Hip Hop Research Paper

Kenny Robison

Research Paper

Hip Hop is now one of the most popular genres of music. However, this wasn’t always the case. Over time, Hip Hop culture has evolved from an underground scene to a mainstream success. Fashion has also played a large role in how the culture has influenced others. High fashion brands have come around to accept the artists rather than shy away from the culture. The culture around Hip Hop music has evolved over time through the music, fashion, and public exposure.

The Hip Hop culture started in the late 1970s. “It was created in the poorest districts of New York City by African American and Latino teenagers as part of a hip hop scene that also produced breakdancing and graffiti art” (Errey). People would DJ at local

This was the era of Gangsta Rap, G-Funk, and Hardcore Rap. One of the largest parts of this era in Hip Hop was the East vs West feud. The east side was made up of artists like Puff Daddy and The Notorious B.I.G., who were affiliated with Bad Boy Records and had the hardcore rap style. The west side was made up of Tupac and Suge Knight of Death Row Records. “Los Angeles' gangsta rap developed from the rap music of artists like Ice-T and NWA. Ice-T began by sampling funk rhythms and rapping about the dangers of drugs, crime and dropping out of school” (Errey). The hardcore style of New York City used mid-tempo beats with jazz samples and poetic flow. The East vs West feud was mainly between Tupac, of Los Angeles and The Notorious B.I.G., of New York City. This feud went on for most of the 90s and spawned many new creations in each other’s music. Diss tracks became popular to talk about another rapper in a song. The Notorious B.I.G’s track “Who Shot Ya?,” was aimed at Tupac and talked about a shooting/robbery that took place. Tupac responded with the track “Hit ‘Em Up” aimed at The Notorious B.I.G. The fued came to an end 1996 when Tupac was shot and killed in Las Vegas after a Mike Tyson boxing fight. The next year, in 1997, The Notorious B.I.G was killed in a similar way. Another common style of this time period was called G-Funk. “G-Funk producers often sampled funk grooves by George Clinton's P-Funk groups Parliament and

“Hip hop became a major genre of popular music in the 21st century, with hip hop singles and albums topping the charts worldwide” (Errey). This time is identified for the new cultures that arose. The South gave way to artist from Atlanta, like Usher and Ludacris, from Louisiana, like Lil Wayne, and Florida like Rick Ross. Southern Hip Hop is exemplified by soul samples and more harsh flows. Artists from the Midwest also rose in this time. Eminem, from Detroit was one of the first white rappers to become commercially successful. His music was focused on his lyrics and clever wordplay. Another artist from the Midwest is Kanye West, from Chicago. West was the biggest part of the change in Hip Hop. He not only was a rapper, but also a producer. “While most Hip Hop artists are either producers or rappers, Kanye is regarded as a master of both. His sample-heavy tracks have used elements of classical music, gospel, jazz and soul as well as rock and R&B, and he uses many rapping styles, from slow and relaxed to fast and aggressive” (Errey). Another feature of this era is the pop collaborations. Hip Hop artists were becoming so commercially successful that Pop artists wanted to work with them. These songs would often have a chorus sung by the pop singer with a verse rapped by the rapper over the same beat. In 2010’s and on, Hip Hop has changed entirely. Artists like Drake, Childish Gambino, and The Weeknd have blended Hip Hop