Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
market for California. They were the first artists to verbally illustrate violence
to their audience. They were also one of the first artists to use explicit words
in their music which further angered older generations. At this time hip-hop
was still seen as a fad which was a means for their children to rebel. They did
not look at it as a legitimate art form in the vein of rock or classical music.
The artists were labeled as thugs by the media and parental advisory
stickers were soon placed on their albums. This moved rap into the 1990s
where a subgenre dubbed gangster rap was the most popular.
The 1990s ushered in a new era in hip-hop where controversy and
aggression was the norm in the music. Hip-Hop music in the 1990s is widely
known for its unapologetic use of lyrics that were sexually explicit, violent,
and for the popularity of the use of the n-word. However, 1990s hip-hop is
also known for its increase in the complexity of rhyme schemes and
instrumentation. There was also a large schism that took place in the rap
community at this time. There was a separation between the styles of New
York and Los Angeles rap music which were the centers of rap at this time.
New York, or East Coast, hip-hop favored the use of dense, complex lyrics
that still talked about life in urban neighborhoods. Their beats took an
approach called sampling. Sampling is the process of extracting recorded
sound and reusing those sounds in a new recorded sound product (Sewell
2013). For example, New York rapper Nas sampled Michael Jacksons Human
Nature in his song It Aint Hard to Tell. This style of rhyme and production
was popularized in the mainstream by The Notorious B.I.G. with his 1994
album Ready to Die. Meanwhile Los Angeles, or the West Coast, favored
production that lead by synthesizer and bass that was known as G-Funk. The
lyrics typically either addressed a party lifestyle or a gangster lifestyle that
advocated violence. This was the more popular style during the 1990s. This
style of music caused controversy in the media because the lyrics were seen
as too violent and sometimes derogatory towards women. This controversial
music was spearheaded by Tupac Shakur. While a good portion of his music
was seen as political and moving, some of it was violent and disrespected
women. He was a controversial figure in many ways and even served a jail
sentence. He heavily promoted the thug life which caused much
controversy even though his music was widely popular. The difference in
styles eventually caused a large rift between the two contrasting audiences.
This especially became evident when tension grew between Tupac Shakur
and the Notorious B.I.G. Fans believed they were forced to choose sides and
concerts often resulted in violence. The ongoing violence between the two
respective coasts eventually led to the murders of both of the
aforementioned artists in the late 1990s. Even though it still caused a
massive amount of controversy in the media, this period of time proved that
hip-hop music had staying power. This era is often regarded as the classic
era in hip hop because many landmark albums were released in the 1990s.
Nas Illmatic is often regarded as the best hip-hop album of all time.
Hip-Hop finally reached its peak when it was proven that a white artist
could become successful in the genre. One of the most successful hip-hop
sound that was more booming in nature. The artists of this era acted more
like the voices of the voiceless and took their position seriously. In the 1990s,
there was a rift created between artists who wanted to share stories of their
environment to those that could relate and those who advocated the fast-life.
These differing messages led to violence between the opposing factions and
their respective audiences as artists were now seen as leaders and
influences on societys youth. In the 2000s, the music became even more
varied with the emergence of music from the Midwest and Southern regions
of the United States. Currently, hip-hop music is accepted as an art form
worldwide that anyone of any background can participate in. An artist no
longer has to be from the same environment as their target audience to gain
popularity. The United States has fully embraced hip-hop culture with modern
popular music taking influence from hip-hop. There are so many styles of hiphop that it would be almost impossible to find a variation that did not fit your
tastes. Individuals who are more interested in socially conscious lyrics or
someone that can be the voice of the oppressed can listen to artists like J.
Cole or Kendrick Lamar. Others who are more interested in simple music that
is enjoyable can listen to artists like Drake. The evolution of hip-hop is similar
to that of classical music in the idea that each new era is a response to the
previous one and each new era expands on the previous one. The socially
conscious music is reminiscent of the Romantic era where artists are trying
to draw strong emotions from their listeners. Meanwhile, the simpler more
enjoyable form is reminiscent of the classical era where the artists only goal
References
Reese, Renford. "FROM THE FRINGE: THE HIP HOP CULTURE AND ETHNIC
RELATIONS." Dr. Renford R. Reese's Homepage. Renford Reese Ph.D, 2000.
Web. 01 May 2015. https://www.cpp.edu/~rrreese/HIPHOP.HTML
Flores, Lucien J. "Hip-Hop Is for Everybody: Examining the Roots and Growth
of Hip-Hop." www.studentpulse.com. Student Pulse, 2012. Web. 1 May 2015.
http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/639/2/hip-hop-is-for-everybodyexamining-the-roots-and-growth-of-hip-hop.
Rhodes, Henry A. "The Evolution of Rap Music in the United States."
www.yale.edu. Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, 2015. Web. 01 May 2015.
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1993/4/93.04.04.x.html
Sewell, Amanda. "A Typology of Sampling in Hip-Hop." Academia.edu. Indiana
University, May 2013. Web. 01 May 2015.
http://www.academia.edu/3492661/A_Typology_of_Sampling_in_Hip-Hop