Hip Hop Music: The Genre Of Rap Music

The genre of hip hop or “rap music” has produced a great deal of influential music and people. Beginning in the early 1970s, rap music consists of rhythmic sounds, followed by rhythmic speech. With melody’s continuing for over 40 years, hip hop has created statements that define exactly why its reign will be everlasting. Hip hop is also a culture, popular simply because it is purely creative, and truly genius. Illmatic illustrates that exact authenticity, and originality through outstanding lyricism, and production. The culture, and genre of hip hop would change forever because of this album, proving that rap was just beginning through the eyes of Nasir Jones. Originally born Nas bin Olu Dara Jones, Nas would emerge during the mid-90’s becoming

Musically, Nas paired up with some of the best producers, and artist which made Illmatic sore to heights that hip hop had never seen before. The album took a year to make and was recorded at four different studios in New York City. Critics across the board rated Illmatic a shear masterpiece. It was amazing to see someone at the age of nineteen illustrate this kind of purity, and lyricism. This entire project shifted hip-hop in multiple ways, still leaving lasting effects on how hip hop albums are produced and executed in today’s society. Within thirty nine minutes Nas explains a variety of subjects packed with the potency of his words, and the flow of the beats. Illmatic rose to number twelve on the Billboard 220 chart, and #2 on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop charts (Fields, 2016). Illmatic would forever define Nas’s career as he continued his journey in hip

It is very interesting to still consider he was under twenty years’ old writing rhymes about gangs, poverty, drugs, and violence. This album is a reflection and narrative of Nas’s life depicting his own experiences. These experiences were very detailed in nature making the album a creative story telling adventure. In previous interview Nas agreed that Illmatic came from a time of entrapment within the ghetto (Illmatic, 2016). Emotions flood the music showing Nas’s grittier side towards the way he was brought up. It showcases pain, frustration, and even pleasure. These exact emotions are enduring throughout the whole album proving that Nas could execute his lyrics effortlessly all while proving a message and insight into his daily struggles. Nas also does an amazing job at recreating the scene by including places, people, streets, and interactions. The recreation of scenes offered an artist realism, and presented Illmatic in a documentary form. The introduction of drugs was nothing new when Nas came around. Plenty of rappers before him were talking about the violence that surrounds it, and how prevalent it was in urban poverty areas. Nas just offers an immense amount of imagery inspired by the street crime. In the song “N.Y State of Mind” Nas recalls how the streets were full of people participating in drug activities whether they were lookouts, or making the sales themselves. The