Captain Rapp

Captain Rapp
Birth name Larry Earl Glenn
Origin Los Angeles, California
Genres Conscious rap
Post-disco
West Coast hip hop
Years active 1981-1985
Labels Saturn Records
JDC Records
Associated acts Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
DJ Flash

Captain Rapp is the stage name of Larry Earl Glenn, an American hip hop/post-disco musician, producer and West Coast Rap pioneer.[1]

He is best known for his politically conscious song "Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)", which was a West Coast response to Grandmaster Flash's "the Message".[2][3]

History

Glenn's musical career started in 1981 when he was signed to a small indie label called Rappers Rapp Disco Record Company. His first record, party-oriented, "Gigolo Rapp" was a minor hit on the East Coast yet the record failed in his home state.[1]

In 1983, his most successful single "Bad Times" came out on Saturn Records and reached number 23 on Billboard Dance Charts.[4] The single was arranged and performed by emerging Contemporary R&B moguls Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.[1] with Rich Cason.

In 1992, Glenn recorded a sequel to his previous hit single, titled "Bad Times, Part 2: The Continuance".[1]

Themes

"Bad Times" lyrically touches sensitive topics, including unemployment, child sexual abuse, AIDS, Salvadoran Civil War and even nuclear war, in contrast to uptempo synth-funk melody and soulful vocals.[5]

The song is a West Coast variant of "The Message" whereas the title is lampooning a name of the most sampled song in hip-hop history, "Good Times" by Chic.[2][3]

Discography

Charts

Year Song Label Chart positions[4]
U.S.
Dance
U.S.
R&B
1981 "The Gigolo Rapp" (with Disco Daddy) Rappers Rapp
1983 "Bad Times" Saturn #23
1984 "When Doves Cry Rapp" Rappers Rapp
1985 "Bite Em" Evejim
1985 "Agony" Evejim

Singles

"Bad Times"
12" / SAT-2003[6]
  1. "Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)" – 6:57
  2. "Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)" (Part 2) –5:34
  3. "Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)" (Part 3) (instrumental) –5:50
  • Label: Saturn
  • Written-by: Larry Earl Glenn
  • Guest singer: Kimberly Ball

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "(( Captain Rapp ))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
  2. 1 2 Cross, Brian (1994). It's not about a salary--: rap, race, and resistance in Los Angeles. Verso, 1994, (originally) the University of Michigan. p. 24. ISBN 0-86091-445-3. Captain Rapp had recorded 'Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)', a sort of West Coast bite of 'The Message' with its reversing of the title of the famous Chic track that was a staple of the commercial old school.
  3. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (1994). It's not about a salary--: rap, race, and resistance in Los Angeles. Guinness Publishing, 1994 & the University of California (originally). p. 22. ISBN 0-85112-788-6. Captain Rapp Rapp is an old school rapper, famed for 'Badd Times (I Can't Stand It)', a Los Angeles answer to 'The Message.
  4. 1 2 "Captain Rapp on Billboard charts". Allmusic, Billboard. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
  5. Rescher, Nicholas (1998). Getting Present as an Art: Predicting the future: an introduction to the theory of forecasting. SUNY Press. p. 49. ISBN 0-7914-3554-7.
  6. "Captain Rapp discography". Discogs. Retrieved 2011-08-05.
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