Triggerman (beat)

The '''Triggerman beat''', also known as '''Triggaman''', is a one-bar drum loop that originated from sampling "'''Drag Rap'''" by the Showboys and "'''Brown Beats'''" by Cameron Paul. The one-bar drum loop and bells were known to be used in bounce music, having been used in hundreds of records.<ref name="Noz 2011"/><ref name="Kennell Times 2019"/> The beat has been influential in recent hip hop music, including Juvenile's "Back That Azz Up",<ref name="Harvilla 2021"/> David Banner's "Like a Pimp",<ref name="Timeline of African American Music 1999">{{cite web | title=History of Rap & Hip-Hop | website=Timeline of African American Music | date=1999-01-24 | url=https://timeline.carnegiehall.org/genres/rap-hip-hop | access-date=2023-03-16}}</ref> T.I. and Lil Wayne's "Ball",<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hiphopdx.com/editorials/id.4601/title.hip-hop-awards-2020-best-r-b-songs|title=Best R&B Songs of 2020|work=HipHopDX |date=December 22, 2020|access-date=February 23, 2021}}</ref> Drake's "Nice for What" and "In My Feelings", "Go Crazy" by Chris Brown and Young Thug,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.3679/title.review-young-thug-chris-browns-slime-b-blesses-ladies-with-a-golden-summer-soundtrack|title=Review: Young Thug & Chris Brown's 'Slime & B' Blesses Ladies With A Golden Summer Soundtrack|last=Draughorne|first=Kenan|website=HipHopDX|date=May 7, 2020|access-date=June 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thefader.com/2018/07/24/big-freedia-drake-in-my-feelings-video-new-orleans-bounce|title=Big Freedia is rumored to appear in Drake's "In My Feelings" video|work=The FADER|access-date=2018-08-11}}</ref> and also "Outside" by Cardi B.

== "Drag Rap" == The first beat was created in 1986 by Orville 'Buggs Can Can' Hall<ref name="Kennell Times 2019">{{cite web | last=Kennell | first=Tiana | last2=Times | first2=The | title=Drake, New Orleans Bounce: The Shreveport resident, rapper behind it all | website=Shreveport Times | date=2019-06-12 | url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/06/12/orv-hall-ascap-awards-2019/1270736001/ | access-date=2023-03-15}}</ref> and Phillip 'Triggerman' Price,<ref name="Music Rising"/> the duo went by the stage name the Showboys, for the song "Drag Rap" on Priority Records. In a studio in Hollis, Queens New York named Power Perk where owner and engineer Brian Perkins acted as the in-house keyboard session player. "Drag Rap" is regarded as "a classic rap story that lifts both its sonic and structural cues directly from ''Dragnet''." The song references three popular commercials of that period including Wendy's Where's the Beef, Old Spice's sea shanty jingle, and Irish Spring soap,<ref name="Harvilla 2021">{{cite web | last=Harvilla | first=Rob | title='60 Songs That Explain the '90s': The Eternal Bounce of 'Back That Azz Up' | website=The Ringer | date=2021-05-26 | url=https://www.theringer.com/2021/5/26/22454255/juvenile-back-that-azz-up | access-date=2023-03-15}}</ref> the idea for the Old Spice whistle was suggested by Jam Master Jay. The production includes beatboxing, a xylophone riff and the 'bones' piano loop which was manually played out for 6 minutes because some of the studio equipment was malfunctioning. The 808 drum machine, instrumental ostinato arpeggio pattern, "all right all right" vocal ad libs, vocal clips, five variations of drum rolls, and the 'bones' piano loop were part of what has been frequently sampled.<ref name="Music Rising"/><ref name="Kennell Times 2019"/>

The record had buzz for its first month of being released in New York City but was largely a flop <ref name="Kennell Times 2019"/> until it was later discovered in the southern hip hop community being first used by Memphis based DJ Spanish Fly on the song "Trigga Man" in 1990.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2018/06/loop-history-triggerman|title=Loop History: The Showboys "Drag Rap," AKA Triggerman|website=daily.redbullmusicacademy.com|access-date=2018-08-11}}</ref> The second song to use the triggerman beat was Kevin's 'MC. T. Tucker and DJ Irv's "Where Dey At" released in 1991. Tucker had bought "Drag Rap" at a Sam Goody during a trip to New York in 1986. After playing "Drag Rap" at parties back in New Orleans he claimed the song could be run for up to four hours straight at a time. DJ Irv would loop the song on two turntables while chants would be added by the MC. It was then recorded on cassettes known as "red tapes" and given to local radio stations being added into rotation.<ref name="Weingarten Weingarten 2018">{{cite web | last=Weingarten | first=Christopher R. | title=20 Essential New Orleans Bounce Songs | website=Rolling Stone | date=2018-08-01 | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/20-essential-new-orleans-bounce-songs-705706/ | access-date=2023-03-17}}</ref> DJ Jimi used the beat the following year in 1992 on "Where They At", a follow-up record of sorts, which helped to spread the popularity in the local bounce scene. Labels like Cash Money Records began releasing several recordings with the beat including Magnolia Shorty, U.N.L.V., DJ Jubilee, and Ms. Tee.<ref name="MasterClass 2021">{{cite web | title=Bounce Music Guide: 3 Characteristics of Bounce Music - 2023 | website=MasterClass | date=2021-04-09 | url=https://www.masterclass.com/articles/bounce-music-guide | access-date=2023-03-15}}</ref>

The Showboys learned of the record's popularity down south after Chuck D contacted them, informing them he heard the record being played in Memphis and later a local Memphis concert promoter reached out to have the duo perform "Drag Rap" live. The label had initially lied to promoters who wanted to book the artists, saying they were dead or in jail so more royalties could be collected out of the artists pocket. After the rumours were dispelled the duo began performing in the south.<ref name="Kennell Times 2019"/> As the track continued to rise in popularity it was then remixed by the original duo in 2000 as "Triggerman 2000", alongside a music video continuing on the mid-century mob theme and Dragnet references.

== "Brown Beats" and "Rock the Beat" == As the Triggerman beat evolved it commonly would also sample the drum pattern of Cameron Paul's "Brown Beats" or Derek B's "Rock the Beat" co-produced by Simon Harris, both were released in 1987.<ref name="MasterClass 2021"/> "Brown Beats" was from 'Beats and Pieces' a DJ tools series with beats and breaks which Paul produced,<ref name="One Last Note... 2018">{{cite web | title=Cameron Paul: RIP - RBMA Daily | website=One Last Note... | date=2018-03-27 | url=https://one-last-note.redbullmusicacademy.com/2018/cameron-paul | access-date=2023-03-15}}</ref> the song name derives from having sampled James Brown's The Boss and Get Up Offa That Thing. "Rock the Beat" was released by Profile Records in the United States and the signature drum break was sampled from James Brown's Funky Drummer.

Derek B's "Rock the Beat" was the original "Brown Beats" drum pattern with Paul sampling and reprogramming it for his compilation, both records were released in 1987. Paul who was based in the San Francisco Bay Area, was a popular radio and club DJ in 1980s and 1990s, while Derek B and Simon Harris were a rapper and producer based in England. Both parties were prone to sampling older funk and hip hop records to use as club edits but their geographical distances from New Orleans left somewhat of a mystery for the origin of how the sample gained traction.<ref name="Journet 2018"/>

Since their respective releases other mixtapes and DJ mashups have created variations of the beat such as DJ Money Fresh's "Brown Beats".<ref name="Journet 2018">{{cite web | last=Journet | first=Brandon | title=A Piece Of New Orleans Bounce Music Is Lost With The Passing Of DJ Cameron Paul | website=HOT 107.9 | date=2018-03-28 | url=https://1079ishot.com/new-orleans-bounce-cameron-paul-brown-beats/ | access-date=2023-03-15}}</ref> The popularity of its use derived from Mannie Fresh and its first use on an instrumental which he produced for rapper Cheeky Blakk, which itself became known as the "Cheeky Blakk beat".<ref name="Music Rising">{{cite web | title=Bounce | website=Music Rising ~ The Musical Cultures of the Gulf South | date=2018-10-04 | url=https://musicrising.tulane.edu/discover/themes/bounce/ | access-date=2023-03-15}}</ref> Fresh gave praise to "Brown Beats" and "Drag Rap"<ref name="Noz 2011">{{cite web | last=Noz | first=Andrew | title=The 50 Best New Orleans Rap Songs | website=Complex | date=2011-05-18 | url=https://www.complex.com/music/2011/05/the-50-best-new-orleans-rap-songs | access-date=2023-03-15}}</ref> and would go on to be part of his inspiration for the production on the southern hip hop classic "Back That Azz Up" by Juvenile.<ref name="The Historic New Orleans Collection 2022">{{cite web | title=From the 19th century to the nine-nine: How Mannie Fresh, Juvenile, and Gottschalk brought New Orleans music to the world, 150 years apart | website=The Historic New Orleans Collection | date=2022-07-15 | url=https://www.hnoc.org/publications/first-draft/19th-century-nine-nine-how-mannie-fresh-juvenile-and-gottschalk-brought-new | access-date=2023-03-16}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Music looping Category:Music of New Orleans Category:Bounce music Category:Sampling (music)