Introducing: Hyperthetical - Single
Introducing: Hyperthetical
For a university project, I conducted in-depth research into the origin and evolution of early Hip-Hop, focusing primarily on the 1990s. Not only was the time period and circumstances surrounding the inception of Hip-Hop fascinating, but so to was how they impacted the sound of the music. As part of this research, I created a track inspired by many iconic Hip-Hop works. My main inspirations were Tribe Called Quest and KRS one, whose lyrical style, creative voice and music production really captured my imagination.
One of my original characters I've been working on is a superhero who daylights as a Hip-Hop producer. With this in mind, I created this track as if it were produced by him, offering an unique creative experience. As a debut track, it's self-titled with his artist name, Hyperthetical.
I was so inspired by these songs, that almost every musical decision can be traced back to a previous work. I even created this table with all the references.
| Occurrence | Event | Explanation |
| 00:00 | Strings Sample | (Black Moon 1993) KRS One (1997) |
| 00:14 | Record Scratch | Essential to the early Hip-Hop sound due to sampling and remixing by the DJs (Jernigan 2015 01:10) |
| 00:14 | Double Bass | Used extensively by A Tribe Called Quest (A Tribe Called Quest 1991a, b, d, 1990a) |
| 00:15 | Piano | Similar rhythm and voicing (KRS One 1995) |
| 00:15 | Bell | (KRS One 1995) |
| 00:15 | E-Piano | Used in funk and disco (Earth, Wind & Fire 1977 00:00) and subsequently hip-hop (Black Moon 1993) |
| 00:25 | Drums | Loose snare and harsh kick, sampled from a break beat. (A Tribe Called Quest 1991c, 1990b) |
| 00:47 | Strings Sample incorporation | (A Tribe Called Quest 1990b) KRS One (1997) |
| 00:58 | Bongos Sample | Inspired by ‘Apache’ (Incredible Bongo Band 1973) - a staple of Hip-Hop sampling (Shaw 2023b) |
| 01:08 | Saxophone Sample | Extensively used in funk and disco (Earth, Wind & Fire 1977 02:28) and subsequently hip-hop (Eric B. & Rakim (1987), A Tribe Called Quest 1991b) |
| 02:01 | 2nd Section | Bridge-like 2nd section (A Tribe Called Quest 1990a) |
| 02:01 | Drums (rimshot) | (A Tribe Called Quest 1991b) |
| 02:20 | Brass Sample, scratching and repetition | (KRS-One 1993) |
References (in alphabetical order):
A Tribe Called Quest (1990a) Can I Kick It? Youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/D-uV8TGjaGU?si=uJsqX_91MO7jtcDW (Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
A Tribe Called Quest (1990b) Footprints. Youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/ay9bFqeHQRk?si=PyDIq0MRlh8fTMDZ (Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
A Tribe Called Quest (1991a) Buggin’ Out. Youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/P9oTCzWRuvQ?si=TqWaxmxJRlFo4B8M (Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
A Tribe Called Quest (1991b) Check the Rhime. Youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/BQT2DfzpCLA?si=dT6XeGcS3IMptPGX (Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
A Tribe Called Quest (1991c) Jazz (We've Got). Youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvzOfm0ZhS8 (Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
A Tribe Called Quest (1991d) Scenario. Youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/X9Gd7pAbUjk?si=IaMmJh-oewxH2d6e (Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
A Tribe Called Quest (1991e) Rap Promoter. Youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/BhZpFBFpBO4?si=a9pmnYCukpelsFjI (Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
Black Moon (1993) Who Got Da Props? Youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/DPuCpt2kYUs?si=JuMWBzG4SQ0Z-Hc- (Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
Earth, Wind & Fire (1977) Fantasy. Youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10C-Q3NIlzU(Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
Eric B. & Rakim (1987) I Ain't No Joke. Youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TN-kDEKxF0(Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
Incredible Bongo Band (1973) Apache. Youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/WY-Z6wm6TMQ?si=aM0izh68rsWGywIE (Accessed: 2 Dec 2024)
Jernigan, X. (2015) History of Hip Hop in the Bronx - Arts in the City. CUNY TV. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ZpQ73R_z4 (Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
KRS One (1997) The MC. Youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/L13Xs69HU0k?si=TxgIRa37PB_x_PjW(Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
KRS-One (1993) Sound of da Police. Youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZrAYxWPN6c(Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
KRS-One (1995) MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know. Youtube.com. Available at: https://youtu.be/xnI8JEW7Ty4?si=NBJH_Lz7KRb9GUWm (Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)
Shaw, B. (2023b) The Hip Hop Sample That ACCIDENTALLY Changed Everything. Digging The Greats. Available at: https://youtu.be/D-uV8TGjaGU?si=uJsqX_91MO7jtcDW (Accessed: 24 Nov 2024)