Malcolm McLaren: Hip Hop Pioneer

Punk godfather Malcolm McLaren, who died this past week, may be best known for managing the Sex Pistols, the New York Dolls, and the early '80s group Bow Wow Wow ("I Want Candy"). What is little mentioned, however, is McLaren's contributions to hip hop's early years; in a Swindle Magazine interview from 2006, he stated that "I always thought hip-hop was the black punk rock. It had similar DIY aspects." Perhaps it made sense for him to dive into a related musical territory.

McLaren's seemingly unlikely foray into hip hop began in 1980, when he first met Afrika Bambaataa on the streets of Manhattan. At the time he performed as a DJ with his own crew, just a couple of years before they dropped their pioneering single "Planet Rock." As he told Swindle Magazine, he eventually persuaded Bambaataa to open for Bow Wow Wow on some club dates. While some audiences seemed intimidated by this new kind of sound, McLaren saw its commercial potential. "These guys started to spin on their heads and it was phenomenal. They already had the attributes that would become ubiquitous in hip-hop style: the caps, the baggy t-shirts. . . all of that was already assembled, but it hadn’t hit anybody downtown on a commercial, even independent level," he said. He then tried persuading RCA to sign Bambaataa and his crew, but to no avail. Therefore McLaren produced his own hip hop records, sometimes performing on them as well.

In 1983 McLaren released what would be one of the most interesting albums in his catalog--Duck Rock, a salute to world music and street beats. Produced by Trevor Horn (formerly of the Buggles, who would go on to produce such artists as Yes and form his own group, the Art of Noise), Duck Rock would later be credited for introducing hip hop to the UK. The album spawned two hits: "Buffalo Gals" and "Double Dutch," the latter being a slice of afro pop mixed with McLaren's unique rapping style. "Buffalo Gals" evolved into a hip hop classic, incorporating folk with the famous repeating line "buffalo gals go 'round the outside, 'round the outside, 'round the outside." The scratching and throbbing bass beat reflect such groundbreaking tracks as Herbie Hancock's "Rockit."

Along with McLaren, serving as co-narrators on Duck Rock was the World's Famous Supreme Team, a rap collective who hosted their own radio show on New York's WHBI. Listening to them trade raps with McLaren on "Buffalo Gals" is an amusing experience, yet somehow the combination works. Today, artists salute the classic track by sampling it in their own songs, such as Eminem's "Without Me."

Article Author: Kit O'Toole

Kit O'Toole is a lifelong music enthusiast who maintains a music blog, Listen to the Band. In addition, she is the internet columnist and a contributing editor for Beatlefan magazine. She also holds an Ed.D. in Instructional Technology.

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