The idea was not something that I really understood, I would argue how the artists never really drew upon anything meaningful with their words and they never played any instruments that required real skills. I remember making point of the fact that they would incorporate other peoples music and create very basic breaks(chops of songs usually in 4/16 breaks). Hip Hop has grown to be something completely different now. It's instrumentals have increased in not only complexity but diversity, pulling inspiration from long lost indian records, to completely recreating a genre with old, dusty records from a time long gone(blunted in the bomb shelter -- Madlib). I think all the beatheads from L.A. are doing a great job at progressing the genre but more importantly to me, they opened my eyes to what they were doing.
It's not about the end product for us I'd say. It's the journey towards it, the end part is just a culmination of the ideas you had while listening to all those dusty old records. Anyone can lay down a drum loop and throw a cute sounding horn or a fancy piano piece. It's a little bit more difficult though to find an original sound, a style, to pull it all together with. I think a lot of that comes from what you grew up influencing you up to that point, I never chose a genre to love or stick too although I do have my preferences(and hip hop is not really one of those). I think the spirit of hip hop can be carried through all sorts of mediums, and hip hop embodies a more updated jazz feel. The ability to be free from any classical rules, while still applying the basics though: Harmony, melody, and structure(albeit any of these can be argued). My musical journey has taken me from punk, rock, classical, jazz, all kinds of world music and even for awhile indie pop but I do believe it's that knowledge that all these genres has bestowed on me that let's me create something original.
Records...are something I just love. My equipment can't really keep up with me anymore, but if I could I would still buy records everyday of the week. I pick up whatever looks interesting, and yes, I do judge a record by its cover (hah!). I remember at first being interested in records because of the collectible aspect when it comes to indie bands releasing limited press Vinyls but soon I purchased my first set of tables, a mixer....and I can only say that since that moment I have not been able to get rid of my itch. I enjoy the music as a hobby, not as a background noise to drown out the emptiness of a room, and this is the ultimate way to enjoy your music, by making it yours.
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