Kid Beyond is a pretty well renowned beatboxer.  He’s opened for some decent artists (like Imogen Heap of Frou Frou fame) as well as just trying to make a name for himself solo.

The thing that appeals to me about his performance is his use of technology.  Maybe I’m just a bit of a nerd, but I like seeing technology being used in ways that are beneficial to music in general.  Instead of trying to make it seem less real, or using technology to overproduce a record to the point where anyone (even me) could sound good, this is something productive that could advance hip hop.

I’m sure a lot of people would disagree and argue that this isn’t true beatboxing or anything like that, but I really don’t see the harm.  And something like a live looper could make a more diverse sound at shows and permit beatboxers to get a little more creative.  If they’re not just maintaining the bassline the whole way, they can try and make all kinds of better additions.  Either way, check out the video below, a little snippet of Kid Beyond’s e-beatboxing.