What Is Bounce Hip-Hop?

Almost all bounce is built off of two beats: the “Brown Beat” sampled from an instrumental version of Derek B’s “Rock The Beat” and the “Triggaman” beat sampled from the Showboys’ “Drag Rap.”  

You can hear both of these samples at work in “Where Dey At?” considered by many to be the first bounce song.

All of the hallmarks that would come to define the genre are there. Dancehall-esque call-and-response, shout outs to specific neighborhoods and wards and incredibly crass sex talk.

New Orleans was not immune to the gangsta-rap boom of the early ‘90s. New Orleans’ needed someone to represent the crime-ridden reality of the city while maintaining the much-loved regional sound.  Enter UNLV (Uptown Niggas Living Violently), one of Cash Money Records’ early successes.

UNLV went on to release two classic New Orleans rap albums both of which showcased the distinctly New Orleans devotion to neighborhood, ward, street and housing project shout-outs. 6th & Baronne marked an at-the-time dangerous intersection in Central City and Mac Melph Calio was built around the nicknames of three notoriously violent housing projects: the Magnolia, Melpomene and Calliope Projects in Central City.

UNLV was a driving force behind the feud between Cash Money Records and Master P's No Limit Records, frequently calling out No Limit's artists and managers in their songs. One of the most popular was a diss track directed at Mystikal that detailed killing him and dragging his body in the Mississippi River. 

Cash Money artists still regularly pay homage to UNLV. T.I. and Lil' Wayne's "Ball" uses the "Triggaman" beat and clearly pays homage to the UNLV song "Eddie Bow" in the chorus.

Extended Listening:

“Drag ‘Em In The River” 

“Eddie Bow”

The parade culture of NOLA has always been present in Bounce music. You can’t help but connect the back and forth between the MC and the audience to the chants of Mardi Gras Indians. Ricky B took that connection and made it a bit more explicit, sampling the sounds of parades as well as the vibe.

Producers like Mannie Fresh had been sampling the brass sounds of the city since the late '80s, but Ricky had the most success with it after Bounce formed.

Extended Listening:

“Shake For Ya Hood”  

“Who Got Dat Fire”

A distinct offshoot of Bounce music began to form in New Orleans around the turn of the century. Featuring much faster tempos, percussive machine gun lyrics and a tendency to be made by trans and gay men, “Sissy Bounce” turned the genre on its head (and also brought a wave of outside press).

Though it was pioneered by Katey Red, a transsexual performer from the Melpomene Projects, future artists garnered considerably more attention. Big Freedia and Nicky Da B (who recently passed away) attracted attention via their outsized personalities and late-night acid trip music videos.

To date Big Freedia is still probably the most recognized bounce artist outside of New Orleans.

Extended Listening:

“Azz Everywhere” 

“Gin In My System”

That’s not to say traditional bounce is dead. 5th Ward Weebie had a massive hit (city-wide at least) with his infectious and ultra-quotable “Let Me Find Out” earlier this year. The song is stacked with quotable slices of ratchet life.  “Let me find out you puttin’ rims on a rental, let me find out you got a fan in the window” is a personal favorite.

Extended Listening: 

“Fuck Katrina”

What do you think? Any Bounce scholars out there who feel that we missed something? Any converts won over by NOLA's sound?

Let us know in the comments.