Bounce music is a type of New Orleans hip-hop music that started in the late 1980s in the city's housing projects. Some popular bounce artists are DJ Jubilee, Partners-N-Crime, Magnolia Shorty, and Big Freedia.

Structure

Bounce music features call-and-response-style chants and dance call-outs often used at parties and during Mardi Gras Indian events. These chants are usually rapped over a beat called the "Triggerman beat," which was sampled from two songs: "Drag Rap" by the Showboys and "Brown Beats" by Cameron Paul. The original version of the "Drag Rap" beat was created by British rapper Derek B in 1987 for the Music of Life British hip-hop label. This beat includes specific sounds, such as quick, repetitive melodies, the word "break" shouted at intervals, whistling, and a vocal sample called "drag rap." These elements were made using synthesizers and drum machines, making them easy to copy or reuse. Bounce music often includes references to specific places, such as neighborhoods and housing projects, especially in New Orleans.

History

Hip-hop began in the Bronx and spread to other areas, including New Orleans, where it was adopted and helped develop. Local music producers and record label owners who had success in other Black music styles tried making hip-hop, but a new generation soon became involved. Kevin "MC T. Tucker" Ventry, one of the first bounce artists, gained attention in 1991 with a style of rap that used repeated phrases and sounds from other music to create the background tracks. These features became key parts of bounce music. Take Fo’ Records was the first label to focus on bounce music. It helped launch the careers of artists like DJ Jubilee, Choppa, Baby Boy da Prince, 5th Ward Weebie, Katey Red, and Big Freedia. Other early bounce artists included DJ Jimi, Partners-N-Crime, Hot Boy Ronald, Juvenile, U.N.L.V., and Magnolia Shorty until her death. Bounce music grew in popularity in New Orleans without much national attention, but soon artists from the city would influence the rest of the country. In the second half of the 1990s, No Limit Records and Cash Money Records, led by Master P, Beats by the Pound, and Birdman, Mannie Fresh, became major forces. These artists, while rooted in bounce music, became less connected to the style as their fame and wealth grew.

Influence

Bounce music is very popular in New Orleans, often called the "Bounce capital of the world," and throughout the southern United States. It has fewer fans outside the Deep South region. New Orleans has a long history of including gay, transgender, and drag performers in its music culture, which connects bounce music closely with LGBT hip-hop.

Bounce, like crunk, Miami bass, Baltimore club, and juke music, is a type of urban dance music that is strongly tied to specific regions. However, it has influenced many other rap styles and even reached mainstream popularity. Atlanta's crunk artists, such as Lil' Jon and the Ying Yang Twins, often use bounce-style chants and slang, like "twerk," in their music. The word "twerk" first appeared in a bounce song in 1994 on the track "Twerk Something" by Cheeky Blakk.

Mississippi artist David Banner's song "Like A Pimp" uses a modified version of the "Triggerman" beat. DJ Paul, a member of the group Three 6 Mafia from Memphis, Tennessee, has helped spread bounce music outside Louisiana by including bounce elements in songs for artists like La Chat, Gangsta Boo, and his own group. Other mainstream songs influenced by bounce include Beyoncé's "Get Me Bodied" (2007) and "Formation." Artists such as Mike Jones, Keezy Kilo, Hurricane Chris, Ying Yang Twins, Khia, City Girls, Big Unk, and Drake have also used bounce music in their work.

In 2009, John and Glenda "Goldie" Robert created a TV show called It's All Good In The Hood, which highlighted New Orleans bounce artists like Big Freedia, 5th Ward Weebie, Vockah Redu, and Choppa. They later co-produced the bounce documentary Ya Heard Me and wrote the book Bounce Baby Bounce Bounce Bounce.

In 2010, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans held an exhibition called Where They At: New Orleans Hip-Hop and Bounce in Words and Pictures, which explored the history and influence of bounce music.

Bounce music is featured in the second season of the HBO series Tremé, which aired in 2011 and is set in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The season's second episode, "Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky," includes a performance by bounce artists Big Freedia and Sissy Nobby. Bounce music became more popular in Houston after Hurricane Katrina. Today, bounce music continues to change, with artists like Tim Trilioni mixing traditional New Orleans sounds with modern styles. Other current bounce artists include Qween Qweezy, whose album Bounce Fah Me includes catchy songs with modern updates.