Louisiana Music: Hip Hop

Looking for the latest and greatest in Louisiana hip hop? Check out our blog for the latest news, reviews, and interviews with the hottest names in the scene!

Louisiana music history

Louisiana music is some of the most unique in the United States. A mix of African, Caribbean, and European influences can be heard in the state’s music. Louisiana is also home to a variety of music genres, including blues, zydeco, Cajun, and, of course, hip hop.

Zydeco

Zydeco is a music genre that evolved in southwest Louisiana by French Creole speakers which blend elements of French, Caribbean, African, and Native American musics. It is often mentioned as a form of creole music. The word “zydeco” is a Fraktur corruption of the French les haricots (“the snap beans”). It initially referred to blues music played by Cajun bands in southeast Louisiana in the late 19th century. These early recordings did not sell well and were considered “race records”. As a result, they were frequently played on jukeboxes, at social gatherings called house parties, and on radio stations catering to African American audiences.

Cajun

Cajun music is a uniquely American style of music that originated in the Louisiana Bayou. Cajun music is a mix of French, African, and Native American influences. It is characterized by its use of the accordion, fiddle, and guitar. Cajun music is often upbeat and lively, and it is popular for dancing.

Louisiana Hip Hop

Louisiana hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the southern United States, specifically the state of Louisiana. Louisiana hip hop is characterized by its unique bounce and rap delivery, as well as its focus on local culture and crime. The Louisiana hip hop scene began to emerge in the early 1990s, with artists like Partners-N-Crime and Master P breaking into the mainstream.

Bounce music

First popularized in the city of New Orleans in the early 1990s, bounce music is a subgenre of hip hop that is characterized by its minimalist, repetitive call-and-response style lyrics and heavy bass bounce beat. With its origins in the city’s African American and Creole communities, bounce music was initially created as a way for partygoers to dance to the mismatched beat of different songs played consecutively.

Over time, producers began to give the signature sound of New Orleans bounce its own distinctive stamp by speeding up the tempo and adding new elements such as cowbells, scratches, and other percussion instruments. The first bounce song to gain mainstream attention outside of Louisiana was DJ Jubilee’s “Do Whatcha Wanna,” which became a local hit in 1993 and helped propel the genre into the national spotlight.

Since then, a number of Louisiana-based hip hop artists have achieved national and international fame, including Cash Money Records founders Birdman and Lil Wayne, superstar rapper Juvenile, and producer Mannie Fresh. While most Bounce music is still made and consumed within Louisiana’s tight-knit hip hop community, the genre has also begun to gain traction in other parts of the country thanks to increased exposure through social media and streaming services.

New Orleans rap

New Orleans rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that developed in New Orleans, Louisiana. The style is widely considered to have originated in the early 1990s with the release of “Bounce Rock Skate” by New York rapper and producer Ski. The song, which was produced by New Orleans native Juicy J, helped to popularize the style outside of the city.

NOLA rap is characterized by its slower, more relaxed tempo and its use of samples from bounce music, a local subgenre of hip hop that developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The style is also often distinguished by its use of the New Orleans accent, as well as its focus on local culture and pride.

Some of the most popular NOLA rap artists include Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Master P, Cash Money Records, No Limit Records, and Hot Boys.

Notable Louisiana Hip Hop artists

Louisiana has produced some of the most notable hip hop artists in the past two decades. Some of these artists have gone on to become national and international superstars. This list includes some of the most notable Louisiana hip hop artists.

Lil Wayne

Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, record executive and entrepreneur. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was discovered by Birdman and joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label. He was still a teenager when he accomplished his breakthrough in 1999, with the release of Tha Block Is Hot (1999), his debut album. Lil Wayne’s solo studio albums include: Lights Out (2000); 500 Degreez (2002); Tha Carter (2004); Tha Carter II (2005); Like Father, Like Son (2006) with Birdman; Tha Carter III (2008), which became his most successful album to date; Rebirth (2010); I Am Not a Human Being II(2013).

Throughout his career, Lil Wayne has sold over 120 million records worldwide, including more than 35 million albums. His recordings include collaborations with other artists such as Snoop Dogg, Drake and Nicki Minaj. In 2006, Lil Wayne began serving an 8-month jail sentence in New York after being convicted of criminal possession of a weapon stemming from an incident in July 2007. Since 2008, Lil Wayne has been credited as one of hip hop’s highest-selling artists. He is ranked No.6 on MTV’s 2019 list of the Greatest MCs of All Time

Master P

Master P is a notable Louisiana hip hop artist. He is the founder of No Limit Records, which was one of the most successful record labels in the 1990s. He is also the uncle of rapper Lil Wayne.

Juvenile

One of the most notable Louisiana hip hop artists is Juvenile. He is best known for his hit single “Back That Azz Up”, which was released in 1998. Juvenile has been active in the music industry since the early 1990s and has released a total of nine studio albums. He is currently signed to Cash Money Records.