First rap band to say their band name in their lyrics?
Anyone know who this would be? A friend and I were talking about the Beastie Boy’s License to Ill (1986), and thought that might be it — of the handful of examples we could come up with.
Thanks in advance.
PS: in that wiki entry, check out what the album’s title was going to be.
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WAY OFF!!! How about Afrika Bambaataa (1974!!!)….or definitely a fellow called GRANDMASTER FLASH, who in 1975 was doing the exact thing the B-boys did in 1986!
They spoke their band name in their lyrics?
If it wasn’t Bambaataa or Grandmaster Flash — it was probably someone who wasn’t recorded. (Could of even been the Sugarhill Gang…) Run-DMC??? Beastie Boys were basically a Run-DMC knock-off at the beginning with lyrics that white kids world-wide would love. Kurtis Blow? James Brown!!! That dude called himself out all of the time…not really hip-hop. The Beatles didn’t exactly call themselves out, but Lennon was into writing songs with undeniable Beatles references in it (”Glass Onion.”)
I’m just wary of giving the Beastie Boys much hip-hop precedence beyond being the first platinum rap artists, and the first big white hip-hop group (neither of which are necessarily to be interpreted as positive contributions). Their first album is totally Run-DMC formulaic. “Paul’s Boutique” is pretty amazing — one of the great totally sample-based albums. Their work after that has spawned some great hits, really absymally bad hardcore punk, purely functional funk music, and evil spawn like one couldn’t believe…for which they shouldn’t be held accountable.
Some help from the uber-comprehensive Ohline HipHop Lyrics Archive…
“Planet Rock” Afrika Bambaataa (1982) in which the Zulu Nation (hip hop movement he embraced), Mr. Biggs and various other personas are represented.
Jared - thanks for the research, and the opinions. Very informative.