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History of hip hop music
The evolution of hip hop and how it effects culture
History of hip hop music
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One of the most influential groups to date who helped paved the way for the second coming generation of rap music in the 80’s was RUN-D.M.C. The group consisted of 3 members: Jay Mizell, also known as “Jam Master Jay”, Darryl McDaniels, and Joseph Simmons. From the years 1981 all the way through 2002, they were changing the game of rap and bringing in new ideas into the field. Rather than switching from one flow to the next on their verses, they finished each other's lines, something no other big group had done before. They were the first hip-hop artists to create entire albums, not just some mixes with singles and some nonsense. It was this same trio who also “introduced hats, gold chains, and untied sneakers” (“Rolling Stone”, para. 1, 2001) …show more content…
to this generation's up and coming kids and teens. The band Run- D.M.C., whose trademark consisted of gold chains and Adidas apparel was made up of three members, a trio, Darryl McDaniels, Joseph Simmons, and Jam Master Jay from Hollis Queens.
It is interesting how these three members grew up within the same city and ended up forming a band altogether within the near future. As a young boy, Darryl Matthews McDaniels developed a desire to draw pictures found in the insides of comic books due to the fact that his older brother, Alford often brought in materials at home. At first, he started out with stick figures but little did he know that music would encounter him and remain with him for quite a while. McDaniels commenced his music career by deejaying. He eventually formed a duo with Simmons because of the love they both felt towards rap itself, but someone needed to help them with records. Mizell, superior deejay at the time, was the perfect match for these …show more content…
two. Joseph “Reverend Run” Simmons. Simmons has taken many paths within his music career such as joining the rap group Run- D.M.C. to being a minister to even being an author. He as well as Darryl grew up within the middle class. Simmons, known as DJ Run at the time, earned his nickname by fully engaging behind the mic and with verbal duals which were resulting extremely well for him. He then encountered Darryl and from there it all started. Jason William Mizell, also known as Jam Master Jay, experienced this relationship with music at such an early age. He learned various instruments which included the tuba, trombone, guitar, keyboard, drums, along with his voice. His family then moved on unto the middle class and from there he ran into record scratching. Record scratching made it possible for Jay to join the duo of Darryl and Joseph which marked the beginning for the band Run- D.M.C. . Unfortunately, Jam Master Jay did not make it through all his years. Jay was murdered in his Queens studio on October 30, 2002. His killer has not been found to this very day. Ideally, Run- D.M.C.
is the group that set the sound and style of hip-hop and rap. Simply through their music, which consisted of hard beats and blunt lyrics which were empowered greatly with the powerful vocals that conveyed what their music was. Starting with their first single “It’s Like That”/ “Sucker MC’s”, released in 1983, that marked them for their unique style of rap. As mentioned in the beginning, signature trademarks such as the overlapping of Run’s and D.M. C’s vocals as they finished each other’s lines, something that no rapper back then did. This single was what started the road to their ultimate fame. They were also the group that brought the snapback, gold chains, and untied sneakers as the fashion trend for rappers, but ultimately impacted the style of the youth during the
80s. After their first single reached #15 in R&B charts, that same year they followed up with another hit called “Hard Times” (#11 in R&B charts) which carried a rock, “pseudo-jazz of earlier rap songs”. Subsequently, the group lead their way to an array of R&B chart hits, like “Rock Box” (#22 in 1984), “30 Days” (#16 in 1984), “King of Rock” (#14 1985), and such. Ultimately, in 1984, they were the first rap group to have a certified Gold self-titled album, as well as being the first rap group to ever play their music video “Rock Box” on MTV.In 1985, the remake of the 1976 hit song “Walk This Way”, in where Run-D.M.C. teamed with Stephen Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, marked the history of music for breaking boundaries between rock and rap, It reached #4 on the Billboard pop chart. In the same way, as stated before, this single lead to the rise of audience for the group itself opening new doors for success. During this time, the group released their second album “King of Rock” by which by then they were one of the most popular and influential rappers in America. In 1986, their third album “Raising Hell” hit went on sale and a month later was certified Gold and had sold over a million copies. Songs included like “My Adidas” reached #5 in 1986 and won the group corporate sponsorship, and what came to be the group’s greatest hit single, “You Be Illin” earned the #29 spot in the pop charts and #12 in R&B, as well as, “It’s Tricky”. This album reached to be #3 in Pop Hits and #1 in the R&B charts, but essentially this album earned them the status of the “King of Rock”. However, in the year of 1987 and on, commenced the years of dwindling for Run-D.M.C. as they spent most of it releasing their fourth album “Tougher Than Leather”, which reached #9 okn the pop charts and got certified platinum. After having appeared in a film with the same title of their album, the decline for Run-D.M.C. began. They still continued to release new material but they would barley make into the Top 100 charts. In the 1990s they released their fifth album “Back From Hell” but came to be the first album to not get certified gold. Nonetheless , during this time group member Run and D.M.C. were struggling with drug and alcohol problem. In 1993 , Run-D.M.C. came back clean and releasing a christian-themed album called “Down With the King” which striked number one in the R&B chart and number seven in the pop chart, and sold over 500,000 copies. However in the year 1994, Reverend Run is ordained as a priest in Zoe Ministries. Moreover, Jam Master Jay found the scratch DJ academy to provide unparalleled education Years later after JMJ’s death and having been announced as number 48 in the “100 Greatest Artists”, in 2004, they were inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the 24th annual dinner. References A&E Television Networks, LLC. (2018). Biography. Retrieved from: https://www.biography.com/people/groups/run-dmc Erlewine, S. T. (n.d.). Run-D.M.C. | Biography & History. Retrieved April 03, 2018, from: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/run-dmc-mn0000358408/biography Run- D.M.C. (n.d.) The Official Website of Run DMC. Retrieved from: http://www.rundmc.com/dmc/ Simon, & Schuster, & Serpick, E. (2001) Run-D.M.C. Biography. Rolling Stone. Retrieved from: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/run-d-m-c/biography
Hip-Hop became characterized by an aggressive tone marked by graphic descriptions of the harshness and diversity of inner-city life. Primarily a medium of popular entertainment, hip-hop also conveys the more serious voices of youth in the black community. Though the approaches of rappers became more varied in the latter half of the 1980s, message hip-hop remained a viable form for addressing the problems faced by the black community and means to solve those problems. The voices of "message" hip...
In his book Hip Hop America, Nelson George states, “Hip hop culture is just another name for black ghetto culture.” Is this statement really true? If one examines the origins and subject matter of early hip hop, one will find that George’s words are, in fact, true. Hip hop of the 1980s and 1990s highlights issues faced in Black ghettos, such as drug problems, violence, and poverty. With this music, hip hop artists of the eighties and nineties bring Black issues to the forefront by incorporating important messages with simple beats; not only that, but hip hop also gives these issues a great deal of recognition.
Houston kicked off the Southern hip-hop trends in the 1980's with pioneers such as the Geto Boys and UGK. Both groups we're overtly conscious discussing not only poverty, but also the implications of drug dealing and violence (Smith, 2004; Sanneh 2005). The early 1990's brought in Houston's signature chopped and screwed sound when DJ Screw made his name is a "psychedelic remixer" (Sanneh, 2005.) But the Houston sound took a while to expand to the rest of the US because like the other epicenters the sound of the artist on the independent labels stayed local (Speyer,
Inside the album jacket, Serch sums up hip-hop in ‘89: “There was a time when nothing was more important than the New York Rap Scene.” It’s dilluted, but not divided.” To hip-hop afficionados, Serch’s quote sounds like the equivalent to a Vietnam soldier’s letter home. Obviously, the group saw the possibility of the hip-hop culture being tainted.
John Jay was born in New York City on December 12, 1745 and was a self devoted leader that help the United States get to where it is today. He served a very important role in the Founding Fathers establishment as well as bringing overall greatness to the country. He devoted himself to the American Revolution as well as becoming the first Chief Justice of the United States. Serving in the Continental Congress, and becoming president of the congress gave him great power and confidence within himself.
George covers much familiar ground: how B-beats became hip hop; how technology changed popular music, which helped to create new technologies; how professional basketball was influenced by hip hop styles; how gangsta rap emerged out of the crack epidemic of the 1980s; how many elements of hip hop culture managed to celebrate, and/or condemn black-on-black violence; how that black-on-black violence was somewhat encouraged by white people scheming on black males to show their foolishness, which often created a huge mess; and finally, how hip hop used and continues to use its art to express black frustration and ambition to blacks while, at the same time, refering that frustration and ambition to millions of whites.
From its conception in the 1970's and throughout the 1980's, hip hop was a self-contained entity within the community that created it. This means that all the parameters set for the expression came from within the community and that it was meant for consumption by the community. Today, the audience is from outside of the community and doesn’t share the same experiences that drive the music. An artists’ success hinges on pleasing consumers, not the community. In today's world, it isn’t about music that rings true for those who share the artists' experiences, but instead, music that provides a dramatic illusion for those who will never share the experiences conveyed. This has radically changed the creative process of artists and the diversity of available music. Most notably, it has called in to question the future of hip hop.
Hip hop is both a culture and a lifestyle. As a musical genre it is characterized by its hard hitting beats and rhythms and expressive spoken word lyrics that address topics ranging from economic disparity and inequality, to gun violence and gang affiliated activity. Though the genre emerged with greater popularity in the 1970’s, the musical elements involved and utilized have been around for many years. In this paper, we will cover the history and
Negus, Keith. "The Business of Rap: Between the Street and the Executive Suite." Rpt. in That’s the Joint!: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Ed. Murray Forman and Mark Anthony Neal. New York, NY: Routledge, 2004. 525-540. Print.
Most people have heard of Michael Jackson in their lifetime, his songs have been played in countless of movies, “Thriller” is played every October, but people might not know how he reached his fame. They might also not know what started his downfall. It all started out great, but a few rumors can ruin anyone’s reputation; Michael Jackson was a great example of this. Michael Jackson was known as The King of Pop, and one of the greatest singers and performers of all time, but a few mistakes made him go down as one of the most controversial modern tragic heroes.
Since hip-hop has expanded from the undergrounds in Bronx in the 70’s it has grew into a popular accepted music genre. Consequently, as it progressed from the golden age it gradually grew away from its original roots. If one were to evaluate the change of lyrics in hip-hop, they would see a difference between early hip-hop and today’s hip-hop. The current state of hip-hop is in a stage where things like hey young world are outdated. Instead of broadcasting out a positive message, hip-hop sends out a message of sex, drug, and violence. The early musicians who helped solidify hip-hop, by producing music that told stories on subjects of race, respect, or even music that had a positive message.
In 1979, the album Rapper's Delight by the American group the Sugar Hill Gang moved rap music (a rhyming, rapidly spoken word form of black dance music)from the clubs of New York City to the national scene. Rap was assimilated into popular culture through such mainstream artists as the performer M.C. Hammer, the group Run-D.M.C, and rapper-actor Will Smith , the "Fresh Prince" of the duo D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. One of the first controversial rap hits was the hip-hop song "The Message" by the rap group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Despite its contreveries, rap was terrible to young white males and was imitated by many white American groups, including Blondie and the Beastie Boys; it was combined with hard rock in the music of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and other groups. By the late 1980s, rap had replaced rock as the most popular music of social commentary (not something all of us would agree with).
Rap started in the mid-1970s in the South Bronx area of New York City. The birth of rap is, in many ways, like the birth of rock and roll. Both originated in the African American community and both were first recorded by small, independent record labels and marketed towards, mostly to a black audience. And in both cases, the new style soon attracted white musicians that began performing it. For rock and roll it was a white American from Mississippi, Elvis Presley. For rap it was a young white group from New York, the Beastie Boys. Their release “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” (1986) was one of the first two rap records to reach the Billboard top-ten. Another early rap song to reach the top ten, “Walk This Way” (1986), was a collaboration of Run-DMC and Aerosmith. Soon after 1986, the use of samples was influenced in the music of both black and white performers, changing past thoughts of what make up a “valid” song.
Hip hop culture has been around since the 1970s. Multiple sources all come down to the South Bronx in New York City, as the origin of hip hop culture. The culture began to take its shape within the African American, Afro-Caribbean, and Latino communities. The father of the start of this culture was a Jamaican-born DJ named Clive Campbell but also known as DJ Kool Herc. He brought forth a new sound system and the Jamaican style of “toasting.” Toasting was when Jamaicans would talk or rap over the music they played. This whole new style soon brought what is now known as DJs, B-Boys, MC’s, and graffiti artists (Kaminski).
Hip hop has multiple branches of style and is a culture of these. This essay will examine Hip Hop from the point of view of the following three popular music scholars, Johnson, Jeffries and Smitherman. It will delve deeper into their understanding of what hip hop is and its relation to the different people that identify with its message and contents. It will also identify the history of Hip hop and its transition into popular music. In particular this essay will focus on what hip hop represents in the black community and how it can be used as a social movement against inequalities faced by them. This will then open up the discussion for the how this has influenced society, and the impact it has had in terms of race issues which hip hop itself often represents through music.