Bands a make her dance

I've been loving The Roots. I was wrong about them. From "Do You Want More?!!!??!" through to "Phrenology" that's an amazing four album run.

And I got to thinking about my prejudices towards the concept of Hip-hop with instruments. I've always thought it had to be 2 turntables and a microphone, or an MPC. Some deconstructive virtual shit.

And then I thought a bit deeper - back to the Sugarhill Gang and then further deep into the pre-history of Rap, and naturally of Reggae too. There's always been rapping with instruments. In fact pretty soon the "classic" version of Hip-Hop we know from sampling will seem a small island in time.

I've built this mix - which is a pretty dope history lesson -  in reverse chronological order for a change. To lead your ears out from the present.

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Jay Z - Jigga
NERD - Lapdance
Timbaland and Magoo - Up Jumps The Boogie
The Roots - Double Trouble
Stetsasonic - Pen and Paper
Trouble Funk - Drop The Bomb
Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel - Step Off
Rammelzee and K Rob - Beat Bop
The Younger Generation - We Rap More Mellow
Soul Sonic Force - Zulu Nation Throwdown
Funky 4 + 1 - That’s the Joint
The Treacherous Three - The Body Rock
Xanadu and Sweet Lady - Rockers Choice
Derek Laro and Trinity - Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough
Welton Irie - Shake Your Body Down To The Ground
Fatback and King Tim III - Personality Jock
Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
The Last Poets - Related To What Chant/Related To What/Mean Machine Chant
Big Youth - Jim Squashy
Hustlers Convention - Sport
James Brown - Black President
U.Roy and Eric Donaldson - Festival Time
Pigmeat Markham - Here comes The Judge
Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley