Hip Hop Beatbox | New York, NY
One of the biggest names in beatboxing today, preeminent master Rahzel is redefining the limits of the human voice. Known as “the Godfather of Noyze,” Rahzel was a youngster growing up in Queens when hip hop hit big.
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion considered the “fifth element” of hip hop culture, completing the quintet of hip hop art forms along with DJing, MCing, graffiti, and breakdance. First emerging from working-class African American communities in New York City in the late 1970s, beatboxing exemplifies the hip hop philosophy of creating meaningful artistic expressions with limited resources. Beatbox artists use their voices to mimic the sounds of the drum machine and the record turntable, but also horns, string instruments, and much more. The art form spread rapidly in the early 1980s, when performers like Doug E. Fresh, the self-proclaimed first “human beatbox,” took the art form national.
Rahzel’s cousin Rahiem was an original member of the Furious Five, and Rahzel recalls sneaking into their shows, “watching Grand Master Flash before I could even see over the gate.” Rahzel embraced the philosophy that “‘not having’ was never an excuse for ‘not doing.’” “Economically, everyone doesn’t have instruments,” Rahzel explains. “You have to create that ambience, you have to create those instruments.” The message stuck, and his fame grew: “To me, [beatboxing] saves lives and I’m a prime example of it. It inspires kids to be creative and motivated.”
Through both his solo work and his stint with the live-music hip hop group The Roots, Rahzel is credited with bringing beatboxing back to the fore of hip hop in the 1990s. Rahzel can sing a chorus and beatbox the back up simultaneously, an astounding skill showcased on his signature song, “If Your Mother Only Knew,” from his groundbreaking first album, 1999’s Make the Music 2000. Rahzel has worked with artists from Björk to Branford Marsalis, and continues to push the limits of what a beatbox artist can create with only their lips, tongue, cheeks, and Adam’s apple.