Hip hop evolved from the street corner to the worldwide stage, turning into one of the most popular musical genres and cultural influences around the world. Discover key moments in the background of hip-hop and its rapid development.
WHAT IS HIP-HOP?
Hip hop is a cultural movement that brings together multiple forms of art and is more than just music. Hip-hop culture can be defined by four fundamental elements. Hip hop’s first four initial pillars were B-boying/breaking, MCing/rapping, DJing/turntablism, and visual/graffiti art. In addition, these forms of expression have grown into longer-lasting subcultures.
“Rap is something you do; hip hop is something you live.” KRS One
These four elements coming together also led to a worldwide cultural revolution that spread rapidly. Hip hop culture has molded language, dance, fashion, technology, art, entertainment, politics, media, education, and different kinds of music all over the globe. Hip hop is still an international success today, encouraging the creation of unique art forms that attract both younger and older audiences.
ORIGIN OF HIP HOP CULTURE
History of Hip Hop from the Bronx, New York City Block Gathering
The Bronx, a country in New York State, provided growth to the subculture and cultural phenomenon known as hip hop in the early 1970s. The adverse effects of post-industrial loss, political debate, and a rapidly changing economy were reflected in its growth.
There was a financial downturn in New York City at this time. The production sector’s downturn and the Cross Bronx Expressway’s construction were causing the city’s economic growth to fall apart. To prevent the social and economic challenges, a significant proportion of the white middle class shifted to the suburbs. Communities split and demographics were impacted by migration. In neighbourhoods with a large number of African Americans, Puerto Rican residents, and immigrants from the Caribbean, situations worsened.
As a result, organizations closed down, excluding a lot of job opportunities and possibilities for entertainment. Urban youngsters, as a result, began expressing themselves while having fun on the streets. Block parties are held in the parking lots and abandoned structures. Everything associated with early hip-hop culture was founded on these block parties. Using the portable “Sound Systems” that were introduced by Jamaican culture, DJs and MCs provided the music. Buildings made of brick became canvases for graffiti, and pieces of cardboard boxes turned dance floors for breakdancers.
1970s DJ at Bronx Block Party
Anger, hardship, and abandonment were fueling the start of a new era. But the rapidly growing hip-hop movement gave desperation and disparities between races a wide range of expressive outlets. It transformed into a method to deal with violence also.
THE PIONEERS OF HIP-HOP
Hip hop was molded by lots of people. Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and DJ Kool Herc are the most famous pioneers yet. The “Holy Trinity” of hip-hop is a title given to these three pioneering individuals.
DJ KOOL HERC
Coke La Rock and DJ Kool Herc are referred to as the founding father of hip hop. DJ Kool Herc was a Jamaican immigrant who served as one of the most influential hip hop pioneers.
DJ Kool Herc Party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue
The “breakbeat” DJ style was also established by DJ Kool Herc, who took inspiration for his mixing approach by Jamaican dub music. But Kool Herc used to perform soul, funk, and other music featuring percussion parts. To prolong the percussion segment known as the break, Kool Herc would use two turntables to play two versions of the same song and then alternate between them. This breakbeat juggling DJing method was dubbed “The Merry-Go-Round” by Kool Herc. Rapping, breakdancing, and hip-hop music all immediately benefited from this breakbeat turntablism.
The segment of the song during which individuals danced the most was usually the break section. Dancers would circle up and reserve their best moves for that moment. The group of people who were dancing to Kool Herc’s song were called B-Boys and B-Girls, which was an acronym representing Break-Boys and Break-Girls. Breaking developed into a worldwide phenomenon that entered the mainstream over time.
1970s Boy Breakdancing
Additionally, Kool Herc contributed to the development of MCs’ rhythmic spoken wordplay and rhyme delivery. To get the crowd excited, he would talk in rhyme and rhythm over the instrumental portions of songs. His early brand of rapping, characterized by rhythmic wordplay and lyrical chanting, was influenced by the toasting customs of Jamaica. He would yell things like, “Are you ready, B-Boys and B-Girls? Continue rocking solid. “This is the the place! “To the beat, y’all,” “Herk beat on the point,” and “You don’t stop!”
At the parties, Kool Herk also got his friend Coke La Rock to take over the mic. “No man is unthrowable, no horse is unrideable, no bull that cannot be stopped, and there isn’t a club that I Coke La Rock can’t rock,” Coke La Rock once said at a party. Many people believe that Coke La Rock was the first hip-hop MC and that this verse contains the first rap lyrics.
AFRIKA BAMBAATAA
Another significant hip-hop artist who came out of New York City was Afrika Bambaataa, aka “The Godfather.” In the late 1970s, Block parties in the Brux were hosted by him, who was an innovative DJ and music producer. He was a forward-thinker who helped steer the young people of the city away from drugs, violence, and gang life. He established Universal Zulu Nation, a music-focused group that uses hip-hop culture to promote harmony and peace. Members introduced visual art, rapping, breakdancing, and DJing to urban youth. These kinds of expression were soon grouped by Bambaataa as the “four elements” of hip hop. Zulu Nation is still promoting hip-hop culture across the globe today.
“Planet Rock” was a seminal early hip-hop song that was released in 1982 by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force. Bambaataa produced an electronic sound instead of rapping over funk beats using the Roland TR-808 drum machine and Kraftwerk samples. Hip-hop music adopted the TR-808 as a standard after the song helped popularize it.
GRANDMASTER FLASH
Grandmaster Flash is another creative DJ from the Bronx in New York City. He was the first DJ to move records in a counter clockwise, forward, or backward direction. Also, he created unique DJing methods like cutting, punch phrasing, backspin, and scratching.
In 1976, he also formed a band known as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The group gained widespread recognition as one of the most significant bands in the whole hip-hop background. By alternating lyrics amongst four rappers and combining them with Flash’s unmatched DJ abilities, they created a distinctive sound. Flash would also use his fingers, toes, elbows, and other objects to manipulate vinyl in acrobatic DJing performances.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five gave many hit songs. Nonetheless,The Message” was their most well-known song. Rappers were elevated to a new level of prominence and rap was further cemented as a genre with this critical hit. In addition to describing the harsh realities of ghetto life, the lyrics were powerful and marked a departure from the early hip-hop background of beat chants.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five created history in the background of hip-hop once more in 2007. The group was the first hip-hop act to be honoured with a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
Early Musical Instruments: TR-808 Roland
A significant turning point for hip-hop background and music production occurred in the early 1980s. Drum machines, samplers, and synthesizers became more affordable and widely available. The weapon of selection was Roland’s legendary TR-808 drum machine, as it was now possible for music producers to program their own drum patterns rather than depending on DJ breakbeats. Hip hop also came to rely heavily on the TR-808 because of its potent bass drum sound.
Sampling technology also became available in the 1980s. Early samplers like the Linn 9000, E-mu SP-1200, and Akai MPC60 were used by DJs for experimentation. They pieced together song breaks using these samplers rather than utilizing turntables. Also, samplers gave producers the ability to perform, reorganize parts, sequence arrangements, edit, and mix music in novel ways. These were the first production techniques that were used in remixing.
Sampling technology also developed over time in the background of hip-hop. The AKAI S900, one of the newer samplers, offered more memory, faster sampling rates and enhanced editing features. Music producers also tried a variety of methods that included adding effects, looping and layering sounds
Technology for turntables and mixers also advanced as DJs were scratching records more frequently to produce unique sounds and effects. The Technics SL-1200 was the most significant turntable in the background of hip-hop because of its robust motor, longevity, and fidelity.
HIP-HOP’S GOLDEN AGE: Run DMC Hip Hop Group
Hip hop went off in the mid-1980s and became widely known throughout the nation in the early 1990s. It began in a period that deeply altered hip-hop culture. “The golden age of hip hop” was the nickname given to this new period. This watershed is often defined by its explosion of success in the mainstream, diversity, influence, and creative style.
Record labels made significant financial investments in the genre after realizing it was a developing trend. Successful independent record labels included Tommy Boy, Prism Records, and Def Jam. They were responding to the demand created by local DJs and radio stations by putting out records quickly.
As the culture gained popularity, new hip-hop scenes and styles also appeared in various cities. However, hip-hop music was still mostly experimental. Also, the new wave of hip-hop producers was able to widespread the genre by using more sophisticated drum machines and samplers.
Sampled music was one of the most defining features during the height of hip-hop’s popularity. Musicians were free to use samples from any source without facing legal penalties since there were no copyright restrictions on music samples.They were recording samples from a variety of musical styles, including rock and jazz. However, sampling was not limited to music. Wu-Tang Clan member R.Z.A. used sound bites from his collection of Kung Fu movies from the 1970s.
A Tribe Called Quest In A York Studio
Hip hop’s lyrical content evolved as well in the background of hip hop. Early 1970s rhythmic chants developed into metaphorical lyrics that addressed a variety of topics. Additionally, the lyrics were delivered by the artists over a more complicated and multi-layered instrumental arrangement. Artists such as Mele Mel, KRS-One, Rakim, Chuck D, and Warp 9 were pivotal in advancing hip-hop lyrics and the art of rapping.
In addition, a generation of new school rappers played a significant role in popularizing hip hop. Leading the charge was the hip-hop group RUN DMC, which combined hard rock and rap elements. When they worked with Aerosmith on a rap version of “Walk This Way,” they broke into the Top Ten. Rap gained even more traction in the mainstream background of hip-hop after the single dominated the radio and MTV. Among the many other trailblazers of the heyday of hip hop were A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, L.L. Cool J, and the Beastie Boys.
Hip-hop culture wasn’t solely fuelled by music. Hip-hop style also became popular. Numerous outfits, footwear, accoutrements, and hairstyles evolved into a means of expression in the background of hip hop.
Street slang also entered the mainstream and was subsequently dubbed “Ebonics.” For instance, the Oxford English Dictionary now includes the terms “bling” and “fo’ shizzle.”
SAMPLING AND COPYRIGHT LAWS: Hip-Hop Records
In the early 1990s, sampling was widely used in rap music. New rap music featured portions of the songs sung by the original copyright owners of the music being sampled. They wanted payment for the use of their music because they didn’t like it when other artists profited from their work.
The government passed a series of copyright enforcement laws following numerous legal actions in the background of hip-hop. To prevent lawsuits, they mandated that artists seek prior permission for all samples. However, many record labels were unable to afford the expense of clearing all the samples because it was a costly affair. Producers of hip-hop music had to produce their own sounds instead of relying primarily on samples because the genre took a completely new turn in the background of hip-hop. Producers stopped sampling songs that were released commercially, so we heard something new in the background of hip-hop. The music subsequently lost a lot of its jazz as well as soul-influencing factors.
MAINSTREAM INFLUENCES
By the late 1990s, hip-hop music had become even more commercial, topping the charts in terms of sales. The diverse regional styles that also came up were Rap rock, gangster rap, Southern rap, and West Coast hip hop. Along with these artists, there was a new wave that included the Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre, the N.W.A., and a few more. By decade’s end, hip-hop had become a staple of popular music. It even made its way into popular electronic and pop music.
CONCLUSION
There is so much to learn about the interesting history of hip-hop. Since the 1970s, when this cultural movement first emerged, it has undergone significant development and change. What started out as a small-scale initiative to give young African Americans and Puerto Ricans in New York City a safe haven has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. Hip hop remains a powerful force shaping cultures all over the world to this day
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