2 new nonfiction books explore the impact of cultural forces in the world of music

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: Exploring the Cultural Impact of Music

Podcast Information:

• Title: NPR's Book of the Day
• Host/Author: NPR
• Episode Title: 2 New Nonfiction Books Explore the Impact of Cultural Forces in the World of Music
• Release Date: December 6, 2024

In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Andrew Limbong delves into two compelling nonfiction works that examine the profound influence of cultural dynamics on the music industry. The episode features insightful discussions with authors Kerry Baker and Marcus J. Moore, whose books shed light on the evolving landscapes of busking and the legacy of the influential hip-hop group De La Soul.

1. Down on the Corner by Carrie Baker: The History and Evolution of Busking

Kerry Baker introduces us to "Down on the Corner", authored by Carrie Baker, which chronicles the rich history of busking—the art of performing music on the streets. Baker's passion for the subject is evident as she shares personal anecdotes and historical insights.

• Origins of Busking: Baker traces busking back to ancient Greece and Rome, highlighting its enduring presence through the ages, including Shakespeare in the Park and even figures like Benjamin Franklin, who dabbled in street performances.

  "Busking goes way back, back to ancient Greece and ancient Rome..." [03:27]

• Personal Connection: Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Baker recounts her first encounter with street music at Maxwell Street, where she was captivated by a performer named Arvella Gray.

  "I was just hooked in that moment." [02:31]

• Notable Buskers Highlighted: The book showcases a variety of street musicians, both renowned and obscure. Noteworthy figures include:

  • George Coleman (Bongo Joe): An oil drum player who became a San Antonio riverwalk fixture.

    "He went under the name Bongo Joe." [04:23]

  • Tuba Skinny: A neo-Dixieland band that embraces traditional street performances while adapting to modern technologies like QR codes and digital payments.

    "They have a QR code, they have PayPal and Venmo." [05:33]

• Modern Evolution of Busking: Baker discusses how technological advancements have transformed busking. Platforms like YouTube and social media have amplified the visibility of street performers, leading to viral moments where established artists join buskers in impromptu collaborations.

  "Videos and social media have conspired to give busking a bit of a boost." [07:37]

• Impact on Artists: Busking serves as a testing ground for artists to refine their craft and discover new musical directions. The story of Fantastic Negrito exemplifies how busking helped the artist reinvent himself after parting ways with a major label.

  "Busking helps artists find themselves." [05:45]

• Supporting Street Performers: Baker emphasizes the importance of supporting buskers, urging listeners to pause and appreciate the spontaneous artistry encountered on city streets.

  "I stop, I listen and I support buskers and I continue to be a fan." [07:59]

2. High and Rising by Marcus J. Moore: The Cultural Biography of De La Soul

Transitioning from street performances to the studio, the episode then explores "High and Rising" by Marcus J. Moore, a biography that delves deep into the iconic hip-hop group De La Soul and their lasting impact on the music scene.

• De La Soul’s Unique Place in Hip-Hop: Moore reflects on how De La Soul provided a refreshing alternative to the prevailing hip-hop narratives of the late 1980s, offering a blend of rap with jazz, punk, and other genres.

  "They appealed to the black alternative, to those who liked rap, but also liked jazz and punk..." [09:46]

• Innovative Sampling Techniques: A standout feature of De La Soul's debut album, "3ft High and Rising", was their creative use of sampling from diverse sources like Hall and Oates and Steely Dan, which revolutionized the genre.

  "You can pull from all these various sources within the scope of one song and you can piece it all together." [11:03]

• Challenges with Record Label: Despite their initial success, De La Soul faced significant challenges with their record label, Tommy Boy Records. Mismanagement and a subsequent lawsuit over unauthorized samples led to a prolonged estrangement, effectively sidelining the group's music from streaming platforms until 2023.

  "They kept their music off of streaming until 2023 because they had to get all the samples re-cleared." [15:07]

• Impact of Label Disputes: The fallout with Tommy Boy not only hindered their commercial presence but also fostered a mystique around the group, cultivating a dedicated fanbase eager for their return.

  "Mystery is also marketing... it creates a buzz." [15:11]

• Artistry vs. Commercialism: Moore highlights the delicate balance artists must maintain between creative expression and commercial pressures. De La Soul's bold move to shift their musical direction underscores the risks and rewards of prioritizing artistic integrity over immediate commercial success.

  "They took that creative risk because it was definitely a risk to pretty much kill off the thing that made you successful in the first place." [13:28]

• Legacy and Resurgence: After years of obscurity, the reintroduction of their music to streaming services has allowed new generations to appreciate De La Soul's pioneering contributions to hip-hop, cementing their legacy as innovators who expanded the genre's boundaries.

  "All the old stuff in the basement that we thought was done, it's all back now." [16:10]

Conclusion

In this episode, NPR's Book of the Day provides an enriching exploration of music's interplay with cultural forces through the lenses of busking history and the biography of an influential hip-hop group. Carrie Baker's examination of street performances and Marcus J. Moore's intimate portrayal of De La Soul offer listeners a deeper understanding of how artists navigate and shape the ever-evolving musical landscape. Whether seeking inspiration from street corners or reflecting on the complexities of maintaining artistic vision, this episode underscores the enduring power of music as a vessel for cultural expression and transformation.

"I love to watch buskers even when they're playing covers, even when they can't carry a tune. I stop, I listen and I support buskers and I continue to be a fan." – Kerry Baker [07:59]

"Once you start thinking about money, God leaves the room." – Kerry Baker [13:44]

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Produced by: Danica Panetta and Chloe Weiner
Edited by: Megan Sullivan and Sierra Crawford
Founding Editor: Petra Maher
Additional Production and Editing: Phil Harrow, Claire Murashima, Michael Radcliffe, Shannon Rhodes, Julia Corcoran, Michael Scotto, Barry Cordimer, Ali Schweitzer, Courtney Dorning, and Erica Ryan
Managing Editor: Beth Donovan

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Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. Today, we're talking about early impressions of musicians. In a bit, we'll hear about a cultural biography of the group De La Soul. How they changed music forever, but also how early perceptions of their image, of their aesthetic, fundamentally altered their career trajectory. But first, a decent number of musicians first get their start busking. You know, playing on the street with just a dream that somebody will hear it and toss you a buck. The new book down on the Corner by Carrie Baker is a history of busking. And in this interview with NPR's A. Martinez, you find out about the very early roots of busking and also how busking has changed in the 21st century. That's ahead.

[Unknown]

This message comes from Sony Pictures Classics presenting the Room Next Door, the first English language feature film by Pedro Almodovar, starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. After years of being out of touch, two friends meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation. Winner of the golden lion for best film at the Venice Film Festival, the Room Next Door is now playing in select cities, coming soon to theaters nationwide.

[A. Martinez]

Here's a pop music pop quiz. What do these musicians have in common?

[Unknown]

Learn the good time row Give me.

[A. Martinez]

What a reason to stay here.

[Unknown]

I'm in love with your body, please.

[Andrew Limbong]

Foolish Games.

[Unknown]

B.B.

[A. Martinez]

King, Tracy Chapman, Ed Sheeran and Jewel all began their careers as street musicians busking for spare change. A new book explores a hundred years of busking history through interviews with musicians both famous and obscure. It's called down on the Adventures in Busking and Street Music. And it's written by veteran music writer Kerry Baker.

[Kerry Baker]

I grew up in the Chicago area in the suburbs. In 1972, my father told me he wanted to take me to Maxwell street, which. Which I'd heard of but didn't know much about. Turns. That's a flea market south and east of the Chicago Loop. And we barely parked the car when I started to hear slide guitar. And I said, dad, we gotta check this out. It was this guy, I read about him. His name is Arvella Gray. And I was just hooked in that moment. Well, the foreman said to John Henry, he said, what can you do?

[Unknown]

Line on track and I can carry a jack.

[A. Martinez]

What attracted you to this scene? What was it about it that kind of like. Like a siren song drew you in?

[Kerry Baker]

There's something about the street that. That's spontaneous. You kind of don't know what's going to happen. There can be honks of horns. There can be sirens. I, I just found it fascinating. And everywhere I went there seemed to be street singers. Certainly Nashville, Beale street in Memphis, Clarksdale, Mississippi, the birthplace of the blues. Los Angeles, where I came across Harry Perry, who was a man with a turban and roller skates playing electric guitar. And I felt right at home.

[A. Martinez]

How did busking start? I mean, is there a history to it where people one day decided to start singing on the street corner?

[Kerry Baker]

Buskin goes way back, back to ancient Greece and ancient Rome. That goes through Shakespeare in the park and for that matter, Benjamin Franklin, an orator, inventor, early politician, founding father, and as it turns out, occasional singer.

[A. Martinez]

Let's talk about some of the lesser known musical gems you discover. So tell us about George Coleman.

[Kerry Baker]

Well, I had a lot of singer, songwriter, guitarists in my book, but George Coleman was clearly the only oil drum player. And I don't mean calypso steel drums, I mean an oil Dr. And he would set up on the riverwalk of San Antonio and became a fixture, almost a tourist attraction in San Antonio.

[Unknown]

I'd go out and make a record and it'd be the best of everything. I'd make a record, boy. The best of everything.

[Kerry Baker]

He was eventually discovered by Arhuli Records, a respected blues, folk and northino label that signed him and put him on the map. He went under the name Bongo Joe.

[A. Martinez]

Now another gem is Tuba Skinny. Tell us about Tuba Skinny.

[Kerry Baker]

Tuba Skinny was almost too busy for me to interview. They are a neo Dixieland band and they certainly learned from generations of great Dixieland bands that played the streets of New Orleans. They love to busk. They try to do it whenever they can whenever they're off tour. Once upon a time it was all about throwing quarters into a guitar case. And it's still that. Although hopefully people throw some dollar bills in as well. But nowadays buskers have told me that the technology has changed. They have a QR code, they have PayPal and Venmo. And maybe people are leaving 5, 10 or $20 instead of 25 cents or a dollar.

[A. Martinez]

Now you mentioned how you've been to many, many places in the United States to see this and hear this in action. Is there anything that you've noticed that is a common thread between all these people?

[Kerry Baker]

For me, I think that it certainly has improved all of their venue performances. One of my favorite stories, Fantastic Negrito, a three time Grammy winner, was signed to Interscope Records. Everybody who signs to Interscope becomes a star, right? Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, but somehow Xavier, which is what fantastic Negrito went by at the time Xavier did not become a star so he went back home to Oakland, California, opened a pot farm and and also began to busk under the name Fantastic Negrito and found a whole new sound. No more rapping, maybe a little more blues, folk and rock. So busking helps artists find themselves.

[Unknown]

I hope somebody's loving you in the deepest ways I hope somebody's loving you every night and day.

[A. Martinez]

One of my favorite things Carrie to watch on social media is when a busker is covering a song and then the artist whose song it happens to be is walking or driving by and then winds up joining them. There's a viral video on YouTube, has over 18 million views. A busker is on the corner of Hollywood and Highland, right in the heart of Hollywood and he's singing this song called I Got a Feeling. It's by the Black Eyed Peas.

[Unknown]

Good night.

[A. Martinez]

Right behind him, the singer will I am pulls up in a very fancy car, gets out in the middle of traffic and then after a couple of minutes he grabs the microphone and joins on in. Only things that bring the trauma overseas.

[Kerry Baker]

Every that's a great story. There's several busking sites on Facebook and in general, videos and social media have conspired to give busking a bit of a boost.

[A. Martinez]

So the next time, Kerry, someone is walking to work or walking to go get dinner and they see someone busking on a corner, what do you hope they have in mind?

[Kerry Baker]

Well, I for one will always stop and listen to a busker. I don't care if it makes me late for what I'm going to do. I love to watch buskers even when they're playing covers, even when they can't carry a tune. I stop, I listen and I support buskers and I continue to be a fan.

[A. Martinez]

That's Kerry Baker. His new book is called down on the Adventures in Busking and Street Music. Carrie, thanks.

[Kerry Baker]

It was a pleasure. Well, the fallen said to John Henry.

[Unknown]

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[Andrew Limbong]

You can tell when a writer really loves their subject. And that love comes through in Marcus J. Moore's book High and Rising. It's a biography of the band De La Soul, but one that really examines and contextualizes their place in the modern day pop canon. Which is fitting because Moore spoke with NPR's A. Martinez about how they themselves recontextualize pop music to fit their needs through sampling. Here's the interview.

[A. Martinez]

When Marcus J. Moore was growing up in the late 1980s, he heard a piece of music that made him feel less alone. It was De La Soul's landmark debut album, 3ft High and Rising.

[Unknown]

They didn't portray themselves as gangsters like NWA or Smooth Talking Ladies, men like Big Daddy Kane or LL Cool J. Instead, Dela appealed to the black alternative, to those who liked rap, but also liked jazz and punk and maybe owned a skateboard or played an instrument in a school band. They spoke to those who didn't conform to what black was supposed to be.

[A. Martinez]

That's Marcus J. Moore, all grown up now. He's an author. He's written High and Rising, a book about De La Soul. But it's somewhat of a tragic story. You see, De La was a huge success right out of the gate, but their record label marketed them in bright yellows and pinks with flowers all over. It gave people the wrong impression that they were some hippy dippy jokes. Now, in response, the group's tone became darker and more bitter on later albums that lost some some fans along the way, including at their own label. For years, most of De La Soul's music was kept off of streaming services like Spotify, which means generations of potential listeners did not have that access. What's been lost a bit was how revolutionary the band was because back in 1989, they brought a much needed dose of lightheartedness and creativity to hip hop.

[Unknown]

Before 3ft high and Rising came out, hip hop music was pretty linear. You knew what kind of drums were going to be on it. You could probably guess that there was going to be a James Brown sample. Whereas with Dayla, you're hearing all these different samples from all these various sources. And I think that's where they changed the game. So, you know, on Three Feet High Rising, you're hearing a Hall and Oats sample next to a Steely Dan sample, et cetera, et cetera.

[A. Martinez]

Johnny Cash.

[Unknown]

Right, Johnny Cash. It showed other rappers that you could make patchwork music. You know, you can pull from all these various sources within the scope of one song and you can piece it all together. Three that's a magic number three it's the magic number three Somewhere in this hip hop soul community was born. Three and that's a Magic number Three Feet High and Rising showed others that they could have fun in the music. You know, you didn't necessarily always have to have a scowl on your face. You didn't always have to have a big gold chain on and a Kango hat, etc. You can just look like you shopped at the thrift shop and put all these crazy samples together and just be regular.

[A. Martinez]

So following the success of that first album, you'd think that maybe the second album would follow the same kind of pattern. They would just kind of go from there. Not what happened, though. The tone was very, very different. They even titled that second album De La Soul is Dead. How did it go, Marcus? From Three Feet High and Rising to De La Soul is Dead.

[Unknown]

You know, it. Actually, that title began as an inside joke. The dead meant they were dead tired. But it also became a rallying cry for okay, the daisy age is dead. We're tired of the flowers we're tired of the day glow colors. Quite frankly, we're kind of tired of the nonsense that's in the music industry. Yeah, but my tolerance level has now peaked and now it's time for some heads to get flung.

[Andrew Limbong]

We bring, we bring, we bring, we.

[Unknown]

Bring the piece, of course but pack a knot inside Inside my daylight jaws A picture, picture, picture painted pink could turn to red to red and bloody quick. Ultimately, I just kind of admire them for taking that creative risk because it was definitely a risk to pretty much kill off the thing that made you successful in the first place.

[A. Martinez]

There's the push pull of artistry versus consumerism. Right. You want to bring your fans along with you. But what if you try something new and they don't like it? Somehow I think. I think bands have to almost check out from wanting to make money and just be who they're supposed to be or who they're going to be almost.

[Unknown]

I totally agree with you. And it kind of reminds me of a quote that, you know, Rip Quincy Jones that he said, and I'm paraphrasing, where he was like, once you start thinking about money, God leaves the room. And I totally agree with that.

[A. Martinez]

Now, De La Soul eventually started to have a falling out with their record label, Tommy Boy. And really, maybe throughout their whole careers, they had a terrible time with the business side of making music. So what happened between De La Soul and Tommy Boy?

[Unknown]

Ultimately, there's a sample on 3ft high and Rising and it samples the Turtles, which was this rock band. They sampled a small piece of it for like this interlude called Transmitting From Mars. And Delos says that they filled out the sample form sheet and they gave it to Tommy Boy when they had to, like, get all the samples cleared. Tommy Boy claims that Dayla never told them about that sample, and therefore they missed it. The Turtles sued Dayla, like, in a very famous case. So that created a mistrust between De La Soul and Tommy Boy Records moving forward that lasted for decades. It reached a point where De La Soul and Tommy Boy Records parted ways. They kept their music off of streaming until 2023 because they had to get all the samples, like, essentially re cleared.

[A. Martinez]

It hurts to think that they were basically nowhere to be found. Right.

[Unknown]

Yeah. So they lost a couple of decades, but at the same time, in a weird way, it created a buzz around Daylight, if that makes sense. Because I feel like Mystery is also marketing, you know what I'm saying? Where it's just like, if you're not around, then it creates this mystique, and that creates a buzz. Not too long ago, I was teaching a class at nyu, and some of those kids love Dela, and I'm like, well, how do you even know who Dayla is? Like, you were born when the music was gone. And they would say the same thing, like, no, my uncle had, like, a rip of De La Soul is dead and he would play it in the car. I think that also kind of speaks to the ubiquity of De La Soul, though, because it's just a group that folks love, and it's a group that people want to see win. And that's what happened with them, ultimately.

[A. Martinez]

Where would we be, Marcus, without our cool uncles that help us, you know, with all the great stuff from the past? Right.

[Unknown]

Hey, all the old stuff in the basement that we thought was done, it's all back now.

[A. Martinez]

Marcus J. Moore is the author of High and Rising, a book about De La Soul. Marcus, thank you.

[Unknown]

Thank you so much.

[A. Martinez]

Back once more with the wallop in the score.

[Andrew Limbong]

And that's it for this week on NPR's Book of the Day. If you want more, you can sign up for our newsletter. It's [e-mail] newsletter books. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. The podcast is produced by Danica Panetta and Chloe Weiner and edited by Megan Sullivan and Sierra Crawford. Our founding editor is Petra Maher. The show elements for this week were produced and edited by Phil Harrow, Claire Murashima, Michael Radcliffe, Shannon Rhodes, Julia Corcoran, Michael Scotto, Barry Cordimer, Ali Schweitzer, Courtney Dorning, and Erica Ryan. Beth Donovan is our managing Editor. Thanks for listening.

[A. Martinez]

Foreign.

[Unknown]

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