Booty

"Booty" is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the 1980s, characterized by its heavy, syncopated basslines, driving rhythms, and sexually suggestive lyrical content and themes. Emerging from the underground club scenes of cities like Detroit, Chicago, and Miami, booty music developed a devoted subculture and had a widespread influence on the evolution of electronic music worldwide.

Origins and Early Development

The roots of booty music can be traced to the rise of electro, hip hop, and house music in the 1970s and early 1980s. DJs and producers in predominantly African-American and Latinx urban communities began experimenting with drum machines, synthesizers, and sexually provocative vocal styles to create a new style of dance music.

Key early booty tracks include Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" (1982), Cybotron's "Clear" (1983), and Newcleus' "Jam on It" (1984). These records featured the hallmarks of the emerging booty sound - deep, rumbling bass, fragmented rhythmic patterns, and sexually-suggestive lyrics delivered in a bold, unapologetic manner.

As the decade progressed, the booty genre coalesced, with artists like 2 Live Crew, Luke Skywalker, and DJ Assault developing increasingly hardcore, explicit, and confrontational styles. Musically, booty incorporated elements of electro-funk, Miami bass, ghetto house, and even early techno. Socially and culturally, it became associated with an underground club scene that embraced hedonism, drug use, and highly sexualized behavior.

Global Expansion and Impact

By the late 1980s, booty music had broken out of its regional confines and gained a global following, especially in Europe. Artists like Mr. Oizo, Daft Punk, and Basement Jaxx incorporated booty influences into their own productions, helping to cement its status as an influential genre. Booty-inspired sounds and themes could be heard across the burgeoning rave, big beat, and electro house scenes.

The cultural and social impact of booty music was equally significant. Its unapologetically carnal lyrics and imagery challenged mainstream norms around sexuality and morality, attracting both devoted fans and fierce critics. Booty also became associated with the objectification of women, leading to controversies and censorship efforts in many countries.

However, booty also empowered marginalized communities, giving voice to experiences and desires that had been marginalized in mainstream pop culture. Its celebration of physicality, pleasure, and uninhibited self-expression provided an outlet and safe space, especially for LGBTQ+ individuals. Booty eventually evolved into a distinct subculture with its own fashion, slang, and community-building rituals.

The Meaning of "Booty"

The term "booty" had previously been associated with either the buttocks or the plundering of valuables. But within the context of this musical genre, it took on a new, more specific meaning. "Booty" came to signify the sexually charged, unapologetically hedonistic themes and aesthetics that defined the music and its surrounding culture.

This semantic shift was not without controversy. Critics decried the term's objectification of the female form, as well as the music's perceived misogyny and vulgarity. However, many fans and artists embraced "booty" as a reclamation of marginalized sexuality and a rejection of puritanical attitudes.

Today, the legacy of booty music lives on, its influence heard in genres ranging from trap to grime to dubstep. While the term may still carry baggage, the spirit of booty - raw, defiant, unapologetic - continues to resonate with marginalized communities seeking spaces to express their desires and challenge social norms.