70s and 80s Hip Hop
or Disco Rap, Old school, Classic Rap, Party Rap?
Either way, it was the beginning of commercial hip hop!
Written by modern-day producers and DJs!
Now immerse yourself in the history of Hip Hop while you listen to our playlist…then scope out the current Hip Hop shirts in stock.
5 minutes on The History of Hip Hop in the 70s and 80s
Hip Hop is probably the most controversial genre of music. These days rarely is a Hip Hop album released without parental advisory for explicit content. Sadly, the more mainstream it becomes, the more substance it seems to lose. However, Hip Hop was created with pure intentions of community, fellowship, and fun. From a Bronx basement to a mainstream genre. Hip Hop is arguably the fastest-growing style around the world of all the contemporary music genres.
Straight from the boroughs
New York is widely known as the birthplace of Hip Hop. For the longest, east coast hip hop was the standard. Only recently have we seen attitudes change and the diversification of rap. However, Hip Hop started right in the burrows of New York City, the South Bronx, to be exact. White flight in the late 60s, or the migration of Italians, Jews, Polish, and other immigrants from urban areas to the suburbs, left cities across America populated with communities of color with few resources. In the melting pot, New York, the Bronx became home to predominately Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Jamaicans, Barbadians, and more.
Before Hip Hop, there was a lot of influence pushing music in that direction. Songs like Sex Machine by James Brown are a credit to having the Hip Hop sound before Hip Hop had a name. Like The Big Payback, Brown often spoke over his songs, rhyming the words to the melodies even in his other music. In 1973, Clive Campbell came to America from Jamaica, seeking better opportunities. Campbell would later become known as the father of Hip Hop, DJ Kool Herc.
The official birthday of Hip Hop was his sister's Block Party when DJ Kool Herc got on the microphone and began rhyming to get people excited about the party.
However, soul and disco music still reigned supreme at that time. We often joke about how songs used to be so lengthy, but one of the best parts of those protracted songs was the variety of breakdowns, bridges, and all of the musical creativity those songs encompass. DJ Kool Herc was the first MC to coin his style by pulling the dance break from each song and playing only that portion. The breakdown is the drum-heavy part of a song. Not only did DJ Kool Herc revolutionize the way DJs manipulate sound, but he incited a cultural movement. By emphasizing the breakdown in songs, Herc forever changing the game. His style is now commonly referred to by rappers as the merry-go-round technique.
Herc quickly rose to popularity, as did his style as a whole. DJs tried to outperform each other for opportunities to work in clubs. However, Herc's block party style created an avenue for people to host their park parties. DJs and Rap groups were popping up all over New York City. It was a new style that was fun and edgy. Artists quickly began adapting and innovating ways to rap. By 1974, Afrika Bambaataa and Grand Master Flash had hit the scene DJing their block parties.
An evolving sound
Grandmaster Flash took Herc's and his merry-go-round DJ style a step further by taking a crayon and marking the records to show where the dance break began. Still, he knew there had to be an easier way. Grand Master Flash invented a queuing system through innovation, which allowed him to use two turntables to hear the next song in headphones before it played out loud. Innovation must be contagious because Grand Master Flash's apprentice, Grand Wizard Theodore, created the sound known as record scratching. The parties kept going, and this new style continued to spread on the street but hadn't reached audiences outside of New York and the east coast just yet.
Though the genre was growing in popularity, rappers were reluctant to make records. It was street style, and one of the things that mystified it was the ability to spit fresh rhymes off the dome. However, many people saw the potential of creating a record. The Sugar Hill Gang's song, Rapper's Delight, is credited as the first Hip Hop song ever recorded. In a roundabout way, this song can credit DJ Kool Herc and Grand Master Flash as they played a part in the trailblazing although, Grandmaster Caz has said he is the true lyricist. After seeing Rapper's Delight's success, Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five would later record what is often called one of the most renowned Hip Hop songs of all time, The Message.
As the 70s roared on, more and more artists emerged with their unique sounds. The Fat Boys, Whodini, The Sugar Hill Gang, and the Watts Prophets are all notable rap groups from early rap. With the new artists, a unique dance style came about. A group called the Rock Steady Crew was the first and most notable b-boy crew. B-boy was the slang term for individuals who liked to breakdance. They didn't know it at the time, but a new culture was being born. The style of music, dress, and dance would soon catch mainstream attention. Afrika Bambaataa, another forefather of rap, hit the scene with his style on songs like Planet Rock, perfect for dance battles. Some artists to come out of this time were The Beastie Boys, KRS-One, Erik B, Rakim, and more. It's a cliché, but many of these rappers are your favorite rappers favorite rapper.
And then it finally happened
In the early 80s, Kurtis Blow was the first solo rapper to be signed to a major record label, Mercury Records, proving rap could grow beyond the boroughs. He was the first rapper to appear on evening television, on the classic show Soul Train. He performed his hit The Breaks, and the rest is just history.
In this Hip Hop period from 1973 – 1983, broadly defined the genre and laid the groundwork for what would become the four elements of Hip Hop music. Though they continue to change over time, these four elements continue to be the pillar that holds up the house.
The Elements
Over the years, Hip Hop has evolved, and so have the core commandments that make it was it is. The so-called elements of Hip Hop have grown, but at its inception, there were four essential elements: Deejaying, emceeing, breaking, and graffiti. Hip Hop started at a block party, but it has always been mainly about expression. From the style of dress to rap, dancing, and even through art. Hip Hop music has turned into a positive outlet for so many people.
Deejaying
DJing is the pinnacle element of Hip Hop. Kool Herc was the first, but since so many have emerged and coined their style from the original manner. Deejaying started as the mashing up of multiple songs, usually and primarily just the breakdown. This explains why you see a lot of samples used within Hip Hop music. Hip Hop heavily influenced what later became known as sampling. To some, this is the difference between rap and Hip Hop. Hip Hop artists relied heavily on samples, whereas rappers creating beats specifically for rapping, and we call that rap music.
Rapping/ Emceeing
Not everyone can be a dope, Emcee. For that reason, being an Emcee might be more complicated than being a rapper. Imagine a party full of people, the music is excellent, but everyone's just sort of standing around. Would you be able to get on the microphone and get everyone excited? Do you know what you'd say or how you'd say it? That is precisely the job of an emcee. Rap is a sub-genre of Hip Hop, as is trap music.
Over time emceeing became fun and trendy and eventually led to what we now know as rap. The melodic methods of the spoken word to the music's rhythm were like nothing music had ever seen before. The range spanned with some songs being fun and party-like, while others took a more serious tone and became something like a voice for life in the inner city. For decades now, Hip Hop music has been ridiculed for its sometimes raw and gritty lyrics. However, if you look at city life in the late 70s and early 80, it was rough. The crack epidemic was kicking off. Industrial jobs were leaving cities, causing once well-manicured neighborhoods to become dilapidated. It was a rough time, and much of that reflects in the music.
Break Dancing
Hip Hop is now a popular dance genre in itself. You can find a Hip Hop dance class just about anywhere. However, long before it became an actual dance genre, there was a street style called Breaking or Break Dancing. IT was rugged and involved intricate moves like the helicopter. Different crews would go head to head. Beat Street is a coming of age film that gives an excellent depiction of the life of a young group of b-boys and girls.
Break dancing was all the rage in the 80s and even throughout the 90s. The name break dancing speaks to the breakdown in any particular song, giving dancers a chance to show off their best moves. Both boys and girls would jump in the ring to show off their dance moves. Dance battles were a thing almost as big as rap battles. Break dancing has since evolved, and now Hip Hop is a category in world-class dance competitions featuring talented dancers.
Graffiti
Hip Hop culture is expression. Graffiti is beautifully urban, and it came about in something like a Hip Hop love story, perhaps one of the first. The first installment of graffiti was in Philadelphia in 1967. A teen who went by the name Cornbread began tagging buildings to get his high school crush's attention. Cornbred's public display of affection preceded Kool Herc and his turntables, but graffiti continued to grow alongside the movement. What one young man did for love became associated with Hip Hop in total, and from there, the trend grew.
Trains, bridges, abandoned buildings were all fair game. And honestly, if your neighborhood is being impacted by white flight – loss of jobs, vacant buildings, increased policing – it could potentially be the perfect canvas. We would be remiss not to mention the illegality of tagging. Hip Hop started relatively innocent; however, graffiti artists were like the movement's bad boys and girls. Tagging in the night, leaving symbols and hints as to who they were or the names of their crew, but maintaining that mystifying edginess of remaining mostly unknown.
Hip Hop was by in large birthed in fun but raised in expression. Through spoken word, dance, art, and overall just being, it has become a culture of its own spanning decades. Traces of Hip Hop can be found in dance, techno, house, r&b, and many other genres of music. Now more than ever, we see people of all nationalities trying their hand at rap and adding their cultural elements, proving in its positive state, Hip Hop may be the musical melting pot that can bring us all together.
New School Hip Hop
It’s rise - 1983
The Rise of New School Hip Hop
Old school?
New school?
Isn't it all just hip hop?
Most definitely not!
The New School Hip Hop movement started back in 1983/4 - not that long ago (don't worry, 70s babies, I've got you!) It began initially with the earlier records from artists like Run - D.M.C. and was born in the light of New York City! From the streets to the biggest stages worldwide, hip hop was able to bloom into one of the most prominent and influential genres ever.
The terms 'Old School' and 'New School' more or less represent the obvious - old and new. However, this is often argued against as viewing a genre as 'old school' does not make them historical but more classic. In regards to hip hop, one of the main elements setting them apart is that:
Old school hip hop typically has 2-3 beats overlapping with simple lyrics.
New school hip hop has 6-8 beats per track and uses a broader range of editing.
What is New School Hip Hop?
The New School era was formed predominantly using minimal symphonies and a heavy amount of socio-political commentary and meaningful rap. The majority of music released under this genre comes hand in hand with aggression, hard beats, and a whole lot of attitude (not quite the attitude of pop artists these days show!)
These particular New School Hip Hop elements allowed it to stand alone and contrasted sharply with the funk, party, and disco lives living alongside them. It wasn't only the music that kept them apart, but also the outfits, the hits, the bands - they were all wrapped around the 'Old School' title. This was a significant shift in mood and began with artists beginning to understand their influence on society.
Origins of meaning
Jumping into reality - hip hop originated straight from the economically depressed, socially oppressed areas of New York. It was born as a subculture and an art movement. Its purpose was created to be influential and combat the frustrations of economic turmoil and racial discrimination that were heavy in this era.
However, despite our modern-day views and acceptance, this tactic was heavily frowned upon and created vasts amounts of conflict. Other social groups deemed it as discriminatory to their practices. Over time this has been straightened back into place with the increase in an open-minded society and atmosphere. The genre began and will continue to associate itself with social activism and be a pedestal to educate society.
Hip hop’s influence
With the rising cases of police brutality in New York, hip hop artists took the pedestal once more to express their anger and unrest about many social issues. Some examples being N.W.A.'s"'F*** the police" and Public Enemy's "Fight the Power." These tracks re-emerged recently due to the tragic death of George Floyd and have had almost a 300% increase in streams! They have been played at political rallies and protests, showing how influential and highly regarded they are when dealing with real issues.
They represent feelings and a mutual opinion of society. Public Enemy, in particular, has released updated versions of their songs. The reasoning behind this is because they are still relevant today. Hip Hop is a strategy and a way of reaching out to the world and educating them on real-life issues. Rappers and Hip Hop artists always have and will continue to ring the alarm bells on social and political issues worldwide. An example that brings this to the full circle is the band Grandmaster and the Furious Five. Their lyrics from 'The Message' do not provide any sugarcoating when referring to the realities of life in urban New York back in the early 80s.
The economy was falling apart, and this created segregation in neighborhoods and communities. This ultimately stemmed from African-American communities being deprived socially and economically. It caused despair, anger, and upset, which resulted in rising crime, gang violence, and poverty. Businesses were closing, and economic opportunity was sparse for some. This ultimately leads to the youth taking to the streets and expressing themselves. Music brought many individuals together through hard times and continues to do so.
Stop the violence movement.
This movement came later in the New School Hip Hop emergence. However, it was a pinnacle of the whole era. Created by American Rapper KRS-One, it brought together an all-star collection of hip hop artists and musicians in response to several incidents of violence at hip hop concerts. In 1988, during a Public Enemy concert, a young fan was killed in a fight. His ultimate goal was to bring back the initial and original principles that hip hop started with. Movement alone sparked the song's production, "Self-destruction," which brought awareness to individual responsibility when involved in violent scenarios.
All of the fans showed their support for the single, sending it into radio stations and allowing it to build momentum and popularity. They wanted their voices to be heard, and this is precisely what happened. However, some rappers argued against this, as shown in RUN DMC's classic, 'It's like that. This hit addresses the negligence that Black-Americans were not well-represented or served in the education system, therefore being denied that right of knowledge to understand themselves better.
A big part of this movement was to give a voice to everyone on both sides of the story. Hip hop artists and rappers all stood together throughout this era, creating vast amounts of radical optimism.
Rick Rubin: definer of hip hop
the man that made the world fall in love with hip hop wholeheartedly.
After playing with some scratched records, he birthed a brand new hip hop kingdom - Def Jam Records. He worked with the likes of the Beastie Boys, Run D.M.C., and Public Enemy.
He was known as the little punk kid that introduced suburban America to the hip hop genre.
His first formal release was L.L. Cool J's 'I need a beat,' and it only skyrocketed from there.
Meeting many artists and bands, including AC/DC and even collaborated with Aerosmith. He brought artists together and pushed them to their full potential, particularly the Beastie Boys, whom he drove into an entirely different genre! He is a man of talent, ambition, and passion and left his mark regarding New School Hip Hop.
Golden Age Hip Hop
The golden age of hip hop came with a bang in the 1990s. It was based and thriving upon diversity, innovation, and influence, which has been carried gracefully right throughout the growth and development of the genre. The artists hit artistic highs and grew as musicians thanks to the emergence of an inclusive, confident, and meaningful period of music history. Music producers were investing money in these artists, and many independent labels were emerging and flourishing, including Def Jam by Rubin.
However, leading up to the 90s, hip hop faced a crisis of radio boycotting. N.W.A.'s 'Straight outta Compton, ' more specifically, was boycotted due to its detailed description of street violence. Bands like Public Enemy and N.W.A. persisted in releasing hits.
Eventually, N.W.A. began to break up as a band and take on solo careers. This was another turn in hip hop history, opening the gateway to many other artists with different strategies to make their voices heard.
The stars were very much in the limelight during this period - especially 2pac in 1995. He was shot by a couple of muggers in New York City and accused two other hip hop artists of the crime.
This didn't affect their careers, though. 2pac was even releasing music from prison! Despite this, the feuds naturally died down as sadly 2Pac and the Notorious BIG - two of the most prominent artists experienced fatal deaths, leaving room in the industry for even more change.
Riding with the mainstream
Hip hop became a tremendous commercial and top-selling genre in the industry by the late 1990s. Different styles and different artists began to emerge and rise within cities worldwide, ultimately shaping hip hop for the better.
It has always been an integral part of the music scene. It is now being incorporated into various genres, including mainstream pop and even electronic music.
Artists such a Kanye West, Puff Daddy, and Eminem began paving the path to a whole new brand of hip hop leading into the 2000s.
After being shaped and sculpted by individuals, events, and opinions, the genre of hip hop still held its influential purpose. Together as artists, they paved the way for hip hop to live on and thrive as it so deserves.
The history of hip hop holds a fascinating story amongst its pages. It has been and continues to be a cultural movement that has allowed and provided an incredible amount of positive social change.
Today, artists continue to carry the hip hop legacy and actively supporting communities in any way that they can. One individual being Kendrick Lamar, who has donated hundreds of thousands to many charities across the world.
It all began as a small and local way of expressing emotions through art and has transformed into a global phenomenon.
Whether you are an avid fan or not, the hip hop culture has impacted all of our lives, one way or another. Hip hop remains a dominant force in the industry and the lives of many. It is a voice for those that don't feel heard and hope for those that have lost it.