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Beatboxing is the art of vocal percussion. Although the term "beatboxing" derived from hip hop culture, it is not limited to hip hop music. It is primarily concerned with the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, voice, and more. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments. It is a form of Vocal music, etymologically related to Scat singing and Puirt a beul. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Vocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with ones mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo. ... It has been suggested that Hip hop be merged into this article or section. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... Harry Belafonte singing, photograph by C. van Vechten Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. ... Turntablism is the art ofSubscript text manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and an audio mixer. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Vocal music is music performed by one or more singers, with or without non-vocal instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. ... Scat singing is vocalizing either wordlessly or with nonsense words and syllables (e. ... Puirt a Beul, or Mouth Music, is a style of song in Scotland, Ireland and Cape Breton written primarily for dancing to, so the lyrics are of only secondary importance; the rhythm is what is crucial. ...

The term beatboxing most likely refers to early drum machines which came with pre-programmed musical patterns.^{[citation needed]} A Boss DR-202 Drum Machine Drum machines are sequencers with a synthesizer, sampler, and/or a sample playback (rompler) component that is tailored to imitate the sounds of drums and other percussion instruments. ...

The simplest and stereotyped beatboxing pattern is as follows:

Download high resolution version (851x128, 3 KB)Beatbox stereotype Created by Hyacinth using Sibelius and Paint. ...

However, this pattern may be unrecognizable in more elaborated and skilled beatboxing.

History of Beatboxing

The technique and the art of replicating percussion sounds with one's voice is thought to be conceived in India several thousands years ago, and the Chinese developed Kouji which was one kind of vocal percussion performing arts. These had little relation with hip hop, however, and are not related to modern Western beatboxing. This kind of sound-simulating technique is called humming and chanting. Beatboxing is currently experiencing a second wind, thanks in part to the likes of artists like Rahzel and Kenny Muhammad, who have carried the artform across the world. In 2002, the documentary Breath Control: The History of the Human Beatbox premiered. It is a history of the art form that includes interviews with Doug E. Fresh, Emanon, Biz Markie, Marie Daulne of Zap Mama, Kyle Faustino and others. Kouji,(chinese:口技),which can be translated litterally as Skill of Mouth, is a kind of Vocal percussion and sound effects and vocal imitating techniques in China. ... Vocal percussion is the art of creating sounds with ones mouth that approximate, imitate, or otherwise serve the same purpose as a percussion instrument, whether in a group of singers, an instrumental ensemble, or solo. ... The performing arts are those forms of art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artists own body, face and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some... Hip hop is a cultural movement that began amongst urban African American youth in New York and has since spread around the world. ... Rahzel (born Rahzel M. Brown) is an American rapper. ... Kenny Muhammad is a beatboxer referred to as the human orchestra. He has worked with other rappers and beatboxers such as Matisyahu and Rahzel. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... Doug E. Fresh is the stage name of Douglas E. Davis (born 1966), an American rapper, record producer, and beatboxer. ... The American hip-hop duo Emanon consists of emcee/singer Aloe Blacc and DJ/producer Exile. ... Biz Markie (born Marcel Hall April 8, 1964 in Harlem, New York) is a rapper and DJ, best known for humorous singles such as Just a Friend. He has been labeled The Clown Prince of Hip-Hop. ... The lead singer and founder of the group Zap Mama. ... Image:Marie Zap photo. ...

Beatboxing's early pioneers include Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, and Buffy from the Fat Boys. Doug E. Fresh is credited for being the first "human beatbox,"[1] and Barry B for coining the term [2] along with Buffy perfecting the art. The term "beatboxing" is derived from the mimicry of the first generation of drum machines, then known as beatboxes. Doug E. Fresh is the stage name of Douglas E. Davis (born 1966), an American rapper, record producer, and beatboxer. ... The Fat Boys were a hip hop trio of rappers from Brooklyn who emerged in the early 1980s. ...

Vocal percussionists

Throughout a series of concerts in 1969, most notably at The Fillmore East in NYC, John Mayall (formerly the frontman for "The Bluesbreakers") with a new band introduced an acoustic style of the Blues^{[citation needed]}. Sans drums and, for the most part electric guitars, Mayall and the band included a tune called "Room to Move" which included a middle section of pure beatboxing predating and outdoing almost every other future attempt at this style short of Bobby McFerrin's "Don't worry, be happy" almost twenty years later. The Mayall concerts were recorded on an album called "Turning Point". For the photographer, see John Jabez Edwin Mayall. ... Bobby McFerrin Robert Bobby McFerrin Jr. ...

In 1970, British band Mungo Jerry released In the Summertime, eventually selling 23 million copies worldwide. An interesting quirk of the track is that no traditional percussion is used, with all rhythmic and incidental percussion generated by the vocalist(s)^{[citation needed]}. Mungo Jerry is the name of a pop group whose greatest success was in the early 1970s, though they have continued throughout the years with an ever-changing line-up, always fronted by Ray Dorset. ... In the Summertime is the title of three popular recordings. ...

Viv Fisher, a frustrated amateur British musician and sound engineer released a 7" vinyl single of multivocal work in 1978, entitled "Blaze Away," performing as "Me, Myself and Me Again," on which he performed all parts of a brass band, additionally using multitracking techniques to satisfy his desire for an accurate portrayal of the many instruments and depth of sound in a real brass band. Viv Fisher (1952 -) is an ex BBC sound engineer and multivocalist who performed all parts of the Brass band used in the title sequence of the BBCs 1985 TV series, Blott on the Landscape. ... A brass band a musical group consisting mostly or entirely of brass instruments, often with a percussion section. ... Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the recording of multiple sound sources, whether simultaneously or at different times. ...

Mbube is a style of close harmony choral singing, originating in Africa. One of its components is the vocal representation of percussion and bass sounds by one or more members of a choir. Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a well known group performing in this style and have been releasing music in this genre since 1973. Mbube is a form of South African vocal music, made famous by the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. ... This article is about choirs, musical ensembles containing singers. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... There are a range of musical instruments that can be collectively be regarded as bass instruments since they are in the bass range. ... Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a Grammy Award-winning male group from South Africa that sings in the vocal style of isicathamiya and mbube. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ...

The early eighties

The art form enjoyed a strong presence in the 1980s. Many people's introduction to the art form came when Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick released "La Di Da Di." However, the Fat Boys "Stick Em" and the album on which it appeared, "The Fat Boys," was released in January 1984, one year before the "La Di Da Di" single, which appeared as a B-side to "The Show" in 1985. (The rap community and beyond celebrated Buffy's heavy-breathing style on "Stick Em.") The Fat Boys' movies (such as Disorderlies) introduced the art form to a wider audience as well. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Richard Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known by stage names Slick Rick, MC Ricky D and The Ruler, is a rapper. ... La Di Da Di is a rap song performed by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick. ... The Fat Boys were a hip hop trio of rappers from Brooklyn who emerged in the early 1980s. ...

The 90s

In many ways, beatboxing fell off the radar along with breakdancing in the late '80s; it almost slipped even deeper than the underground^{[citation needed]}. Though many people kept the art form alive on the streets, in ciphers, within B-boy circles, and in showers, it didn't re-emerge until Rahzel "the Godfather of Noyze" released "Make the Music 2000," which is the first album focused primarily on beatboxing. The title is a reference to "Make the Music With Your Mouth," one of the first recorded beatboxing tracks by the hip hop sensation Biz Markie. (Markie also achieved moderate success with his single "Just A Friend.") A breakdancer performing a one-handed freeze (also known as a pike) in the streets of Paris. ... Rahzel (born Rahzel M. Brown) is an American rapper. ... Biz Markie (born Marcel Hall April 8, 1964 in Harlem, New York) is a rapper and DJ, best known for humorous singles such as Just a Friend. He has been labeled The Clown Prince of Hip-Hop. ... Just a Friend is a comedic and romantic hip hop song by rapper Biz Markie. ...

In the mid-'90s, Rahzel proved a versatile entertainer. He was formerly the vocal DJ for The Roots, a group that contributed to the popularity of live instrumentation in hip hop. Not only did he help put beatboxing back onto the stage, he introduced its modern form, an impressive if not awe-inspiring combination of polyrhythms, vocal scratching, and simultaneous lines of melody, rhythm, and singing. Rahzel himself acknowledges that he combined his influences of pioneer Doug E. Fresh, jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin, and sound effect master Michael Winslow (of Police Academy fame) to give rise to his modern format. DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... The Roots, also variously known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Fifth Dynasty, The Square Roots and The Foundation, are an influential, Grammy-winning hip-hop band based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Bobby McFerrin Robert Bobby McFerrin Jr. ... Michael Winslow (born September 6, 1958 in Spokane, Washington) is an American actor and comedian known as the Man of 10,000 Sound Effects for his ability to make realistic sound effects using only his voice. ... This page is about the movie series; for the training school for police, see police academy. ...

On "If Your Mother Only Knew," a beatboxing sample of Rahzel, he wows an audience by singing and beatboxing simultaneously—a feat now considered easy by the growing young beatboxing community. On several tracks, he introduced the idea of simulating turntable scratches with his throat, something even underground beatboxers upholding the art form through the lean years hadn't even heard until the album's release^{[citation needed]}.

Using his commercial appeal, Rahzel paved the way for beatboxing's migration to the center of the stage, both literally and metaphorically. In its beginning, beatboxing was relegated to a supporting role or gimmick, like a side show. With beatboxing's increased popularity, Rahzel began touring the country^{[citation needed]} doing solo shows.

Many amateur beatboxers express frustration with Rahzel receiving most of the attention and being known as the best beatboxer in the world^{[citation needed]}. Though many well-practiced amateur and professional beatboxers possess different levels of skill, each one brings something different to the form. As Carlo Aguirre (also known as Infinite), a beatboxer and MC from San Francisco's famed Felonious says, "Each person has a different instrument."^{[citation needed]} This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... The term felony is a term used in common law systems for very serious crimes, whereas misdemeanors are considered to be less serious offenses. ...

Other well-known, seminal beatboxers whose work is well known throughout the international beatboxing community include Queens's Kenny Muhammad (also known as Kenny X, The Human Orchestra); Philadelphia's Scratch, beatboxer for the Roots; Killa Kela, one of Europe's finest; Click Tha Supah Latin, an MC and beatboxer located in Los Angeles; Shlomo, who has collaborated with Björk; MC Squared, an internationally renowned 5-time winner of Showtime at the Apollo; RoxorLoops from Beatoxic Crew; Each who is a key organiser with the Vowel Movement located in California; "mouthdrummer" Wes Carroll of The House Jacks, also located in California; and Canada's own scratch pioneer Poizunus^{[citation needed]}. Others have played important roles in bringing the artform to large communities outside of hip hop including Radioactive wformerly of Spearhead and Kid Beyond. Queens County, often referred to as simply Queens, is the largest in area of the five boroughs of New York City, USA. It is home to New York Citys two major airports (John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia), the New York Mets baseball team, the USTA National Tennis Center, Silvercup... Kenny Muhammad is a beatboxer referred to as the human orchestra. He has worked with other rappers and beatboxers such as Matisyahu and Rahzel. ... Nickname: Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: , Country United States Commonwealth Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Government  - Mayor John F. Street (D) Area  - City 369. ... Killa Kela (real name Lee Potter born in 1979) is an English beatboxer from West Sussex. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Shlomo is a human beatboxer from Leeds. ... Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( ) (born November 21, 1965 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic singer-songwriter and composer, as well as an occasional actress. ... Wes Carroll is one of the pioneering practitioners of vocal percussion in contemporary a cappella music. ...

The Four Elements

The last track on Rahzel's CD 'Make The Music 2000' is a track with his famous 'If Your Mother Only Knew' routine. But it contains a hidden bonus track, which is a 'Man vs. Machine' which he and Kenny Muhammad (Human Orchastra) vs. turntablists DJ Skribble and DJ Slinky. The song is widely referred to by most beatboxers as The Four Elements.

• The first element is Earth (performed by Rahzel), using basic beatboxing techniques with a dry 'taste,' in a fairly simple beat pattern.
• The second element is Wind (performed by Kenny Muhammad), a complex and fast beat with words in it said in a very low voice. It has a stormy character. Wind is probably the most popular beatbox routine. It is a cover of the song 'Nummern' (Numbers) by the German group Kraftwerk.
• The third element is Fire (performed by Rahzel). It is the only element containing sounds that were not produced by the human mouth. Fire is a cover of 'Rock The Bells' by LL Cool J.
• The fourth and last element is Water (performed by Kenny Muhammad). It is one of the most popular amongst beatboxers after the wind. The sounds are punchy and fast. Water is a cover of a tune called 'Funky Drummer' by James Brown.

Increasingly, The Four Elements is becoming a very popular concept within the beatboxing community.^{[citation needed]} Kraftwerk (pronounced [], German for power station) is a German musical group that has made key contributions to the development of improvisational rock and electronic music, most notably within the latter categorys sub-genres known as synthpop, electro, techno, house and IDM. Early musical templates formed within the industrial and... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Major center

New York City

New York City is the birthplace of the art and still home to many of the world's most original and impressive beatboxers. These include Buffy of The Fat Boys, Doug E. Fresh, Rahzel, Kenny Muhammad, MC Squared, Matisyahu, DOA, Masai Electro Baba Israel, Yo-yo Beats, D-Cross and many others. In 2002 Kid Lucky created Beatboxer Entertainment, an organization to unite NYC's beatboxers, which has since grown to include beatboxers nationally and internationally. New York City is arguably an epicenter for beatboxing culture as the New York scene continues to produce some of the best talents in the world. Quite notable are Adam Matta, Shockwave (Chris Sullivan) and Chesney Snow. Adam Matta who is currently an "Artist in Residence" at Cornell University, is noted for his vocal instrumentals including brass, beats, vocal scratches/turntablism, and mechanical sound effects, Matta references blues, rock, rap, heavy metal, drum-and-bass, freestyle jazz, and Middle Eastern styles of music. Chris Sullivan better known as Shockwave attained critical acclaim for his work in the hit theatrical show "Freestyle Love Supreme" including "Shockwave bowls the audience over with his breakneck beatboxing ability" AOL City Guide just to cite one. Chesney Snow featured on the MTV Unplugged Series with Polish superstar Kayah in 2006 which has since become a bestseller. His live beatboxing sound is captivating and unique for it's realism to an actual drum machine. The Fat Boys were an American hip-hop music trio from Brooklyn, New York City who emerged in the early 1980s. ... Doug E. Fresh is the stage name of Douglas E. Davis (born 1966), an American rapper, record producer, and beatboxer. ... Kenny Muhammad is a beatboxer referred to as the human orchestra. He has worked with other rappers and beatboxers such as Matisyahu and Rahzel. ... Matisyahu is the Hebrew and stage name of Matthew Paul Miller (born June 30, 1979, West Chester, Pennsylvania), an American Jewish reggae musician. ... DOA has several meanings: Dead on arrival Direction of arrival D.O.A. (1950 film), a 1950 film noir, D.O.A. (1988 film), a remake of the 1950 film D.O.A. (band), a Vancouver punk band Disciples of Annihilation, Hardcore Hooligans from NYC Dead On Arrival, a heavy...

American Idol

In 2007, Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol, brought beatboxing into the mainstream spotlight by performing it in several of his songs during the competition. Some of the songs that he performed in which he incorporated beatboxing elements were Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity", 311's "All Mixed Up", The Zombies's Time of the Season and Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name". Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Blake Colin Lewis (born July 21, 1981) is an American singer and beatboxer who was the runner-up to Jordin Sparks on the sixth season of American Idol. ... The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company on January 16, 2007 and ran until May 23, 2007. ... AMERICAN IDOL HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO DEATH OF SIMON ... Jamiroquai (A portmanteau of Jam and iroquai, loosely based on the native American Indian tribe the Iroquois) is a Grammy Award-winning English acid jazz band. ... Virtual Insanity is a single by the band Jamiroquai, and can be found on their 1996 album Travelling without Moving. ... 311 (pronounced three eleven) is an American alternative rock band originating from Omaha, Nebraska. ... All Mixed Up is a hit single relased by the rapcore/punk rock/reggae band 311. ... The Zombies, formed in 1961 in St Albans, were an English pop-rock band. ... Time of the Season is a song by The Zombies, featured on the 1968 album Odessey and Oracle. ... Bon Jovi is a hard rock band originating from Perth Amboy, New Jersey. ... You Give Love a Bad Name is a song written by Jon Bon Jovi about a nameless woman who has jilted her lover. ...

In the competition's finale he performed an impressive beatboxing routine with Doug E. Fresh. Doug E. Fresh is the stage name of Douglas E. Davis (born 1966), an American rapper, record producer, and beatboxer. ...

See also

• List of beatboxers
• Hip hop music
• Scat singing
• Puirt a beul

Hip hop musicians : Beatboxers Vanilla Ice (a. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... Scat singing is vocalizing either wordlessly or with nonsense words and syllables (e. ... Puirt a Beul, or Mouth Music, is a style of song in Scotland, Ireland and Cape Breton written primarily for dancing to, so the lyrics are of only secondary importance; the rhythm is what is crucial. ...

External links

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Look up beatbox in
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• BEATBOXING.com - WORLDWIDE
• TheBeatboxer.com - The Beatboxers MySpace Community
• humanbeatbox.COM Online Beatboxing Community
• Beatbox Battle® International Beatbox Magazine, Founder of the Beatbox World Championship and BBBTV
• The International Beatbox Association (IBA)

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