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South of The Bronx
Hip Hop - Emerged in the 1970s from African American and Afro-Caribbean immigrants in the Bronx a borough in New York. Drugs and Violence were the base of Hip Hop as a way to express their struggles and societal challenges they faced. Hip Hop is a very drum heavy genre with jazz samples, high hats, 808s and rhyme schemes. -
Rappers Delight
In 1979 the first rap song ever publicly released was by a a rap group formed in Englewood, New Jersey, by the name of Sugarhill Gang. The Song peaked at 36 on the Billboard Top 100, the first rap song to do so. Rappers Delight is known as one of the most important Hip Hop songs of all time, for pushing the hiphop genre into commercial territory. -
Africa Bambaataa
Africa Bambaataa (Lance Taylor), a DJ, Producer and rapper from the South Bronx, New York. Most view BAmbaataa as someone who brought peace to the gangs. Artist and gang affiliates say "hiphop saved a lot of lives". Bambaataa pioneered the early use of drum machines and computer sounds, forever changing the way R&B and other traditionally black music sounded. Propelling hiphop into the creative and wide spread sound scape we hear today. -
Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah introduced feminism to hip hop culture. Becoming the first black female rapper to win a grammy in history. Her hit song U.N.I.T.Y. focuses on the disrespect of women in society, going over issues like street harassment, slurs against women in hip hop culture, and domestic abuse. -
The Rise of The West Cost
The Rise of The West Coast in the late 1980s-mid 1990s helped elevate the radio play and sales standpoint. Record labels like Suge Knight and Dr. Dres Death Row Records, Ice Cube's Lunch Mob records, and the steady dominance of Easy Es Ruthless records. -
The influence of Hip Hop
The release of NWA's Straight Outa Compton brought a wave of protests and riots in Los Angelos and around America. The album was about Police brutality and racial profiling and the life they lived. It inspired many to change the state of society and led change. The group consisted of many influential and important figures in hip hop today, such as Easy E, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre of the most notable ones. -
Wu Tang Clan
In 1992 Wu-Tang Clan releases "Protect Ya Neck" and takes New York by storm. Wu tang helped preach togetherness and the importance of spreading peace to all. They helped end the gang violence between Stapleton and Park Hill, two subdivisions in New York which were heavily gang affiliated and drug motivated areas at the time. Wu tang had members from both areas in their gang helping spread the idea of brotherhood and ending the violence. -
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
One of the greatest albums in Hip Hop history is The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Reminding everyone of their strength and the power that we hold though the wold constantly tells otherwise. -
2010s
The 2010s brought a wave of new up and coming artist that were killing the streaming era, such as Kenya Jay Z, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi and Frank Ocean. Later Drake and Kendrick Lamar would take over the hip hop game as the leaders in the game. This era saw hip hop take its biggest jump into one of the most popular genres of music. -
To pimp a Butterfly
In 2015 Kendrick Lamar released his third studio album To Pimp a Butterfly. Filled with metaphors about materialism, racism, oppression, and self love, it took on a very serious note. The Sogn Alright sparked a movement, protest leading up to four years after the songs release could be heard in protest as an anthem for justice. -
Bigger than black and white
In 2020 hip hop is still used as a way to empower movements and preach for justice. Bigger than Black and White released in 2020 by Lil Baby, a rapper not well known for his political rapping. This song gained popularity as a song for action on police brutality and racism. During the Gorge Floyd protest this song was seen as an anthem just like Alright by Kendrick Lamar -
Hip Hop Going Forward
Hip Hop will always be a place artist can express them selves and talk about matters that have importance on society, such as policy brutality, racism, the dark side of the music industry, self love and togetherness. Hip hop is and always will be an outlet for those to express their story to the world and help change for the better.