Captain Rapp | |
|---|---|
| Born | Larry Earl Glenn |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Conscious rap Post-disco West Coast hip hop |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | Saturn Records JDC Records Rappers Rapp Records |
Captain Rapp is thestage name ofLarry Earl Glenn, anAmericanhip hop/post-disco musician, producer andWest Coast Rap pioneer.[1]
He is best known for his politically conscious song "Bad Times (I Can't Stand It)", which was aWest Coast response toGrandmaster Flash's "The Message."[2][3]
Glenn's musical career started in 1981 when he was signed to a smallindie label calledRappers Rapp Records. 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 onBillboardDance Charts.[4] The single was arranged and performed by emergingContemporary R&B mogulsJimmy 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]
"Bad Times" lyrically touches sensitive topics, includingunemployment,child sexual abuse,AIDS,Salvadoran Civil War and evennuclear war, in contrast to uptemposynth-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 inhip-hop history, "Good Times" byChic.[2][3]
| 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 | No. 23 | – |
| 1984 | "When Doves Cry Rapp" | Rappers Rapp | – | – |
| 1985 | "Bite Em" | Evejim | – | – |
| 1985 | "Agony" | Evejim | – | – |
| 12" / SAT-2003[6] |
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|---|
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.
Captain Rapp Rapp is an old school rapper, famed for 'Badd Times (I Can't Stand It)', a Los Angeles answer to 'The Message.
