“The Chronic” by Dre, is his debut album and brings hardcore gangsta rap into radio-friendly territory, skyrocketing him to the top of rap charts while reinvention his sound.
Once a concert in Los Angeles turns violent, Run DMC is accused of instigating it – leading moral watchdogs to scrutinise hip-hop as an industry.
The Birth of Hip-Hop
Hip hop first gained widespread recognition and established itself as a musical genre with the Sugarhill Gang’s release of “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979, leading to widespread recognition. The new school of hip hop featured harder-edged sounds such as gunshots, sirens and street cries mixed in with intricate internal rhyme schemes that built upon A-A-B-B structures; public Enemy and Eric B. and Rakim both adopted political messages within their music during this era.
The golden age of hip hop music was marked by its diversity, quality and influence. Many artists who comprised this era had different musical backgrounds with strong jazz influence; their lyrics often addressed Afrocentrism or political activism themes.
In the 1990s, hip hop became an international sensation. This boom can be seen through various genres that emerged such as G-Funk – which combined hip hop with laid-back synthesizers – and rock rap, featuring guitars alongside more traditional drum machines. Furthermore, this period also saw rappers from different regions start reaching national audiences and becoming prominent.
The Los Angeles Riots
The Rodney King verdict in April 1992 ignited nationwide riots with Los Angeles being at its epicenter. These riots thrust hip hop music into the national spotlight and shed light on many social issues raised within its music such as misogyny, violence, drug use and racism that had previously been neglected or overlooked.
The riots also brought the rap scene closer to middle America, who previously only saw it as a threat. Now, rappers were being considered journalists and pundits; critics still sought their insights; even among people critical of gangsta rap lyrics there was strong desire to listen in.
Ice Cube released his powerful anthem “Wicked”, drawing upon tensions surrounding the riots. Dre released the classic cornerstone album The Chronic 10 days after, featuring “The Day the N****as Took Over”. South-Central filmmaker Matty McDaniel documented the events through filmmaking; Big Daddy Kane would later refer to him as the West Coast Walter Cronkite for his documentary on these riots titled The Riots of ’92 which became one of its most influential documentaries about these riots.
Run DMC
Hip hop culture was first created during the 1970s at block parties – community gatherings where DJs would play soul and funk music. Bronx natives such as DJ Kool Herc began experimenting with longer percussive breaks, turntable techniques such as scratching, freestyle rapping, freestyle improvised vocals inspired by Jamaican “toasting”.
Run DMC made their mark with their debut single “It’s Like That,” propelling hip hop into mainstream culture. Their next album Raising Hell became even more successful, placing hip hop at the top of charts and ushering in what would later be known as its golden age – with artists like LL Cool J, Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys, and A Tribe Called Quest fuelling this period of commercial success.
Philadelphia artists like Schoolly D and Ice-T were pioneers of gangsta rap music, which focused on inner city life while making references to drugs and violence in its lyrics. Unfortunately, its existence would become marred by tragedy following Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G’s murders during this era of music rap.
EPMD
As EPMD put it, they were unconventional in an otherwise straight-laced hip hop world. That fact was evidenced in their first hit single “You Gots to Chill,” featuring them donning goofy ushankas for its video. Their style also differed significantly from hip hop at that time – more sample-driven rock and funk than traditional rap beats were present here.
EPMD was undeniably an irresistible pairing, with two natives of “Strong Island” who quickly clicked. By 1993 when EPMD first parted ways, they had amassed an immense following as hardcore hip hop artists with hits featuring laid-back rhymes and funky grooves that was an undisputed force within hardcore hip hop culture.
EPMD are among the pioneers of hip hop music with their pioneering sound and business-minded approach, leaving an indelible mark on generations of rappers to come. Even after they parted ways, EPMD continued producing music both as an act and with other artists; their passion and devotion will ensure their legacy lives on long after they’re gone from this Earth.
Eminem
Eminem, widely considered hip hop’s Elvis, is the most commercially successful rapper ever. His semi-autobiographical albums Recovery (2010) and Kamikaze (2020) won him multiple Grammy awards as chart toppers; these also revealed troubled emotions from within himself; his volatile relationship with wife Kim caused controversy; but regardless, Eminem remains one of the most influential and beloved artists of our time.
Hip hop’s roots lie in New York City block parties where DJs such as Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash provided rhythmic foundation, providing youth a platform to express themselves against an often oppressive society. At these gatherings, MCs would break out their own verses to sing about events or lives, which later became known as rap lyrics; some consider Coke La Rock’s line: “There isn’t anyone that I can’t throw, bulls can be rode without fear, there isn’t disco where I can’t rock” as being the original rap lyrics.
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest were one of the leading forces behind hip hop’s golden age during the late 1980s and early 1990s, pushing it in new directions. They formed in 1985 with Q-Tip (Kamaal Ibn John Fareed; previously Jonathan Davis), Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor) and DJ/co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad at its core; later adding drummer Jarobi White into their ranks to form what is known today as Native Tongues collective.
The band created a stunningly intricate sound at the intersection of hip hop and jazz, featuring lyrics that transcended toxic masculinity rife within mainstream rap, instead exploring topics with cerebral, spiritual overtones. Their samples often looked to jazz greats such as Miles Davis or Thelonious Monk for inspiration instead of James Brown or funk staples popular at that time in hip hop music.
A Tribe Called Quest and fellow Native Tongues members De La Soul, Consequence and Black Sheep helped expand hip hop by breaking away from its usual themes and challenging “acceptable” notions of masculinity in society, according to Jethro Mullen on CNN. Their work inspired new generations of artists and listeners alike.
Lil Kim
Lil Kim is one of the most acclaimed female rappers in hip hop history and a pioneer for women in rap music. As such, she deserves induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Kimberly Denise Jones became an early favorite among hip hop fans for her daring lyrics and fearlessness onstage. She made waves in the male-dominated rap industry during the mid 1990s with her first album Hard Core which showcased more sexual lyrics than established female rappers at that time.
Foxy Brown made her debut the same year her album Ill Na Na was released; their similar lingerie-clad album covers led to a prolonged rivalry that would only escalate further over time. Both artists were discovered by Christopher Wallace who became their mentor and lover respectively.
Lil Kim has long been an outspoken supporter of the LGBTQ community. From appearing on the cover of OUT magazine to working alongside drag queen RuPaul and attending pride parades, she has always been an icon and risk-taker within this movement. Lil Kim was pioneering when doing so wasn’t politically acceptable or cool – she truly deserves all our respect.
Foxy Brown
Rapper Foxy Brown made an indelible mark on hip hop music. A pioneer of female rap, her seductive presence on stage and distinctive vocal delivery made her music truly captivating. Additionally, she was one of the earliest artists to embrace sampling using Roland TR-808 drum machines as part of hip hop production.
As synthesizers and samplers became more accessible during the 1980s, hip hop production underwent an incredible transformation. Producers could no longer rely solely on DJ breakbeats; now they could create their own drum patterns using these powerful tools – leading to the emergence of numerous styles such as techno and house.
The early 1980s witnessed the advent of gangsta rap music with artists like Ice T and Public Enemy using it to spread political ideology through their lyrics. Also during this era was when women first won recognition as rappers of the year – including Queen Latifah, Salt-n-Pepa, LL Cool J and Missy Elliott among many others.