Captain Rapp is the stage name of Larry Earl Glenn, an American hip hop/post-disco musician, producer and West Coast Rap pioneer.[1]
Captain Rapp | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Larry Earl Glenn |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Conscious rap Post-disco West Coast hip hop |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Saturn Records JDC Records Rappers Rapp Records |
He is best known for his politically conscious song "Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)", which was a West Coast response to Grandmaster Flash's "The Message."[2][3]
History edit
Glenn's musical career started in 1981 when he was signed to a small indie label called Rappers Rapp Records. His first record, party-oriented, "Gigolo Rapp" was a minor hit on the East Coast yet the record failed in his home state.[1]
In 1983, his most successful single "Bad Times" came out on Saturn Records and reached number 23 on Billboard Dance Charts.[4] The single was arranged and performed by emerging Contemporary R&B moguls Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.[1] with Rich Cason.
In 1992, Glenn recorded a sequel to his previous hit single, titled "Bad Times, Part 2: The Continuance."[1]
Themes edit
"Bad Times" lyrically touches sensitive topics, including unemployment, child sexual abuse, AIDS, Salvadoran Civil War and even nuclear war, in contrast to uptempo synth-funk melody and soulful vocals.[5]
The song is a West Coast variant of "The Message" whereas the title is lampooning a name of the most sampled song in hip-hop history, "Good Times" by Chic.[2][3]
Discography edit
Charts edit
| Year | Song | Label | Chart positions[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Dance |
U.S. R&B | |||
| 1981 | "The Gigolo Rapp" (with Disco Daddy) | Rappers Rapp | – | – |
| 1983 | "Bad Times" | Saturn | #23 | – |
| 1984 | "When Doves Cry Rapp" | Rappers Rapp | – | – |
| 1985 | "Bite Em" | Evejim | – | – |
| 1985 | "Agony" | Evejim | – | – |
Singles edit
- "Bad Times"
| 12" / SAT-2003[6] |
|
|---|
References edit
- ^ a b c d " Captain Rapp ". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
- ^ a b Cross, Brian (1994). It's not about a salary--: rap, race, and resistance in Los Angeles. Verso, 1994, (originally) the University of Michigan. p. 24. ISBN 0-86091-445-3.
Captain Rapp had recorded 'Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)', a sort of West Coast bite of 'The Message' with its reversing of the title of the famous Chic track that was a staple of the commercial old school.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (1994). It's not about a salary--: rap, race, and resistance in Los Angeles. Guinness Publishing, 1994 & the University of California (originally). p. 22. ISBN 0-85112-788-6.
Captain Rapp Rapp is an old school rapper, famed for 'Badd Times (I Can't Stand It)', a Los Angeles answer to 'The Message.
- ^ a b "Captain Rapp on Billboard charts". Allmusic, Billboard. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
- ^ Rescher, Nicholas (1998). Getting Present as an Art: Predicting the future: an introduction to the theory of forecasting. SUNY Press. p. 49. ISBN 0-7914-3554-7.
- ^ "Captain Rapp discography". Discogs. Retrieved 2011-08-05.