I’ve been debating on how to write today’s blog for the last few days. A few days ago I posted a Facebook post that kind of called out hip hop “fans” that really have no idea what hip hop is about. Hip hop is a type of culture. It’s music, it’s art, it’s lifestyle. What we’re talking about here today is hip hop as music and expression through both the actual hip hop genre and the rap genre. My feeling is that if people really understood where hip hop and rap came from, they’d be a whole lot less impressed with the bubble gum rappers that are out now…talking about swag, line dancing, gold teeth, and expensive things.
So what I decided to do was to put together some of the more instrumental people in the growth of hip hip/rap. This is by no means a definitive list, but it’s a good start for those that have NO idea about the foundations of the crap they listen to today. You’ll notice there’s not a lot from the 90s…Biggie, Tupac, Outkast, Dre, Eminem, Wu Tang, etc. This is about foundations not deviations or progressions. You are more than welcome to add your own favorites or additions in the comments section below.
Rap goes a little more pop…
And goes political…
and gets gangsta…
and some people you might have never heard of if all you listen to is current rap/hip hop
May 27th, 2010 at 2:03 PM
In my estimation, the real problem is the lines dividing genres and styles and GOODness. I’m not sure that it’s wise to group Public Enemy and Sugarhill as fathers or uncles of the same child; especially considering the style-mixing these days. I am sure, however, that this is an improper method of indicting the culture that has led to such shit getting peddled for millions of dollars across all genres.
Fuck AutoTune!
-M
May 27th, 2010 at 3:44 PM
Well this kind of goes to another blog that I had started but trashed. It was called “The Art of Storytellin’.” There is a fine line between hip hop and rap. And I think everyone kind of has a different take on it. I look at hip hop as the culture, rap as rhyming over beats and samples, and rnb as the vocal side of hip hop. With that definition I definitely look at Sugarhill and Public Enemy as being very closely related. The tell stories. Rappers Delight is one long story. So is Fight the Power. Slick Rick is a master story teller…so are Snoop, Dre, Biggie, Pac, etc. Even within that you have story tellers and then you have rhymers. The guys that just flow with sick rhymes that can’t really tell a story at all. But anyway, that’s how I look at some of that.
And autotune is a whole different story because it not only affects rap…it’s INfecting other genres as well and pitch correcting people that have no business singing in the first place. It’s awful.
June 15th, 2010 at 7:36 PM
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