Hip Hop 101: Coke La Rock (Hip Hop First Emcee)

[Waterproof]

Left – (Coke La Rock) Right – (DJ Kool Herc)


Coke La Rock (born 25 April 1955) is an American rapper who is often credited as the first MC in the history of hip hop. La Rock was a friend and musical partner of DJ Kool Herc. La Rock performed alongside Kool Herc for his first party to celebrate Herc's sister Cindy's birthday in 1973. At this party and several parties afterwards, La Rock had no stage name and performed out of sight from the audience, so no one knew who was doing the rapping.

His original raps were shout-outs to his friends, before the actual poetry emerged in his lyrics. He originated phrases such as "You rock and you don't stop" and "Hotel, motel, you don't tell, we won't tell" (which was later used in The Sugarhill Gang's single "Rapper's Delight", but La Rock received no credit).



La Rock's raps were always purely improvisational, unlike those of later 70s-era rap groups who wrote down and rehearsed their lyrics, such as the Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and The Cold Crush Brothers. According to La Rock, while rapping "at first I would just call out [my friends'] names. Then I pretended dudes had double-parked cars; that was to impress the girls. Truthfully, I wasn't there to rap, I was just playing around." Nonetheless, La Rock's raps (which were very similar to the Jamaican tradition of "toasting") would, as with much else at Kool Herc's parties in the mid-1970s, serve as a basic model for other hip-hop artists that would come onto the Bronx music scene by the end of the decade

As other nascent hip hop groups patterned themselves after Herc and La Rock and improved on their formula, the popularity of the Herculoids began to fade as early as 1977. After Kool Herc was stabbed at a party, La Rock decided to step down from hip hop and let the younger generation move in. Since he'd had a long run lasting several years of being on the top of the Bronx hip hop scene, La Rock didn't want to continue if murder was going to be a part of it.

In contrast to other early Bronx hip hop artists such as Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash, Coke La Rock - as well as his partner Kool Herc - never achieved any recording success, and never recorded any material. However, in 2008 a song entitled "Hello - Merry Christmas Baby!" was released, a song that is deemed the first recording featuring La Rock. The song was included on a Sedgwick & Cedar album as part of a special holiday compilation to pay homage to the birthplace of hip hop.

 

[mortuus est]

everybody knows 2pac and biggie were the first rappers, da hell is a cock la rock?

 

[Waterproof]

 

[Waterproof]

September 2008
Around 1983, while in Brandeis High School I heard of an emcee by the name of Coke La Rock for the first time. At the time I had no idea who he was, nor did I realize he was looked at as the first emcee ever. But what I did notice was the name COKE LA ROCK. The whole name to me was a symbol of Street, Fire, and Coolness. One day while interviewing Kevie Kev of the legendary Fantastic 5, I bought up the name Coke La Rock and right away Kev said, “That’s my man, someone not to be toyed with.” When Kev said those words my eyebrow went up because I would never figure Kev to give props to anybody but himself and the Fantastic 5. Imperial J.C. of The Herculiods spoke of him the way we spoke of the infamous Larry Davis the night of his coming out. When I finally met Coke La Rock for this interview he lived up to all expectations. This is Coke La Rock’s story.

Troy- Let’s go back to the very beginning of time for you where were you born and raised at?

Coke La Rock- I was born in the Bronx that’s why I said hip hop began in the Bronx. I was born and raised in the Bronx. One would say west Bronx but I was born on the east side on Home Street, between union and prospect.

Troy- So how did you make it over to Kool Herc, over on University Avenue?












Coke La Rock- Well my mother moved when I reached the 6thgrade. So from the 6th grade to the 8th grade I lived on the west side on Jessup Avenue. And I went to Jr. high School 82. I knew Herc before hip hop, before the party’s. Herc and I met in my neighborhood because of a young lady he was dating that lived on my side of town. We also use to see each other at clubs like The Tunnel or The Puzzle as well as the Audubon. I also have to say that Herc was a graffiti artist before he was a D.J. but I my self was not one at all. But I did come from an era where you thought it was legal to sell drugs and that was the way to go. I am going to call it how it is

 

[Waterproof]

Troy- Well how old were you and Herc when you guys first met?

Coke La Rock- When we first met I guess I was 15 years old, he was 16. Herc has a year on me. We use to go to the night center. You know what I am saying because cats don’t know what that really is. The schools use to open up from 6pm to 9pm.

Troy- Right
Coke La Rock- Because the night school centers use to be from 6pm to 9pm the after school centers were from 3pm to 5pm. To get into the night center you had to be about16. And a lot of schools had a night center. So you went there and you played what ever recreation they had there such as basketball, pool etc. I taught Herc how to play basketball and that’s no disrespect to my man but he was from Jamaica and he was a bigger fan of playing soccer, swimming and lifting weights.

Troy- So Herc ended up becoming extremely good at playing ball?
Coke La Rock- He could jump, and he was powerful with his dunks. He didn’t have a game like say one of those fly brothers from Harlem, he was straight power! I made him stay down low under the basket. Herc had one of his greatest games against a guy name Bear from Dewitt Clinton High School. He was one of the biggest, strongest mother f—— in Clinton High. Bear dunked on Herc about two times, Herc dunked on him like 6 times!

One time I had Herc lift 250 lbs 25 times in high school. The gym teacher tried to out do Herc and caught a rupture.

Herc use to ride his fix (bike.) 20 plus miles every Saturday and Sunday down in Central Park. Then come back up to the Bronx and ball with us. And you could never tell he did all those miles on the bike because he would go all out on the court. He was on some strong s—.

But then on some rah rah s— Herc got into a fight with some big cat I knew who was getting money, who use to go back and forth to jail. The dude was fouling me hard so Herc was ready to put it on him. The dude made Herc’s lip bleed but he didn’t knock Herc down. Then the crowd broke it up. So I saw that this cat had a better knuckle game then Herc. He wasn’t better fighter then Herc, but he had a knuckle game. I said, “Herc f— the knuckle game, dopefein yoke that n—–!” (Troy starts laughing.) So the n—– swung and Herc got under him and dopefein yoked him and started putting him to sleep. The cat was out and his crew went to like break it up and I stood in front of them and pulled out and told them to sit the f— down. I said kill that n—– Herc! The n—– eye balls rolled back. I said let him go Herc! Herc let him go and he was a sleep.

Herc is strong, very strong. Herc didn’t have the traditional knuckle game at that time, but over all he was still no match. Now if Herc had to kick him he would have soccer kicked his ass around, but at that time you know you had to give a fair one. (We both start laughing.)

 

[Big Skilly Films]

thats scott la rocks father

 

[Waterproof]

As far as high school I went to Alfred E. Smith because I liked cars and I thought I wanted to fix cars for a living. I later realized I didn’t want to fix them I just wanted to drive them. What got me and Herc even tighter was I was supposed to have a fight with this guy from the school. Being as I knew Herc and a few others from the school the word got passed around, “Coke is about to have a fight!” So the whole crew was there. And I did what I had to do. The dude I fought was named John Shaft. I beat Shaft up and they gave me the nick name Bumpy!

Troy- Bumpy?

Coke La Rock- Yeah Bumpy, they said Bumpy beat Shaft up! That was the reverse side of the movie.

Troy- right… (it takes Troy a moment.) you’s a funny brother!
Coke La Rock- (Coke recognizes that Troy remembers the movie Shaft.) There we go. So the next day they were calling me Bumpy because I beat Shaft up. Shaft was a senior I was a freshmen, so everyone was surprised. See growing up D.j.s were not popular they were the last guys on the totem pole when it came to respect when we were growing up. A n—– will put his foot in your ass, take your records, take your money and your sodas and beer and tell you have a nice day! The only cats that got true respect in the streets were the pretty boys, the boys that were getting money, if you could fight and the ball players. Those were the four popular cats coming up.

Troy- Pretty much the same thing in Harlem.
Coke La Rock- See what I am saying. We use to go down to Harlem. I knew a couple of cats, like Charlie Rock who was from 139th street’s pit. I use to go to the Pit after midnight because the hustlers use to play for like a Grand or better. Then one day me and Herc bumped heads with Cisco. Now a cat getting money knows about Cisco.

Troy- Cisco from 116th street that was cool with Freddie Myers.
Coke La Rock- Thank you. Cisco created The Wiz Kids basketball team and he wanted us to play for them. Cisco was the first cat I saw getting real money when I was a young guy. Back then he had the two Mercedes Benz. He had the big jewelry, he was getting that paper. Herc mostly knew all the D.J. cats coming up, I was more in tune with those cats getting money. I meet Cisco through my friend that also went to school with me. I later found out my friends father was a bank robber. So that went with that. When I met Cisco I wasn’t hustling yet and we tried out for his team and Herc and I could have played for his team but we were from the Bronx. Plus I really enjoyed watching the game as well as playing it because Coke La Rock wears glasses so it can get real physical on the courts and you throw an elbow and brake my glasses I am not responsible for what happens next. But one on one I use to play in the Pit on 139th street in Harlem for that money, I am talking about $1200 a game

 

[Deltron]

kayslay also did a segment w/ him for his podcast/show:

 

[Waterproof]

Troy- You talking about Five Two then!

Coke La Rock- Thank you, you know what I am talking about. Some times it wouldn’t be Five Two it might be one of those 6 feet and under games. The hustles played and guys left them alone because of their rep, but very few of them could really play ball. I use to see Pee Wee out there too when he use to bring his man Joe Hammond out there with him. I remember Joe Hammond getting like 80 points up in the Rucker back in 1979. Harlem was fascinating.

I remember you telling me in the past you went to Brandeis High School well my man Diamond Dee went there as well. This was my man from back in 1971 the original Diamond Dee. See when cats want to take your name they want to have your fame. So my man Diamond Dee took me to Brandies one day and they had 6 fights in the lunch room during the dance. The party never ended I was like lord these cats are crazy. I remember another spot in Harlem over by Dante’s on 160 something street between Broadway and Amsterdam called The Devils Inn.

Troy- Over there by Wilson’s restaurant bakery that I thought would never go out of business.
Coke La Rock- Right, well The Devil’s Inn was the first real club I went to in Harlem to feel the difference. When you come out of there at night you see at least two n—— lined up against the wall dead. They would have fights inside and the party would still go on. That was unbelievable to me. It was like the tough survive and the weak perished. That spot woke me up. Then I went to this spot called The Factory West which was on 125th street one block down from The Apollo.

Troy- You talking about The Factory where you walk up the stairs! (It was changed years later to Randy’s Place. B Fats, Crazy Eddie and The Treacherous 3 and other young hip hop stars started making their bones there.)
Coke La Rock- Thank you. Well the fifth time I went there they killed the bouncer and just threw a sheet over him and kept getting that paper and partying. I didn’t know at the time if the police found a body at a spot the party is dead!

Troy- Right.
Coke La Rock- They couldn’t take him out so they waited until the party was over. But people kept coming in stepping over this man and he was dead.

Another club I went to was the Sand Pan. During this time you had other clubs downtown of Manhattan like The Eckanema and The Cheba. I was 17 years old when I started hanging out at the Sand Club down on 34thstreet between 7th and 8thavenue. At that time it was a club and a restaurant and a bar all in one. You had to be 21 to get in but I got through and it was the first club I really loved. And during this time on the forth of July all the fellas that were balling or getting a little paper would go out to Coney Island and you chilled by The Hemilayer ride, dancing and showing your wears off. I lived fly and I loved lizards so I stayed in the reptile house. Cats were wearing Penny loafers I was wearing reptiles. I couldn’t even go in zoo because the animals acted up. And I was G money man I kept a G and better on me. I walked around with 16, 17 hundred a day on me that was a normal thing with Coke La Rock.

So my man was like, “Come on over to The Sand Pan I was like nah I am only 17.” He said pull out that knot because it is only 5 dollars to get in. So I pulled out 1700 and gave the cat a $20 and I was in there. I felt like a big man, I got the older women saying, “hey.” I got 3 or 4 entrées of food around me. I’m smoking weed, got my car outside.

 

[Waterproof]

kayslay also did a segment w/ him for his podcast/show:

Word? 1 gotta check this out, Good Lookin

 

[Deltron]

it was good, if not too short...his podcast/show is pretty good overall...he gets a lot of good guests from all aspects of hip-hop.

 

[Waterproof]

Troy- So you were doing all this before you got on the mic?

Coke La Rock- Right, but this is what threw me more deeper with Herc. I use to sell weed at Herc’s parties. I would sell like 40 nickels a night at Herc’s recreational room. So I was always scrambling….

Troy- Scrambling! Damn I haven’t heard that in years.
Coke La Rock- Right and I really fell into it because one night Herc’s family went away and Herc wanted a little time with his girl. So Herc was like Coke play the records for me for awhile. I was in the recreational room but nobody knew me as that because d.j.ing wasn’t my thing. Herc said he was going to take less then an hour. But when he came back in the rec. room which was two hours later everybody was partying hard. He asked me if I wanted to be down with him, I didn’t mind because while I was playing music I was selling all my weed at the same time. See I go back with the weed, back to the days of The Chunky Black!

Troy- Chucky Black? Damn Coke you went way back to the Chucky Black from 23rd! (123d street between 7th avenue and Lenox Avenue had some of the most popular weed spots in Harlem and the rest of America probably.)
Coke La Rock- Lets go back Troy I was a Chucky Black man. I go knock on the door they look through the peep hole and let me in. They had 5 spots that covered both sides of the street. I take you deeper with the smoke part, they use to sell Motar back in the days and that was even more powerful and cats couldn’t get that. That Motar was over on 157thbetween Amsterdam and Broadway.

Troy- I heard about it, but it wasn’t easy to get.
Coke- Exactly, because this spot sold it once a week. And that was only for a chosen few. Now on the hustling tip I got like a little $1700 a day off the deuces and treys.

Troy- You talking about those deuces of heroine that got four dudes high?
Coke- Damn kid you remember those days.

Troy- This was up in the Bronx you was doing your hustle?

Coke- Exactly and see a lot of cats that were getting money in Harlem lived in the Bronx. And on the quit tip nothing could challenged Harlem, Harlem was, is The Mecca of the world! Let’s get that part real. Harlem is the Mecca of the drug game.

But the west side up here in the Bronx were I am at had families that had money. I went to Jr. High School and kids had 6 and 7 leather coats. And I was struggling to get one. I came from a single parent. My mother raised us and she worked 6 days a week. I had to stay at my grand mother’s house while my mother was at work. So really my grand mother and grand father raised us. I went to church every Sunday so I wasn’t raised as a street cat, but once I got in the game it has to be what it is. Plus you have to be in it to win it. The old saying goes, “it wasn’t nothing funny, it was all about the money.”

 

[Waterproof]

 

[Stez]

Dap/rep

Coke La Rock seem like a dope cat too.

 

[Waterproof]

Dap/rep

Coke La Rock seem like a dope cat too.

Word up, Coke La Rock had charisma true definition of Emcee keeping the interest of the crowd going.

Coke La Rock very important in hip hop, after him there was La Rock's everywhere