Zulu nation
Why cover the names on records?
Let us go back to just a few decades ago...
Circa 1990
I first found out about hiden records after watching “Scratch” which documents the history of many early DJ’s in Hip Hop that made a career through re-imagining the record player. Each DJ transformed this mere one-dimensional piece of technology into what is now considered by many as a musical instrument like many others.
Technics 1200, Turntable, Daniel Arsham, 2014
In the film, DJ Qubert from the Invisbl Skratch Picklz (same group that globally known DJ A-Trak was part of) retells his experiences during the nineties within the subculture; he talks about the early years of his career, where he often questioned why other DJs made such an effort to hide the labels on the records they spun. While it was common practice to cover records for many DJs, Qubert’s curiousity always inspired him to seek more information; a self drive that led to building his skills alongside innovators like Mix Master Mike, DJ Shadow. Those whom weren't as reserved about sharing their discoveries.
However,
the question still remains...
What was the motive for keeping information private?
Can the answer to this question be much more complex than we might actually think...
Mystery's Appeal
Understanding: [ Underground ]
Many of us whom continue to love and be inspired by HipHop, I believe can all admitting agree on one thing; we can say that in one shape or another we are all nostalgics. We are individuals constantly traveling to a time when things may have felt more pure, or maybe “untainted”.
Why? Well, listening to ATCQ just feels good, but, what is it that captivates us so deeply? what is the power that provokes goosebumps each time we listen? This I believe is the beauty of mystery. In many subcultures alike, mystery is omnipresent and much like Punk Rock, HipHop too was a subculture considered “underground” at one point in time.
Where did underground come from and what did it mean within the culture? Well, I'm not sure even a pro historian would be able to answer that question. Some may say it was inspired by The Underground Railroad, others may disagree and have a different view point, what I find interesting is that most individuals that contributed to the culture, did so with the understanding that Music is a language that communicates with all; that culture shifts everything, that human expression cannot be bound to rules.
Ironically so, there also were contributors within the culture that projected the importance of preservation of the culture by reaffirming moral codes and values just as in any other culture in the world.
Could it have been possible that keeping record names hidden from the public, was in effort of preserving the subculture at that time? Could this have essentially been the ethos? An invitation, for individuals to challenge those same ideologies by going beyond norms and expectations; to ultimately serve as a motivator to seek knowledge along each individuals own journey.
One of the most powerful things I believe artists inspire is embracing and nurturing individuality; Style is born from empowering one’s own uniqueness, constantly expressing one’s voice, opinion, in a unapologetic way.
Keeping information to records away from public display, might have in turn been the essence of what inspired other creators to go and research on their own and connect with what they instinctively were led to. Even so, who ever said one couldn't just ask the DJ directly?
[ Fast Forward ]
Digital Streaming Age
In contemporary Art and music, do we still value information? The same way DJ Qubert valued learning about new discoveries through music?
The presence of the ever expansive Internet is felt by all, and I am always thrown by afar by how rarely we have conversations about our dependence on immediate streams of information.
Prior to the internet, can you remember the types of ways you were introduced to new music? Music’s accessibility was limited. Whether we shared music via word of mouth, mixtapes, mix Cd’s, later, youtube links, I believe we can all agree that sharing music was much more interpersonal.
That moment when we send a link to a really good friend, elated by our new discovery of a long lost album, old or new artist, etc....only to later realize when you meet with that friend later that week, you find out that they never got around to listenig to it...
The reality is, there not at fault, no one is; it isn't just that friend, its how we as humans now manage, or better yet don’t know how to manage content.
Content sent via message or email, social media platforms are forgotten quickly. Not because we don’t appreciate the content but because of the overload of information that we process during day to day.
We may often read a message and go on with our day, we can easily forget to acknowledge a playlist or go through it passively, without actively, openly being receptive to potential gems being shared and more important being receptive to the energy that was put into complying the playlist, by our friends, a human.
A hidden name on a record. To those forever curious who are inspired by information, the description on an important record could have been what we consider modern day as an “easter egg” I can only imagine what it must have felt like to listen to a record play and know that for the time being and possibly forever, you wouldn't be able to hear that beauty again. Smelling a rose without seeing it or knowing it was a flower.