History of Rap
Rap and hip-hop music are synonymous. This genre of music consists of a rhythmic vocal style referred to as rap, which is backed by a beat. The beat may be produced by using samples from other songs, synthesizers or a live band.
In the Bronx in New York City, hip hop began to rise in popularity during the 1970‘s when block parties were common. DJ’s started to use a creative style to highlight remarkable rhythmic drumbeats and percussion riffs in popular dance music such as disco and funk. Understanding that this was the most popular part of the music and that people liked to dance to it, they played it at block parties and quickly gained a following.
The method used by the DJ’s was also common in the Jamaican community in New York City. DJ Kool Herc is a Jamaican born immigrant known as the “godfather” of hip-hop. Reggae was not very popular with New Yorkers during the latter part of the 1960’s so DJ Herc played R&B records that appealed to the party crowd. To add his own touch, he started to speak to his audience during breaks, calling out to them. When the audience responded, he then turned the volume to the music back up. This style caught on and his parties became even more popular. Other DJ’s started using it at block parties and started extending the call out times and then rhyming their words. This further excited the crowd and fueled the party atmosphere.
At one event, DJ Herc handed the microphone to two of his friends and devoted his attention to the turntables. His friends kept the crowd going with rhymes and chants, even anecdotes, while he prolonged the breaks of different songs for extended periods. This is when rap music was born.
By 1979, Grandmaster Flash had become one of the most influential rap groups and one of the earliest rap songs recorded; “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang had soared to #36 on the Billboard charts, which was unprecedented at that time. The commercial appeal of hip-hop was evident as it continued to evolve and gain popularity.
During the 1980’s The Beastie Boys broke into the rap/hip-hop scene and Grandmaster Flash released the first record that captured the sounds of scratching. Kurtis Blow was the first rapper to appear on the television show, “Soul Train”. Hip-hop became big business.
Ice T was a pioneer to gangsta rap and battle rap was in the spotlight as well. Run DMC, Dougie Fresh and Salt ‘n’ Pepa are a few of the many artists who brought their own flavor to the rap music industry during the 80’s. Public Enemy injected politics into hip-hop and shocked the world with their first album, “Yo! Bum Rush the Show.”
In 1988, hip-hop music was finally given its own show on MTV called “Yo! MTV Raps” and NWA was the innovator of the gangsta rap movement.
Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. (aka Christopher Wallace) were gunned down in within six months of each other in 1996-97. Both cases are unsolved mysteries and the music industry suffered a loss of great talent.
Hip-hop has taken on many faces and sounds and continued to grow in popularity throughout the 90’s and to date. The ability to express freely and creatively has kept this rich genre of music lively and lucrative.
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