Rap and hip hop aren’t quite what they used to be when they first gained popularity. The music is very distinct from now, despite sticking to the same genre. Hip hop gained traction in the 1970s; from the poorest section of New York City (the South Bronx), where most singers were unemployed. They started as DJ’s and as rapping became more popular, more DJ and MC duos formed. DJ Clive “Kool Herc” Campbell pioneered the concept of ‘breaks’, which was pivotal to the introduction of ‘scratching’. By the late 1970s, this culture had gained media attention. Competition grew, and with it, so did the complexity of the lyrics and the beats.
In the mid-80s, hip hop singles with melodic hooks were on the up, as singles were more popular and sold more, thus making them more commercially viable. As the years progressed, hip-hop beats relied on drum machines, synthesizers, and samples from old funk and disco records. This introduced a new layer of dynamism to the music. The early 90s had producers using audio editing software to create different variants of hip hop. Examples include Jazz Rap (A Tribe Called Quest) and Progressive Rap (De La Soul), amongst others. The late 90s had socially conscious rappers such as Common, Wu-Tang Clan, and Mos Def rapping about political and socio-economic issues.
The most popular and successful rap of the late 90s and early 00s was gangster and hood rap. Most well-known rappers of this era had connections in high (and often the wrong) places and this was reflected in their lyrics. This era’s most prominent personalities include Jay Z, Nas, Tupac, and Notorious B.I.G, who were also convicts. They mostly wrote about violence and poverty in their music, while also paying homage to their peers and influences through their beats.
“Hip-hop is so saturated with the same old same old that people always expect the guy to actually be the guy. They want you to be real and straight from the streets and all that.” ~MF Doom
The early 2000s gave rise to artists like Eminem and Kanye West, who changed how people viewed Rap and Hip Hop. Merging their music with popular culture (movies, shoes, or otherwise), a whole new avenue was opened – mass commercialization. Artists have now moved away from the norm and have found individuality. From Kendrick Lamar’s laments on America’s treatment of black people to Vince Staples’ revolutionization of West Coast hip hop, hip hop has now diversified. A lot of female rappers have also found their voice and become successful such as Missy Elliot and Nicki Minaj.
All in all, one thing that hasn’t changed with time in this beautiful genre is that the artists continue to speak their stories through their music.
“Remind yourself; nobody’s built like you. You design yourself.” ~ Jay Z
Written by Venkat
Edited by Pratham and Debjeet
Chords & Co. 