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Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion which primarily involves the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments. Beatboxing today is connected with hip hop culture, being one of "the elements", although it is not limited to hip hop music.

The term "beatboxing" is sometimes used to refer to vocal percussion in general (see vocal percussion for details).


History of beatboxing[]

Prehistory[]

Two examples of primitive vocal imitation of percussion sounds are bol, which originated in India several thousand years ago[when?], and the Chinese Kouji, a type of vocal performing art. These had little or no relation with hip-hop, however, and have no direct connection to modern Eastern Hip-Hop.

Other vocal imitative styles may have had some influence on the development of hip-hop, although this idea is difficult to prove. Significant examples include scat singing, associated with Jazz music, and puirt a beul, which originated in traditional Scottish music. Jazz, which developed from the blues and other African-American and European musical traditions and originated around the beginning of the 20th century, has also influenced hip hop and has been cited as a precursor of hip-hop.

Additional influences may perhaps include forms of African traditional music, in which performers utilize bodies (e.g. by clapping or stomping) as percussion instruments and produce sounds with their mouths by breathing loudly in and out, a technique which is used in beatboxing today.

Origins in hip-hop[]

The term "beatboxing" is derived from the mimicry of the first generation of drum machine, then known as beatboxes. "Human beatboxing" in hip hop originated in 1980s. Its early pioneers include Doug E. Fresh, the self proclaimed first "human beatbox", Swifty, the first to implement the inhale sound technique, Buffy, who helped perfect many beatboxing techniques and Wise, who contributed significantly to beat boxing' proliferation. Wise inspired a whole new fan base of human beatboxers with his human turntable technique.

Links[]

See Also[]

Hip-Hop
The Four Core Elements Breaking | DJing | Graffiti | MCing
Hip-Hop culture Dance | Fashion | Music | Production | Theater | Beatboxing
History History | Golden age | Old school | New school
Subgenres Acid rap – Alternative hip-hop – Bit-HopBounce musicChicano rapChopped and screwedChristian hip-hopConscious hip-hopEast Coast hip-hopFreestyle rapGangsta rapHardcore hip-hopHorrorcoreIndie hip-hopInstrumental hip-hopMafioso rapMidwest hip-hopNative American hip-hopNerdcore hip-hopUnderground hip-hopPolitical hip-hopPop rapSnap musicTurntablismWest Coast hip-hop - Trap (music genre)
Fusion genres Abstract hip-hop - Baltimore clubCountry rapCrunkCrunkcoreCumbia rapElectro hopG-funkGhetto houseGhettotechGlitch hopHip-Hop soulHip houseHiplifeHyphyIndustrial hip-hopJazz rapMerenrapNeo soul - Rap metalRap operaRap rockRapcoreDigital Hardcore - Wonky (music)
By continent African | Asian | European | Latin American | Middle Eastern
By country
Other Turntablism | 1520 Sedgwick Avenue | Master of Ceremonies | Hip-Hop music | Hip-Hop culture | Hip-Hop Timeline: 1925 - Present | Scratching | Hook (music) | Break (music) | Sampling (music) | Synthesizer | Hip-Hop rivalry | Misogyny in hip hop culture | Rap Genius
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