Bounce took shape in New Orleans in the early 1990s. MC T. Tucker and DJ Irv’s 1991 “Where Dey At” paired local call-and-response chants with a sample of the Showboys’ “Drag Rap.” The sampled beat became known as Triggerman; rappers called out wards and neighborhoods, turning performances into conversations with the crowd. Earlier local rap, brass bands, and Mardi Gras Indian traditions helped shape this spare, repetitive dance music. At the Ghost Town club in Hollygrove, Tucker’s roll calls made the crowd’s own geography part of the song. Local labels, including Take Fo’ Records, helped the sound spread; its artists included DJ Jubilee and Katey Red. Big Freedia later brought bounce to audiences far beyond Louisiana. The music keeps the names of New Orleans streets, schools, and neighborhoods audible even as some of those places change or disappear.
