Mission Statement
Bring The Beat Back is a documentary project dedicated to recording, preserving and promoting the definitive oral history of the beginnings of Rap Music in Philadelphia and it's surrounding area. Our goal is to release a full length documentary video on the subject by the end of 2002, with the hope of expanding into other media with the help of other partners.
The overall concept behind BRING THE BEAT BACK is the feeling that something fundamental was lost between now and the early days of Hip Hop that is clearly reflected in the story behind the rise and fall of early Rap Music. In the growth of Rap, it became less of a reflection of culture and more of a commodity. Less a form of expression or rebellion and more of a way to get paid. The Art of the DJ took a back seat to "Super Producers" and Sample clearances. No one here believes we can go back to those days, but the dawn of the millenium is a good time to remind ourselves of where we came from. The affordability of Digital Video allows us to enter this project with the same risk-taking, do-it-yourself need to express something drive that informed the early rap records. And like those early rap records, we hope to emerge with a project that's slick and tight but raw enough to make you nod your head.
This Website will reflect our growth, with new features and information being added regularly. The goal is to be interactive: to deliver information about the artists involved in our project, offer links to other websites of interest, and to build a network of people who love and support Old School Philly Hip Hop.
Check us back from time to time, tell your friends about us and watch us grow.