Mixin
It Up: Hip-Hop Meets Traditional Mountain Music
Click Here to read the Dirk Powell/Danjamowf
exchange Transcript.
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samples of Traditional/Hip-Hop collaboration:
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MP3s
samples of the Traditional/Hip-hop collaboration
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Background
on the project:
In
April 2002, Holler to the Hood began a collaboration among
traditional Appalachian musicians and hip-hop musicians.
The purpose is to bring two traditions together for a unique
exchange and artistic exploration of two distinctly rooted
traditions. The musicians initially engaged in the project
were Dirk Powell, Rich Kirby, and DanjaMowf. Grounded in
the distinct hip-hop and Appalachian cultural traditions
in which the artists are immersed, the music produced explores,
compares, and articulates the struggles and issues of contemporary
rural and urban communities through a unique collaboration.
The music presented here will be used to score the documentary
film Holler to the Hood (an exploration of rural and urban
relations through the frame of the criminal justice system).
Holler to the Hood is a multi-media project that was conceived
in 1999 by Appalshop artists in response to the growing
economic, social, and cultural challenges under-developed
urban and rural communities are facing. To date the project
has used video documentation of people's stories to develop
networks and relationships between effected rural and urban
communities seeking solutions to issues surrounding the
growing prison system.
Hip-hop music emerged from the de-industrialization and
grinding poverty of the South Bronx in the mid-1970s. By
looping beats from soul and funk records and creating rhythmic
lyrics to perform over the beats, early hip-hop producers
created a medium that reflected and expanded upon the culture
from which it emerged. Appalachian music, with its driving
banjo songs and haunting fiddle tunes, is similarly rooted
in the surrounding culture, reflecting the experiences of
labor struggles in coalmines and the rhythms of day to day
life in the rural Central Appalachian Mountains. Hip-hop
relies on the blending and layering of pre-recorded sounds.
Producers recycle musical samples to produce new compositions,
create new meanings, and expand both the original and the
newly produced music. Traditional Appalachian music provides
a rich base for this sort of expansion and re-working.
Holler to the Hood will reinterpret traditional Appalachian
songs through a collaborative process that brings hip-hop
and traditional mountain music together in the creation
of new work. The combining and layering of these two musical
has resulted in an exciting form of music that accommodates
two diverse cultures, each working within its own traditions,
rhythms, and beats, while at the same time interacting with
and playing off the other. The goal of this new interpretation
of these traditional songs is to bring two distinct audiences
and cultures together in an exploration and sharing of different
musical traditions.
One of the initial challenges of this project was to find
artists who not only recognized the value of the exchange,
but were equipped with the tools to make it work. When we
contacted traditional Appalachian musician Dirk Powell about
working with a hip-hop DJ, we weren't sure how he would
respond. His immediate enthusiasm and the fact had already
begun to experiment with merging hip-hop and Appalachian
music were indications that we were on the right track.
Powell is recognized nationally as an outstanding traditional
Appalachian musician of the younger generation. An eastern
Kentucky native, he first learned mountain music from his
family and neighbors. Like many Appalachians, he grew up
in both the regional and mainstream cultures, and he has
a keen awareness of the complexities of cultural identity
and its importance for people sorting out their place in
the world. He is an articulate and thoughtful resource for
individuals, groups, and whole communities in Appalachia
who every day confront differing, sometimes opposing, cultures.
Equally excited by the project was DanjaMowf (Adolphus Maples
III), a hiphop producer and rapper based in Richmond, Virginia.
His unique style incorporates underground and commercial
influences into a distinctly southern-flavored hiphop. DanjaMowf's
1997 album, Word of Mowf, received both critical and street
acclaim for its forthright lyrical style and haunting use
of unusual samples. He continues to record and produce with
other Richmond-based hiphop artists including Lonnie B and
Mad Skilz, working together as a group called the Supafriendz.
He has worked with numerous underground artists, including
El P of Company Flow, as well as with hiphop superstars
like Missy Elliot, Redman and Timbaland. DanjaMowf is committed
to producing hiphop that doesn't fall into any distinct
categories, but rather reflects his own influences and experiences,
and when this collaborative opportunity came up, he was
eager to pursue it.
Appalshop artist Rich Kirby was born in 1943 to a Kentucky
family and grew up going back and forth between Kentucky
and New York City. He has spent the last thirty years as
a collector, performer, and presenter of traditional Appalachian
music and stories. He recorded three albums for June Appal
Recordings, the regional label of Appalshop in Whitesburg,
Kentucky and has produced several documentary recordings
of older traditional artists. He has also written on regional
economic and cultural issues. After three trips to South
Africa he produced Lakutshon'Ilanga, a radio series in which
South Africans introduce their country's music. Kirby has
also produced a number of national radio documentaries and
Seedtime on the Cumberland, a 13-part series on Appalshop's
annual festival of traditional music. He is now production
manager of WMMT and continues to play and teach old-time
music.
For more information on Dirk Powell, visit the Balfa Toujours
website at www.balfatoujours.com
Information on DanjaMowf and the Supafriendz can be found
at www.flavatown.com
Rich Kirby works as a radio producer at WMMT. For more information
on WMMT visit the Appalshop site at www.appalshop.org/wmmt
Press Release:
You probably wouldn't imagine Ralph Stanley and Puff Daddy
jamming on the front porch, as traditional mountain music
doesn't often conjure thoughts of urban hip hop. But on
Tuesday, April 2nd at 7:00 p.m., the rural arts organization
Appalshop and its From the Holler to the Hood project will
change all that, bringing both sounds together for an exciting
and unique artistic collaboration.
From the Holler to the Hood is a multimedia project inspired
by the growing number of prisons in Appalachia and the new
social and economic questions they raise, particularly involving
the interaction between often under-resourced rural and
urban communities. Appalshop has long preserved and presented
traditional mountain music as an important part of rural
life and culture, and the project saw an opportunity to
explore both musical styles as part of its ongoing work.
"We see hip hop and traditional music as helping each
community articulate its experiences and issues," said
Nick Szuberla, director of From the Holler to the Hood.
"This collaboration presents a chance to bring artists
together that would normally not cross paths, while at the
same time bridging communities often viewed in opposition."
Appalachian traditional musicians Dirk Powell (Rounder Records)
and Rich Kirby (June Appal Recordings) will work with Virginia
hip-hopper Danja Mowf (Flavatown Entertainment), and will
kick off their ongoing collaboration with a sharing of musical
history and ideas. "We didn't know how the artists
would react when asked to participate," noted Szuberla,
"but they were overwhelmingly enthusiastic." From
the Holler to the Hood will culminate in the production
of unique recordings bringing the two musical cultures together.
The first event on April 2nd will be a live broadcast on
WMMT 88.7 FM exploring the history and rich cultural traditions
of the two musical genres.
"This is the first instance I know of where traditional
mountain musicians and hip-hop artists are joining forces,"
said Kirby. "This collaboration makes sense to me on
many levels: both musics have deep roots in tradition, and
if you go back far enough you will find the same roots.
The banjo, for example, is an African instrument. And both
musics come from communities that use their music to affirm
their culture and their rights in a society that often marginalizes
them. I'm really excited to be part of it all."
Hip hop music emerged from the de-industrialization and
grinding poverty of the South Bronx in the mid-1970s. By
looping beats from soul and funk records and creating rhythmic
lyrics over the newly arranged music, early hip-hop producers
created a new medium that reflected and expanded on the
culture from which it emerged. Appalachian traditional music,
with its driving banjo songs and haunting fiddle tunes,
is similarly rooted in its surrounding culture, reflecting
the experiences of labor struggles in coalmines and the
rhythms of life in the Appalachian Mountains.
This event
would have never taken place in Whitesburg twenty years
ago when I was growing up. You didn’t have black and
white people on the stage playing music like that. –Audience
feedback
As a lover of both mountain and hip hop music, I really
wanted Holler to the Hood’s presentation to be great.
I was concerned that the mountain music would be drained
from the tapestry, leaving pure hip-hop with banjo samples.
Or that hip-hop would be reduced to a beat in the background
of "old time". Moreover, I knew that a poor performance
could further the divide between mountain and hip-hop culture
and strengthen, if not create, negative stereotypes.
To my relief and amazement, last night, I listened to intelligent
and talented musicians who understood their music and were
fully capable of opening their ears to the other's. The
artists' voiced the similarities and connections between
the musical genres as well as those of mountain and hip
hop culture in general. From the Holler to the Hood presents
a socially aware history lesson and a sobering glance at
today. It is exciting. And I want more. – Paul Lovelace,
Review in Appalachian News Network of Kentucky, April
[Szuberla] pointed out in a recent interview that over the
past 10 years prisons have been popping up all over rural
communities and as a result, there’s been a lot more
mixing of cats from the inner city hoods and cats from the
rural countryside…If you really think about it, the
two genres coming together should not seem all that far
fetched. The hillbilly music of the Appalachians has a rich
tradition that in many respects was born out of the impoverished
social and economic conditions of that region. We all know
that Hip Hop was born out of social and economic hardships
of the inner city. One can argue that hillbilly bluegrass
and mountain music is the rural/country white kid’s
version of rap or that Hip Hop is the inner city kid’s
version of bluegrass. The next step is to seamlessly mix
the genres which seems to be happening in Kentucky with
DJ Nick Szuberla and his “From the Holler to the Hood”
show. –Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner (www.daveyd.com)
Artists’ Comments:
I was actually apprehensive before I got
here. I really didn’t know what to expect. What they
(prisoners) see all around them may be oppressive, but we
can offer them something uplifting. This is a statement
as well. It shows how two things so different can work together.
--Danja Mowf
Appalachian music is shedding its cliched,
stereotyped image that it’s had to carry around. Now
a younger generation, people in their early 20s, people
that also like hip hop, are really responding to that music,
too. So I think it could be a fusion that could really resonate
across some boundaries. --Dirk Powell
Bringing these two traditions together meant
more to me then just music. It was an opportunity to explore
a belief in the ability of people to overcome barriers and
stereotypes. --Rich Kirby
Dirk
Links
http://www.folkloreproductions.com/Html/dirkp.html
http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/powell_dirk/bio.jhtml
Danja Links
www.danjamowf.com
http://www.anti-thug.com/spotlight/interview/danjamowf/danjamowf.htm
Article
http://www.polarity1.com/pcrr22.html (AP article)
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/observer/news/3015184.htm?1c
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/3015646.htm
Other
http://www.daveyd.com/fullArticles/articleN1054.asp (Davey
D Article)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1794557
(NPR)
http://www.michaelanthonyshow.com/hill_hop.htm (Michael
Anthony)
http://www.museumofmusic.org/vibrationsback/v02n03/p1.html
We
want to hear your hill-hop, hick-hop, mountain-hop, and
rural hip-hop. Send it to Holler to the Hood, 91 Madison
Ave, Whitesburg, KY 41858 and we will put it on our weekly
radio program. We can be reached at h2h@appalshop.org or
606.633.0108. We are always interested in hearing about
hip-hop in rural America
Link
to latest Holler to the Hood hip-hop exploration
