Founding Fathers:
The Untold Story of Hip Hop

Release Date: 2011
Running Time: 85 minutes
Written & Directed by: Hassan Pore & Ron Lawrence
Starring: Chuck D (Narrator), DJ Hollywood, Pete DJ Jones, Fab 5 Freddy, Disco Twins, King Charles, Nu Sounds, Master D.

Narrated by Chuck D of Public Enemy, Founding Fathers tells the story of the unsung creators of HipHop in thorough, compelling detail. The documentary film challenges the popular narrative that the art and culture originated in the South Bronx with pioneers like Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash, claiming instead that it was invented by a host of other DJs and MCs from Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Solidified in urban folklore, HipHop's origin story is usually traced back to one particular party thrown by DJ Kool Herc on August 11th, 1973, in the rec room of the building he lived in at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the South Bronx, New York City.

As the story goes, this party is where Herc unveiled the technique of playing continuous record "breaks"—instrumental parts of songs in which drums are most prominent—by rigging up two turntables spinning duplicate copies of the same record. His friend Coke La Rock then rapped over the beats. Since this was before crossfading mixers, samplers, and professional DJ turntables had been invented, Herc's technique was considered innovative. The party achieved legendary status in HipHop mythology as the first time that many witnessed the phenomenon of rap and breakbeats.  

But Founding Fathers attempts to dismantle the story of South Bronx as the birthplace, and Kool Herc as the father, of HipHop. The film asserts that Herc, Flash, and others commonly regarded as the creators in fact stole their ideas from those that came before them. Many of these former DJs and MCs, now in their fifties and sixties, are featured here claiming that as early as 1967 they were doing what Herc has been credited with starting in 1973—and in other areas of New York City such as Brooklyn and Harlem, and not the Bronx. 

At the film's outset, Queens historian Danny Wells traces HipHop influences way back, saying Louis Armstrong was the first person to popularize jazz scat singing, which HipHop's first commercial single "Rappers' Delight" (1979) by Sugarhill Gang emulates and pays tribute to. Wells also says that the classic 1984 rap song "The Roof is on Fire" (by Rockmaster Scott & the Dynamic Three) refers to a famous Malcolm X speech in which he talks of "field negroes" in slave times wanting the master's house to burn if it were to catch fire, whereas "house negroes" would rush to put it out. Hence the song's chorus, "The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire—we don't need no water, let the motherfucker burn!" Furthermore, Wells claims the Black Panthers' popular chant "Hold your head up high, Panthers walking by, we're gonna clean out your ears, we're gonna open your eyes" translated into the common rap refrain "Dip-dip-dive, so-socialize, you clean out your ears and then you open your eyes"—pointing out that the "dip-dip-dive" part is also a kind of scat. Wells' contribution to the film offers crucial insight into HipHop origins, wherein cultural elements are looked at rather than just the musical innovations. He might've well included the late great Muhammad Ali as well, as a heroic figure who popularized rhyming in his media appearances and took a courageous antiestablishment political stance. But notably absent from the film when examining early rap influences are any mention of proto-rappers like The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron, who contributed immensely to styles and attitudes that became popular in HipHop years later. The film does, however, make mention of a 1968 record called "Here Comes the Judge", by comedian and singer Pigmeat Markham, considered to be one of the earliest rap recordings.

Founding Fathers goes on to discuss the contributions of early HipHop figures, such as DJ Frankie Crocker who's said to have originated the saying "Throw your hands in the air, and wave 'em like you just don't care!" DJ Hollywood, noted for his charisma as an early performer of the DJ art form rather than just playing records, claims he originated, "Somebody say ho-oh!" and other call-and-response crowd interaction. K.C. the Prince of Soul is credited as one of the first MCs to ever rap over a music beat, and indeed, archive audiotape is played of a 1970 party featuring him doing just that. He says he fashioned himself after Hank Spann, a radio DJ known for rhyming spoken word intros on air. King Charles, another seminal HipHop DJ in Queens, acquired a sound system in 1968, introducing bass-heavy reggae beats with his kick-ass giant speakers. Originally from Jamaica (as is Kool Herc), King Charles was influenced by dubmaster King Tubby. The Disco Twins, also from Queens, were the first to do DJ theatrics; mixing records behind their backs and with their feet. Grandmaster Flowers from Brooklyn started out playing records in the late '60s in parks and beach parties before transitioning into clubs. Several credit Flowers as being one of the more advanced DJs back in the day, and the first to use the title "Grandmaster". He became immensely popular due to his ability to play unique, hard-to-find records, creating a thirst amongst his audiences to hear new music for the first time.

It was more about DJs than MCs in those days, as Steve Grant—a DJ from the Nu Sounds crew—claims that many DJs started talking on the mic without yet having perfected a rhythmic flow. Popularity was based on who had what record first, and who had the best stereo systems. Nu Sounds, from Queens, were self-educated technicians who read recording engineering books and handbuilt innovative sound systems—reconstructing them to new, groundbreaking standards. The film goes on to detail some of these inventive methods which led to improved DJing techniques. For example, Ricky Grant was the first to modify the four channels of a mixer into one that could be volume-controlled by the turntables. Richard Long invented and patented the DJ "coffin", a compact portable console to house turntables, a mixer, amplifier, and speakers. This revolutionized the block party scene, making the gear mobile and easy to set up within minutes. Before crossfading mixers, DJs had to visually read record grooves and manually cue them up, often guessing at which spot the funkiest section of the beat kicked in. But the technological creativity of these DJs pushed electronics companies to manufacture new products that increased the ease of continuous music play. Multichannel crossfading mixers were put on the market. Turntables developed from belt-drive to direct-drive, making them stronger and more slip-resistant. Instrumental and extended versions of songs with longer breakbeat sections were released, allowing for the records to be mixed and manipulated in a wider variety of ways.

A popular forum for DJs to showcase their sounds was the block party—live DJ sets in parks and vacant lots. DJ crews would break into a power box at the base of a telephone pole, in which there were outlets, plug in their system with a 100-foot extension cord, and hundreds of people would dance and party all day, often until four in the morning. With free electricity, no need for permits, and no violent altercations, the park jams were a huge benefit to the community, unparalleled in helping develop HipHop culture. There was also virtually no police harassment; cops would allow the block parties because they knew where everyone was, all the aggressive youth peacefully occupied in one place rather than fighting or engaging in crime elsewhere. The parties were also a platform for emerging HipHop fashions, popularizing Kangol hats, velour suits, Lee jeans, leather jackets, and sneaker brands like Converse and Adidas—long before artists like Run-D.M.C. or LL Cool J displayed them. The film discusses all of this in considerable detail, to the backdrop of an awesome soundtrack of rap, soul, funk, disco, and jazz, ranging from the 1950s to the 1980s.

There's a lot of discussion on who the real founders of HipHop culture are, but the film remains vague on why Herc and company get the most credit. Several founders say that Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and Melle Mel—those usually credited as the creators—will admit they were inspired by an era of HipHop that existed before 1973. But they're not in the film to speak for themselves. And that's the one main problem with this otherwise detailed film; why aren't the commonly-credited originators weighing in, and why aren't there any present-day HipHop artists in the film to discuss it? KRS-One, a respected MC and HipHop historian, talks about South Bronx HipHop origins all the time. He's written books about it. So it would've been relevant to have him in the film. It's a definite asset to have Public Enemy's Chuck D narrate—but he just tells the story and doesn't give his own opinions on the matter. Having more next-generation HipHop artists in the film talking on HipHop's true origins would enhance the historical complexity presented here. So, the big question is why is the South Bronx, Sedgwick Ave., and Kool Herc narrative so popular if there was this wealth of influences going on for at least five years prior, in Brooklyn and Queens?  

Recent documentaries like Rubble Kings (2015) and television/web series like The Get Down (2016-2017) support the South Bronx story, as do numerous other works. But this is the first film I've seen that really challenges that narrative, and shows these Herc predecessors rocking it hard. So why does the Bronx story remain so dominant over the Brooklyn/Queens story? Were Herc and company doing it better? On a broader scale, more frequently? Was the Herc scene more organized, more refined? These questions are all touched on, but not fully answered. The founding fathers in this film appear to have indeed laid the foundation for many elements of HipHop—but were they isolating record breakbeats? Probably not—this is what Kool Herc introduced and Grandmaster Flash further developed. Before sampling and sequencing hardware was invented, the continuous breakbeat technique of syncing up two records was a crucial element to HipHop evolution. One founding father, Pete DJ Jones, says that he and the film's featured players started the idea that Herc and company took to another level. But many others outright dispute Bronx as the birthplace, with one claiming the Bronx was "four years too late". Steve Grant of Nu Sounds offers what seems to be the most realistic and levelheaded assessment, claiming that HipHop came from many places, originating in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx all around the same time: "Everybody had their own spin on it," Grant says. A few others reiterate this; HipHop was a development over time that came from a number of sources. It's an engaging debate for those interested in how cultures evolve and how history is recorded.
Rating (out of 5): ★★★½
• Nik Dobrinsky / Boy Drinks Ink
June 3rd, 2016