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Be Updated as you read the lastest music news on our site..
The History of Hiphop
The President on 12/17/2007 at 9:51am (UTC) | | | Hip hop music is a style of popular music, typically consisting of a rhythmic, rhyming
vocal style called rapping (also known as emceeing) over backing beats and scratching
performed on a turntable by a DJ. Emceeing, DJ-ing, breakdancing and graffiti art
comprise the four elements of Hiphop, a cultural movement which began in New York
City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Latinos.[1] The term
rap music is sometimes used synonymously with hip hop music, though it is also used
to refer specifically to the practice of rapping.
Typically, hiphop music consists of one or more rappers speaking/chanting
semi-autobiographic tales, or often, coded information in an intensely rhythmic
lyrical form, making abundant use of techniques like assonance, alliteration, and
rhyme. Though rap may be performed a cappella, it is more common for the rapper(s)
to be accompanied by a DJ or a live band providing an appropriate beat. This beat is
often from the percussion of a different song, usually rock, funk, or soul, and is
sometimes sampled. In addition to the beat, other sounds are often sampled,
synthesized, or performed. Though rap is usually an integral component of hiphop
music, instrumental and non-rap Electro acts such as Planet Patrol are also defined as
hiphop music groups.
Hiphop arose in New York City when DJs began isolating the percussion break from
funk or disco songs. The role of the emcee (MC) arose to introduce the DJ and the music,
and to keep the audience excited. The MCs would speak between songs, giving
exhortations to dance, greetings to audience members, jokes and anecdotes.
Eventually, this practice came to be more stylized, and was known as rapping. By 1979,
hiphop had become a commercially recorded music genre, and began to enter the
American mainstream. It also began its spread across the world. In the 1990s, a form
called gangsta rap became a major part of American music, causing significant
controversy over lyrics which were perceived as promoting violence, promiscuity, drug
use and misogyny. Nevertheless, by the beginning of the 2000s, hiphop was a staple of
popular music charts and was being performed in many styles across the world.
Roots of Hip hop (1970s)
Main article: Roots of hip hop
The roots of Hiphop are found in African-American and West African music. The griots
of West Africa are a group of traveling singers and poets, whose musical style is
reminiscent of hiphop. Within New York City, griot-like performances of poetry and
music by artists such as The Last Poets and Jalal Mansur Nuriddin had a great impact
on the post-civil rights era culture of the 1960s and 1970s. Hiphop arose during the
1970s when block parties became common in New York City, especially the Bronx. Block
parties were usually accompanied by music, especially funk and soul music. The early
DJs at block parties began isolating the percussion breaks to hit songs, realizing that
these were the most dance-able and entertaining parts; this technique was then
common in Jamaica and had spread via the substantial Jamaican immigrant
community in New York City, especially the "godfather" of hiphop, DJ Kool Herc.
Dub had arisen in Jamaica due to the influence of American sailors and radio stations
playing R&B. Large sound systems were set up to accommodate poor Jamaicans, who
couldn't afford to buy records, and dub developed at the sound systems (refers to both
the system and the parties that evolved around them). Herc was one of the most
popular DJs in early 70s New York, and he quickly switched from using reggae records
to funk, rock and, later, disco, since the New York audience did not particularly like
reggae. Because the percussive breaks were generally short, Herc and other DJs began
extending them using an audio mixer and two records. Mixing and scratching
techniques eventually developed along with the breaks. (The same techniques
contributed to the popularization of remixes.) Such looping, sampling and remixing of
another's music, usually without the original artist's knowledge or consent, can be
seen as an evolution of Jamaican Dub music, and would become a hallmark of the
hiphop style.
Later DJs such as Grandmaster Flash refined and developed the use of breakbeats,
including cutting.[citation needed] As in dub, performers began speaking while the
music played; these were originally called MCs; Herc focused primarily on DJing, and
began working with two MCs, Coke La Rock and Clark Kent—this was the first emcee
crew, Kool Herc & the Herculoids. Originally, these early rappers focused on
introducing themselves and others in the audience (the origin of the still common
practice of "shouting out" on hiphop records). These early performers often emceed for
hours at a time, with some improvisation and a simple four-count beat, along with a
basic chorus to allow the performer to gather his thoughts (such as "one, two, three,
y'all, to the beat, y'all").
Later, the MCs grew more varied in their vocal and rhythmic approach, incorporating
brief rhymes, often with a sexual or scatological theme, in an effort at differentiating
themselves and entertaining the audience. These early raps incorporated similar
rhyming lyrics from African American culture, such as the dozens. While Kool Herc &
the Herculoids were the first hiphoppers to gain major fame in New York, more emcee
teams quickly sprouted up. Frequently, these were collaborations between former gang
members, such as Afrikaa Bambaataa's Universal Zulu Nation (now a large,
international organization). Melle Mel, a rapper/lyricist with The Furious Five is often
credited with being the first rap lyricist to call himself an "MC."[2] During the early
1970s, breakdancing arose during block parties, as b-boys and b-girls got in front of the
audience to dance in a distinctive, frenetic style. The style was documented for release
to a world wide audience for the first time in Beat Street.
Although there were many early MCs that recorded solo projects of note, such as DJ
Hollywood, Kurtis Blow, and Spoonie Gee, real notoriety didn't appear until later with
the rise of soloists with big stage presence and drama, such as LL Cool J. Most early
Hiphop was dominated by groups where collaboration among the members was
integral to the show.(Toop:2000, 94)
Origin of term
Coinage of the term hiphop is often credited to Keith Cowboy, a rapper with
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five. Though Lovebug Starski, Keith Cowboy, and DJ
Hollywood used the term when the music was still known as disco rap, it is believed
that Cowboy created the term while teasing a friend who had just joined the U.S. Army,
by scat singing the words "hip/hop/hip/hop" in a way that mimicked the rhythmic
cadence of marching soldiers.[3] Cowboy later worked the "hiphop" cadence into a part
of his stage performance, which was quickly copied by other artists; for example the
opening of the song "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang.[3] Former Black Spades
gang member Afrika Bambaataa is credited with first using the term to describe the
subculture that hiphop music belongs to, although it is also suggested that the term
was originally derisively used against the new type of music.[4]
Context
The reasons for the rise of hiphop are found in the changing urban culture within the
United States during the 1970s. Perhaps most important was the low cost involved in
getting started: the equipment was relatively inexpensive, and virtually anyone could
MC along with the popular beats of the day. MCs could be creative, pairing nonsense
rhymes and teasing friends and enemies alike in the style of Jamaican toasting at
blues parties or playing the dozens in an exchange of wit. MCs would play at block
parties, with no expectation of recording, in the way of folk music. The skills necessary
to create hiphop music were passed informally from musician to musician, rather
than being taught in expensive music lessons.
Another reason for hiphop's rise was the decline of disco, funk and rock in the mid- to
late 70s. Disco arose among black and gay male clubs in America, and quickly spread to
Europe, where it grew increasingly sunny, bright and pop. Once disco broke into the
mainstream in the United States, and was thus appropriated, its original fans and
many other listeners rejected it as pre-packaged and soul-less. While many remember
the white teens shouting "disco sucks" at every available opportunity, often in racist
and homophobic contexts, inner-city blacks were similarly rejecting disco and
disco-fied rock, soul and funk (which was virtually everything on the radio at the
time).
If disco had anything redeemable for urban audiences, however, it was the strong,
eminently danceable beats, and hiphop rose to take advantage of the beats while
providing a musical outlet for the masses that hated disco. Disco-inflected music
(though comparatively little actual disco) was one of the most popular sources of beats
in the first ten or twelve years of hiphop's existence. In Washington DC, go go also
emerged as a reaction against disco, and eventually mixed with hiphop during the
early 1980s, while electronic music did the same, developing as house music in Chicago
and techno music in Detroit.
Along with the low expense and the demise of other forms of popular music, social and
political events further accelerated the rise of Hiphop. In 1959, the Cross-Bronx
Expressway was built through the heart of the Bronx, displacing many of the
middle-class white communities and causing widespread unemployment among the
remaining blacks as stores and factories fled the area. By the 1970s, poverty was
rampant. When a 15,000+ apartment Co-op City was built at the northern edge of the
Bronx in 1968, the last of the middle-class fled the area and the area's black and Latino
gangs began to grow in power.
Stylistic diversification
In the mid-1970s, Hiphop split into two factions. One sampled disco and focused on
getting the crowd dancing and excited, with simple or no rhymes; these DJs included
Pete DJ Jones, Eddie Cheeba, DJ Hollywood and Love Bug Starski. On the other hand,
another group were focusing on rapid-fire rhymes and a more complex rhythmic
scheme. These included Afrika Bambaataa, Paul Winley, Grandmaster Flash and
Bobby Robinson. During the transition into the early 1980s, many felt that Hiphop was
a novelty fad that would soon die out. This was to become a constant accusation for at
least the next fifteen years. Some of the earliest rappers were novelty acts, using the
themes to Gilligan's Island and using sweet doo wop-influenced harmonies.
With the advent of recorded hiphop in the late 1970s, all the major elements and
techniques of the genre were in place. Though not yet mainstream, it was well-known
among African Americans, even outside of New York City; hiphop could be found in
cities as diverse as Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, Miami,
Seattle, St. Louis, New Orleans, and Houston.
Philadelphia was, for many years, the only city whose contributions to Hiphop were
valued as greatly as New York City's by Hiphop purists and critics. Hiphop was popular
there at least as far back as 1976 (first record: "Rhythm Talk", by Jocko Henderson in
1979), and the New York Times dubbed Philly the "Graffiti Capital of the World" in 1971,
due to the influence of such legendary graffiti artists as Cornbread. The first female
solo artist to record hiphop was Lady B. ("To the Beat Y'All", 1980), a Philly-area radio
DJ. Later Schoolly D helped invent what became known as gangsta rap.
1980s
The 1980s saw intense diversification in hiphop, which developed into a more complex
form. As technology evolved so did the practice of looping break into breakbeats; the
emergence of samplers and sequencers allowed the beats to be manipulated with
greater precision and granularity and recombined in more complex new ways than
was possible with vinyl alone. In 1984, Marley Marl accidentally caught a drum
machine snare hit in the sampler; this innovation was vital in the development of
electro and other later types of hiphop. In 1989, DJ Mark James under the moniker "45
King", released "The 900 Number", a breakbeat track created by synchronizing
samplers and vinyl. (Toop, 2000)
The content evolved as well. The simple tales of 1970s emcees were replaced by highly
metaphoric lyrics rapping over complex, multi-layered beats. Some rappers even
became mainstream pop performers, including Kurtis Blow, whose appearance in a
Sprite commercial made him the first hiphop musician to be considered mainstream
enough to represent a major product, but also the first to be accused by the hip-hop
audience of selling out. Another popular performer among mainstream audiences was
LL Cool J, who was a success from the release of his first LP, Radio.
Hiphop was almost entirely unknown outside of the United States prior to the 1980s.
During that decade, it began its spread to every inhabited continent and became a
part of the music scene in dozens of countries. In the early part of the decade,
breakdancing became the first aspect of Hiphop culture to reach Germany, Japan and
South Africa, where the crew Black Noise established the practice before beginning to
rap later in the decade. Meanwhile, recorded hiphop was released in France (Dee
Nasty's 1984 Paname City Rappin') and the Philippines (Dyords Javier's "Na Onseng
Delight" and Vincent Dafalong's "Nunal"). In Puerto Rico, Vico C became the first
Spanish language rapper, and his recorded work was the beginning of what became
known as reggaeton.
Politicization
The first rap records (Fatback Band's King Tim III, Grandmaster Flash's Super Rappin
and The Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight) were actually recorded by live musicians
in the studio, with the rappers adding their vocals later. This changed with DJ records
such as Grandmaster Flash's Adventures on the Wheels of Steel (known for pioneering
use of scratching, which was invented by Grandwizard Theodore in 1977) as well as
electronic recordings such as Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa and Run DMC's very
basic, all electronic Sucker MC's and Peter Piper which contains genuine cutting by
Run DMC member Jam Master Jay. These early innovators were based out of New York
City, which remained the capital of Hiphop during the 1980s. This style became known
as East Coast hiphop.
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five released a "message rap", called The Message, in
1982; this was one of the earliest examples of recorded hiphop with a socially aware
tone.
In 1987, Public Enemy brought out their debut album (Yo! Bum Rush the Show) on Def
Jam, and Boogie Down Productions followed up in 1988 with By All Means Necessary;
both records pioneered wave of hard-edged politicized performers. The late 1980s saw a
flourishing of like-minded rappers on both coasts, and Public Enemy's It Takes a
Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back became surprisingly successful, despite its militant
and confrontational tone, appearing on both the club and rap charts, and peaking at
#17 and #11, respectively. Aside from the lyrical innovations, Public Enemy's
Terminator X (along with Eric B., of Eric B. & Rakim) pioneered new techniques in
sampling that resulted in dense, multi-layered sonic collages.
Popularization
The mid-1980s saw a flourishing of the first hiphop artists to achieve mainstream
success, such as Kurtis Blow (Kurtis Blow), LL Cool J (Radio) and especially Run-D.M.C.
(Raising Hell), as well as influences in mainstream music, such as Blondie's Debbie
Harry rapping in the first non-black hit to feature rapping, "Rapture". LL Cool J's
Radio spawned a number of singles that entered the dance charts, peaking with "I Can
Give You More" (#21). 1986 saw two hiphop acts in the Billboard Top Ten; Run-D.M.C.'s
"Walk This Way" collaboration with Aerosmith, and the Beastie Boys "(You Gotta)
Fight for Your Right (To Party!)". The pop success of both singles was unheard of for the
time; "Walk This Way" has proved especially memorable for its early mixture of
hiphop and rock (though it was not the first such mixture), and it peaked at an
unheard of #4 on the pop charts. Also, the mid-1980s saw the rise of the first major
black female group, Salt-N-Pepa, who hit the charts with singles like "The Show Stoppa"
in 1985. Ice-T's seminal "6n' Da Mornin'" (1986) is one of the first nationally successful
West Coast hiphop singles, and is often said to be the beginning of gangsta hiphop
(along with Schoolly D, LL Cool J and N.W.A.).
Turntablism
Main article: Turntablism
While early hiphop arose through the decline of funk and disco while still employing
their musicianship, there was rise of artists who employed the use of the turntable as
an instrument in itself. Hip-hop Turntablist DJs use turntable techniques such as beat
mixing/matching, scratching, and beat juggling to create a base that can be rapped
over. Turntablism is generally focused more on turntable technique and less on
mixing. Each scratch of the turntable is considered unique due to the complex
waveforms produced, and employing digital sampling is considered an affront to a true
Turntablist. (Toop:2000, 96)
Rise of gangsta rap
Main article: Gangsta rap
The first gangsta rap album to become a mainstream pop hit, selling more than 2.5
million copies, was N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton (1988). N.W.A.'s controversial
subject matter, including drugs, violence and sex, helped popularize what became
known as gangsta rap (said to have begun with Ice-T's "6N' Da Morning"). Specifically,
the song "Fuck Tha Police" earned the foursome the enmity of law enforcement,
resulting in a strongly-worded letter of discontent from the FBI. N.W.A.'s most lasting
impact, however, was placing the West Coast on the hiphop map.
Diversification
Though women, whites and Latinos had long been a part of the Hiphop scene, it was not
until the 1980s that groups other than young African American males began creating
popular, innovative and distinctive styles of hiphop music.
The first rap recording by a solo female was Philadelphia-based Lady B.'s "To the Beat,
Y'All" (1980), while The Sequence became the first female group to record. It was, not,
however, until Salt-N-Pepa in the middle of the decade that female performers gained
mainstream success.
The first groups to mix hiphop and heavy metal included 1984's "Rock Box" (Run-D.M.C.)
and "Rock Hard" (Beastie Boys). Later in the decade, Ice-T and Anthrax were among the
most innovative mixers of thrash metal and hiphop. These fusions helped move
hiphop into new audiences, and introduced it to legions of new fans in the States and
abroad.
Latin Hiphop
Main article: Latin Rap
In Puerto Rico, Vico C became the first mainstream Spanish language rapper, and his
recorded work was the beginning of what became known as reggaeton. Hiphop had
always had a significant connection to the Latino community in New York City
including the first Latin DJ DJ Disco Wiz, and hiphop soon spread amongst Latinos. In
the late 1980s and early 1990s, most Latin rap came from the West Coast of the United
States. In 1989, Cuban-American Mellow Man Ace became the first Latino artist to have
a major bilingual single. Mellow Man, referred to as the "Godfather of Latin rap",
brought mainstream attention to Spanglish rhyming with his 1989 platinum single
"Mentirosa". In 1990, fellow West Coast artist Kid Frost further brought Latinos to the
rap forefront with his single "La Raza." Cypress Hill, of which Mellow Man Ace was a
member before going solo, would become the first Latino rap group to reach platinum
status in 1991. Ecuadorian born rapper Gerardo received heavy rotation on video and
radio for his single "Rico, Suave." As a result of the success of these artists, countries
throughout Latin America such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico created
their own Hiphop scenes.
Electro
Main articles: Electro (music) and Electro (disambiguation)
While Run DMC laid the groundwork for East Coast rap, "Planet Rock" (Afrika
Bambaataa) was one of the first electro tracks. Based on a sample from German rock
group Kraftwerk (Trans-Europe Express), "Planet Rock" inspired countless groups,
based in New Jersey, New York City and Detroit, among other places, to make electronic
dance music (called electro) that strongly influenced techno and house music, and
especially the burgeoning electro music scene in northern England, the Midlands and
London.
"Planet Rock" influenced hiphop outside of New York as well, such as Latin hiphop (also
Latin freestyle or freestyle) such as Expose and The Cover Girls, as well as Los
Angeles-based electro hop performers like the World Class Wreckin' Cru and Egyptian
Lover.
Spread within US
By the end of the 1970s, Hiphop was known in most every major city in the country, and
had developed into numerous regional styles and variations. Outside of New York City,
New Jersey and Philadelphia, where Hiphop had long been well-established, the 1980s
saw intense regional diversification.
The first Chicago hiphop record was the "Groovy Ghost Show" by Casper, released in
1980 and a distinctively Chicago sound began by 1982, with Caution and Plee Fresh.
Chicago also saw the development of house music (a form of electronic dance music) in
the early 1980s and this soon mixed with hiphop and began featuring rappers; this is
called hip house, and gained some national popularity in the late 1980s and early 90s,
though similar fusions from South Africa, Belgium and elsewhere became just as
well-known into the 90s.
Los Angeles hardcore rappers (Ice-T) and electro hop artists (Egyptian Lover) began
recording by 1983, though the first recorded West Coast rap was Disco Daddy and
Captain Rapp's "Gigolo Rapp" in 1981. In Miami, audiences listened to Miami bass, a
form of sultry and sexually explicit dance music with a heavy bass sound, which arose
from Los Angeles electro; it frequently included rapping. In Washington D.C. a
hiphop-influenced form of dance music called go go emerged and incorporated rapping
and DJing.
International spread
Beginning in the early 1980s, Hiphop culture began its spread across the world. By the
end of the 1990s, popular hip hop was sold almost everywhere, and native performers
were recording in most every country with a popular music industry. Elements of
Hiphop became fused with numerous styles of music, including ragga, cumbia and
samba, for example. The Senegalese mbalax rhythm became a component of hiphop,
while the United Kingdom and Belgium produced a variety of electronic music fusions
of hiphop, most famously including British trip hop.
Hiphop also spread to countries like Greece, Spain and Cuba in the 1980s, led in Cuba by
the self-exiled African American activist Nehanda Abiodun and aided by Fidel Castro's
government. In Japan, graffiti art and breakdancing had been popular since the early
part of the decade, but many of those active in the scene felt that the Japanese
language was unsuited for rapping; nevertheless, by the beginning of the 1990s, a wave
of rappers emerged, including Ito Seiko, Chikado Haruo, Tinnie Punx and Takagi Kan.
The New Zealand hiphop scene began in earnest in the late 1980s, when Maori
performers like Upper Hutt Posse and Dalvanius Prime began recording, gaining
notoriety for lyrics that espoused tino rangatiratanga (Maori sovereignty).
1990s
In the 1990s, gangsta rap became mainstream, beginning in about 1992, with the
release of Dr. Dre's The Chronic. This album established a style called G Funk, which
soon came to dominate West Coast hiphop. Later in the decade, record labels based out
of Atlanta, St. Louis and New Orleans gained fame for their local scenes. By the end of
the decade, especially with the success of Eminem, hiphop was an integral part of
popular music, and many American pop songs had a major hiphop component.
In the 90s and into the following decade, elements of hiphop continued to be
assimilated into other genres of popular music; nu soul, for example, combined hiphop
and soul music and produced some major stars in the middle of the decade, while in the
Dominican Republic, a recording by Santi Y Sus Duendes and Lisa M became the first
single of merenrap, a fusion of hiphop and merengue.
New York City experienced a heavy Jamaican hiphop influence during the 90s. This
influence was brought on by cultural shifts particularly due to the heightened
immigration of Jamaicans to New York City, and the American-born Jamaican youth
who were coming of age during the 90s. Hiphop artists such as De La Soul and Black Star
have both produced albums influenced by Jamaican roots.[1]
In Europe, Africa and Asia, hiphop began to move from an underground phenomenon
to reach mainstream audiences. In South Africa, Germany, France, Italy and many
other countries, hiphop stars rose to prominence and gradually began to incorporate
influences from their own country, resulting in fusions like Tanzanian Bongo Flava.
West Coast
Main article: West Coast hip hop
After N.W.A. broke up, Dr. Dre (a former member) released The Chronic (1992), which
peaked at #1 on the R&B/hiphop chart and #3 on the pop chart and spawned a #2 pop
single in "Nothin' But a 'G' Thang".. The Chronic took West Coast rap in a new
direction, influenced strongly by P funk artists, melding the psychedelic funky beats
with slowly drawled lyrics—this came to be known as G funk, and dominated
mainstream hiphop for several years through a roster of artists on Death Row Records,
including most popularly, Snoop Doggy Dogg, whose Doggystyle included "What's My
Name" and "Gin and Juice", both Top Ten pop hits.
Though West Coast artists eclipsed New York, some East Coast rappers achieved
success. New York became dominated in terms of sales by Puff Daddy (No Way Out),
Mase (Harlem World) and other Bad Boy Records artists, in spite of often scathing
criticism for a perceived over-reliance on sampling and a general watered-down sound,
aimed directly for pop markets. Other New York based artists continued with a harder
edged sound, achieving only limited popular success. Nas (Illmatic), Busta Rhymes
(The Coming) and The Wu-Tang Clan (Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)), for example,
received excellent reviews but generally mediocre or sporadic sales.
The sales rivalry between the East Coast and the West Coast eventually turned into a
personal rivalry, aided in part by the music media. Many reporters were not aware
that MC battles were an integral part of Hiphop since its inception, and that,
generally, little was meant by open taunts on albums and in performances.
Nevertheless, the East Coast-West Coast rivalry grew, eventually resulting in the still
unsolved deaths of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G..
Diversification of styles
In the wake of declining sales following the deaths of both superstar artists, the sounds
of Hiphop were greatly diversified. Most important was the rise of Southern rap,
starting with OutKast (ATLiens) and Goodie Mob (Soul Food), based out of Atlanta.
Later, Master P (Ghetto D) built up an impressive roster of popular artists (the No
Limit posse) based out of New Orleans and incorporating G funk and Miami bass
influences, and distinctive regional sounds from St. Louis, Chicago, Washington D.C.,
Detroit (ghettotech) and others began to gain some popularity. Also in the 1990s,
rapcore (a fusion of hiphop and heavy metal) became popular among mainstream
audiences. Rage Against the Machine, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit were among the
most popular rapcore bands.
Though Caucasian rappers like the Beastie Boys (Paul's Boutique), Vanilla Ice (To the
Extreme) and 3rd Bass (The Cactus Album) had had some popular success and/or
critical acceptance from the hiphop community, Detroit-native Eminem's success,
beginning in 1999 with the triple platinum The Slim Shady LP, came as a surprise to
many. Like most successful hiphop artists of the time, Eminem came to be criticized for
alleged glorification of violence, misogyny, and drug abuse, as well as homophobia and
albums laced with constant profanity.
In South Africa, pioneering crew Black Noise began rapping in 1989, provoking a ban by
the apartheid-era government, which lasted until 1993. Later, the country produced
its own distinctive style in the house fusion kwela. Elsewhere in Africa, Senegalese
mbalax fusions continued to grow in popularity, while Tanzanian Bongo Flava crews
like X-Plastaz combined hiphop with taarab, filmi and other styles.
In Europe, hiphop was the domain of both ethnic nationals and immigrants. Germany,
for example, produced the well-known Die Fantastischen Vier as well as several
Turkish performers like the controversial Cartel. Similarly, France has produced a
number of native-born stars, such as IAM and the Breton crew Manau, though the most
famous French rapper is probably the Senegalese-born MC Solaar. The Netherlands'
most famous rappers are The Osdorp Posse, an all-white crew from Amsterdam, and
The Postmen, from Cape Verde and Suriname. Italy found its own rappers, including
Jovanotti and Articolo 31, grow nationally renowned, while the Polish scene began in
earnest early in the decade with the rise of PM Cool Lee. In Romania, B.U.G. Mafia came
out of Bucharest's Pantelimon neighborhood, and their brand of gangsta rap
underlines the parallels between life in Romania's Communist-era apartment blocks
and in the housing projects of America's ghettos. Israel's hiphop grew greatly in
popularity at the end of the decade, with several stars emerging from both sides of the
Palestinian (Tamer Nafer) and Jewish (Subliminal) divide; though some, like Mook E.,
preached peace and tolerance, others expressed nationalist and violent sentiments.
In Asia, mainstream stars rose to prominence in the Philippines, led by Michael V.,
Rap Asia, MC Lara and Lady Diane, and in Japan, where underground rappers had
previously found a limited audience, and popular teen idols brought a style called
J-rap to the top of the charts in the middle of the 90s.
Latinos had played an integral role in the early development of Hiphop, and the style
had spread to parts of Latin America, such as Cuba, early in its history. In Mexico,
popular hiphop (rap) began with the success of Calo in the early 90s. Later in the
decade, with Latin rap groups like Cypress Hill on the American charts, Mexican rap
rock groups, such as Control Machete, rose to prominence in their native land. An
annual Cuban hiphop concert held at Alamar in Havana helped to popularize Cuban
hiphop, beginning in 1995. Hiphop grew steadily more popular in Cuba, due to official
governmental support for musicians.
Alternative hiphop
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Main article: Alternative hip hop
Though mainstream acceptance has been almost entirely limited to gangsta rap,
isolated alternative rap artists, with a socially aware or positive or optimistic tone,
have achieved some success. In 1988 and 1989, albums like De La Soul's Three Feet High
and Rising, Gang Starr's No More Mr. Nice Guy and the Jungle Brothers' Straight Out
the Jungle are usually considered the first albums in this genre, with jazz-based
samples and lyrics (see jazz rap) strongly influenced by the Afrocentric messages of
Bambaataa's Zulu Nation collective.[original research?] Later alternative artists,
many of whom were members of the Native Tongues Posse, including Tribe Called
Quest (The Low End Theory), Mos Def (Black on Both Sides) and The Roots (Things Fall
Apart), also achieved some mainstream success, though the influence of jazz grew less
pronounced (with some exceptions, most notably Guru's Jazzmatazz project). Jazz rap
went on to influence the development of trip hop in the United Kingdom, which fused
hiphop, jazz and electronic music; it is said[attribution needed] to have been started
by Massive Attack's Blue Lines (1991). Arrested Development also released their album
3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of... in 1992, which included the hit single,
"Tennessee." At the time, it was one of the best selling and most popular alternative
rap albums. This was largely[attribution needed] thought to be the start of a new
great era in alternative rap, but Dr. Dre's releasing of The Chronic later that year
made gangsta rap the more viable commercial form of hip-hop.
2000s
In the year 2000, The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem sold over nine million copies in
the United States, and Nelly's debut LP, Country Grammar, sold over six million copies.
In the next several years, a wave of increasingly pop-oriented crossover acts such as Ja
Rule dominated American popular music. It was not until the sudden breakthrough
success of the hard-edged 50 Cent that hardcore hiphop returned to the pop charts. The
United States also saw the rise of alternative hiphop in the form of moderately popular
performers like The Roots, Dilated Peoples and Mos Def, who achieved unheard-of
success for their field.
As the decade progressed, hip-hop has transformed from the more or less "old school"
rhythmic rap to a more melodic hip-hop that has the elements of jazz, classical, pop,
reggae, and many other genres. Hip-hop also gave birth to subgenres such as snap
music and crunk. Hip-hop influences also found their way into mainstream pop during
this period as well.
Some countries, like Tanzania, maintained popular acts of their own in the early
2000s, though many others produced few homegrown stars, instead following
American trends. Scandinavian, especially Danish and Swedish, performers became
well known outside of their country, while hiphop continued its spread into new lands,
including Russia, Japan, Philippines, Canada and China.
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Top richest hip hop artist
President on 11/27/2007 at 2:01pm (UTC) | | |
THREE RICHEST MEN IN HIP-HOP FOR 2007:
JAY-Z (HALF A BILLIONAIRE)
*Annually, our staff does research to compile information for the "Richest People In Hip-Hop List." This year, there wasn't a significant change in income from last year's list with the exception of the top three. Therefore, we present to you, "The Three Richest Men In Hip-Hop for 2007."
With a power move that would make Bill Gates blush, rap mogul Jay-Z has returned to the number one spot for 2007 after losing the number one spot to P. Diddy in 2006.
Jay-Z reclaimed his spot with the sale of Roc-A-Wear to the "Iconix Brand Group," in March of 2007 which netted him $204 million, before taxes. Jay-Z will retain his stake in the company and will continue to oversee the marketing, licensing and product development. Jigga will also receive an additional $35 million dollars in "Iconix" stock if the Roc-A-Wear brand meets certain performance requirements over the next 3-5 years.
Jay-Z also co-owns The 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar that started in New York City and has since expanded to Atlantic City, NJ. Future plans will see 40/40 Clubs in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Singapore. Roc-A-Fella also distributes Armadale, a Scottish vodka, in the U.S. He is also the president of Def Jam Records in New York.
On October 16, 2006, Jay-Z's commercial spot with Anheuser-Busch aired, featuring his single "Show Me What You Got." Jay-Z will serve as co-brand director for Budweiser Select while collaborating with the company on strategic marketing programs and creative ad development. He will be providing direction on brand programs and ads that appear on TV, radio, print, and high-profile events.
Jay-Z is a part-owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team paying a reported $4.5 Million. Jay-Z is also interested in relocating the team to Brooklyn.
In October 2005, he was reported in English media as considering buying a stake of Arsenal F.C., an English football team. However, at this point, this is still speculation.
FINANCIAL BREAKDOWN:
Jay-Z's wealth for 2007 is based on the following: The Rocawear sale (after corporate lawyer fees and taxes applied) is in the $150-$160 million range, his Def Jam salary ($3 million) his endorsement deals ($9 million) his publishing rights ($10 million annually) his annual income from his 40/40 clubs is ($5 million), his income from Armadelle Vodka nets him $13 million yearly, his royalties from "Kingdom Come,' netted him $2 million due to a high royalty rate (despite sluggish sales due to downloading ) and his consultant salary with Anheuser-Busch along with his NBA investment nets him a combined total of $5 million-and his $340 million carried over from 2006 brings the grand total to staggering: $547 million dollars. Highest dollar amount (Rocawear) calculated for overall total.
Sean "Diddy" Combs presides over a media empire that includes the record label Bad Boy Records, the clothing lines Sean John and Sean by Sean Combs, a movie production company, and two restaurants. He has taken the roles of recording executive, performer, producer of MTV's "Making the Band," writer, arranger, clothing designer, and Broadway actor and he has made a fortune in the process.
Last year (2006), Combs estimated wealth was $346 million dollars. Since then, he's earned $1 million per month through his various business ventures for the last 12 months. Putting his wealth for 2007 at: $358 million dollars.
Russell Simmons (born October 4, 1957 in Queens, New York), is an American entrepreneur, the co-founder, with Rick Rubin, of the pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam, founder of another label, Russell Simmons Music Group, and creator of the clothing fashion line Phat Farm.
Since May 2005 he's been a contributing blogger at The Huffington Post.
Russell Simmons is the third richest Hip-Hop entertainer, having a net-worth estimate of $340 Million for 2007.
HONORABLE MENTION:
*Since it was recently revealed that 50 Cent actually made $100 million and "NOT" $400 million dollars off his widely reported vitamin water deal, he moves to our honorable mention category and Russell Simmons moves into third place.
Just last week it was reported, 50 Cent, who has 10% ownership "glaceau," is expected to make $100 million (before taxes) after Coca Cola purchased glacéau for $4.1 billion.
In November 2003, before releasing "Beg for Mercy," with G-Unit, 50 Cent signed a deal with Reebok to release his G-Unit Sneakers brand. He also started The G-Unit Clothing Company. A video game, in which he provides the voice-over as the protagonist, 50 Cent: Bulletproof was released for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and the PlayStation Portable. 50 Cent has worked with glacéau to create and market low-calorie, natural drinks called Formula 50. He also launched a condom line and plans to donate a part of the proceeds to HIV awareness. 50 also receives $3-5 million per film.
50 created a empire within seven years and reached the $100 million dollar mark within five years of success. He is one savvy businessman, no wonder Mary J. Blige and her husband Kendu asked him for tips regarding financial investments. 50 may not win all of the awards but he has the second biggest bank account in the rap game.
As we stated once before, 50 is the only rapper to perform for overseas royalty at a rate of $500,000 per show.
What a difference a year makes, last year, 50 was worth $100 million. The Coca-Cola deal more than tripled his income for 2007.
With his Coca Cola deal, numerous merchandise deals, ring tone deals, along with his film salary (3 films) and investments. 50 is now worth $200 million, after taxes.
50 will pocket additional income when his 52-room mansion in Connecticut (on the market) for an undisclosed price is purchased, it's rumored that the asking price is $10 million.
Pharrell Williams: Hip-Hop producer and rapper has sound investments in his merchandise imprint, "Billionaire Boys Club." Williams has also launched a street skate boarding team called, "Ice Cream Skate Team." Williams also drives a $1 million dollar Enzo Ferrari (only 39 exist in the world) as well as a convertible Rolls Royce and within the next 2-3 years, if his production success continues, he should reach the $200 million dollar milestone in personal wealth.
Nelly has a stake in the Charlotte Bobcats basketball team, he also has an investment in a NASCAR race team, his "Apple Bottoms," brand is a success as well as his "Pimp Juice," beverage. Within the next 18-24 months, Nelly will be the next rapper to hit the $100 million dollar milestone if his success continues at the current pace.
Jermaine Dupri is a successful hip hop producer and a executive for Island Def Jam. Meanwhile, Dupri also expanded his business ventures, buying into Chicago-based distillery "3 Vodka," and opening his own boutique restaurant, "Cafe Dupri." Dupri will eventually hit the $100 million dollar mark if his success continues.
Ludacris has his own label as well as a clothing line called CP Time and he is a successful actor with numerous roles lined up. All of his albums have gone platinum or multi-platinum and he currently resides in a beautiful mansion. If his success continues, he will eventually make our top ten list.
In 2005, T.I. launched his own film production company called "Grand Hustle Films," signed a multi-artist joint venture deal for his label with Atlantic Records, and established a music publishing deal for "Grand Hustle Music," with "Warner Chappell." T.I. also owns a popular detail shop in Atlanta and he has an investment in a nightclub. Like Ludacris, if his success continues, he will eventually make our top ten list.
Our homeboy E-40 is also a shrewd businessman: In addition to record sales E-40 has ventured into other business opportunities. Along with former NFL player Chester McGlockton, E-40 has opened a Fatburger franchise in Pleasant Hill, California. E-40 recently authored the book, E-40's Book of Slang to be published by Warner Books. He also has his own line of liquor called "Cloud 9," and he opened the now-defunct Ambassador's Lounge, a nightclub in Downtown San Jose. E-40 also owns a home in the super exclusive "Blackhawk" community in Northern, California. The cheapest home in this community is priced at $5 million dollars.
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