Photographer Matt Shaver Curates Trip-Hop + Hip-Hop Playlist (UK/US Releases 1996-2006)
Massive Attack live concert photograph from the soundboard, year/venue unknown (CREDIT: Matt Shaver)
I’ve always found it strange that the name “Trip-Hop” stuck. It’s a tongue-in-cheek moniker coined to describe an album by an American producer/DJ—DJ Shadow—and given life primarily by three British acts—Portishead, Massive Attack, and Tricky. Get me into a ranting mood and I’ll tell you those are the only three Trip-Hop acts ever to exist. After that, anything with sultry vocals and some vinyl scratching had the label forced upon it to market it to people like me. It worked and an army took to Napster and turn-of-the-century forums to share, share, share. In a distinct change in direction from their predecessors, however, the new crop began to collaborate with its Hip-Hop inspirations. Between 1997 and 2004, a wave of production teams scrambled to work with American emcees and the more underground they were, the better. Soul-inspired, doe-eyed British kids were picking up the rackmount versions of the AKAI [MPC] samplers and starting record labels around making beats and releasing albums that were primarily instrumental or sung, but punctuated by songs with some of the best underground rappers of the era (and a few who were never heard from again). Forget JAY-Z & Kanye in Paris; this was Jeru in Manchester and Mos Def in Bristol. They worked with artists like Rae and Christian, who ran the venerable Grand Central Records, which operated from 1995 until 2006 (bookending the era). Songs were fundamentally the same as their Hip-Hop cousins, but sonically, there was a noticeable departure, even from US groups similar in flavor to what was happening in the UK (Ming + FS). The Europeans had a knack for Electronic music, which bled into the sound and the record that bore the samples came from a different crate. Then, rose a crop of British emcees, like Roots Manuva and MC Conrad, who were just as comfortable in the Dance world as they were in Hip-Hop.
Japanese artists, like DJ KRUSH added their spin to it, driven by the same style of Jazz that inspired so many American artists, but with a more esoteric flavor. The fervor died almost as quickly as it came and the luster disappeared. Still, many of these artists continued to perform, albeit with fewer and fewer emcees, until some switched genres and others stopped making music entirely. It was an incredible era with a style all its own, but alas, not one built to last, but the impact is still felt today. There is a reason why many of those emcees will tour Europe more than America these days: the love is still strong. This playlist collects a selection of top-shelf tunes that epitomized the Trip-Hop/Hip-Hop crossover era. Some Breakbeat and Techno pulled from the same well are also there. The collaboration between Massive Attack and yasiin bey (Mos Def, at the time) is the peak of all that was accomplished and a rare track featuring one of the three actual Trip-Hop acts and an American emcee of such a high caliber. The only artist who repeats is Jeru The Damaja *, as he had proper tracks throughout the years and remains highly regarded across Europe. For a few of the emcees, these songs might be the only record of their music that remains available.
Matthew “Matt” Shaver (@brightloud on X / @brightandloud on Instagram) is a photographer from the suburbs of Washington, D.C. He spent 13 years living in Philadelphia; 11 of those, as a contributor to WXPN Radio as a concert photographer, interviewer, reviewer, and occasional on-air guest. His photographs have graced album covers, artist merchandise, and label websites and have been in publications like NPR and Pitchfork. His favorite activity when not behind the camera is making playlists.
EDITOR’S NOTE: So, this whole thing started when I randomly stumbled upon a Twitter/X THREAD a couple weeks back, which was fittingly titled A Brief THREAD of Rappers On Electronic/Trip-Hop Music Artists’ Albums from A Specific Era. Shaver and his like-minded friends and Followers took turns commenting back-and-forth sharing stuff by artists like Rae & Christian Feat. Jeru The Damaja, Leftfield with Roots Manuva, Terranova Feat. Rasco, Björk Feat. Rodney P, Aim Feat. YZ, Esthero Feat. Shug & Meesah, Ming + FS Feat. M’stro Manny, Greyboy Feat. Main Flo, U.N.K.L.E. Feat. Kool G Rap. Techno Animal Feat. El-P & Vast Aire, Propellerheads Feat. De La Soul, DJ Spooky Feat. Organized Konfusion, Massive Attack Feat. Mos Def, Neneh Cherry Feat. The Notorious B.I.G., Goldie Feat. KRS-One, and much, much more. So, long story short, I direct messaged Shaver inquiring about some of the groups and the all-too-brief intersection of Trip-Hop/Hip-Hop. Eventually, this led to me asking for Shaver to compile an exclusive playlist for The Witzard. And this is, indeed, that!
* Aesop Rock and MF DOOM also, both repeat twice (and even once together) across the aforementioned Trip-Hop + Hip for TheWitzard.com playlist, as well!
