American hip hop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The United States was the nation of origin of hip hop, a cultural movement that began in the 1970s in New York City, among primarily African American and Hispanic audiences. For many years, hip hop remained known only in a few neighborhoods in New York, but it began to spread to nearby urban areas like Philadelphia and New Jersey. By the end of the decade, hip hop was known in many of the United States' most populous cities.
During the early to mid-1980s, hip hop underwent regional diversification, while New York-based East Coast hip hop attained the first national recognition for recorded hip hop. Cities like Miami, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago developed their own styles, incorporating local influences.
Beginning with N.W.A., West Coast rap, based primarily in Los Angeles, became a mainstream success. For the first time, New York was not the only city on the hip hop map. The two were rivals in many ways, fueling the East Coast-West Coast rivalry. In the late 1990s, many cities saw their own scenes find popular acclaim. These included Miami, Atlanta, St. Louis and New Orleans.
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[edit] The East Coast
[edit] Baltimore
With a somewhat disappointing hip hop scene, Baltimore's biggest claim to fame in rap is its status as the boyhood home of the legendary Tupac Shakur, who attended the Baltimore School for the Arts. Also from Baltimore was the 1990s R&B group Dru Hill, and its lead singer Sisqo, who in 2000 had a few hits, most notably with the "Thong Song." Baltimore is also the hometown of Mario, who is best known for his hit single "Let Me Love You." There is also a music scene in Baltimore that is often referred to as Baltimore House. While not traditional hip hop, it incorporates hip hop as well as house and drum and bass influences. It is also the birthplace of DMX, who in turn grew up in Yonkers, New York.
[edit] Boston
- Main article: Music of Massachusetts
Boston is the hometown of Guru of the East Coast trailblazers, GangStarr. Other Boston hip hop acts include Mr. Lif and Akrobatik of the Perceptionists, Bell Biv Devoe, Benzino, New Jack Swing legend Bobby Brown, and New Edition.
[edit] New Jersey
- Main article: Music of New Jersey
The African American neighborhoods of Newark and East Orange produced many rappers in the early-to-mid 1990s East Coast boom, the most famous of which were Redman, Naughty by Nature, and The Fugees. Other Jersey artists include Queen Latifah, Chino XL, Faith Evans, Apache, Artifacts, Joe Budden, and Lords of the Underground. Sugarhill Gang, who achieved fame for their early rap hit "Rapper's Delight" in 1979, were from New York City, but their recordings were based in Englewood, New Jersey, as was their label, Sugar Hill Records.
[edit] New York City
- Main articles: East Coast hip hop, Music of New York
New York City (specifically the West and South Bronx was the birthplace of hip hop, in 1973 and all of its prime early movers, such as DJ Kool Herc, [[Grandmaster Flash], Caz and Afrika Bambaataa grew up and began performing there. See [1] Where it all began.
The city also produced all of the style's early stars, like LL Cool J (from Queens) and Kurtis Blow. Other influential artists from this era that have endured through the ages are KRS-One (from the Bronx), Public Enemy (from Long Island), Run-DMC (from Queens), and the Beastie Boys (from Brooklyn). By the beginning of the 1990s, however, the West Coast had eclipsed New York in popular success. This began a rivalry which culminated in the deaths of New York MC Notorious B.I.G. and West Coast rapper 2Pac, who was born in Brooklyn. In 1993 the pioneering Wu-Tang Clan from Staten Island emerged, and have continued to be influential to independent street hip hop. By the middle of the decade, Puff Daddy (from Manhattan) the Notorious BIG and Mase reinvigorated East Coast rap to popular acclaim with a very pop-oriented approach to hip hop. The East Coast also bred several hard-edged stars during this time, like Busta Rhymes, DMX (from Yonkers) and Nas, culminating in the breakthrough of Brooklyn's Jay-Z late in the decade. New York also produced a vital underground in the Native Tongues Posse, led by alternative hip hop crew A Tribe Called Quest, which also included Long Island's De La Soul. 50 Cent & his G-Unit clique, Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, and Fabolous are a few successful rappers/groups of the 21st century from the New York area.
[edit] Philadelphia
Philadelphia has produced a few of the most hard-edged rappers, including Schoolly D and Kurupt. DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince were one of the first to put Philly on the map. The Roots have also been followed by underground fans since the mid-1990s. It also famous for early 2000s mainstream acts such as Beanie Sigel, Eve, Freeway, State Property, Cassidy and Cyssero. The Philadelphia hip hop scene has a unique style and slang; the term "jawn" is used as a universal interjection.
[edit] Washington, D.C.
- Main article: Music of Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C. is best known for its distinct dance music called go go, which arose as a fusion of funk with rapping. Chuck Brown is the best-known performer of go go.
[edit] Midwest
[edit] Chicago
The first Chicago hip hop record was the Groovy Ghost Show by Casper, released in 1980 and a distinctively Chicago sound began by 1982, with Caution and Plee Fresh. Chicago also saw the development of house music (a form of electronic dance music, Chicago House) in the early 1980s and this soon mixed with hip hop and began featuring rappers; this is called hip house, and gained some national popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Chicago underground scene produced several major acts such as Common and Da Brat.
Despite having the second-largest African American population in the nation (after New York, in numbers), only now with Kanye West, Twista, Rhymefest, Lupe Fiasco, Common, and Boo and Gotti, is the Windy City beginning to receive mainstream attention.
Chicago rappers, Twista and Rebel XD, were Guinness Book record holders in the category "Fastest Rap MC" (though of the pair, only Twista has released a CD).
[edit] Ohio
- Main article: Music of Ohio
One of the most influential hip hop groups from Ohio and in Midwest hip hop in general have been Bone Thugs-N-Harmony from Cleveland. Famous rappers Ray Cash, Bow Wow and Lyfe Jennings also hail from Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo.
[edit] Detroit
- Main article: Music of Michigan
Detroit's earliest forays into recorded hip hop were in the field of ghettotech, a fusion of techno music and Miami bass. Later, nationally-renowned performers such as Insane Clown Posse, Kid Rock, Eminem, D12, Obie Trice, Slum Village, J Dilla, King Gordy, Esham, Twiztid, and Royce Da 5'9" made Detroit an industry center.
[edit] St. Louis
- Main article: Music of Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri has produced a few prominent rappers, of which Nelly & the St. Lunatics, Chingy, and J-Kwon are the best known.
[edit] Kansas City
- Main article: Music of Missouri
Tech N9ne is known to be a reasonably fast rapper, also known for his ability to speed-rap, a skill mostly dominant in the American Midwest, and due to his geographic location as well as his fast rapping shares many of the same fans as Twista and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Tech, however, is also known to compose a rather slower flow, with a yelling, almost chanting delivery. He has been both praised and stigmatized for his dark, almost psychotic and sometimes suicidal subject matter, which has kept Tech N9ne out of the mainstream rap scene.
[edit] Milwaukee
- Main article: Music of Wisconsin
Rusty Ps has taken home the most awards, local and statewide, for Rap/HipHop in Wisconsin/Milwaukee history. Other noteworthy Milwaukee hip hop acts are Taste Emcees, Def Harmonic, and Black Elephant.
[edit] The South
[edit] Atlanta
- Main article: Music of Georgia
In the late 1990s, a wave of Atlanta-based performers like Goodie Mob and Outkast gained some national renown. By the early 2000s, Outkast had become critical darlings and the Southern rap-inspired Dirty South style was a major component of popular hip hop. Atlanta is currently the most productive hip hop city with the biggest names being Killer Mike, Ludacris, Lil Jon, Young Jeezy, Ying Yang Twins, Bonecrusher, Field Mob, Dem Franchise Boyz, Young Bloodz, D4L, and T.I.B5, a teenage R&B group signed to Bad Boy records
[edit] Houston
- Main article: Music of Texas
Houston first came on to the national scene in the early 1990s with the violent and disturbing stories told by the Geto Boys, with member Scarface going sucessfully solo in the mid 90s. In the early 2000s Houston, also known as the "3rd coast", exploded into the forefront of Southern hip hop, with commercially successful acts like Mike Jones, Slim Thug, Lil Flip, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall. UGK now calls Houston home and has been an enormously influential entity on southern hip hop since the 1990s.
[edit] Memphis
- Main article: Music of Tennessee
Memphis is credited as the original source of the crunk sound that spread across the South in the 2000s, with 1990s groups like Three 6 Mafia and 8 Ball & MJG. Young Buck is so far the only known rapper from another major city in the state, coming from Nashville.
[edit] Florida
- Main article: Music of Florida
Miami is best-known for a bass-heavy form of hip hop called Miami bass. It had a brief brush with national fame in the late 1980s, aided by a censorship controversy surrounding the crew 2 Live Crew.Vanilla Ice Trick Daddy and Trina are other well-known rappers, as well as latino rapper Pitbull. Jin was also from Miami, but moved to New York City. Hip-Hop producers Cool and Dre also hail from Miami. 2006 has seen the reemergence of Miami's hip hop scene with the break out success of Rick Ross, new CD's from Luke, Trick Daddy & Pitbull and also newcomers Dirtbag, DeLa & Garcia. Rapper T-Pain is from Florida's capital city of Tallahassee.
[edit] New Orleans
- Main article: Music of Louisiana
Before Atlanta's takeover around 2001, the most popular scene in the South was New Orleans, led by Master P's No Limit Records featuring his 504 Boyz, Lil' Romeo, Silkk the Shocker, Mystikal, and C-Murder. Cash Money Records and Cash Money Millionaires, consisting of the Big Tymers, who are Baby and Mannie Fresh, the Hot Boyz, which were Lil Wayne, Juvenile, B.G. and Turk, had a 1999 hit called Bling Bling, which created a national catchphrase called Bling. They formed in 1991 by Baby and his brother Slim and made many hit records throughout the late 90s and 2000s. The future of New Orleans rap is in jeopardy due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which has directly affected many local rap personalities.
[edit] Mississippi
- Main article: Music of Mississippi
David Banner, from Jackson, Mississippi, is the only known rapper to come out of Mississippi, with recent hits such as "Like a Pimp" and "Play".Destin Goodman is the best rapper of all time from the big Mississippi.
[edit] Oklahoma
Litefoot, the most prominent Native American rapper, is based in Tulsa, and operates the record label Red Vinyl.
[edit] The West and West Coast
[edit] Los Angeles
- Main articles: Music of California
In the early 1980s, recorded hip hop from Los Angeles began. There were two styles. One was hardcore hip hop vocalists, like Ice-T, King Tee and Toddy Tee, while the others performed a kind of electronic dance music called electro hop; these included the Arabian Prince, Egyptian Lover, and World Class Wreckin' Cru.
Though there was no major acclaim until the very end of the 1980s, West Coast artists did grown in stature during the middle of the decade. These hits included Ice-T's "6'n da Mornin'" (1986), one of the first gangsta rap songs, and Toddy Lee's "Batter." Ice-T's Rhyme Pays (1987) brought critical acclaim for the West Coast. With the success of N.W.A and N.W.A. and the Posse soon after, West Coast hip hop moved quickly towards the mainstream. N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton completed the transition of West Coast hip hop to the forefront of American popular hip hop, but it was 1992's The Chronic by Dr. Dre that established the style's permanence. Death Row Records was the prominent West Coast record label. Founded by Suge Knight the label included Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and 2Pac. Another notable west coast group from the time was Latin group Cypress Hill who, like Ice-T, also dabbled in the alternative rock scene and gangsta rap. Other prominent Los Angeles artists are Mack 10 and Ice Cube.
The Chronic was the beginning of what was known as G-funk, and included such stars as Snoop Doggy Dogg and Warren G. Its release came at a pivotal period, simultaneous with the release of Nirvana's Nevermind, and American music went through a watershed moment. There was a backlash against the late 1980s heavy metal bands, which were seen as cheap and formulaic. Nirvana and Dr. Dre shared an anti-establishment attitude which resonated with the country's youth.
Since Eazy-E and Tupac died, West Coast rap has died down a bit with the exceptions of elderstatesmen Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg as well as Xzibit. Recently the West Coast has made a comeback with The Game and his debut The Documentary.
[edit] Long Beach
Long Beach is a neighbor city next to LA's hip hop scene where gangsta rap and G-funk dominated. It is the home of stars such as Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Nate Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound and Tha Eastsidaz.
[edit] San Diego
Mexican rapper Lil Rob is the only prominent rapper from San Diego to become mainstream, with his recent hits "Summer Nights" and "Bring Out the Freak in You." San Diego is also the hometown of rapper/actor Nick Cannon
[edit] The Bay Area
The Bay Area is the center of arguably the most artistic and intellectual hip hop scene in the country to date. The Bay Area's reputation is largely based on alternative acts such as Souls of Mischief, Blackalicious, Zion I, and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien. The Bay Area(specifically Oakland) is also the adopted hometown of the late 2Pac, who is regularly listed as one of, if not the, greatest rapper of all time. It is also the hometown of other rappers such as Numskull, Too $hort, Spice 1, MC Hammer, and Mac Dre. In current times, the Bay Area is home to the "Hyphy" Movement, featuring uptempo club songs from artists like E-40, Keak da Sneak, Federation, and The Team. Yukmouth is also a great Bay Area Rapper.
[edit] Seattle
- Main article: Music of Washington
Seattle's rap scene is similar to Oakland's more intellectual style. It briefly gained national prominence in 1988 to 1991 with Sir Mix-A-Lot's novelty hit's "Posse On Broadway" and"Baby Got Back". Later regional acts include Source of Labor, Oldominion and Blue Scholars. Underground Hip Hop acts The Boom Bap Project and Thirstin Howl III also hail from Seattle.
The Guinness Book record holder for Fastest Rap MC is the Seattle-based No Clue (Ricky Brown), breaking the record previously held by Chicago rapper Rebel XD who broke another Chicago native, mainstream rapper Twista's record back in 1993. Brown rapped 723 syllables in 51.27 seconds on his track "No Clue" at B&G Studios, Seattle, on January 15, 2005.
[edit] See also
| World hip hop |
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