StoryCorps Shorts: Beat by Beat
Special | 2m 47sVideo has Closed Captions
Ed Cage and his daughter Nicole talk about how he passed beatboxing on to the next generation.
In the 1980s, Ed Cage fell in love with beatboxing through the St. Louis hip hop scene. When he became a dad, his talent became a way to connect with his daughter, Nicole Paris. At StoryCorps, Ed and Nicole talk about how he passed the beat on to the next generation.
Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation, Reva & David Logan Foundation, the Open Society Foundations and the...
StoryCorps Shorts: Beat by Beat
Special | 2m 47sVideo has Closed Captions
In the 1980s, Ed Cage fell in love with beatboxing through the St. Louis hip hop scene. When he became a dad, his talent became a way to connect with his daughter, Nicole Paris. At StoryCorps, Ed and Nicole talk about how he passed the beat on to the next generation.
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship♪♪ Ed Cage (EC): When Mom was pregnant with you, I would get right up on her stomach and beatbox to Moms belly.
[ Does beatbox ] And you would feel the vibrations.— Nicole Paris (NP): [ Laughs ] EC: —and when I did, you would just shake.
And one of the greatest joys of my life was actually seeing you being born.
NP: Were you prepared at all to be a father?
EC: No—no, I wasn't prepared.
I was sixteen when we had your brother, so when I said, "Okay, I'm going to do this," I put everything into it.
NP: You had, like, two, three... how many jobs?
EC: No, I had four jobs— NP: Four jobs?
EC: I had so many jobs at one time, Nicole, I was going to the wrong job.
NP: You know, you being away so much growing up, that was hard.
EC: Yeah.
I didn't want to be the dude that came in and left, so I had to figure out how I was, as a father, going to connect.
And you always liked to hear me beatbox.
So, you used to sit up on my lap and you would just bang your head trying to keep that beat going.
I remember one time you were marking a whole bunch of crazy sounds and I told you, "I don't know what that is," but then I had to check myself and say, "Well, whatever you want to do, Nicole, that's what you do, okay?
And now you go to sleep beatboxing when you wake up we're beatboxing, when we're cooking, when we're driving...
So, when you and I communicate with each other, we can do it by beats.
NP: Yes.
Let's say if I don't agree with something that you're doing and I feel angry— EC: What did you just rolled your eyes at me for?
NP: Because you make me mad!
I'll do more of a base beat, kinda like... [Beatboxing] EC: Yeah, I can tell when you're not feeling good, because your beats are... [Beatboxing] ...really down.
NP: Yeah.
EC: But when you are feeling like, "Oh, I'm ready to take on the world,” you [Beatboxing vigorously] NP: Right.
Pops, I love the bond that me and you share.
EC: You know, baby.
It's—It's something, Nicky, to see you go out into the world continually trying to be the best that you can be, I just absolutely love that about you.
And as a father, that's all I can ask for.
[Beatboxing] [Beatboxing continues] [Beatboxing continues]
Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation, Reva & David Logan Foundation, the Open Society Foundations and the...