Miami bass

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Miami bass (also known as booty music, a term that may also include other genres, such as dirty rap) is a type of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. It is known for applying the Roland TR-808 sustained kick drum, slightly higher dance tempos, and occasionally sexually explicit lyrical content. Music author Richie Unterberger has characterized Miami bass as using rhythms with a "stop start flavor" and "hissy" cymbals with lyrics that "reflected the language of the streets, particularly black Miami ghettos such as Liberty City" <ref>Unterberger, pgs. 144 - 145</ref>. Miami bass has never had consistent mainstream acceptance, but has had a profound impact on the development of drum and bass, Southern rap, Brazillian baile funk, and other genres of music.

Unterberger has called Maggotron (James McCauley, also known as DXJ, Maggozulu 2, Planet Detroit and Bass Master Khan) the "father of Miami bass". But strangely enough Maggotron claims even by his own admittance that he never said to Unterberger that he was the father of Miami Bass as Unterberger states in his book. James McCauley clearly admits that Unterberger Clearly misquotes him and that Also “Amos Larkins is no doubt the Father of Miami Bass bar none, no exceptions, hands down” Where as Luther 'Luke Skyywalker' Campbell is the King of Miami Bass. In the 80s, the focus of Miami bass was on the DJs and record producers rather than the performers. Record labels like Pandisc were also well-known. "Bass Rock Express" by MC ADE music and beats produced by Amos Larkins is often credited as the first Miami bass record that gained underground popularity on an international scale.

Luther 'Luke Skyywalker' Campbell, of the crew 2 Live Crew, did the most to popularize Miami bass in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Their The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are, released in 1986, became controversial for sexually explicit and profane lyrics. The 1989 As Nasty As They Wanna Be, and its hit single "Me So Horny", was even more controversial and led to legal troubles for 2 Live Crew and retailers; all charges were eventually overturned on appeal.

It is important to point out that Miami Bass popularity was in part successful due to the promotion it received in the South Florida area by local DJs, radio and clubs. For the better part of the mid 80’s to early 90’s DJs such as Luke Skyywalker’s Ghetto Style DJs, Norberto Morales’ Triple M DJs, Mohamed Moretta, DJ Nice & Nasty, Felix Sama, Raymond Hernandez and Lazaro Mendez were heavily involved in playing Miami Bass at local outdoor events to large audiences at area beaches, parks, and fairs. Clubs in South Florida including Pac-Jam, Superstars Rollertheque, Bass Station, Studio 183, Randolphs, Nepenthe, Video Powerhouse, Skylight Express, Beat Club and Club Boca were hosting Bass nights on a regular basis. Radio airplay and programming support was strong in the now defunct Rhythm 98, as well as WEDR, and WPOW (Power 96). Also, there was Disco Rick who Gucci Crew fisrt in 1986 and then right behind 2 Live Crew with The Dogs album in 1988 and Disco Rick then signed a solo deal with Luke Records in 1993 and created a hit single "Wiggle Wiggle". Disco Rick has been the first bass artist that turned into big studio engineer and producer outside the bass music, opening the doors for others to come work with him from other states. By bringin "Bone Thugs" down to miami working with a bass artist changed miami big time when they got with Disco Rick and produced a bass track on Mo Thugs new album called "Its All Good" produced by Disco Rick with a bass feel and Bone Thugs never did bass music before until Disco Rick gave it to them miami style. And then came Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz to miami at the same studio to work with Disco Rick and he combined Lil Jon with Bone Thugs together on first single of "Kings Of Krunk" and all that was just bass music slowed down and called crunk music and that opened up a flood gate for other artist looking at miami as the next place to record and hangout and party on South Beach as well.

Miami Bass is closely related to the modern genres of Ghettotech and Booty House, genres which combine Detroit techno and Chicago house with the Miami bass sound. Ghettotech follows the same sexually oriented lyrics, hip-hop basslines and streetwise attitude but with harder, uptempo Roland TR-909 techno-style kick beats.

[edit] Music sample

Me So Horny (sample) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Short sample of Me So Horny, by 2 Live Crew; this is simultaneously one of the controversial and well-known songs from the Miami bass movement.
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