Beatboxing (a.k.a human orchestration) is the vocal percussion of hip hop culture and music. Considered by many to be a fifth element of hip hop, it is primarily concerned with the art of creating beats, rhythms, and melodies using the mouth. It can also involve singing, vocal scratching (the imitation of turntable skills), the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments, and the replication of a vast array of sound effects. 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. ... Breakdancer in Ljubljana. ... Hip hop music (also referred to as rap or rap music) is a style of popular music. ... In alchemy, among the classical elements, quintessence (meaning fifth element, along with earth, air, fire, and water) was another term for aether; it is the substance of which the heavenly bodies were supposed to be composed. ... Rhythm (Greek ρυθμός = tempo) is the variation of the duration of sounds or other events over time. ... Look up melody in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sagittal section of nose mouth, pharynx, and larynx. ... Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, often constrasted with speech. ... (disputed — see talk page) Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique originated by Grand Wizard Theodore, an early hip hop DJ from New York (AMG). ... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... For the album, see Sound Affects. ...

What comes to mind for most people when beatboxing is mentioned is the following ubiquitous imitation of a back beat drum pattern (in common drum set notation): Headline text In popular music the gary fucked barryback beat drum beat is a percussion style or technique used in common time (4/4) where a strong rhythmic accent is sounded on the second and fourth beats of the bar, the backbeats, most often from striking a snare drum. ... A Boss DR-202 Drum Machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums and/or other percussion instruments. ...

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

This imitates the bass (boom) and snare (chick) drums. A bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. ... The snare drum or side drum is a tubular drum made of wood or metal with skins, or heads, stretched over the top and bottom openings. ...

Beatboxing defined

The words beatboxing, vocal percussion, and multivocalism are sometimes used interchangeably, but originally referred to different schools with different influences, techniques, and rhythmic repertoires. Some still use the older terms when describing the art.

Vocal percussion is more commonly associated with a cappella groups, whereas beatboxing and human beatbox are terms usually associated with hip hop or other urban music genres. Multivocalism is a relatively new term, coined by the UK's Killa Kela, to describe the collective use of beatboxing, singing, and sound imitation (fundamentally anything vocal) used in a musical sense. The boundary between the first two has been blurred as their practitioners have informed each other, and have become graduates from both schools. Pioneering vocal percussionist and beatboxer Andrew Chaikin, a.k.a. Kid Beyond has discovered a space somewhere between the two that amazes some of the greatest beat-boxers around. A cappella music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. ... Killa Kela is a well-known British beatboxer. ...

On the streets, beatboxers serve as human beat-machines, often providing the rhythmic backbones on which MCs lay their flows. On stage, many beatboxers have, and still do, serve as human jukeboxes organizing their routines as medleys of well-known songs. As the art form has evolved, it has extended its reach to include physical theater routines, and has integrated itself into hip hop (and other forms) of theater. Beatboxers with backgrounds in vocal percussion stand in for drummers, and percussionists in theater ensembles, live bands, and other line-ups. Some beatbox into instruments, such as harmonicas (Yuri Lane) and pan flutes (Radioactive), and one (Tim Barsky) has mastered doing so through a classical flute, achieving several simultaneous streams of rhythm and melody. Kid Beyond has mastered live-looping, using computers and triggers to create songs in real-time, replete with rhythm tracks, instrumentation, and full choirs of singing. Rapping, the rhythmic delivery of rhymes, is one of the central elements of hip hop culture and music. ... For other uses, see Jukebox (disambiguation) A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that can play specially selected songs from self-contained media. ... Wikibooks has more about this subject: Harmonica A harmonica is a free reed musical wind instrument (also known, among other things, as a mouth organ, French harp, tin sandwich, blues harp, simply harp, or Mississippi saxophone), having multiple, variably-tuned brass or bronze reeds, each secured at one end over... Yuri Lane is a beatboxer especially known for beatboxing through a harmonica. ... Pan pipes (also known as the panflute or the syrinx or quills) is an ancient musical instrument based on the principle of the stopped pipe, consisting usually of ten or more pipes of gradually increasing length. ... Radioactive decay is the set of various processes by which unstable atomic nuclei (nuclides) emit subatomic particles. ... The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... A choir or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. ...

History of beatboxing

Born in New York City, the fifth element is currently experiencing a second wind, thanks in part to the likes of Justin Timberlake, that has 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, and others. The same year even saw the emergence of a beatbox clothing label, mic(ism), sported and supported by beatboxers worldwide. Nickname: The Big Apple Motto: Official website: City of New York Location [[Image:|250px|250px|Location of City of New York, New York]] Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R... For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ... Documentary film is a broad category of cinematic expression united by the intent to remain factual or non-fictional. ... Doug E. Fresh (born Douglas E. Davis, on 17 September 1966, in St Thomas, Virgin Islands) is an African-American rapper, record producer, beatboxer, and one of the most popular performers of the old school hip hop era. ... Playing an electronic keyboard Biz Markie (born Marcel Hall April 8, 1964 in Harlem, New York) is an African American East Coast hip hop artist best known for humorous singles like Just a Friend. Markies career began in the early 1980s as a performer, then a human beatbox for... The lead singer and founder of the group Zap Mama. ... Zap Mama is a Belgian musical group headed by Marie Daulne. ...

Beatboxing's early pioneers include Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, and Buffy from the Fat Boys. Doug E. Fresh is credited with being the first "human beatbox"[1], and Barry B for coining the term [2]. The term "beatboxing" is derived from the mimicry of the first generation of drum machines, then known as beatboxes. The Fat Boys were a hip hop trio of rappers from Brooklyn who emerged in the early 1980s. ...

Vocal percussionists

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. ... The Lochgelly Band, a Scottish colliery band, circa 1890 A brass band is a musical group consisting mostly 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 1972. Mbube is a form of African vocal music, made famous by the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. ... This article is about choirs, musical ensembles containing singers. ... A satellite composite image 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. ... Bass may refer to: Look up bass in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo is a chorus from South Africa that is noted for singing a cappella mbube music. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ...

The early eighties

The art form enjoyed a strong presence in the 1980s. Many people's introduction to the art form, and perhaps its first recording, came when Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick released "La Di Da Di". When the Fat Boys recorded "Stick Em", the rap community and beyond celebrated Buffy's heavy-breathing style. Even today, when people make fun of beatboxing, they imitate the deceased Buffy by huffing and puffing into their hands. The Fat Boys' movies (such as Disorderlies) introduced the art form to a wider audience as well. The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... Slick Rick Slick Rick (born January 14, 1965) is an East Coast rapper, known for a series of hip hop recordings during the 1980s. ... The Fat Boys were a hip hop trio of rappers from Brooklyn who emerged in the early 1980s. ...

The mid eighties

Other important beatboxers in the mid-'80s who followed the greats like Doug E. Fresh included Greg Nice, Ready Rock C from Will Smith's crew, and The Jock Box from the comically named Skinny Boys crew. Clarence Holmes, also known as Ready Rock C, was the third part of hiphop group DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, he left the group in 1990. ... Will Smith in the 2005 romantic comedy Hitch. ...

In 1984, Viv Fisher recorded the first known multivocal TV theme tune, vocalising parts of a Brass Band for the title sequence of a BBC gameshow series entitled Bob's Full House. In 1985, he performed the same role for BBC drama series, Blott on the Landscape, this time vocally recreating all instruments and percussion. 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 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. ... See TV (disambiguation) for other uses and Television (band) for the rock band European networks National In much of Europe television broadcasting has historically been state dominated, rather than commercially organised, although commercial stations have grown in number recently. ... The Lochgelly Band, a Scottish colliery band, circa 1890 A brass band is a musical group consisting mostly of brass instruments, often with a percussion section. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation. ... The single word gameshow is an evolution from game show. Just as flashlight and screwdriver became a single word through usage, gameshow has also become commonly used as a single word. ... This article is about the year. ... There are many articles named Drama: Drama, the art form. ... Blott on the Landscape is a novel written in 1975 by Tom Sharpe, which became a special 6-part television series, made by the BBC, in 1985. ...

The nineties

In many ways, beatboxing fell off the radar along with breakdancing in the late '80s; it almost slipped even deeper than the underground. 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", the video for which featured him wearing a 17th century wig, playing a grand piano and singing the chorus deliberately offkey.) Breakdancing, also known as breaking and b-boying by its practitioners and followers, is a street dance style that evolved as part of the hip hop movement in the South Bronx of New York City during the early 1970s. ... Rahzel, born Rahzel M. Brown, is an American musician. ... Just a Friend is a comedic and romantic hip hop song by rapper Biz Markie. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... WIG, originally an acronym for Warszawski Indeks Giełdowy (Warsaw Stock Exchange Index) is the oldest index for the Warsaw Stock Exchange. ... A grand piano is the concert form of a piano. ...

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 are an influential Philadelphia-based hip hop group, known for innovative lyrics and live instrumentation. ... Jazz is an original American musical art form originating around the early 1920s in New Orleans, rooted in Western music technique and theory, and is marked by the profound cultural contributions of African Americans. ... Bobby McFerrin Bobby McFerrin (born New York City, March 11, 1950) is a jazz-influenced a cappella vocal performer and conductor. ... Michael Winslow (b. ... 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 considered difficult by the 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.

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 doing solo shows.

Of course, many beatboxers express frustration with Rahzel receiving most of the attention and being known as the best beatboxer in the world. Though many well-practiced amateur and professional beatboxers possess different levels of skill, each one brings something different to the form. As Carlo Aguirre (a.k.a. Infinite), a beatboxer and MC from San Francisco's famed Felonious says, "Each person has a different instrument." This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

Other well-known, seminal beatboxers whose work is well known throughout the international beatboxing community include the Bronx's Kenny Muhammad (a.k.a. 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, and RoxorLoops from Beatoxic Crew. Main article: New York City The Bronx is one of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States. ... Kenny is a sick rapper who jsut beats anyone who is near him. ... Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... This article is about the largest city in California. ... Shlomo is a human beatbox from Leeds. ... Björk Guðmundsdóttir IPA: , (born November 21, 1965 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic singer/songwriter and composer, (formerly the lead singer with The Sugarcubes) with a great expressive range and an interest in many kinds of music including popular, trip-hop, alternative rock, jazz, ambient 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' battle with beatboxers Rahzel and Kenny Muhammad vs. turntablists DJ Skribble and DJ Slinky. The song is by most beatboxers referred to as The Four Elements, because it contains an impression of the four elements in beatbox style at the end. Rahzel, born Rahzel M. Brown, is an American musician. ... Kenny is a sick rapper who jsut beats anyone who is near him. ...

• 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 current most favourite beatbox routine. It is a cover of the song 'Nummern' (Numbers) by a German group called 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), maybe the least popular. The sounds are punchy and fast. Water is a cover of a tune called 'Funky Child' by James Brown.

Nowadays, The Four Elements are very popular amongst the beatboxing community. Album cover of Trans-Europe Express (1977). ... James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968) is an American hip hop artist better known by his stage name, LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James). He is best known for romantic ballads like I Need Love as well as hardcore rap like I Cant Live Without My Radio. ...

Internet presence

The largest beatboxing community on the Internet is Humanbeatbox.com, created in 2002 by UK beatboxer Alex Tew (a.k.a. A-Plus) and developed by Gavin Tyte (a.k.a. TyTe, the world's only beatboxing reverend). This site has greatly fuelled the recent resurgence in beatboxing. Beatboxers in different areas have used this site, and the Internet in general, as a means to meet in person, forming important clusters that populate Europe and the U.S. as well as organising the first Human Beatbox Convention, which took place in April 2003. TyTe developed the first Internet-based beatboxing tutorials as well as the fist video tutorials and this has helped tens of thousands of people get started in beatboxing. The central feature of HumanBeatbox.com is the community forums where beatboxers and non-beatboxers alike converge to share and discuss their interest in this art form. For the Cusco album, see 2002 (album). ... The Million Dollar Homepage, as of 20 January 2006. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

This important resource has been a nexus for the art form's evolution. The emergence of values such as inclusivity, sharing, and cooperation, are present, contrasting with the prevalent fierce B-boy stance that hip hop as a whole has assumed. Hip hop is a cultural movement that began amongst urban African American youth in New York and has since spread around the world. ...

In 2004, beatbox-centric company mic(ism) completed development of the non-profit International Beatbox Association. The IBA, as it became known, was created to aid beatboxers in getting paid work, and thereby to help beatboxing attain the public level of credibility as a musical art form deserved of remuneration, as already enjoyed by more mainstream instrumentation. Through the IBA, it is now possible for professional beatboxers to be contacted directly by individuals wishing to book them, without artists having to make their personal contact details publicly available. In this way, beatboxers can now be safely contacted by promoters, agents, talent scouts and record labels worldwide.

Major centers

New York City

United Kingdom

In the UK, Beatboxing has exploded since early 2004 and artists are coming from all over the country. Although the majorty are from London, there are a lot from other places such as Huddersfield, Leeds, Bristol and Brighton. Killa Kela is still known as the most famous UK beatboxer, however others such as Lianhart, Faith SFX and Shlomo are starting to break into the lime light. UK Beatboxers differ from other Beatboxers as they seem to come from different genres of music, i.e. Faith SFX coming from the Grime scene, Killa Kela initially coming from the Drum and Bass scene and Lianhart who follows no particular patern. Whereas beatboxers from other counties mainly come through the Hip Hop scene.

The King of the Jam Tournament, made by Mark Splinter, was the first initial Beatbox jam gathering that the UK had, starting out with 4 beatboxers gathering together at St. James' Park in London, has exploded with 80 beatboxers gathering at the 2004a Jam. This event made Beatboxers be able to come together and be able to jam and make real music. Although Mr Splinter has moved to Vilnius, Lithuania, he still arranges the gatherings at the same park twice a year.

The Main events of the UK are:

Make Some Noise, Bristol, May

King of the Jam, London, August and September

UK Beatbox Championships, Various Cities, February, June and July

San Francisco Bay area

The Vowel Movement, created by Bryan Neuberg (a.k.a. Process), Kid Beyond, and Tim Barsky, is a collaborative San Francisco Bay area community that supports the art of beatboxing. It features regular showcases that emphasize sharing and inclusivity amongst its practitioners, bringing the art form to a diverse audience, and pushing the boundaries beyond the classification of hip hop.

Australia

Belgium

Singapore