Despite this domination, an array of hip-hop styles coexisted, including hybrid productions that fused elements of R&B and/or funk with the beats of hip-hop such as those by MC Hammer, Heavy D and the Boyz, Sean “Puffy” Combs, and Kid ‘n Play. Both styles dominated the hip-hop soundscape through much of the 1990s, but gangsta took over in the 21st century, influencing the styles of Master P, 50 Cent, T.I. The hardcore sounds and lyrics of Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, and KRS-One became known as “conscious” rap (also known as “message” and “Afrocentric” rap) those of N.W.A, Ice-T, Ice-Cube, and Eazy-E were called “gangsta” rap. The chaotic sounds of Public Enemy ( It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988) and N.W.A ( Straight Outta Compton, 1988) became known as hardcore the harsh lyrical content mirrored the deteriorating conditions of the inner-cities as evidenced by abandoned factories, boarded buildings, dilapidated houses, drug addicts, the homeless, and ongoing confrontations with the police. Women rappers like Roxanne Shanté, Salt-n-Pepa, MC Lyte, and Queen Latifah introduced Black women’s point of view to rap fans and proved that they were as skilled and commercially successful as the men. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (“Parents Just Don’t Understand,” 1988) to the rock-oriented sounds of Run-D.M.C. “New School” rap was coined by the 2nd generation artist (1984) to distinguish the pop sensibilities of the first commercial generation of rap artists and ranged from the pop-oriented humorous style of the Fat Boys (“Jail House Rap,” 1984) and D.J. The Golden Era: Commercialization and the New School Artists (mid-1980s to the mid-1990s) A year later, Afrika Bambaataa ( “Planet Rock,” 1982) advanced the studio DJing tradition through the use of synthesizers, the 808 drum machine, computers, and analog and digital recording machines and other advanced technologies influenced by Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” (1977), and “Numbers” (1981) coupled with funk aesthetics such as Captain Sky’s “Supersperm” (1978) and the rock-style of Babe Ruth Band’s “The Mexican” (1972). Grandmaster Flash transferred his street or live mixing style to the studio on “Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” (1981). When their musical collages and turntable manipulations became so complex that they required their full attention, DJs included a crew of MCs to engage and interact with the crowd of dancers. Pioneering DJs include Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa, Grand Wizard Theodore, Grandmaster Flash, and Grandmixer D.ST. Initially, DJs were the featured attraction, juggling beats amplified through large sound speakers and shouting praises and catch-phrases to incite crowd participation. The “Old School” is associated with the period from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s. Changes to the musical production of hip-hop, along with growing stylistic diversity and advances in technology, led to the community-imposed concept of an old and new school. MCing evolved into the rap music industry while DJing went underground and re-established itself as turntablism (the art of manipulating music with LP records and mixers to create unique rhythms and sounds). Major record companies formed partnerships with independent labels and producers specializing in rap music. In the 1980s several commercial hip-hop films such as Wild Style (1982), Style Wars (1983), Beat Street (1984), Krush Groove (1985) and Disorderlies (1987) flooded the market with the sound of rap. Sylvia Robinson of Sugarhill Records introduced rapping into the mainstream with the release of “Rapper’s Delight” (1979) by the Sugarhill Gang. Record and film producers then noticed and began to capitalize on hip-hop culture. By the mid-1970s, performance venues included local clubs whose proprietors recognized the commercial potential of this artistic expression. Hip-hop DJs and MCs originally performed in local house parties and community centers, city parks, neighborhood block parties, and, eventually, local clubs. DJ Kool Herc gave the community its blueprints and its first brand of hip-hop music, called b-beat. Some MCs and DJs were members or former members of gangs who used DJing, dancing, and MCing as an alternative to gang warfare. Hip-hop music culture is a product of African American, Afro-Caribbean and Latino inner-city communities plagued by poverty, the proliferation of drugs, and gang violence in the 1960s and early 1970s. Old School Roots: early 1970s to the mid-1980sįrom its humble beginnings in the Bronx, NY, rap music has moved into the mainstream, redefining the soundscape and character of American popular culture and contributing to the growth of a billion-dollar entertainment industry.
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