Rebel Without a Pause
Encyclopedia
Rebel Without a Pause is a single by hip hop group Public Enemy from their groundbreaking 1988 album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
. The title is a spoof of Rebel Without a Cause
, a 1955 drama movie.
. The group had recently finished a tour with fellow Def Jam artists LL Cool J
, Eric B. & Rakim
, among others and according to Chuck D. felt that their prior album Yo! Bum Rush The Show
was already dated, as production innovations had occurred during the albums' release that he felt made it sound like a timestamp of 1986. Chuck D and Bomb Squad leader Hank Shocklee wanted to push the innovation in hip hop instead of follow it and decided one key idea to separate themselves from other hip hop acts was to speed the BPM
of the beats. Chuck D said in an interview "Most rap records at the time had a BPM of 98 BPM. Our stuff was around 109." They had experimented with faster beats at concerts and loved the added energy it gave the crowd so decided they wanted to make a record to capture their live energy.
Shocklee got the idea to sample a trumpet glissando from The J.B.'s "The Grunt" song. He had a Mirage sampler that was only able to hold 4bits (or 3 seconds) worth of audio to create his demo to give to Chuck to write his rhymes. When they got to a studio and had a superior sampler, the S-900 that held 30 seconds of audio, they felt it took away the impact of the Mirage sample, which forced in a second of delay before the sample reloaded as opposed to the endless loop the studio's sampler gave, and decided to go with it instead. The Bomb Squad could not find a drum sample they felt was adequate for what they wanted to create, so they instead had Flavor Flav
, who was the best drummer of the group, play an original beat on their electronic drum instead. Chuck D wrote the rhymes in less than a day and took 3 takes before he was happy with his performance in the studio. Originally Public Enemy's longtime musical associate Johnny Juice was going to come in to record the scratching, but Public Enemy's live DJ Terminator X
asked if they'd give him a chance to scratch on the song because he had some ideas for it and scratched out the famous "Rock And Roll" sample, which was dubbed "The Transformers
Scratch" (taken from the belief that the scratch sounded like the noises the robots on the Transformers cartoon made when they transformed.) Shocklee made the final mix with Steve Ett and upon hearing the finished product, Chuck D announced, "I could die tomorrow. Because that record right there? Nothing could fucking go nowhere near it."
The song was certified as an instant classic by music critics and fans upon its release. Shocklee remembers knowing it was going to be a hit when he saw the reaction from the live crowds. "Public Enemy was performing, and they went halfway through the set. And halfway through the set Rebel came on. And I saw kids just running in the (Madison Square) Garden just like kids stealing their chains and shit, alright, because that was the highball, that was like the – the scene was a fight breaking out on the floor. But there wasn’t no fight, that was just the energy."
. The song also is featured in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
on the classic hip-hop station, Playback FM, as is "The Grunt" on Master Sounds 98.3.
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 14, 1988, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at Chung King Studios, Greene Street Recording, and Sabella Studios in New York City...
. The title is a spoof of Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
, a 1955 drama movie.
History
"Rebel Without A Pause" was the first song created for the landmark hip hop album It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us BackIt Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 14, 1988, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at Chung King Studios, Greene Street Recording, and Sabella Studios in New York City...
. The group had recently finished a tour with fellow Def Jam artists LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
, Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...
, among others and according to Chuck D. felt that their prior album Yo! Bum Rush The Show
Yo! Bum Rush the Show
* Q magazine - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...a stunning opening...just the first, in retrospect almost shy, step on a remarkable journey...a hard, droning extension of the basic drum`n'scratch Def Jam template that had served LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys so well."* Melody Maker - Recommended - "It...
was already dated, as production innovations had occurred during the albums' release that he felt made it sound like a timestamp of 1986. Chuck D and Bomb Squad leader Hank Shocklee wanted to push the innovation in hip hop instead of follow it and decided one key idea to separate themselves from other hip hop acts was to speed the BPM
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of the beats. Chuck D said in an interview "Most rap records at the time had a BPM of 98 BPM. Our stuff was around 109." They had experimented with faster beats at concerts and loved the added energy it gave the crowd so decided they wanted to make a record to capture their live energy.
Shocklee got the idea to sample a trumpet glissando from The J.B.'s "The Grunt" song. He had a Mirage sampler that was only able to hold 4bits (or 3 seconds) worth of audio to create his demo to give to Chuck to write his rhymes. When they got to a studio and had a superior sampler, the S-900 that held 30 seconds of audio, they felt it took away the impact of the Mirage sample, which forced in a second of delay before the sample reloaded as opposed to the endless loop the studio's sampler gave, and decided to go with it instead. The Bomb Squad could not find a drum sample they felt was adequate for what they wanted to create, so they instead had Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav
William Jonathan Drayton, Jr. , better known by his stage name Flavor Flav, is an American rapper and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the rap group Public Enemy...
, who was the best drummer of the group, play an original beat on their electronic drum instead. Chuck D wrote the rhymes in less than a day and took 3 takes before he was happy with his performance in the studio. Originally Public Enemy's longtime musical associate Johnny Juice was going to come in to record the scratching, but Public Enemy's live DJ Terminator X
Terminator X
Norman Rogers is a retired American DJ, best known for his work with rap group Public Enemy, which he left in 1999...
asked if they'd give him a chance to scratch on the song because he had some ideas for it and scratched out the famous "Rock And Roll" sample, which was dubbed "The Transformers
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
Scratch" (taken from the belief that the scratch sounded like the noises the robots on the Transformers cartoon made when they transformed.) Shocklee made the final mix with Steve Ett and upon hearing the finished product, Chuck D announced, "I could die tomorrow. Because that record right there? Nothing could fucking go nowhere near it."
The song was certified as an instant classic by music critics and fans upon its release. Shocklee remembers knowing it was going to be a hit when he saw the reaction from the live crowds. "Public Enemy was performing, and they went halfway through the set. And halfway through the set Rebel came on. And I saw kids just running in the (Madison Square) Garden just like kids stealing their chains and shit, alright, because that was the highball, that was like the – the scene was a fight breaking out on the floor. But there wasn’t no fight, that was just the energy."
Samples
- "The Grunt" by The J.B.'sThe J.B.'sThe J.B.'s were James Brown's band during the first half of the 1970s. On record the J.B.'s were sometimes billed under various alternate names such as The James Brown Soul Train, Maceo and the Macks, A.A.B.B., The First Family and The Last Word...
- "Funky DrummerFunky drummer"Funky Drummer" is a funk song recorded by James Brown and his band. The recording's drum break, performed by drummer Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled rhythmic breaks in hip hop and popular music; indeed, it lays a strong claim to being the most sampled recording ever,...
" & "Get Up Offa That Thing" by James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr... - "I Don't Know What This World Is Coming To" by The Soul ChildrenThe Soul ChildrenThe Soul Children was an American vocal group who recorded soul music for Stax Records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They had three top ten hits on the Billboard R&B chart – "The Sweeter He Is" , "Hearsay" , and "I'll Be The Other Woman" – all of which crossed over to the Hot...
- "Rock 'N Roll Dude" by Chubb RockChubb RockChubb Rock is a New York-based rapper who released several commercially successful hip hop albums in the early 1990s...
In popular culture
The song appears in the 1999 video game Thrasher: Skate and DestroyThrasher: Skate and Destroy
Thrasher Presents Skate and Destroy is a skateboarding video game developed by Z-Axis and released in 1999 for the Sony PlayStation. A Game Boy Color version was also developed, but was later cancelled...
. The song also is featured in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
on the classic hip-hop station, Playback FM, as is "The Grunt" on Master Sounds 98.3.