August 11th marked the 5 decade anniversary for Hip Hop and we're highlighting the origins of the hit genre and commemorating those who created its legacy and continue it.
Same Passage | D.J. Kool Herc
1973 birthed the fresh & new genre, we now know today as Hip Hop. The boroughs of NYC, specifically the Bronx is home to the imagination that soon became Hip Hop music. Between the multi-cultural influence, rise of immigration, and the popularity around block parties, the new sound began to soar. This creative outlet made space for conversation within those in the community and provided them with a voice to tell their story and express their emotions.
This new type of music is a culmination of genres blended into one, including Soul, Funk, Disco, and Dub music. Rapping or MCing was another fragment of it, which added clever wordplay into the mix and was used to not only hype up the crowd, poke fun and outdo one another, but it brought everyone together in a different way than other versions of artistry.
D.J. Kool Herc is accredited as the father of the genre, which opened the door for fellow DJs to do the same and sparked conversation across the city. Despite the disapproval from others of this newfound category in music, artists continued to persevere and continue creating & exploring this new addition.
The Vinyl Factory | Anton Spice
Some other notable names from the origins of Hip Hop include Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash, which were the other two key members that made up the "Holy Trinity".
Ask Hip Hop
As the years progressed, the 80s & 90s generated a subgroup within the genre called "Old School Hip Hop", which was highly influenced by some of the most notable artists to date, including Run D.M.C, Salt-N-Peppa, Beastie Boys, N.W.A, Public Enemy, and more. As opposed to the more soft-core of the previous decade, this new group was more attuned with harsher edges and took key aspects from 80s Rock music and poked at socio-economic and political topics.
The 90s began the more widespread age of Hip Hop where its sound and lyrical nature had changed directions, reaching mainstream media. Labels centered around this genre were gaining more recognition, including Def Jam, Bad Boy Records, and Death Row Records.
Once the west coast got wind of Hip Hop, multiple artists put their spin on the growing genre through the exploration of Gangsta rap. This sub genre touches on more controversial and violent storytelling that describes hardships experienced by the Black community. N.W.A is often correlated to its popularization, specifically in their album "Straight Outta Compton. The group consisted of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, DJ Yella, Arabian Prince, MC Ren, and Ice Cube.
Its popularity throughout the west coast continued to birth some other recognizable names, including Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and The Pharcyde. Both the east & west coast became home to some prominent figures in the Hip Hop community and ultimately the music industry as a whole. This decade explored further into its new sound & birthed some of the biggest and most innovative albums to date.
Only in the mid to late 90s did Hip Hop breakthrough to the masses and gain enormous popularity and critical reception. From Vanilla Ice to Jay-Z, Eminem, Tupac, the Notorious B.I.G., and more. Both the east & west coast were home to thousands of Hip Hop artists, both young and old who continued to express themselves musically despite the consistent backlash.
Pitchfork | Jeff Weiss
The south even configured their own style that diversified themselves from both the east and west coast. Goodie Mob is a notable influence from the southern Hip Hop subgroup based in Atlanta that inspired others to do the same, such as Kris Kross and OutKast.
Newer artists gained inspiration from these moguls and gave their music its own twist and there came other forms, such as Crunk, Trap, G-Funk, Alternative, Drill, Emo, and Boom. Between the difference in sound, production, perception, identity, and feel, the Hip Hop community expanded into other territories, discovering new ways to fuse their artistry with this growing musical style.
Besides the massive success that Hip Hop had and continues to have on the industry, the cultural influence continues to be relevant today and inspires more artists to pursue their dreams, tell their story, and continue to empower others.
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