"In the beginning when there was no machines and there was no instruments, there was the vocal."

So speaks vocal percussionist Rahzel, human beat-box and self-proclaimed "Godfather of Noyze." Best known as a member of hip-hop's cutting-edge live band the Roots, Rahzel brings fresh sensibilities -- and new possibilities -- to the vocal realm.

"I think it really has no boundaries, I really think there's no limits to what I can do. It's not like this is just a hip-hop thing. It's not a hip-hop thing, it's a universal thing."

On stage, Rahzel puts his money where his mouth is. He simulates sounds urban and natural: A bulldozer, beating pigeon wings, traffic and helicopters -- a landscape MC-mixed with funk/jazz sensibilities that defies easy categorization. His debut album, The Fifth Element: Make the Music 2000, hits the street in July and is packed with guest performances from the likes of Aaron Hall, Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, Roots bandmate Black Thought, Me'Shell N'Degeocello and Branford Marsalis. At the root of it all, though, is Rahzel, his vocal acrobatics, his own brand of beat-box and vocal percussion, defining his own niche.

In this exclusive Rollingstone.com interview and performance, Rahzel shows just who he is.

Text and G2 Video by ADAM FALIK
(June 22, 1999)