Hip-hop

Hip-hop is a type of music that began in the early 1970s in New York City. It started at parties, especially in places like the Bronx. DJs would play parts of songs called "breaks" to help people dance. These breaks became the foundation for rapping, a style of speaking rhythmically over the music.

Hip-hop also includes DJing, turntablism, scratching, beatboxing, and using instrumental tracks. The music often talks about the lives and experiences of the people who make it.

In the 1980s, hip-hop grew and changed, with new styles coming from different parts of the United States. This time is called the "golden age." It brought popular styles like G-funk, boom bap, and gangsta rap, as well as experimental types like alternative hip-hop and jazz rap. Over the years, hip-hop kept changing, with eras like the "bling era" and the "blog era," and the rise of trap music. Today, hip-hop is one of the most popular music genres in the world.

Etymology

The word "hip-hop" has been used for a long time. In the 1600s, it meant a series of hops. By the 1800s, people often said "hippity hop". This phrase was used in children's games and poems.

In the 1960s, musicians like The Dovells used "hip hop" in their songs. Later, in the 1970s, disc jockeys and performers in New York City began using the term to describe a new style of music and dance. Artists like The Sugarhill Gang helped make "hip-hop" well-known. Today, hip-hop refers to a whole culture that includes music, dance, art, and fashion. It started in places like the Bronx and has now spread around the world.

Historical background

Hip-hop began in the early 1970s in New York City. It used turntables and vinyl records. DJs would remix songs to create new beats for dancing. This was similar to what jazz musicians did before. Influences came from many places, like disco and funk music.

The style of talking or rapping in hip-hop has ancient roots. It was inspired by African traditions and American artists like Muhammad Ali and The Last Poets. Jamaican music also helped shape hip-hop, with DJs remixing songs to make new sounds. These early experiments helped create hip-hop.

1973–1979: Birth of hip-hop

The 1970s was when hip-hop started in the Bronx, a part of New York City. Changes in the area, like new roads, brought together many different cultures. These cultures helped create a new music style. At the time, disco was popular, but young people wanted something new. They loved to dance during parts of songs called "breaks". Dancers, called "B-girls" and "B-boys", would wait for these breaks to show off their moves.

Block parties were important for hip-hop. DJs would set up sound systems and play music for people to dance to. A famous early DJ, Kool Herc, would play the same part of a song again and again. This made long moments for dancing and helped create new DJ tricks like scratching. These parties gave young people a fun way to express themselves.

Hip-hop also had rapping, where MCs would talk or sing over the music. Early rap was inspired by styles from Jamaica, and both men and women were part of this new art. Groups and teams were common, and hip-hop grew quickly from small parties to something much bigger.

1979–1983: End of old-school

Main article: Old-school hip-hop

The years from 1973 to 1983 are called "old-school hip-hop". During this time, hip-hop grew more popular. In March 1979, Fatback Band released a song called "King Tim III (Personality Jock)". Many think this was the first rap song sold in stores.

Later that year, Chic released a popular song called "Good Times". Sylvia Robinson used the music from "Good Times" to make a new song. She had The Sugarhill Gang rap over it. This song was called "Rapper's Delight" and helped hip-hop become popular everywhere. Other early rap songs were Joe Bataan's "Rap-O Clap-O" and Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'". As technology got better, new tools like drum machines made it easier for artists to create hip-hop music. This led to many new styles and sounds.

1983–1986: Rise of the new-school

Main article: New-school hip-hop

The second wave of hip-hop began around 1983–1984 and became known as the new school. Artists like Run-DMC and LL Cool J were important. They had a confident style and used simpler sounds. Their songs were popular and even appeared in commercials.

Run-DMC’s album Raising Hell was very successful. It was the first hip-hop album to sell a million copies. The Beastie Boys also became very popular with their album Licensed to Ill. New tools like samplers helped artists create beats more easily.

1986–1997: Golden age

Main article: Golden age hip-hop

The years from 1986 to the mid-1990s are called hip-hop’s “golden age.” This time was full of new ideas and creativity. Hip-hop became more diverse and influential. Many artists used their music to talk about culture and politics. The music was very experimental, often mixing in jazz and using samples from many different songs.

Famous artists from this period include Public Enemy, KRS-One, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, Brand Nubian, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Big Daddy Kane, Digable Planets, and the Jungle Brothers. Albums became very important, with landmark releases like Boogie Down Productions’ Criminal Minded, Public Enemy’s Yo! Bum Rush the Show, and Eric B. & Rakim’s Paid in Full setting new standards for the genre.

Hip-hop also began to spread beyond New York, with new scenes growing in the South and Midwest. Cities like Atlanta, Memphis, and New Orleans became important centers for the music. Artists from these areas brought their own styles and helped shape the future of hip-hop.

1997–2007: Bling era

Hip-hop became very popular in the late 1990s. Artists like Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs turned old songs into new hip-hop hits. They and their artists, like Mase, often wore shiny suits, which gave the era its nickname, the "bling era".

New music producers like Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and the Neptunes made fresh sounds. Hip-hop songs often had both singers and rappers. Big names like Eminem, [Dr. Dre](/wiki/2001_(Dr._Dre_album), and Jay-Z became famous.

Main articles: Crunk and Snap music

In New Orleans, labels like No Limit Records and Cash Money Records became successful. Artists such as Lil Wayne and B.G. helped make the word "bling" popular. A type of hip-hop called crunk became popular in the early 2000s. It was known for its energetic, party songs. From Tennessee, it helped start a related style called snap music.

Main articles: Alternative hip-hop, Glitch hop, and Wonky (music)

During this time, alternative hip-hop artists like the Roots, Mos Def, and Outkast got attention. Kanye West’s first album had thoughtful lyrics. New styles like glitch hop, which mixes hip-hop with electronic sounds, and wonky, with melodic and unstable sounds, also started.

2007–2014: Blog era

See also: Blog rap

From 2007 to 2014, hip-hop music changed a lot in how it was shared and enjoyed. As social media became more popular, people bought fewer CDs and records. This drop in sales happened to all kinds of music, but it hit hip-hop especially hard. In 2006, for the first time in five years, none of the top ten albums were hip-hop.

Even though fewer people bought albums, hip-hop remained very popular. Artists like Rick Ross, Black Eyed Peas, and Fabolous all had albums that reached number one on the Billboard 200 charts in 2009. Eminem’s album Relapse was one of the fastest-selling albums that year.

The Internet also changed how new artists were discovered. Artists such as Soulja Boy started sharing their music on sites like YouTube and MySpace. This made it easier for fans to find and enjoy new music online. Emerging artists like Kid Cudi, Wale, Odd Future, Mac Miller, Lil B, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole brought new ideas and feelings to hip-hop.

Main articles: Alternative hip-hop and Internet rap

When Kanye West released his album Graduation in 2007, it sold very quickly. His next album, 808s & Heartbreak, was very different and helped hip-hop explore more creative sounds. Artists from around the world also gained attention, including rappers like K'naan from Somalia and Canada, Japanese rapper Shing02, and British artist M.I.A..

2014–present: Streaming era

Main articles: Trap music, Mumble rap, Emo rap, and Internet rap

During the 2010s, Atlanta hip-hop grew very popular. A style called trap music became famous. Trap music has fast beats and strong drums. Artists like Future, Migos, and Cardi B became well-known. They often shared their music on SoundCloud.

In the late 2010s and into the 2020s, websites like Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, and Instagram helped musicians share their music. This made hip-hop the most popular type of music in the United States. Artists like Chance the Rapper and Roddy Ricch gained many fans this way.

World hip-hop music

Hip-hop started in the Bronx and became popular all over the world. Artists everywhere honor the Black and Latino communities in New York City who created it.

In many Latin American countries, hip-hop gives a voice to groups that need to be heard. Cuban hip-hop grew during a hard economic time called the Special Period. Brazilian hip-hop often talks about the challenges faced by Afro-Brazilians living in favelas. Puerto Rican reggaeton mixes influences from Jamaican Dancehall and hip-hop. Haitian hip-hop began in the 1980s and includes a style called "Rap Kreyòl." French hip-hop also started in the 1980s, with the Blockfest in Tampere, Finland being the largest hip-hop event in the Nordic countries.

Nigerian hip-hop became popular in the 1980s and 2000s, using local languages. In the 2010s and 2020s, artists like Naeto C, Reminisce, Olamide, and others helped grow the genre. South African hip-hop overlaps with kwaito, focusing on African culture and important issues. It has created many famous artists. In the 2010s, hip-hop became popular in Canada, especially in Toronto, leading to the development of the Toronto sound after Drake achieved success.