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A rapping vocal track and a strong rhythmic beat characterize hip-hop music. It was the cultural exchange between the Black, the Latino, and the Caribbean youth that’s behind the genesis of this genre of music. Hip-hop originated in New York in the 1970s and has since emerged as one of the most popular forms of music in the United States. Hip-hop culture stands on four main pillars—DJing, break dancing, rapping, and graffiti.
Hip-hop has had a deep impact on popular American culture and it has spawned numerous subgenres like trap, gangsta rap, grime, bounce, Latin hip-hop, crunk, and more. Hip-hop artists have earned mass popularity in the US and they enjoy a massive fan following. Let’s get to know a bit more about hip-hop music in the United States.
Hip-hop Music History
Hip-hop music has its roots in the Bronx borough of New York City’s underbelly. The music is a result of the collaboration between groups of Blacks, Latinx, and Caribbean American youth at block parties that were community gatherings featuring DJs churning out funk and soul music. Many DJs like DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Grand Wizzard Theodore, and African Bambaataa started experimenting with innovative techniques bringing in longer percussive breaks, scratching, and new turntable techniques, freestyle, and a range of improvised vocals originating from Jamaican “toasting.” These were the pioneers of modern hip-hop.
Early History
It was in 1979 that the Sugarhill Gang released the first hip-hop record, “Rapper’s Delight.” It made its way to the top 40 on the US Billboard charts putting hip-hop in the spotlight and making it a new music genre in the US. The very next year, hip-hop spread all through the United States. New ideas took shape with drum kits, more complex sampling, broader collaboration with electro-music, and metaphorical rap lyrics being introduced. It was during the 80s itself that hip-hop went beyond the American shores and spread to the UK, Japan, and Australia.
The Golden Era
The 1980s and the 1990s marked the ‘golden era’ of hip-hop music when hip-hop performers enjoyed massive mainstream popularity. Many innovations were introduced with each new record. M.C. Hammer, Snoop Dogg, Big Daddy Kane, and Tupac Shakur were some of the major hip-hop artists who reigned supreme during the genre’s golden era.
Increasing Popularity
The late 1990s saw major commercialization of hip-hop and even more popularity in the mainstream. 50 Cents, DMX, and Puff Daddy were a few of the prominent artists. 1995 saw the Grammys introduce the Best Rap Album category with the award going to Naughty by Nature. There was an explosion of experimenting and a burst of new artists with the advent of internet distribution and streaming. Cardi B, Future, Migos, and Travis Scott were a few notable artists.
Conclusion
Hip-hop is a burst of rustic creativity with its roots in cultural collaboration among the blacks, the Latino, and the Caribbean youth of the 1970s New York City. The genre rose in popularity rapidly and saw its golden era in the 1980s. It became a part of mainstream music in the US and it was in 1995 that the Grammy launched an award for best rap album, an acknowledgment of its mass appeal. Hip-hop continues to remain a prominent element in America’s global cultural influence.
