One of the seemingly forgotten aspects of hip hop is the role that the DJ plays in a song. In the early days of hip hop, it was not just rapping, but break-dancing, tagging, and probably most importantly, DJ-ing, that made up the culture that was hip hop. In fact, in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, the real stars of the social gatherings where hip hop culture first started to gain prominence, were not rappers, but the DJ’s. They were the ones who controlled what songs were being played and influenced the vibe of the party.

The MC at that time was kind of just a sidekick that pretty much served as the host of the party, hence the term “Master of Ceremonies.” Even as hip hop culture spread out of its localized enclaves in New York City, one of the biggest stars hip hop was Grandmaster Flash. It wasn’t the Furious Five and Grandmaster Flash, but vice versa, for as Melle Mel and the crew were great MC’s, the real draw was Flash, the man behind the turntables. However, as groups like RUN-DMC came to prominence, it was becoming more apparent, that people cared more about the men behind the microphones, and not as much about the men behind the wheels of steel.

As hip hop in the mainstream has gone more towards the MC as the main attraction, the role of the DJ has been regulated to mostly screaming in the background on mixtapes (see Kay Slay and DJ Clue). In some ways, the modern hip hop disc jockey has become akin to a hype man, however, unlike Flava Flav, many of them aren’t getting roasted on Comedy Central. However, on the “underground” circuit, the needle-droppers especially turntablists, and trip-hop artists, have thrived. One example of such an artist is New York-based DJ and producer, Blockhead. He has most notably worked with artists such as Aesop Rock, and Murs. On his newest release, Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book, Blockhead puts out a totally unique album, one that incorporates hip hop, jazz, electronica, disco, and even rock elements into a very appealing audial experience.

Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book, is not just a bunch of random bits and pieces from various genres mashed up together. It manages to be very arbitrary yet completely congruent. On some tracks, the tempo and pace of the track can go from being completely mellow, to frantic and haphazard in a matter of seconds. For example, on the song “Cheer You You’re Not Dead Yet”, the song starts off with a soul sample that you would find in a Kanye West or Just Blaze produced track.  In the bottom of the mix, there is a pulsating, electronica-esque beat, and then out of nowhere the soul sample is replaced by a jazz instrumental.  It then reappears later in the track, as all three different styles ultimately converge.

In many ways, this album was a breath of fresh air to me, as it harkened back to the earlier days of hip hop where DJ’s and producers used samples and breaks from a diverse array artists. Anyone from Chic (“Rapper’s Delight” by Sugar Hill Gang) to Kraftwerk (“Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa), was fair game to be sampled back in the day, and while the style that Blockhead uses is obviously aided by technological advances, he still manages to be completely unique and new while taking you back to the old days.

Another interesting aspect of Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book is that there is not an MC to be found on the album. Instead, relying on various vocal samples to supplement to the instrumentals. It is a touch of genius, since it really makes the music, and not the MC, the star of the album. The listener is not distracted by trying to dissect what the rapper is trying to say, which allows for a chance to have a greater appreciation for the delectable sounds coming from your speakers or your Ipod headphones. Uncle Tony’s Coloring Book, is undoubtedly one of the most refreshing and entertaining musical experiences that I have had in a very long time. Highly Recommended.

by Lamar Tidwell

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