The first rapcore song ever made was groundbreaking and captivating, “World Destruction” by Time Zone featuring John Lydon and Afrika Bambaataa is recommended!
Click here to purchase “World Destruction” by Time Zone (featuring John Lydon & Afrika Baambaataa
GROUP: Time Zone (Featuring John Lydon & Afrika Bambaataa)
SINGLE: World Destruction
DURATION: 5 Songs (26 Minutes)
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1984
- World Destruction
- World Destruction (Single Edit)
- World Destruction (Meltdown Remix)
- Wild Style
- World Destruction (“Hard Cell” Remix)
Back in the early 1980’s, the threat of nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union was at its all time high.
It’s all one saw on television and with films such as “Red Dawn” and a TV film titled “The Day After”, it was no doubt a scary time.
And at the time, DJ/Rapper Afrika Bambaataa, best known for forming the Universal Zulu Nation, a group of socially and politically aware rappers and also the founder of the Soulsonic Force, was working on a project known as Time Zone which Afrika Bambaataa would work with different music artists.
The first song was back in 1983 titled “The Wildstyle” which featured music from a German project called Wunderwerke (and the song was popular among breakdancers at the time).
He would then collaborate with ex-Sex Pistols and current Public Image Ltd. band leader, John Lydon (as well as producer/musician Bill Laswell), in creating the first rapcore (combining rap and rock music) song, “World Destruction” (note: Often Run DMC and Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” is often credited as being the first, but this song was released a year before “Walk This Way”).
Needless to say, the collaboration was unexpected and the collaboration was rather interesting musically.
According to Afrika Bambaataa, “I was talking to Bill Laswell saying I need somebody who’s really crazy, man, and he thought of John Lydon. I knew he was perfect because I’d seen this movie that he’d made (Copkiller), I knew about all the Sex Pistols and Public Image stuff, so we got together and we did a smashing crazy version, and a version where he cussed the Queen something terrible, which was never released”.
According to Lydon, after they put the beat down, they were able to create the song in four and a half hours.
The single would feature “World Destruction” and its single edit, along with a meltdown remix. But also “The Wildstyle” (The first Time Zone song) and “World Destruction (“Hard Cell” Edit).
The collaboration was no doubt groundbreaking at the time. To see someone from punk rock collaborating with one of the well-known rappers at the time was something that was unexpected and cool. Fastforward many years later and the song would be played during an ending scene of The Soprano’s and a new generation got their taste of the rapcore song!
I recall hearing this on the Los Angeles radio station KROQ 106.7 (a legendary radio station known for playing music way before it becomes popular, songs not usually played on mainstream radio, as well as new wave and alternative rock) when it first came out and I absolutely loved it!
And to think, in 2022 the song remains relevant today as it did back in 1983.
The first rapcore song ever made was groundbreaking and captivating, “World Destruction” by Time Zone featuring John Lydon and Afrika Bambaataa is recommended!
Click here to purchase “World Destruction” by Time Zone (featuring John Lydon & Afrika Baambaataa
