In 2007 over 35 million people tuned in weekly to American Idol and saw Blake Lewis (runner-up) do something amazing… BEATBOX! While vocal percussions had been a fixture in Hip Hop culture during the 1980’s, and well-loved on both coasts, suddenly a mainstream audience throughout the country – young and old – were marveling at the sounds a human mouth can make.

Overnight, there was explosion of interest around the world in the entertaining human-art form, as evidenced by the HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of YOU TUBE searches and views for Beatboxing. The unprecedented surge in interest left many wondering how the “fifth element” of hip-hop culture (after graffiti spraying, DJing, MCing and breakdancing) could have grown so popular and so mainstream, so fast. But what they might not have known was that the fascination with beatboxing had been on a steady rise ever since the 1999 release of the album, Make the Music 2000, from solo artist RAHZEL (formerly of THE ROOTS) . This particular album was the first one of its kind to be released. The entire album was done in beat box.

By singing, and simultaneously Beatboxing, Rahzel blew the minds of music fans all around the world. A whole new generation of beatboxers had been born. On many of his tracks he was combining the scratching of turntable sounds with his vocals. Many of the beat box enthusiasts had not even heard of such a thing until Rahzel (featured in THE MAGNIFICENT COOLY-T) released this album.

Rahzel used his commercial appeal in order to pave the road for the future performers of beat boxing. It was at this time that beat boxing became what it is today… a worldwide phenomenon.

• More about the history of beatboxing
• 7 beatboxing clips on YouTube total over 100 Million views