Common Grounds: Hip Hop and Martial Arts

[CaptinPickAxe]

Hip Hop & Martial Arts

I was reading one of my antique "The Source" magazine and found an article about Jackie Chan. In it, it explain how Hip Hop's roots where deep in the Chopy Socky films. If I may I'd like to post a few snippits from the magazine.

The Source Magazine October '98 #109 p.102
"Adrenaline Rush" written by, Eric K. Arnold

quote:Ever since the 70's, the martial arts action movie has had a profound impact on the hip-hop genereation. Back then, Kung-Fu and Blaxploitation movies where often featured together on double-bills in New York's Times Square movie houses. Just as Superfly and Dolomite influenced hip-hop culture, so too did the early chop socky flicks like Enter the Dragon and Five Fingers of Death.


As a matter of fact,

quote: the old school title of "Grandmaster," as in Flash and Caz, was adapted from the prestigeous title "Sigung" only bestowed upon a supreme martial expert.

Deeper still,

quote:Hip-hop's four elements (MCing, DJing, breaking, and graffiti) can be compared to the "Five Element Theory" of martial arts philosophy, which holds that all natural elements, which holds true that all natural elements are interconnected (the fifth element being the spirit).



Other points:
-Wu-Tang Clan
-Jeru the Damaja's "Ya Playin' Ya self" video. Which was actually shot in Hong Kong
-Camp Lo's "Black Connection" a la "Chinese Connection"
-DJ Qbert and any other DJ who uses Kung Fu movie quotes in his session
-The theory that most underground artist hold true, You cannot find yourself w/o trial and meditation.

I'll add more when I think of them...anyone else have anything else to add?

[Shaolinlueb]

hip hop merges with everything.............

[MasterKiller]

I think it just highlites how totally un-original Hip Hop can be and proves that, by in large, it leeches its style and substance from other sources without ever trying to understand sed sources.

Case in point:

the old school title of "Grandmaster," as in Flash and Caz, was adapted from the prestigeous title "Sigung" only bestowed upon a supreme martial expert.

Sigung means "grandfather," and is used as such in a kung fu "family" lineage. Grandmaster is a term stolen from Chess and coined in Chop-Socky flicks because Americans wouldn't understand the familial relationship being discussed. So, the title Grandmaster is more attributable to Hollywood and it's disdain for the average movie-goer, especially disenfranchised black youths, than it is to Kung Fu and CMA culture in general.

[Starchaser107]

more like grand teacher in reference to your own school
,i.e. the teacher of your teacher

waigong (maternal) and yeye (paternal) are the correct terms for grandfather in mandarin.

in some cases to describe lineage holder Sigung means grand master.

[CaptinPickAxe]

I think it just highlites how totally un-original Hip Hop can be and proves that, by in large, it leeches its style and substance from other sources without ever trying to understand sed sources.

Funny...all music does that. It takes the feelings or memorabilia from that point in time and translates it into poetry or melody. It's hard to really understand the source when you learning it from a tangent. Try to learn Drunken Boxing by watching "The Drunken Master." The point I was trying to present is that Hip Hop does share a common ground with martial arts, but you must take it with a grain of salt.

As for being unoriginal...I've never heard cuts in rock songs untill hip hop rolled around. I've never heard rock acts trying to rap (and country for that matter!) To say that Hip Hop and only Hip Hop is unoriginal is ludicrious. Considering the big cycle of unoriginality that we seem to be stuck in in ALL genres. I think its just another case of haters of hip hop trying to proove a point, but really just being biased.

[MasterKiller]

I guess you never hear me talking about Public Enemy?

I like Hip Hop.

But Hip Hop culture is derivitive and uninspired.

[CaptinPickAxe]

That's true...

It's the ******* child of Funk and Soul with a little rock, brewed in a New York borough.I always remembered reading something about the two, but it always evaded me. I didn't really dig the rest of the article.

[Shaolinlueb]

Originally posted by CaptinPickAxe
That's true...

It's the ******* child of Funk and Soul with a little rock, brewed in a New York borough.I always remembered reading something about the two, but it always evaded me. I didn't really dig the rest of the article.

i think there is some original hip hop, but most of its the same bling bling crap there is today. some producers are good and original, but the same stuff has been going on for 5 years or so for hip hop. all money this and btiches that. its stupid. Dead Prez are pretty good and groups like Public Enemey are hot.

[CaptinPickAxe]

Yeah. Money will change the most underground of cats.
A lot of cats have "sold out"...

Mos Def=MTV movies, a song with Faith Evans
The Roots=Dr. Pepper commercial
BEP=well...we won't talk about why that fine ass broad is in the group...She can't sing
Common=Dr.Pepper

Everyone sells out to an extent...

There are a few that haven't sold out. El-P and the DefJux crew are still keeping it real, Atmosphere, Ugly Duckling, and some others.

[Kristoffer]

IMO, if an artist is 'good' and original, he doesn't 'sell out' just because he does things to earn money. It's when an artist does things ONLY to get money (and this usually means loosing the orginality, and often lack of hard work put in to the music), that he sells out. So if The Roots does a Dr Pepper commercial they still have that talent and can still be original...
uh.. wtf I'm I talking about

[norther practitioner]

As if. Hip hop is very deriviative, so is Rock, R&B, etc....

The four elements of hip hop....
B-boying... Various styles have derived and drawn off of other things, such as kung fu... but go figure, it's an artform.

Turntablism... I think that this is fairly original, of course it is a form of music and making something an intrument by contorting it.. but oh wait, Jimi did that with a guitar, so it is sooooooo unoriginal...


MCing.. being the master of cerimonies... flowing, rhyming, etc. oh wait, there is poetry and Bob Dylan.. so unoriginal


Tagging, Graph, Bombin'...
Painting.. oh wait, we had Rembrant and all that before, so it must not be original either.

[Kristoffer]

X gon give it too ya

[CaptinPickAxe]

It is kind of odd calling only Hip Hop unoriginal when every other musical form has influences and similarities.

Turntablism, a direct effect of the Hip Hop culture, is by far the most original instrument I've seen in a while. Now, I know what you're thinking..."Turntables aren't instruments...they're record players," and you are right...when it comes to mix DJ's. When you step foot into the realm of turntablism, you have absolutely no right saying these guys aren't musicians who play real instruments. If anyone disagrees, I'll happily debate them with soundclips and the likes.