Brass Bounce
tagStarted 1994Peak 2000-2012Last big hit still activeFrom New Orleans, United States
Located in 2 routes
New Orleans hybrid where second-line brass bands fold rap cadences, bounce chants, and hip-hop rhythms into live sousaphone-and-snare music. Tuba carries the bassline, trumpets and trombones riff over street-beat drumming, and chanted hooks and call-and-response echo bounce. A bridge between Congo Square brass tradition and rap.
History
The Dirty Dozen and Rebirth Brass Band modernized New Orleans brass in the 1980s; younger bands like Hot 8, Soul Rebels, and New Breed pushed deeper into rap and bounce through the 1990s and 2000s. Bounce figures like 5th Ward Weebie collaborated with brass outfits, and post-Katrina the live brass-rap fusion became a signature New Orleans export.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Hot 8 Brass Band: Our Story
- Apple Music: Rebirth Brass Band
- Tru-Thoughts: Hot 8 Brass Band
- Music Rising (Tulane): Bounce