Everything about Toasting totally explained
» For other meanings see Toast (disambiguation).
Toasting,
Chatting, or
Deejaying is the act of
talking or
chanting over a
rhythm or
beat. The lyrics can be either improvised or pre-written. Toasting has been used in various
African traditions, such as
griots chanting over a drum beat,
Jamaican music forms, such as
dancehall,
reggae,
ska,
dub, and
lovers rock. Toasting's mix of talking and chanting may have influenced the development of
rapping in US
hip hop music. The combination of singing and toasting is known as
singjaying.
Traditional African American toasting
Toasting has been part of African American urban tradition since
Reconstruction as part of a verbal art tradition, dating back to the
griots of
Africa. African American stories usually lauds the exploits of the clever and not entirely law-abiding
trickster hero (not always human) who uses his wits to defeat his opponents.
Toasters continue the
oral tradition by recounting the
legends and
myths of the community in venues ranging from street corner gatherings,
bars, and
community centers, to
libraries and
college campuses. As with oral traditions in general, and with other African American art forms as the
blues, toasting uses a mixture of repetition and improvisation.
There are many versions of the best-known toasts, often conflicting in detail. Historically, the toast is very male- oriented, and many toasts contain profane or sexual language, although more family-oriented versions also exist.
Well known toasts include "Shine and the Titanic", "Dolemite", "Stack O Lee", "Jo Jo Gun," and "
Signifyin' Monkey."
» See also: Signifying
Jamaican toasting
In the late 1960s and early 1970s a strain of Jamaican music called
deejay toasting was developed. Deejays working for producers would play the latest hits on traveling
sound systems at parties and add their "toasts" or vocals to the music. These "toasts" consisted of boastful commentaries, chants, half-sung rhymes, rhythmic chants, squeals, screams, and rhymed storytelling.
Osbourne Ruddock (aka
King Tubby) was a Jamaican sound recording engineer who created vocal-less rhythm backing tracks that were used by DJs doing "toasting" by creating one-off vinyl discs (also known as
dub plates) of songs without the vocals and adding echo and sound effects.
Late 1960s toasting deejays included
U-Roy and
Dennis Alcapone, the latter known for mixing gangster talk with humor in his toasting. In the early 1970s, toasting deejays included
I-Roy (his nickname is an homage to U-Roy) and
Dillinger, the latter known for his humorous toasting style. In the late 1970s,
Trinity became a popular toasting deejay.
The 1980s saw the first deejay Toasting duo,
Michigan & Smiley, and the development of toasting outside of Jamaica. In England,
Pato Banton explored his Caribbean roots humorous and political toasting and the development of the Dancehall style.
(for example, hip-hop pioneer and Jamaican ex-patriate
DJ Kool Herc and
Phife Dawg of
A Tribe Called Quest). Jamaican deejay toasting also influenced various types of dance music, such as
jungle music,
UK garage, and
reggaeton. Dancehall artists that have achieved pop hits with toasting-influenced vocals include
Shabba Ranks,
Shaggy and
Sean Paul.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Toasting'.
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