DELISA: It’s no secret that horns have laid
the foundation for a number of hip-hop hits
over the years, like JAY-Z’s “Roc Boys”
and Kanye’s “Touch The Sky,” but a few
horn-heavy tracks have ruled 2019, like J.
Cole's "Middle Child" and Young Thug’s “Hot.”
DELISA: In music composition, horns tend to
serve as the melody.
TAYLOR:Trumpets and clarinets
and flutes, they will usually give them the
melody on most songs because they, you know,
can pretty much cover any melody in music.
DELISA: That’s Kedric Taylor, director of
bands for Southern University’s Human Jukebox.
DELISA: As the band director at a historically
black university, the melody and the horn
section play a pivotal part in music.
TAYLOR: The melody is the most important part.
everybody wants to hear the melody.
Remember it's Gladys Knight and the Pips.
Gladys Knight is the melody.
The Pips is the rhythm section.
Gladys Knight calls, they answer.
DELISA: Kedric says that featuring horns on
a song elevates the track and creates a foundation
for the artist to tell their story.
TAYLOR: It adds a lot of color and feeling.
Anytime I think about music, it's telling
a story.
So in order for us to bring this composition
to life, you make analogies of it to enhance
the music.
DELISA: For instance, on “Hot,” Thug uses
the extra layer as an opportunity to boast-which
is often why artists look for a bold brass
section.
TAYLOR: You couldn’t have a violin sound,
saying you’re on top of the world, you need
a brass sound.
It’s gotta be thick and have that definite
sound that’s like, I’m on top of the world.
DELISA: And with a #1 album in 'So Much
Fun' on the Billboard 200, that bragging
is justified.
DELISA: The Wheezy-produced track quickly
became a meme thanks to a popular trumpet
clip from Spongebob.
DELISA: Thug followed the meme up with the
“Hot” Battle Of The Bands HBCU challenge,
and even brought out The Temple Diamond Marching
Band for assistance on The Tonight Show with
Jimmy Fallon.
DELISA: J. Cole’s early 2019 cut “Middle
Child” cracked the top 10 on the Billboard
Hot 100 back in February.
DELISA: Producer T-Minus took the flugelhorn
and trombone stems from ‘70s girl group
First Choice’s, “Wake Up To Me.”
T-MINUS: I remember Cole’s reaction was
like, “Oh shoot, this is crazy!”
DELISA: Cole channelled that energy on the
track, opening the boisterous cut with a word
of warning for the rap game.
DELISA: Later this year, Trippie Redd enlisted
producers MTK and Hammad Beats for his ostentatious/bombastic/brandish
anthem, “Under Enemy Arms.”
DELISA: MTK credits the brass section for
giving the track an epic feel.
DELISA: Other tracks find a balance between
soul and hip-hop, like Dreamville duo EARTHGANG
sampling The Budos Band’s horn-laden track,
“Nature’s Wrath” on their T-Pain assisted-cut,
“Tequila.”
DELISA: When Southern’s Human Jukebox flips
tracks on the field, they take notes from
soul legends when composing their horn section…
TAYLOR: Earth, Wind and Fire, had huge impact
on horn section.
The horn section played a key part in a
lot of, I'll say the background that makes
the song, that enhances it.
DELISA: Like on their Tyler-approved rendition
of ”EARFQUAKE.”
The more music you put in the song, to me,
the better the song becomes.
DELISA: And the horns don’t stop there.
Denzel Curry, Kevin Abstract and more have
used horns in their tracks in a range of ways
this year.
DELISA: What’s your favorite song with horns?
Let us know in the comments.
DELISA: I’m Delisa with Genius News bringing
you the meaning and the knowledge behind the
music.
