Boom Bap

Boom bap on vinyl: hard drums, samples and the nineties

In short: Boom bap is the classic hip hop sound of nineties New York: hard kick (“boom”), cracking snare (“bap”), with samples from jazz and soul records on top. Pete Rock, DJ Premier and A Tribe Called Quest shaped it; today Griselda from Buffalo and Westside Gunn are bringing it back. The Vinyl Room currently has 49 records in this style.

What is boom bap?

The name imitates the sound of the beat. KRS-One made it known in 1993 with his album “Return of the Boom Bap”. Producers such as Pete Rock and DJ Premier built their beats on samplers such as the E-mu SP-1200 from old soul jazz and funk records. Classics include Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s “Mecca and the Soul Brother” and GZA’s “Liquid Swords”. Since the 2010s the sound has made a big comeback, led by Griselda.

What to look for

New boom bap records often come out in small runs. From the nineties, individual original editions are sought after – what matters is the edition and its condition. Catalogue number, label and runout matrix show whether you have an original.

From our stock

First pressings

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→ Hip hop on vinyl · Conscious · Soul jazz · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What does boom bap mean? An imitation of the beat: “boom” for the kick drum, “bap” for the snare.

Where do the samples in boom bap come from? Mostly from jazz, soul and funk records of the sixties and seventies.

Is there still boom bap today? Yes, since the 2010s the style has been making a comeback, for example with Griselda and Westside Gunn.