Daddy-O and Bobby Simmons of Stetsasonic Talk About The Band Getting Back Together and New Music

Name: Daddy-O and Bobby Simmons of Stetsasonic Talk About The Band Getting Back Together and New Music
Uploaded: 2025-11-07T07:08:48-08:00
Duration: 35 min 50 s
Channel: SWAY'S UNIVERSE
Description: Legendary hip-hop group Stetsasonic (Bobby Simmons and Daddy-O) discuss their reunion, new music, and enduring legacy as pioneers of the 'hip-hop band'…

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About this episode Legendary hip-hop group Stetsasonic (Bobby Simmons and Daddy-O) discuss their reunion, new music, and enduring… AI summary

Legendary hip-hop group Stetsasonic (Bobby Simmons and Daddy-O) discuss their reunion, new music, and enduring legacy as pioneers of the 'hip-hop band' concept. They emphasize the importance of creating timeless music for fans, maintaining street-level community connections, and preserving hip-hop culture for future generations.

Key takeaways 5

Stetsasonic claims the title of the first 'hip-hop band' because they were the first to explicitly use that term on record (in 'Straight from the Lab'), distinguishing themselves from bands like Nucleus who were funk/rock bands that incorporated rap elements.
The group's musical innovation came from necessity; lacking traditional instruments like guitars, they used drum machines, DJ scratching (to mimic guitar), and keyboard bass lines to create a unique sonic texture that separated them from peers like Public Enemy or EPMD.
Daddy-O argues that artists must create new music not just for themselves, but to give fans 'bragging rights' to share with their children and grandchildren, ensuring the culture's longevity.
Bobby Simmons maintains his cultural relevance by staying physically present in the streets of Brooklyn, interacting directly with locals and youth, rather than isolating himself in corporate environments.
The group is actively working on a collaborative album with newer generation Brooklyn artists like Fabolous and Foreign Beggars, aiming for a 'masterpiece' quality rather than a quick cash grab.

Notable quotes 4 AI-generated: wording and quote attribution may be wrong. Use the play link to verify.

“You did that for you... when you start thinking about hip-hop... we got a bunch of fans out there... if we put out new music now you got bragging rights and now your kids are saying who is that... who is that and then when they say that's that's a group of my time but it don't sound old”

▶ 2:36 Daddy-O explaining the philosophy behind releasing new music: creating timeless content that fans can proudly share with younger generations.
“We literally recorded an album just with those elements we couldn't have a guitar player so prince paul had to scratch guitar sounds um dbc covered bass lines... so we had to really use what we had to create our own hip-hop sound”

▶ 7:27 Daddy-O detailing how Stetsasonic innovated musically by using available technology (drum machines, turntables) to replicate instruments they didn't have.
“We still in the streets for real like we got our boots on in the streets for real... we still got our boots on talking slapping five and hugging with these people even the young kids telling us what they like and what they don't like”

▶ 27:18 Bobby Simmons describing how he stays connected to the pulse of hip-hop culture through direct community engagement.
“If the rolling stones or if aerosmith or if you two are if any of these bands elton john or any of these folks have the right to still be out here touring and making money why not hip-hop fans there it is”

▶ 34:31 Host Sway concluding that hip-hop artists should have the same longevity and touring rights as classic rock legends.