From its inception as studio-recorded music, hip-hop lived primarily on 12" vinyl singles. The wider grooves certainly packed a heftier sonic punch than on 7"s and LPs. But as with other burgeoning styles of dance music the medium also provided ample room for experimentation. Dub mixes and bonus beats were the hidden treats on many such singles – tripped-out tracks where reimagined bass, drum and tape edit arrangements took center stage, and echoey rap fragments floated in and out like ghostly guests. They were also showcases for a generation of transcendent engineers/editors/producers – e.g. Aldo Marin, Carlos Berrios, Omar Santana, Marley Marl and others – from an era when genres like hip-hop, R&B, electro and dance music could comfortably co-mingle. On the latest episode of Across 135th Street, host Chairman Mao flies solo at the controls, paying homage to these often brilliant versions and excursions.
