami Bass influenced artists like 95 South95 South
95 South was a Miami bass duo of AB and Daddy Black from Jacksonville, Florida. The group's name is a reference to Interstate 95, which passes through the city. Their biggest success was the 1993 hit "Whoot, There It Is" from their debut album Quad City Knock, which reached #11 on the Billboard...
, Tag Team,
69 Boyz
69 Boyz
69 Boyz is a platinum selling Miami bass and hip hop group originating from Jacksonville, Florida, but now based largely in Orlando, Florida. The group was initiated by producers C.C...
, Quad City DJ's
Quad City DJ's
Quad City DJ's was the music artist and producer duo of C.C. Lemonhead and Jay Ski , who produced the Miami bass hit "C'mon N' Ride It " in 1995. Female singer JeLana LaFleur also contributed vocals to many of their songs.The two first partnered in 1992 during high school in Jacksonville, Florida...
, and Freak Nasty
Freak Nasty
Eric Timmons, better known by his stage name Freak Nasty is a hip-hop music recording artist....
all scoring big Miami Bass hits. Examples of these songs are Whoomp! (There It Is)
Whoomp! (There It Is)
"Whoomp! " is a number two Billboard Hot 100 single by the Miami bass group Tag Team.The song sampled a beginning synthesizer line from the 1980 Italo-disco hit "I'm Ready" by Kano. The chorus is almost the same as the song "Whoot, There It Is" released by 95 South a month earlier, however the...
" by Tag Team in 1993, "Tootsee Roll
Tootsee Roll
"Tootsee Roll" is a song by rap group 69 Boyz released as the first single from their debut album 199Quad. In the United States, the song was certified Platinum and reached a peak of number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early January, 1995, number nine on the Hot R&B Singles chart and...
" by 69 Boyz in 1994, "C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)
C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)
"C'mon N' Ride It " is a popular dance song recorded by the Quad City DJ's in 1995, and released in 1996 as a single from the album Get on Up and Dance. The song peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart...
" by the Quad City DJ's
Quad City DJ's
Quad City DJ's was the music artist and producer duo of C.C. Lemonhead and Jay Ski , who produced the Miami bass hit "C'mon N' Ride It " in 1995. Female singer JeLana LaFleur also contributed vocals to many of their songs.The two first partnered in 1992 during high school in Jacksonville, Florida...
in 1996 and "Whoot, There It Is" by 95 South
95 South
95 South was a Miami bass duo of AB and Daddy Black from Jacksonville, Florida. The group's name is a reference to Interstate 95, which passes through the city. Their biggest success was the 1993 hit "Whoot, There It Is" from their debut album Quad City Knock, which reached #11 on the Billboard...
in 1993. These songs all reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts and exposed Miami bass - nationally. These artists generally used a Miami Bass sound and production but did it in a far less explicit and far more accessible way than had been previously done by Campbell and the 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
.
Miami bass is closely related to the electronic dance music genres of Ghettotech
Ghettotech
Ghettotech or Detroit club music is a form of electronic dance music originating from Detroit. It combines elements of Chicago's ghetto house with electro, hip hop, techno, and grafts the perceived raunch of Miami Bass as the vocal stamp of the music. It is usually faster than most other dance...
and Booty House
Ghetto house
Ghetto house, or booty house, is a type of Chicago House which started being recognised in its own right from around 1992 onwards. It features minimal 808 and 909 drum machine-driven tracks, and sometimes sexually explicit lyrics....
, genres which combine Detroit techno and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
house with the Miami bass sound. Ghettotech follows the same sexually oriented lyrics, hip-hop bass lines and streetwise attitude, but with harder, up-tempo Roland TR-909
Roland TR-909
The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is a partially analog, partially sample-based drum machine built by the Japanese Roland Corporation in 1983. The brainchild of Tadao Kikumoto, the engineer behind the Roland TB-303, it features a 16-step step sequencer and a drum kit that aimed for realism and...
techno-style kick beats. In 2007, contemporary hip-hop and R&B songs became more dance oriented, showing influences of Miami bass and techno, and are typically sped up to a "chipmunk" sound for faster tempos for dances such as Jooking, Wu- Tanging, and Bopping (usually only done in Miami, Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties in south Florida)
Car Audio Bass
Another sub-genre of Miami bass is car audio bass, which features an even more stripped down and bass heavy sound, tending to focus on either extremely hard 909 kicksRoland TR-909
The Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is a partially analog, partially sample-based drum machine built by the Japanese Roland Corporation in 1983. The brainchild of Tadao Kikumoto, the engineer behind the Roland TB-303, it features a 16-step step sequencer and a drum kit that aimed for realism and...
combined with sine waves or the classic 808 kick
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
, or sometimes simply the sine wave by itself. Some artist examples would be Afro-Rican (as Power Supply), Techmaster P.E.B.
Techmaster P.E.B.
Techmaster P.E.B. is a Miami bass DJ first released in 1989 on Newtown Music. Techmaster P.E.B. has been active for over two decades, producing 6 studio albums , and 1 single.-Studio albums:...
and Bass 305
Bass 305
Bass 305 was an Miami bass group first released in 1992 on DM Records. 305 has been active for over a decade, producing 9 studio albums.-Studio albums:-Singles:...
.
External links
- 100 Greatest Miami Bass Songs
- A primer on Miami bass from Stylus MagazineStylus MagazineStylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
- Rap associated with Miami Music