Hip Hop Family Tree, Volume 2

Ed Piskor continues his Who's Who of major players of the evolution of hip hop. This chapter finishes out 1981, blows through 1982 and ends at the waning days of 1983. While West Coast Rap is still pretty much in it's infancy here and the majority of the action is taking black in the 5 boroughs of New York, there's a few moments in which you see the early days of Dr. Dre, Easy-E and Ice T. 

But as I said, the majority of the action occurs in the Big Apple. Afrika BamBaataa and Grandmaster Flash are clearly the leaders of this new revolution in music. Some Jewish kids named Adam Y, Adam H and Michael are making some waves in the music dungeons of white New York. And Joseph Simmons and Darryl McDaniels are fresh out of high school and ready to take Run's big brother, Russell, to task on his promise to make them big stars upon graduation.

You see a lot of names of hip hop legends that at the time of 1981-83 aren't even a blip on the music industry's radar. While I wouldn't want to spoil the fun, let me just say there's at least one cameo that is a 'biggie.'

One interesting aspect is how much hip hop has to thank the punk scene and the art scene of New York. Musicians of punk were considered outcasts and always open to new players who were accepting to them. And these artists of the era's hottest sound had connections to producers with money, time and studios. Then you've got subway taggers who with their graffiti, were making waves with punk artists who wanted something wild on their next art cover. With up-and-comers like Basquiat making connects between artists with musical inclinations and art lovers with money to burn, who would have guessed that a can of spray paint would be as vital to a hip hop performer as a loud mic and a turn table?

There's a great documentary called 77: My Year In Hell. It focuses on the rise of both punk and hip hop music in 1977. But it fails to really connect the symbiotic nature between the two genres. Ed Piskor corrects that oversight in this epic collection.

I love his old school artistry that reflects mainly the Marvel Comics of this era. Piskor does experiment with one visual element not seen in the first volume. Scenes that take place in the 90s and later are rendered in a pastel palette that is almost done in a black light style. (I kinda wish I had a black light in order to test this theory out for myself.) Anyways, what I am saying is that while Piskor is firmly in trenched into the comic medium style of early 80s, he finds plenty of ways to be experimental!

Bring on volume 3!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.