Hip Hop Term Paper

Since the inception of hip-hop, the sound and the feeling of hip-hop has transformed into a whole new sound. Hip-Hop has changed drastically. The feeling and sound of hip-hop has stretched to a whole different sound which makes us question, is this hip-hop?
Hip Hop evolved in the 1970’s, credited to African Bambatta. In the Bronx it was the mainstream to see everyone gathered at the block parties to see all the DJ’s. From that one block party, there was more and more giving those DJ’s their name for what they do, Music. That was hip-hop. People received a great feeling listening to each of the artist. The power and soulful feeling, artist really feeling their rhythm, their music and getting into it. The more and more emotion they put into it, the more and the more the audiences felt the music. The uprising of hip-hop was based by Djing, it never had any vocals. It was just electronic nature. The roots of spoken hip-hop are founded by African music. The traditions of pure African music were an influence to hip-hop music. The African-American traditions of signifying the dozens and jazz poetry all influence hip hop music, as well as the call and response patterns of African and African American religious ceremonies. Throughout New York people performed spoken word poetry and music, artist such as: The Last Poets, Gill Scot Heron, and Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, made a big impact on the social environment in which Hip-Hop music was created. Poetry gave hip-hop inspiration, leading these artists to emceeing. Emceeing is where it all began. Block parties kept the movement going and as long as this block party had an emcee, more people joined the movement. Hip- hop was more than just a beat. The way it started was with rapping or singing a cappella. It was always breath taking to see someone keep a rhythm with no beat behind their lyrics. It was called pure talent. Artist would perform on the spot while everyone sat around watching as they would spit a cappella. The way each word hit and how each word would send that soulful vibe through every vain bringing such a musical sensation. This was more than music. Hip- hop was more than a sound it was a true soulful feeling. Dj’s began to get positive feedback on their performances during block parties in Co-op city in the Bronx. Due to the positive reception, DJs began isolating the percussion breaks of popular songs. This technique was then common in Jamaican dub music. DJ Kool Herc and other DJs began using such techniques with two turntables to extend the breaks during the 1970’s. Turntablist used techniques such as scratching, beat mixing, and beat matching invented by Francis Grasso in the late 1960’s early 1970’s. Beat juggling which developed along with the breaks, creating a bass which can be rapped over. Rapping, also referred to as emceeing, is a vocal style in which the artist speaks lyrically, in rhyme and verse, generally to an instrumental or synthesized beat. Beats incorporated synthesizers, drum-machines, and live bands. Rappers had to choice to either rap over a beat or to rap a cappella. DJ Kool Herc and Coke La Rock were an influence on the vocal style of rapping by delivering simple poetry verses over funk music breaks. DJs and MCs would often add call and response chants, consisting of a basic chorus, to allow the performer to gather his thoughts such as; “to the beat ya’ll” or “mic check”. Later in the 1970’s, MC’s became more versatile in delivering their vocals and rhythm. They began incorporating brief rhymes, often with a sexual or scatological theme, in an effort to differentiate them and to entertain the audience. Kool Herc & the Herculoids were the first hip hop group to gain recognition in New York, but the number of MC teams increased over time. Melle Mel, a rapper with The Furious Five, is often credited with being the first rap lyricist to call himself an "MC". During the early 1970s B-boying arose during block parties as b-boys and B-girls got in front of the audience to dance in a frenetic style. B-Boying and graffiti was documented to a world-wide audience for the first time for documentaries and movies such as Style Wars, Wild Style, and Beat Street. The term "B-boy" was coined by DJ Kool Herc to describe the people who would wait for the break section of the song, to get in front of an audience and dance frantically. Hip-Hop was influenced by many different sounds and genres of music. It actually is a mix of all forms of music. Using all these genres to conform one diverse sound. Hip-Hop started to get influence by Disco music. Kurtis blow believes the early days of hip-hop were characterized by divisions between fans and detractors of disco music. The earliest hip-hop was based on funk loops. By 1979, disco instrumental loops/tracks had become the basis of much hip hop music. Hip-Hop gained the name of "disco rap". Hip hop music was also a proponent in the eventual decline in disco popularity. DJ Pete Jones, Eddie Cheeba, DJ Hollywood, and Love Bug Starski were disco-influenced hip hop DJs. Other hip-hop artist who focused on rapid-fire rhymes and more complex rhythmic schemes differed from the style of the disco artist. Artist hadn’t started recording until 1979. Prior to 1979 recording hip-hop music consisted of PA system recordings of parties and early hip-hop mix tapes. Puerto Rican DJ Disco Wiz is credited as the first hip hop DJ to create a "mixed plate," or mixed dub recording, in 1977; he combined sound bites, special effects and paused beats to technically produce a sound recording. The first hip hop record is widely regarded to be The Sugarhill Gang 's "Rapper 's Delight", from 1979. DJ Lady B was credited to be the first female solo hip-hop artist to record her hit song, “To the Beat Ya’ll” in 1979. There are various other claimants for the title of first hip hop record. "Funk You Up" (1979), was the first hip hop record released by a female group, and the second single released by Sugar Hill Records, which was performed by The Sequence, a group from Columbia, South Carolina which featured Angie Stone. Hip hop music became popular in Philadelphia in the late 1970s. The first released record was titled "Rhythm Talk", by Jocko Henderson. The New York Times had recognized Philadelphia the "Graffiti Capital of the World" in 1971. Schoolly D, starting in 1984 and also from Philadelphia, began creating a style that would later be known as gangsta rap. Everyone began expressing their feelings trough music. Such tracks as Grandmaster Flash 's "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" (1981), a single consisting entirely of sampled tracks were and early example of diversification. As well as Afrikan Bambaataa 's "Planet Rock" (1982), this signified the fusion of hip hop music with electro. Rammellzee & K-Rob 's "Beat Bop" (1983) was a 'slow jam ' which had a dub influence with its use of reverb and echo as texture and playful sound effects. The mid-1980s was marked by the influence of rock music, with the release of such albums as King of Rock and Licensed to Ill. Hip-Hop became more diverse in the 1980’s. Melle Mel, Rakim, Chuck D and KRS-One revolutionized Hip-Hop by transforming hip-hop into a mature form of art. "The Message”, an influential single by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, is widely considered to be the pioneering force for conscious rap in 1982. Since then, the lyrical content of rap and hip-hop music evolved. Prior to the 1980s, hip hop music was largely confined within the context of the United States. However, during the 1980s, it began its spread and became a part of the music scene in dozens of countries. . Hip- Hop always remained close to the Latino culture in New York. DJ Disco Wiz and the Rock Steady Crew were among early innovators from Puerto Rico. Combining English and Spanish in the lyrics. Hip-Hop changed the face of the world. It was more than just a feeling or sound, it also was a culture to many. Creating more styles of dance. B-Boying became popular throughout the hip-hop culture. It was the first aspect of hip-hop culture to reach Japan, Australia, and South Africa. The crew Black Noise began practicing B-Boying before they began rapping later in the decade. New school hip originated in the mid 1980’s to the early 1990’s. It was also known as the golden age. New school was characterized and influenced by rock music. This period was known to be a theme of afrocentricity while music was eclectic. Also there was a big jazz influence to artist such as; Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Big Daddy Kane and the Jungle Brothers. It was known for the golden age because every new single reinvented the genre. Music flowed and everyone felt what music was. Music was who they were, not what they did. Then there was gansta rap. Gansta rap, a subgenre of hip-hop that reflected the lifestyle of inner city African American youth. Gansta rap was developed by the rappers, Schooly D in the mid 1980’s. They later were popularized by the group N.W.A. After the national attention that Ice-T and N.W.A created in the late 1980s and early 1990s, gangsta rap became the most commercially lucrative subgenre of hip hop. N.W.A is the group most frequently associated with the founding of gangsta rap. Their lyrical content was more violent and confrontational. They were rapped over rough rock driven guitars, given the music a hard edgy feeling. During the year 1990, this was the year rap exploded. It was the mainstream break through. Old school hip-hop was still flowing. The simple beats with the extraordinary lyrics. Those rappers from the 1980’s were still making music and there was new music. There were new real artist. Urban Thermo Dynamics, Talib Kwali, Common Sense, Lauryn Hill, TLC. This was the year every one’s music hit and gave everyone that good sensation. Hip-hop was still alive and still flowing. There was more to it than just the content of the song. It was the way people reacted to hearing the song. People actually heard the lyrics of the song and not just the beat. This was the time artist held their grammy’s up and told the crowd and their fans “this is hip-hop”. From the start through the 1990’s to 2000 music was good. It was something about it. They fought hard for what they wanted, their dream of being hip-hop. Music had a meaning. People were being who they really were instead of what labels wanted them to be. They made music that suited them. Music they were satisfied with. Music was a feeling. When artist, even rappers cried from the lyrics of their own song. Where has that spark gone? The spark is still here, but why has it dimmed? What happened to our dear hip-hop?The other genre’s and subgenres have taken over. R&B has become more popular within our culture. Rap has evolved and expanded wider. Very few are hip-hop. Hip-hop has changed. Well, the definition has changed. There are still artist that still live through hip-hop. Then there are artist who misunderstand rap from hip hop. Listening to music isn’t the same. Its sad to turn on the radio and only here profanity. There are more songs about weed, sex, and money than there is about what is going on right now. The style of dress has changed and especially the style of dance. Everything is a competition now, artist aren’t trying to help other artist everything is about being better than the last artist. There were times when the way hip-hop affected our youth was the top story on the news. When artist tried to get along because the controversy in the music game landed great artist into caskets. There were days artist came out on the streets trying to get the support of elders because hip-hop was so important and the peace was important to have. This was the time they didn’t target one specific group. They stepped aside from their music to attain to the complaints of the city. The city is still complaining but nothing is being said. No one is saying “I was wrong for degrading women”, or saying “im sorry for being a bad influence to your child”. They only care that they are making money and their songs are selling. The whole meaning of hip-hop music has changed. It used to touch the soul, now what does it touch? What happened to UNITY. What these old-school rappers rapped about , new school rappers seem to have lost touch with the meaning of the lyrics. How do you gain hip-hop back? We have imitations is the music game now. Everyone is rapping and imitating someone they’ve always wanted to be. No one is saying their real story. Hip-hop is now masked, hidden waiting to be set free. Hip-hop is masked because these artist with so much potential are hiding behind these mask. Afraid of showing their fans that the person they are pretending to be isn’t really who they are. The problem is hip-hop used to be real. People were true to their music. Everyone now is true to their money. The change is clear. It’s not about making music because you are in love with the feeling but its more about making music because it’s what sells. Its clear, the change is the feeling, the meaning, the demeanor. Everyone is entitles to have their own reason for why they do things. The reason why hip-hop started has gone leaving the true lovers of hip-hop to wonder, is hip-hop gone? And is it ever coming back?

Noel Hill
Hip-Hop Citations
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Concepcion, Mariel. "Old School, New School." Billboard. 20 Sep. 2008: 22. eLibrary. Web. 27 Jun. 2012.
Concepcion, Mariel (2008, September 20). Old School, New School. Billboard, (38), 22, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com

Brackett, Nathan. "Ten ways to save hip-hop." Rolling Stone. 20 Mar. 2003: 36. eLibrary. Web. 27 Jun. 2012.
Brackett, Nathan (2003, March 20). Ten ways to save hip-hop. Rolling Stone, 36, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com

"Hip-Hop 's Bad Rap." Narr. Jake Tapper, Jodi Ross. CNN The Point with Greta Van Susteren. 12 Jun. 2001. Transcript. eLibrary. Web. 27 Jun. 2012.
Tapper, J., Ross, J. (Host). (2001, June 12). Hip-Hop 's Bad Rap [Transcript] Cable News Network. Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com

Galil, Leor. "SCRATCH AND STITCH." Reader. 10 May. 2012: 12. eLibrary. Web. 27 Jun. 2012.
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Bothwell, Beau. "The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop-And Why It Matters." Current Musicology. 01 Apr. 2010: 95. eLibrary. Web. 27 Jun. 2012.
Bothwell, Beau (2010, April 01). The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop-And Why It Matters. Current Musicology, (89), 95, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com

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Curan, Catherine. "Hip-hop stars spin retail rap." Crain 's New York Business. 04 Aug. 2003: 1. eLibrary. Web. 27 Jun. 2012.
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"EDUCATION FOR THE MUSICAL MAINSTREAM." Narr. LISA SALTERS, PETER JENNINGS. World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. 25 Feb. 1999. Transcript. eLibrary. Web. 27 Jun. 2012.
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Mahiri, Jabari. "Streets to schools: African American youth culture and the classroom.." Clearing House 71. (1998):335(4). eLibrary. Web. 27 Jun. 2012.
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Citations: Hip Hop: Today 's Civil Rights Movement?. eLibrary. Web. 27 Jun. 2012. Hip Hop: Today 's Civil Rights Movement?. (2008, November 01). In ProQuest Editorial Website G. Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com Concepcion, Mariel Concepcion, Mariel (2008, September 20). Old School, New School. Billboard, (38), 22, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com Brackett, Nathan Brackett, Nathan (2003, March 20). Ten ways to save hip-hop. Rolling Stone, 36, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com "Hip-Hop 's Bad Rap." Narr Tapper, J., Ross, J. (Host). (2001, June 12). Hip-Hop 's Bad Rap [Transcript] Cable News Network. Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com Galil, Leor Galil, Leor (2012, May 10). SCRATCH AND STITCH. Reader, (34), 12, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com Bothwell, Beau Bothwell, Beau (2010, April 01). The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop-And Why It Matters. Current Musicology, (89), 95, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com Hip Hop Overview (National Geographic) Hip Hop Overview (National Geographic). (2010, November 17). In ProQuest Editorial Website G. Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com Curan, Catherine Curan, Catherine (2003, August 04). Hip-hop stars spin retail rap. Crain 's New York Business, (32), 1, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com Anonymous Anonymous (2008, June 28). The politics of hip-hop. Economist, n/a, Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com "EDUCATION FOR THE MUSICAL MAINSTREAM." Narr SALTERS, L., JENNINGS, P. (Host). (1999, February 25). EDUCATION FOR THE MUSICAL MAINSTREAM [Transcript] American Broadcasting Companies. Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com Mahiri, Jabari Mahiri, Jabari (1998, July 17). Streets to schools: African American youth culture and the classroom.. Clearing House, ({71}) 335(4), Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com --------------------------------------------