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By: Greg Rector
50 years ago in The Bronx, New York, the birth of Hip Hop occurred. From the earliest days of the popular block parties amongst African American youth, the first “percussive” breaks of popular songs using two turntables and a DJ Mixer a genre and sub-culture were born. Within the decade, the genre would get radio airplay starting in 1979 and explode all over the country and the world.
At first, the genre was dominated by a disco influence and a more “party” feel. Most of us recognize The Sugarhill’s Gang “Rappers Delight” as the first exposure most of us had to the genre. Almost forgotten though was the second “rap” that got radio airplay though. When Debbie Harry sang and chanted “Rapture” it foreshadowed the crossover appeal that was to come.
Hip Hop
During the 1950s, older people would refer to teenagers’ house parties as “Hippity Hops” but the use of the term Hip Hop is generally given to Keef Cowboy of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. There were four elements stylistically to the genre. MCing/Rapping, DJing/Scratching, Break Dancing, and Graffiti Writing. There was also a heavy Latin and Caribbean influence early on reflecting the diversity of those Bronx neighborhoods.
The “percussive breaks” were a large part of “Dub Music” something highly popular in Jamaican music. The use of two turntables was necessary because the “breaks” in disco, funk, and soul songs were generally quite short, using the second turntable allowed DJs to extend those breaks. DJ Kool Herc is generally recognized as the guy who first used the technique.
Expansion
Once the genre was getting recognition its popularity quickly spread and there were quickly new “sub-genres” the “New School” of hip hop from the likes of Run DMC and LL Cool J now known of course as “Old School” hip hop. Heavily influenced by drum machines. By the mid-eighties, the West Coast was being heard from loud and clear as well. Of course, this sub-genre was the one like early rock and roll in the fifties that scared the daylights out of parents and was loved by the youth. “Gangsta Rap” the harder-edge genre that reflected the violent nature of inner-city life for African American youth.
No one group reflected this more than N.W.A. N******* With Attitude was a major reason that in the 90s music labels were forced into releasing explicit lyrics stickers thanks to the Second Lady Tipper Gore’s campaign. No song scared folks more than “F*** Tha Police” but for any of us around at that time, the power of the genre was the speaking of truth to power. Straight Outta Compton was the first blockbuster West Coast album and the fight was on between the East Coast originators and the new guys out West.
The Golden Age
Considered to be from 1985 to 1997 this is known as Hip Hop’s “Golden Age” mostly due to the movement to mainstream acceptance of the genre. Public Enemy with “Fight The Power” and Tone Loc with “Wild Thing” were massive hits. Wild Thing was the top-selling single in 1989. By this point, at most times of that year, one-third of the Billboard Hot 100 would be from the “Hip Hop” genre. MC Hammer with “Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt Em” would be the first to have a “Diamond Album” designation which id having over 10 million albums sold.
By 1992 the West Coast “Gangsta” genre was being looked at as more viable than the east coast when Dr.Dre released “The Chronic” G Funk was born and soon followed by Snoop Dogg’s 1993 “Doggystyle” sales-wise the west coast indeed took off. This also sparked the East Coast (Notorious B.I.G.) and Big Boy Records feud with the west coast’s Tupac Shakur (Death Row Records) Both would sadly be taken in drive-by shootings in 1996 and 1997. The Beastie Boys and Vanilla Ice crossed the racial barrier front in that era as well.
The Bling Era
After the deaths of Shakur and BIG, a new era was born. The likes of Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, Timbaland, and others saw the rise of R&B “hooks” and production style. Southern rap, alternative hip hop, Glitch hop, and wonky music all gained more prominence both styles really exploded with the “heavy bass” fans. We learned what trip-hop, dubstep, and IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) were in this era as well. This era would last from 1997 to 2006. Around 2005 many around the music industry also declared the genre was dying as album sales saw a decline for the first time. Those folks have some crow to eat. Eminem, 50 Cent, and Jay-Z emerged as the biggest names of the era.
The Blog Era
What those who thought the genre was on its last legs didn’t realize? The power of the internet. All album sales had declined and it was because of Peer to Peer networks most famously Napster had evolved. The use of sampling had also become highly cost-restrictive by this time. As an example when T.I. released Paper Trail in 2008 only four samples were used. Go back to 1998’s Moment of Truth by Gang Starr and there are 35 samples on that album. Albums were still reaching number one routinely though and obviously have survived quite nicely thank you. Alternative rap became mainstream with the decline of gangsta rap with Kanye West and others being credited for making more intelligent and socially aware albums.
The Streaming Era
With the advent of streaming music on all the various platforms available hip hop has again thrived. So much so that for the first time in the genre’s history hip-hop albums finally outsold “Rock and Roll” by 2017. There are just far too many groups and solo artists to keep track of no different from the TV explosion for streaming and all the shows available to viewers. One thing is certain though. After 50 years just as Danny and The Juniors would tell the world in 1958 that “Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay” the Hip Hop genre and its massive cultural influence isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
That’s a quick overview of Hip Hop from then until now.
#HipHop50
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