Live hip-hop bands

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IanMathews

Guest
Wondering if anyone has ever been involved with a live hip-hop/rnb band, a la ?uestlove style. If you're a musician who's been in one, I'd like to hear about it. Same goes for a rapper who has fronted a band like that.

I feel like a live band is one route that hasn't been touched on enough in hip-hop.

Do you think it would be better or worse for rappers to start employing bands? Does it broaden the appeal to could-be rap fans?

As a producer, do you want the chance to be able to actually perform your songs/beats?

I'm just curious to hear the opinions.
 
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Extremely better. I have been advocating this on here a lot lately. Ever since I got into metal and indie music I fell in love with live instrumentation and the band atmosphere. Hiphop needs this. I haven't been in one, but I'd love to. It brings a whole new level of musicality to this genre. Also, I think it would be easier to get gigs when you have a band because it's a more thorough music experience then a one man show. There is NOTHING like a great live performance and it gives more musicians jobs. We all want to be working musicians. Hiphop bands give another outlet for the keyboard player, brass player, guitarist, etc a venue.

However, I don't really see how the average producer would fit in. The band members should in theory replace the beat maker and songs would be written just like a band would. I think this is something really lacking in this genre that hasn't even begun to start taking advantage of.
 
Lots of people you wouldn't expect to actually tour with a band. For example El-P for his last album, which was, as usual, very programmed. I like the life from that a song takes when its played live and its a bit different from how you hear it on the album. All I really want in life is that house in the countryside with a studio, have my friends over; good food, good women and make music.
 
This really is a great idea that I haven't heard of too much. The thing is, like inverted was saying the songs would have to be written and produced with the live band in mind rather than tens of synth patches and heavily layered drums and percussion tracks. These kind of performances would be good where the band could play more album type records where all the songs have a general overall vibe or feel. All in all, I would love this though it would add a huge element to the music aspect of live performances with the obvious style and variations live musicians would bring to the table.
 
Hey all...

I was a member of a live hip-hop band from 2005-2007 that doesn't perform much anymore (maybe once a year now) called The Press Project (they went on to perform for another few years without me, I stopped playing full time when I got married).

I play keys and wrote much of the music. Just thought I'd drop a few links, let you a little about what we did. I agree that its a very underdeveloped way of making hip-hop, and I don't think many groups exploit this to its fullest artistic and expressive potential.

We produced one full album, which is 95% real instruments: cdbaby.com/cd/pressproject

Live, we really took liberties musically, stretching to different styles of music, but always coming back to hip-hop. We also incorporated a lot of improvisation and freestyling. Some good examples of live performances are;

youtu.be/BoYvwSPK290 <-- we opened for the Roots in 2006
youtu.be/Mb4eXANvmnk?t=1m42s <-- 2010 reunion
youtu.be/4QcKlklriA4?t=2m8s <-- 2011 soundcheck for reunion show
thepressproject.bandcamp.com <-- also just posted a raw, live, mostly improvised compilation featuring a lot of our instrumental side.

There's lots more I could share and tell... certainly let me know if you're curious! I've never produced hip-hop, but playing it live has been a huge passion - I love all the great producers, Dilla, Hi-Tek, Jazzy Jeff, Premier etc etc etc... I primary used the Nord Electro 2, Roland Phantom and a Moog Prodigy.

-Dan

PS - I just joined the forum to answer this question, so unfortunately can't post active links, hope you don't mind cutting and pasting.
 
If anyone in here is familiar with the old asisphonics or d-styles web sites they used to promote a band called "Gunkhole"
not sure if they still do gigs but some of the stuff they did was dope
 
I've seen a few and they are unbelievable. Unfortunately a lot of the time the live version is 100x better than the recorded one so it never translates that well.

EDIT: I put a % instead of an x :/.
 
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A live band in hip hop is often hit or miss. But when it hits it's really dope, because the energy onstage is just so much more live than rappers with only backing tracks. Playing hip hop live really relies on instrumentalists who really understand how to translate hip hop (usually made with electronics, MPC etc) with the live instruments. The ish needs to be precise.

Check out this live hip hop band called ILLEGALIZE... they have a male and female rap duo (along with a female singer) fronting the project.

illegalize.bandcamp.com
 
deanlofts said:
I've seen a few and they are unbelievable. Unfortunately a lot of the time the live version is 100x better than the recorded one so it never translates that well.

EDIT: I put a % instead of an x :/.
Click to expand...

Agreed with Loftee. Im part of a hip hop / rock / hard to fit in a genre band. We are currently working on our EP to take over to the states. Its definelty a challenge to translate live performance to a recording especially since were doing it thru a home studio. I dont have much to show you right now but if you head to soundclouddotcom(slash)delafuse(slash)hypersolo there is a remix we did.

Loftee since ur from WA you might be familiar with the track.
 
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