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THE SONG: Hip Hop Be Bop (Don’t Stop).
WHO: Man Parrish.
WHY IT’S HOT: Man Parrish’s contribution to early hip hop and its subset Electro has long been overshadowed by some of his more bold-faced peers. Names like Afrika Bambaata, The Jonzun Brothers, and the production duo of Arthur Baker and John Robie are often cited as the progenitors of the sound but Man Parrish was side by side with them when the genre first surfaced.
His 1982 hit “Hip Hop Be Bop (Don’t Stop)” was a smash on the streets and has been immortalized by b-boys worldwide, in the film Shaun of the Dead, and in the gaming world via Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Man Parrish eventually became a world-renowned club promoter, producer, and songwriter with several musical works accepted into the prestigious permanent collection at the MOMA, among many other accolades.
To think it all started with this record.
WANT MORE? Early hip hop/electro by Man Parrish Featuring Freeze Force on “Boogie Down Bronx”.
WORDS: Greg Cee.