How Hip Hop and Rap Music Have Changed Over the Years

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how hip hop and rap music have changed over the years and how they’ve evolved into the genres we know today.

1970s-1980s

While the origins of hip hop and rap can be traced back to the 1970s, the genre didn’t really start blowing up until the 1980s. This is when we saw the rise of artists like Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, and N.W.A. These artists brought a new sound and style to the genre that was fresh and exciting.

Birth of Hip Hop

In the 1970s, a new type of music started to emerge in the Bronx, New York. It was called hip hop and it was a mix of different styles of music including R&B, funk, soul, and disco. Hip hop artists would often sample pieces of other songs and create new songs by adding their own lyrics. This new style of music quickly became popular with young people in the Bronx and soon spread to other parts of New York City.

Rise of Rap Music

In the 1970s, a new genre of music called hip hop began to emerge in the United States. Hip hop is a style of music that is characterized by rhyming lyrics and a strong rhythmic element. Hip hop music often contains samples from other songs and typically has a strong bass line.

Rap, which is a subgenre of hip hop, also began to emerge in the 1970s. Rap music is characterized by rhyming lyrics that are typically spoken rather than sung. Rap music often contains samples from other songs and typically has a strong bass line.

Both hip hop and rap music have evolved over the years. In the 1980s, rap music became more commercially successful, with artists such as Run-DMC and Beastie Boys achieving mainstream success. In the 1990s, hip hop and rap music became more experimental, with artists such as Public Enemy and N.W.A incorporating elements of jazz, rock, and R&B into their music. In the 2000s, hip hop and rap music became more pop-oriented, with artists such as Eminem and 50 Cent achieving mainstream success.

Today, hip hop and rap music are two of the most popular genres of music in the world.

1990s

Hip Hop and Rap music have changed a lot since they were first created in the 1970s. In the 1990s, Hip Hop and Rap music became more mainstream and started to be played on the radio more often. This decade also saw the rise of gangsta rap, which was a type of rap music that talked about the tough life in the inner city.

Golden Age of Hip Hop

From the late 1980s to early 1990s, Hip Hop became a dominant cultural phenomenon. The Golden Age of Hip Hop is considered to be a time of creative growth and influential songs that have had a lasting impact on society. This is the era when Hip Hop developed its own unique identity and sound.

During this time, rappers such as Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, and Snoop Dogg rose to prominence. They are credited with helping to shape the sound and style of Hip Hop that is still popular today. Their songs tackled important social issues like racism, violence, and poverty. They also introduced new elements to the music, such as sampling and use of profanity.

The Golden Age of Hip Hop was a time of great creativity and innovation in the genre. It laid the foundation for the continued success of Hip Hop in the years to come.

Consolidation of Rap Music

In the early 1990s, as gangsta rap became increasingly popular, a number of artists began to move away from the genre’s themes of crime and violence. Instead, they focused on stories about growing up in poverty-ridden inner-city neighborhoods. These artists included Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., and Nas. As a result of their success, gangsta rap became less popular and was increasingly overshadowed by what was known as “consolidated rap.”

2000s

In the early 2000s, we saw the rise of artists like 50 Cent, Eminem, and Nelly. These artists brought a new sound to rap music, which was more aggressive and in-your-face than what we had heard before. This decade also saw the rise of the “bling” culture, where rappers bragged about their wealth and possessions.

Post-Golden Age Hip Hop

The early 2000s saw a shift in hip hop. Artists began to focus on more personal and introspective themes, as well as social issues. This change coincided with a decline in the popularity of gangsta rap. Jay-Z and Outkast were among the most popular artists of this era.

Maturation of Rap Music

While gangsta rap was the dominant force in hip-hop during the early and mid-’90s, by the end of the decade there was a strong push for a more mature, introspective form of the music. Artists such as Puff Daddy, Jay-Z, Nas, and Jadakiss began to focus on the gritty realities of life in the urban ghetto while still celebrating the lifestyle with tales of excess. This more mature form of rap also marked a return to more traditional musical values, with denser beats and more complicated rhyme schemes. By the early 2000s, this form of rap had become dominant, with artists such as 50 Cent and Eminem finding massive success with records that balanced social commentary with pop hooks.

2010s

The 2010s have seen a big change in hip hop and rap music. Artists are now using more electronic and experimental sounds in their music. The lyrics are also becoming more positive and uplifting. This decade has also seen a huge increase in the popularity of rap music.

New Wave of Hip Hop

The 2010s have been a wild ride for hip-hop and rap music. We’ve seen the rise of trap music, the mainstreaming of mumble rap, and the fall of some of our favorite artists. It’s been a decade of change, and it’s not over yet.

One of the biggest changes in hip-hop over the past decade has been the rise of trap music. Trap is a subgenre of hip-hop that originated in the early 2000s in the Southern United States. It is characterized by its heavy use of 808 drums, hi-hats, and trap melodies. Trap music gained mainstream popularity in the 2010s with hits like Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What” and Flosstradamus’ “XE3 (Come & Get Your Money).”

Another change we’ve seen in hip-hop over the past decade is the mainstreaming of mumble rap. Mumble rap is a subgenre of hip-hop characterized by its lazy, slurred lyrics. It gained popularity in the early 2010s with songs like Future’s “Tony Montana” and Chief Keef’s “I Don’t Like.” While mumble rap is still considered to be a controversial subgenre by many, it has become more accepted by the mainstream in recent years.

Finally, we’ve seen the fall of some of our favorite artists in the past decade. Artists like Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, and Andre 3000 have all released disappointing albums or have taken extended hiatuses from making music. While it’s sad to see these artists fall from grace, it’s also exciting to see what new artists will rise to take their place in the coming years.

New Wave of Rap Music

In the 2010s, a new wave of rap music emerged. Artists like Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Uzi Vert brought a fresh sound and new style to the genre. These artists were influenced by the golden era of rap music from the 1990s, but they also incorporated elements of other genres like R&B, pop, and trap. This new generation of rap music was more lyrical and focused on storytelling than previous eras.