Glimpse into Hip-Hop

One of the most prominent music genres in American music history is hip-hop. This music genre was cultivated by Black, Latino, and Caribbean youth in the 1970s. Hip-hop is a culture as well as an art movement. This music genre is characterized by four key elements: rapping, breakdancing, DJing, and graffiti. Hip-hop has other elements and characteristics other than the musical aspect. Hip-hop is also considered to be a culture. Hip-hop has affected so much from politics, language, fashion, style, and knowledge.

It is a debate whether hip-hop originated in West Bronx or the South. Particularly, Bronx hip-hop came to light in the mid-1970s. Block parties thrown by the Black Spades, an African American music group during the time, really kickstarted the birth of the hip-hop music genre. DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell, a brother-sister duo, are credited for making the genre more well-known from their history of DJing parties in the Bronx.

Hip-hop has all kinds of different sounds. It is not just rapping to a beat, as many may assume. It has birthed dozens of sub-genres. These sub-genres include trap, grime, gangster rap, rap rock, crunk, chill pop, bounce, mumble rap, Latin Hip-hop, and conscious hip-hop.

This video provides an example of what the sub-genre "chill pop" entails. It is exactly what it sounds like. It provides all the elements that hip-hop is made up of but adds a very soothing and relaxing sound behind it. It is the kind of music one may listen to when winding down and relaxing while keeping up an energetic feeling. 

 

Hip-Hop did not make its debut as an official genre until the late 70s with Sugarhill Gang's releasing what is considered the first hip-hop record, "Rapper's Delight" in 1979. The release of this record was so important to the emergence of the hip-hop genre; the record reached the top 40 on the US Billboard bringing light to the newfound genre in earning its place as an official music genre.

Hip-hop was at an all-time during the 1980s. These sub-genres of Hip-Hop started to sprout and many diverse groups began to add their spin on hip-hop. The audience for hip began to become international and reached the UK, Japan, and Australia.

This is a popular mainstream rap song from Slick Rick who is Jamaican and European.

 

The absolute Golden Era of hip-hop was from the 1980's-the 1990s. During this time, major artists such as Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G, Snoop Dogg, and Nas were introduced to the world and eventually named the greatest minds of the hip-hop genre. This period also brought the subgenre "gangsta rap" to light, which was a type of music that emphasized the lifestyle of the youth in the city and the hardships their environment put them through. This song by N.W.A. illustrates this perfectly when talking about the brutality and over-policing done by police in the area he grew up in. 

Hip-hop gradually became more and more popular throughout the years to eventually become a part of the mainstream. What hip-hop is now is thanks to the rise of internet distribution and streaming services such as SoundCloud, Spotify, and YouTube. Prominent music artists that have risen in recent years include Waka Flocka Flame, Cardi B, Future, Migos, Travis Scott, Megan the Stallion, 21 Savage, and Lil Uzi Vert.

So, what are the characteristics of hip-hop music? What makes hip-hop? Hip-hop is hip-hop when it has three characteristics: a strong rhythmic beat, vocals, and breaks.

Strong, Rhythmic beat: a beat is one of the most defining characteristics of hip-hop. It carries the song, whether it is fast and aggressive, or slow and relaxed.

Vocals: the vocals in a hip-hop song will usually include a rhymed chant intertwined with the beat throughout the song. This may be singing, spoken word, autotune, or ad-libs. 

Breaks: a "break" in a song is just as it sounds. It is a long percussive period in the song, and during this period, dancing is encouraged. This is where the term "breakdancing" comes from.

Hip-hop is not just important for its enjoyable sound and entertainment, it also opened the opportunity to speak about politics and the injustices of the world through music. Political hip-hop is an act of social activism that is used to raise awareness and preach the sad truths of the world. Hip-hop is important in African American culture not just because we were the ones that started it, but because when social injustice was extremely prominent against African Americans and other minority groups, hip-hop was a form of social expression. The voices that often went unheard were able to be heard through hip-hop music. A few of the most known and notable political hip-hop artists are Tupac Shakur, Kendrick Lamar, Public Enemy, and Lupe Fiasco. The next song is titled "Be Alright". In the song, Lamar speaks of police brutality, the music industry, and his weaknesses. He has some optimism, despite the hardships the black community faces, that things will be okay because as long as God is taking care of us, "we're gonna be alright".

“Hip-Hop Music Guide: History of Hip-Hop and Notable Artists - 2022.” MasterClass, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/hip-hop-guide#3-characteristics-of-hiphop-music. “Hip Hop.”

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Mar. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop.

 “Political Hip Hop.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Mar. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_hip_hop.

London, Amanda, et al. “‘Alright’ by Kendrick Lamar.” Song Meanings and Facts, 16 Oct. 2020, https://www.songmeaningsandfacts.com/alright-by-kendrick-lamar/.