Rahzel - Make The Music 2000

What this video is

Released in support of Rahzel's debut solo album on MCA Records (August 1999), this music video captures a pivotal moment when beatboxing — long an underground 'fifth element' of hip-hop culture — was being repositioned for mainstream commercial audiences. Rahzel, known as 'the Godfather of Noyze,' had risen to prominence as a member of The Roots and brought an Afrocentric, live-instrumentation sensibility to the…

Why it matters

A rare commercial showcase of human beatboxing as a lead artistic act rather than a supporting element, this video documents the brief window in which MCA Records attempted to elevate vocal percussion to mainstream rap stardom. The track's sampling of Biz Markie foregrounds beatboxing's genealogy,…