Baltimore club facts for kids

Baltimore club, also known as Bmore club or just Bmore, is a fun and energetic type of music. It mixes sounds from breakbeat and house music. Think of it as a blend of hip hop and quick, sharp house music beats. This unique style started in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, in the early 1990s. Some of the people who helped create it were Luther Campbell, Frank Ski, Miss Tony, Scottie B., and DJ Spen.

Baltimore club music has a special beat pattern and is usually played at a fast pace, around 130 beats per minute. It often uses short, repeated vocal sounds, like those you might hear in trap or bounce music. A big part of Baltimore club is using "samples." This means taking small parts of existing songs or sounds and looping them to create new music. For example, producers have used sounds from TV shows like Sanford and Son, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Elmo's World. They also use sounds from Family Guy, South Park, and Ren & Stimpy. Sometimes, the samples are just simple repeated words or chants. The music also features strong breakbeats and a "call and response" style, similar to go-go music from Washington, D.C. Two famous breakbeats often sampled are "Sing Sing" by Gaz and "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins.

History

How It Started

Record stores in Baltimore were super important for Baltimore club music to grow. Early DJs like Scottie B., Shawn Caesar, and DJ Equalizer helped kick things off between 1990 and 1992. Later, more DJs joined in, including DJ Patrick, Kenny B, DJ Class, Diamond K, and DJ Technics.

Music from the UK, especially "breakbeat hardcore" records, also had a big influence. Some British rave songs from 1989 to 1992 were often sampled by Baltimore producers. Songs like "Don't Hold Back" and "Too Much Energy" were very popular with DJs. The Ensoniq ASR-10 keyboard sampler, released in 1992, was a key tool used to make many of these early tracks.

The 2000s

In the mid-2000s, Baltimore club music became more widely known, even outside of its usual scene. It gained popularity in Baltimore's rock music scene through dance nights at places like the Talking Head Club. Spin Magazine, a well-known music magazine, even featured Baltimore club in December 2005.

Rod Lee was called "the original don of Baltimore club" by The Washington Post in 2005, showing how important he was to the genre.

DJ K-Swift was another very famous person in Baltimore club music. She was a DJ at popular clubs like Hammerjacks and The Paradox. She also had her own radio show on WERQ-FM from 1998 until she passed away in 2008.

The 2010s

In 2019, a Baltimore club song called "Pop!" by James Nasty & Soohan was featured in an episode of the TV show Broad City. This helped bring the music to an even wider audience.

Baltimore Club Dancing

Baltimore club music and dancing go hand-in-hand. This energetic dance style, with its quick leg movements, started in Baltimore. It gives young people a way to express themselves and find a positive outlet in their city.

Throughout Baltimore, there were dance crews who would compete against each other at community centers and nightclubs. The music from famous DJs was very popular. The dance moves were often fast and intense because Baltimore club music mixes the quick pace of house music with hip hop.

One famous dance move from Baltimore club is the "crazy legs." This involves shaking both legs quickly while tapping your feet and shrugging your shoulders. Another move is the "what what," which requires tricky footwork where you lift one bent leg over the other in a fast, hopping motion. In April 2020, a video went viral showing people doing versions of "crazy legs" and "what what" to a remix of Miss Tony's "How You Wanna Carry It." The video was called "Put Your Mask On."

Music Spreading to Other Cities

In the 1990s, Baltimore club music became popular in other places, especially in North Jersey. This led to the creation of the Jersey club genre in Newark, New Jersey, started by DJ Tameil. Baltimore DJs would travel and share their mix tapes, helping the music spread. Radio shows in the Boston area also played Baltimore club music in the mid-1990s. The music also traveled south to Virginia and even to Alabama, where DJ Seven (also known as DJ Taj) created "Bamabounce." It also began to spread to New York City.

Philly club and Jersey club music are both types of music that came from Baltimore club, but they have grown into their own unique styles. Baltimore club music often has lively, repeated, and chopped-up vocals, sometimes based on rap songs. Technically, Baltimore club music uses a special "think break" drum pattern that helps define its sound. As the music has changed, it has gotten faster, and sounds like gunshots, "What!", and "Hey!" have become more common.

When these sounds reached Philadelphia, the city developed its own version called Philly club, or "party music." This style is even faster than Baltimore club and includes sounds like sirens, similar to "hardstyle" music.

In New Jersey, Baltimore club music spread differently. New Jersey DJs would go to Baltimore to get the newest club records and play them at parties back home. Over time, New Jersey DJs and producers added their own changes, making the music smoother and less rough. This style became known as Jersey club. The dance moves for Jersey club are also simpler and more widely used, matching the smoother music.

See also

In Spanish: Baltimore club para niños