1985 "The Fat Boys"... beginning of new-school hip hop music...
Item # 727101
February 12, 1984
THE VILLAGE VOICE (weekly), Greenwich Village, New York City, Feb. 12, 1985
* Early & rare "The Fat Boys" editorial
* Beginning of new-school hip hop - rap music
* Rapper Darren Robinson - Beatboxing pioneer
Beginning on page 67 is an editorial by Robert Christgau on the new hip hop sensation "The Fat Boys" with photo. (see images)
Background: The mid-February 1985 editorial attention given to the Fat Boys by The Village Voice represents a watershed moment in music journalism, marking the exact point where mainstream rock-centric critics were forced to acknowledge hip-hop’s permanent, multi-dimensional impact on American culture rather than dismissing it as a fleeting fad. By dedicating serious intellectual space to a group widely perceived as a comedic novelty act, the Voice legitimized the sonic and thematic diversity of the "New School" of rap. It framed Darren "Buffy" Robinson’s pioneering human beatboxing not merely as a gimmick, but as a brilliant, stripped-down avant-garde subversion of traditional instrumentation, while simultaneously analyzing their lighthearted narratives—like the pizza-theft antics of "Jail House Rap"—as accessible extensions of authentic urban street culture. Ultimately, this specific editorial window solidified a critical framework that allowed hip-hop to be viewed as a complex, multi-layered art form capable of balancing commercial pop appeal with technical innovation, setting a precedent for how the genre would be documented and canonized for decades to follow.
I suspect this to be an extremely rare item because there was really no reason to save it at the time.
The Village Voice was an American counterculture newspaper known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. It introduced free-form, high-spirited, and passionate journalism into the public discourse - a tradition it maintained throughout its 60+ year history. It is quite common to find great political cartoons, satirical cartoons and articles, thought-provoking editorials, and ads and reviews for both concerts and theater productions - both on and off Broadway. Many iconic writers and musicians credit their appearance in The Village Voice for at least a portion of their success.
Complete with 140 pages, tabloid size, one fold along the center, nice condition.
Provenance note: This issue comes from The Village Voice's own archives, part of their in-house collection used to create their digital archive. Rare as such.
Alert: Many issues of The Village Voice contain articles and/or photos which some consider offensive, and are certainly inappropriate for children. Please purchase with discretion.
* Early & rare "The Fat Boys" editorial
* Beginning of new-school hip hop - rap music
* Rapper Darren Robinson - Beatboxing pioneer
Beginning on page 67 is an editorial by Robert Christgau on the new hip hop sensation "The Fat Boys" with photo. (see images)
Background: The mid-February 1985 editorial attention given to the Fat Boys by The Village Voice represents a watershed moment in music journalism, marking the exact point where mainstream rock-centric critics were forced to acknowledge hip-hop’s permanent, multi-dimensional impact on American culture rather than dismissing it as a fleeting fad. By dedicating serious intellectual space to a group widely perceived as a comedic novelty act, the Voice legitimized the sonic and thematic diversity of the "New School" of rap. It framed Darren "Buffy" Robinson’s pioneering human beatboxing not merely as a gimmick, but as a brilliant, stripped-down avant-garde subversion of traditional instrumentation, while simultaneously analyzing their lighthearted narratives—like the pizza-theft antics of "Jail House Rap"—as accessible extensions of authentic urban street culture. Ultimately, this specific editorial window solidified a critical framework that allowed hip-hop to be viewed as a complex, multi-layered art form capable of balancing commercial pop appeal with technical innovation, setting a precedent for how the genre would be documented and canonized for decades to follow.
I suspect this to be an extremely rare item because there was really no reason to save it at the time.
The Village Voice was an American counterculture newspaper known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. It introduced free-form, high-spirited, and passionate journalism into the public discourse - a tradition it maintained throughout its 60+ year history. It is quite common to find great political cartoons, satirical cartoons and articles, thought-provoking editorials, and ads and reviews for both concerts and theater productions - both on and off Broadway. Many iconic writers and musicians credit their appearance in The Village Voice for at least a portion of their success.
Complete with 140 pages, tabloid size, one fold along the center, nice condition.
Provenance note: This issue comes from The Village Voice's own archives, part of their in-house collection used to create their digital archive. Rare as such.
Alert: Many issues of The Village Voice contain articles and/or photos which some consider offensive, and are certainly inappropriate for children. Please purchase with discretion.
Category: The 20th Century
