The Evolution of Hip-Hop Music

A look at how hip-hop music has changed and evolved over the years, from its early beginnings to its current state.

1970s-1980s: Origins of Hip-Hop

Hip-hop music originated in the Bronx, New York City in the 1970s. It was created by African American and Latino youth who were inspired by the Jamaican sound system parties they attended. These parties featured DJs who played music with a strong beat, which people danced to. Hip-hop music was originally a local phenomenon, but it soon spread to other parts of the city and then to other parts of the country.

DJ Kool Herc

DJ Kool Herc is a Jamaican-American DJ who is credited with helping to create the hip-hop genre. Herc was one of the first DJs to use two turntables to extend the length of time a break could be played. He is also responsible for inventing the break beat, which became an essential element of hip-hop music.

Afrika Bambaataa

The 1970s is when hip-hop music first began to develop. DJ Kool Herc is usually credited as being the first hip-hop DJ, as he is the one who popularized the use of breakbeats in his sets. However, it was Afrika Bambaataa who really laid the foundations for what hip-hop would become.

Bambaataa was a DJ from the Bronx who was heavily involved in the local street gangs. In an effort to try and bring peace between the gangs, he started throwing mixer parties where people of all gang affiliations could come and enjoy the music without any violence. These parties became known as “zulu jams” and they helped to spread the popularity of hip-hop music throughout New York City.

Bambaataa was also one of the first hip-hop artists to start experimenting with sampling. He would often take snippets of songs that he liked and incorporate them into his own tracks. This helped to give birth to the idea of using samples as a way to create new music.

Grandmaster Flash

Grandmaster Flash is a world-renowned hip-hop pioneer who was born Joseph Saddler in Barbados in 1958. He is best known for his innovative turntablism and for his highly influential group, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. As a teenager, Saddler immigrated with his family to the South Bronx, where he quickly became immersed in the local hip-hop culture. He began DJing at local parties and block parties, and soon developed a reputation as one of the best DJs in the city. In 1976, he formed Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, which went on to become one of the most important groups in hip-hop history.

Flash is credited with inventing many of the key turntablism techniques that are still used by DJs today. He is also responsible for popularizing the use of sampling in hip-hop music. His groundbreaking song “The Message” (1982) is widely considered to be one of the most important hip-hop tracks ever recorded. In 2007, he was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame.

1980s-1990s: The Golden Age of Hip-Hop

Hip-hop music first emerged in the Bronx, New York City in the 1970s. It was created by African American and Latino youths who were looking for a way to express themselves. The first hip-hop tracks were created by DJs, who would mix together popular songs to create a new sound. In the 1980s, hip-hop music began to gain popularity in the mainstream. This was the Golden Age of hip-hop, when artists like Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, and N.W.A. rose to prominence.

Run-D.M.C.

Hip-hop group Run-D.M.C. is often credited with changing the sound and style of rap music in the 1980s. The trio from New York City was the first hip-hop group to have a gold album and their 1986 album Raising Hell was the first hip-hop album to go platinum. They were also the first rap group to perform at Madison Square Garden and the first to appear on MTV. In addition to their musical success, Run-D.M.C. is also credited with helping to bridge the gap between black and white audiences by appearing on American Bandstand and Saturday Night Live in the 1980s.

Public Enemy

Public Enemy is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, Khari Wynn, DJ Lord, and the S1W group. Formed in Long Island, New York in 1986, they are widely considered to be one of the most influential and controversial hip hop acts in history. Their music incorporates elements of Afro-American culture, including samples from classic soul and funk records, as well as political commentary on race relations in the United States.

The group gained notoriety for their assertions that white America was purposely suppressing black progress, most notably with their 1988 track “Don’t Believe the Hype”, which rails against media stereotypes of inner city African Americans. In 1989, they released their second album Fear of a Black Planet, which further increased their popularity and helped to make them one of the most influential voices in rap music. They have released a total of thirteen studio albums to date.

Beastie Boys

The Beastie Boys were an American hip hop trio from New York City, formed in 1981. The group was composed of Michael “Mike D” Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz (vocals, guitar) and Adam “MCA” Yauch (vocals, bass).

The Beastie Boys were one of the first successful crossover acts from hip hop into the mainstream rock audience. They released their debut album Licensed to Ill in 1986, which became the first rap album to reach #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified diamond by the RIAA for selling over ten million copies in the United States. The group’s next two albums, Paul’s Boutique (1989) and Check Your Head (1992), both achieved critical and commercial success. By 1994, they had sold 26 million albums in the United States alone.

The Beastie Boys continued to experiment with their sound throughout their career, dabbling in genres as diverse as funk, punk rock and electronica. They are widely regarded as one of the most influential groups in hip hop history, and have been credited with helping to bring rap music to a wider audience. The Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

1990s-2000s: Hip-Hop Goes Mainstream

In the 1990s, hip-hop music became more mainstream with the help of artists like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Tupac Shakur. These artists helped to make hip-hop more popular with a wider audience. In the 2000s, hip-hop continued to grow in popularity with artists such as Eminem, 50 Cent, and Outkast.

Tupac Shakur

Tupac Shakur was one of the most influential rappers of the 1990s. He was born in New York City but raised in Baltimore, Maryland. His mother, Afeni Shakur, was a member of the Black Panther Party. Tupac’s music often reflected his life experiences growing up in a tough inner-city environment. He was shot and killed in 1996 at the age of 25.

Notorious B.I.G.

Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie, or Biggie Smalls, was an American rapper. He is considered by many as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. When he released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, Wallace became a central figure in the East Coast hip hop scene and increased New York’s visibility in the genre at a time when West Coast gangsta rap was dominant in the mainstream. Three more studio albums have been released posthumously.

Biggie began rapping while he was still in middle school in 1980s Brooklyn and gained notoriety for his freestyling ability on Funkmaster Flex’s radio show on Hot 97, one of New York’s most popular hip hop radio stations. In 1992, he joined Sean Combs’ record label Bad Boy Records as one of the label’s first artists. Wallace began representing East Coast hip hop with songs such as “Party and Bullshit” and “Player’s Anthem”. Biggie rose to prominence with his debut album Ready to Die (1994), which made several references to his past life on the streets as a drug dealer; it peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum by the RIAA two years later. On March 9, 1997—eight days after the release of his second album Life After Death—Biggie was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles.

Eminem

Eminem is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter, and actor. He is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. His success in the late 1990s and 2000s earned him the title “King of Hip Hop”. Eminem’s music often includes themes of mental illness, drugs, conflict, and violence.

Eminem released his debut album Infinite in 1996. The album was not a success and he was dropped from the record label after only one album. In 1997, he released his second album The Slim Shady LP. The album was a commercial success and helped Eminem gain popularity. His third album The Marshall Mathers LP was released in 2000. The album was a critical and commercial success. It won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Eminem has released eight studio albums: Infinity (1996),The Slim Shady LP (1997),The Marshall Mathers LP (2000),The Eminem Show (2002),Encore (2004),Relapse (2009),Recovery (2010), and The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013). He has also released five compilation albums, eight mix tapes, three video albums, and forty-one singles.

2000s-Present: Hip-Hop Today

The early 2000s saw the rise of rap music with a more positive and uplifting message. This was in response to the increased violence and drug use in the hip-hop community. Artists like Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, and J. Cole have brought attention to social issues and have been praised for their lyrical content.

Jay-Z

Jay-Z is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur who was born Shawn Corey Carter on December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York. He is one of the most successful hip-hop artists of all time. Jay-Z’s debut album Reasonable Doubt was released in 1996 to critical acclaim and success. His next few albums solidified his place as a hip-hop superstar. In 2001, he released The Blueprint, which is widely considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever made. Jay-Z has continued to release chart-topping albums throughout his career. He has also won numerous awards, including 21 Grammy Awards.

Kanye West

Kanye West is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed musicians of the 21st century. He first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he produced hit singles for artists like Jay-Z, Ludacris and Alicia Keys. In 2004, he released his debut album The College Dropout, which was an instant success, selling over two million copies and earning him multiple Grammy Awards.

West has since released a string of hugely successful albums, including Late Registration (2005), Graduation (2007) and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). He has also produced and collaborated on numerous other projects, including the albums Watch the Throne (2011) with Jay-Z and Yeezus (2013) with Kendrick Lamar.

In addition to his musical successes, West is also known for his outspokenness and controversial statements on various topics. He has been vocally supportive of President Donald Trump, while also criticising the music industry and other celebrities.

Drake

Drake is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and producer. He first gained recognition as an actor on the teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation in the early 2000s. Intent on pursuing a career as a rapper, he departed the series in 2007 following the release of his debut mixtape, Room for Improvement. He released two further independent projects, Comeback Season and So Far Gone, before signing to Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment in June 2009.

Drake’s fourth studio album, Views (2016), broke several chart records. It became the first album by a solo male artist to reach number one in Canada and the United States simultaneously. In 2017, he toured with Future to support Views during which time he released several new songs including “Glow” and “Free Smoke”. Drake’s fifth studio album, Scorpion (2018), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and set multiple streaming records. It includes the singles “God’s Plan” and “In My Feelings”, with the former winning Drake his second Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance.