The Clave: Hip Hop/Rap’s I V vi IV Chord Progression

Welcome back. Let’s review.

Previously, we discussed:

1. Many pop, R&B, and alt. rock songs past and present have relied on the I, V, vi, IV chord progression.
2. This progression probably stemmed from the I,vi, IV, V chord progression popular in the 50’s and 60’s.
3. Judging by recent popular songs, this progression which hints at some serious musical stagnation is not going anywhere. (See the end of this post.)

We now turn our attention to some on-going trends in different genres of music that were not really talked about in the last post: Hip Hop and Rap. Analyzing chord progressions of popular Hip Hop and Rap songs would not be very fun at all. Mainly because the majority of the songs in these genres make use of creative beats and riffs (repeated musical phrases) to create the “hook” rather then chord progressions and melodies.  Some of these songs do not have any discernible chord progressions, or rather seem to hang on one note or chord for most of the song. So I guess you could say that there is a chord progression trend in Rap music; that is, to not have one. But that is not where the true trend lies. And, believe me, each and every genre of music has its true trends that so often play an integral part when writing its music. So what is Hip Hop’s I V vi IV chord progression? For this answer, we need to look to the beat…

Meet the “Son Clave:”

The Son Clave

The “Son Clave” is a musical beat. A rhythm. For those who can’t read music that well, this  is one and the same with that catchy little beat from the hit song “I Want Candy” (that song that Aaron Carter sang when he was like 8. Seriously look at the video. Judging by his prepubescent voice in the beginning, he can’t be older than 10 .) It’s that “Boom Boom Boom… BOOM BOOM” going throughout the whole song. This particular beat, mainly due to its syncopated first half followed by the forceful two beats at the end, can be quite memorable.

I would also like to introduce a different type of clave rhythm, the “Bossa Nova Clave:”

Bossa Nova Clave

The “Bossa Nova” is only slightly different from the Son, with the last note shifted one “eighth” note further, giving the beat a revolving quality and even more syncopation.

Together these two clave rhythm formulate the underlying beat behind almost all modern day Hip Hop and Rap songs. (A bold statement indeed!) Take that beat from prepubescent boy’s “I Want Candy,” slow it down a heck of a lot, maybe chop off that last quarter note, insert Snoop, and you’ve got yourself a Top 20 song on Q93. How the clave rhythms came to find their place in Hip Hop glory is a very interesting story, I’m glad you asked.       Let’s do it!

The clave rhythms derive from early Afro-Cuban music. For instance, the “Son Clave” was a particular clave rhythm that accompanied the Cuban musical style called “Son.” Clave rhythms were a central part of many different types of Cuban music such as the salsa and rumba, hence the name “clave” which means “key” in Spanish (since they were a “central” or “key” part of the music.) Claves like the “Son Clave” were very popular, but there existed other claves like the “Rumba Clave” and the “Bossa Nova Clave” as mentioned. Since Cuba, as well as the other surrounding Caribbean islands, saw heavy European and African influences during the slave trade, it only makes sense that Cuban music became a mesh of both European and African influence. However, it was the African cultures, cultures whose music relied heavily upon beats and polyrythms, that probably influenced these different clave beats the most. Thus the African influence on American music began. The syncopated clave beats made their way to America through ports like New Orleans, were integrated and accepted into American music largely through jazz music (look out for the “Son Clave” during Mardi Gras…it’s out there), while a syncopated “African type music known as “Ragtime” had already begun to sweep America off its feet.

Scott Joplin, King of Ragtime says: "Chicks dig Syncopation."

Fast forward a few years (just a few), and we get to Hip Hop and Rap music and…what do you know, the clave and other African influenced syncopated beats are still very much alive, and helping to shape a genre of music that will come to be a very important symbol of African-American culture.

So is the clave beat as pervasive as the I V vi IV chord progression? Yep. However, while all the songs I presented in my last post truly had that particular chord progression, the following popular Hip Hop and Rap songs don’t all follow the clave rhythm precisely. Like I said, sometimes a quarter note is chopped off, sometimes an eighth note is added, etc. It really is up to you to see whether all these songs really do have something in common or if I’m just crazy. So without further ado, the following songs all have a clave based beat that form the backbone of song:

1. “Drop it like its hot” by Snoop
2. “Say Aah” by Trey Songz
3. “Carry Out” by Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake
4. “I think they like me” by Dem Franchise Boyz
5. “Laffy Taffy” by D4L
6. “Crank That” by Soulja Boy
7. “Bed Rock” by Lil Wayne
8. “How Low” by Ludacris

The best representative of the “Son Clave” is probably “Drop it like it’s hot.” The snare drum during the riff at around 0.19 seconds replicates the “Son Clave” with an added quarter note where the first quarter rest is located. Ludacris’ “How Low” pretty much truthfully represents the “Bossa Nova Clave.”

So what do you think? Am I crazy? I don’t think I am. As far as how and why this beat has survived for so long, and why it came up in the first place, I think it all pretty much has to do with syncopation. African tribal music was mainly about dance, thus African music centered around danceable beats. And there is something about syncopated beats that make your brain and your body want to both locate and move to the actual beat, that is, the “1,2,3,4” or “1,2,1,2” pulses of the song. Use the clave at a slow tempo in a song, and watch the listener’s body sway to the “1,2,3,4” in a smooth, slow manner. After all, isn’t that what most of the Hip Hop and Rap songs are about? Being smooth, cool, gangsta, whatever. Maybe that’s why slow motion is so popular in music videos (see “Drop it like its hot”), why there is so much dancing associated with this music, and why syncopated beats like the clave are still being used. See you next time.

*Back to the whole I V vi IV thing…In his transition into the world of alt. rock, Lil Wayne’s right on track with the rest of ’em! He’s no dummy!

• “Knockout” by Lil Wayne