Pioneers Continued... The 90's

Pioneers Continued... Kenny Muhammad

Kenny Muhammad

Better known as "The Human Orchestra", Kenny Muhammad continues to serve as one of beatbox's most iconic and influential contributors to this day.

Muhammad, who also goes by the name of 'Kenny X', is one of the first musicians in beatbox history to "modernize" the art form. His style incorporated rhythmic replications not only of percussive instruments, but demonstrated stylistic influences derivative of "djing" and turntablism. 

He is one of the first artists to replicate what would seemingly appear to be an effortless performance, by layering electronic sound effects over his percussive rhythms. 

Two of the techniques he is widely credited for are:

1. "The Vocal Scratch"

2. "The Wind Technique"

In the same manner that beatboxers and vocal percussionists would imitate percussive sounds, Muhammad would mimic and replicate the sounds credited and popularized by DJ's in the 90's. The sounds replicated would be that of the vinyl scratch, or in this case, the vocal scratch. 

The Wind Technique is a routine which Muhammad developed himself and which remains as one of the staple techniques in beatbox and hip-hop culture.

"The Human Orchestra"

Video courtesy of TEIMULTIMEDIA

"The Wind Technique"

Video courtesy of RebornKorean