Hip hop on Music Theory Print

Afroswing

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Afroswing is largely defined by its melody rather than a specific tempo. Martin Connor, an expert in vocal melodies and rap analysis, described the characteristics of the genre as being " … technically in , what you will hear over and over again is this recurring pattern made up of three notes that are still repeated in the framework of a time signature … You can hear the inspirations of Jamaican music in the rhythm except Jamaican music doesn’t have a bass kick and the snare – that’s hip hop, that’s traditional rap. So this is that translation of cultures happening subtly in the instrumentation. Yet it still has a hip hop sensibility in terms of lyrical focus and music videos: cars, money, authenticity, hardness".

Alaskan hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

Alaska as a whole has seen a steady increase in population across its metropolitan areas since the late 1970s. Despite the predominantly white ethnic background; communities of African-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics have seen a notable rise as they emigrate from the continental United States in search of stable employment.

First wave#

In parallel with Alaska’s cultural renaissance, crime began to grow in numerous pockets of Anchorage in the 1990s and 2000s. As was similarly the key influence in such genres as gangsta rap and hardcore hip-hop, artists such as ‘Out Tha Cut (ODC)’, ‘Baydilla’ or ‘Joker the Bailbondsman’ with ties to known drug traffickers began to see a flourishing first wave scene of underground hip-hop among Anchorage’s black population in the late 1990s. The growth in the scene was ever present as Anchorage’s crime began to increase with the growth in population. By the late 2000s, Anchorage’s rap scene began to decline as federal attention began to shift towards numerous arrests in connection to crimes ranging from drug trafficking and murders.

Alternative hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

During the commercial rise of hip hop in the 1980s and early 1990s, the popularity of hardcore hip-hop and gangsta rap led to themes of gangsterism, consumerism, and club culture becoming defining stereotypes of mainstream hip hop, with more negative stereotypes being related to homophobia, violence and sexism. Alternative hip-hop emerged largely to subvert, satirize or challenge these conventions, utilizing unconventional musical techniques, production, and sampling not commonly found in mainstream hip-hop at the time, while aligning itself with underground youth subcultures such as skaters, nerds, punks, and goths. though early artists associated with the movement such as A Tribe Called Quest would also perpetuate some of these traditional stereotypes, with their song “Georgie Porgie”, being rejected for being “too homophobic”. While some groups achieved commercial success, most alternative rap acts tended to be embraced largely by alternative rock listeners and indie music fans rather than hip-hop or pop audiences. By the 2000s to 2010s, the stereotypes popularized by West Coast gangsta rap in the 1990s had become dominant in mainstream hip hop, prompting discussions about the genre’s portrayal of violence, drugs and sexism as well as the commercial prioritization of these themes, which some critics argued perpetuated negative representations of African-American culture. However, artists emerging through the internet rap movement continued to carry the legacy of alternative hip-hop, through experimental production techniques and satirical lyrics.

Battle rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Battle rap is believed to have started in the East Coast hip-hop scene in the late 1970s. One of the earliest battles occurred in December 1981, when Kool Moe Dee challenged Busy Bee Starski – Busy Bee Starski’s defeat meant that “no longer was an MC just a crowd-pleasing comedian with a slick tongue; he was a commentator and a storyteller” thus, rendering Busy’s archaic format of rap obsolete, in favor of a newer style In the 1980s, battle raps were a popular form of rapping – Big Daddy Kane in the book How to Rap says, “as an MC from the ’80s, really your mentality is battle format… your focus was to have a hot rhyme in case you gotta battle someone… not really making a rhyme for a song”. The New Music Seminar (NMS) is a Music Conference and Festival held annually each June in New York City. The New Music Seminar originally ran from 1980 to 1995. It quickly spawned the MC and DJ Battles for World Supremacy – a fertile showcase for rappers and DJs to make a name for themselves. Participants include a wide variety of very influential rappers such as Busy Bee, Melle Mel, MF Grimm, and Kool G Rap with judges such as Afrika Bambaataa, P Diddy, and many other influential rappers. Some of the most prominent battles that took place on record are listed in the book, Ego Trip’s Book of Rap Lists, and include such battles as the Roxanne Wars (1984–1985), Juice Crew vs. Boogie Down Productions (1986–1988), Kool Moe Dee vs. LL Cool J (1987–1991), MC Serch vs. MC Hammer (1989–1994), Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg vs. Luke (1992–1993), Common vs. Ice Cube (1994–1996), MC Pervis & Brand New Habits and LL Cool J vs. Canibus (1997–1998) – all of which include memorable battle rap verses. As hip-hop asserted its presence across the country, MC battles were growing in popularity. One of the early predecessors of the contemporary, more confrontational variation of battle rap was the 1994 face-off between Craig G and Supernatural. The battle happened organically, by virtue of Supernatural calling out Craig G while he was performing. As it so happened, Craig G was in the crowd, and the host invited him to the stage. Craig G won the battle that evening. The two would go on to meet on two other occasions during the 1990s, thereby establishing a place in battle rap as one of the earliest and most exciting sagas in the subculture. From the late 1990s to the end of the 2000s, freestyle rapping became very popular, with many artists getting attention for new styles, charisma, and witty punchlines in battles such as Scribble Jam and Rocksteady. Following the resurgence of freestyle battling in the 21st century, competitions began to move to TV shows shown on HBO, BET, and MTV. In addition, Eminem’s 2002 movie 8 Mile introduced battle rap to mainstream audiences, generating a renewed interest and popularity in battling. Starting in the early 2000s, Freestyle Friday is a watered-down battle segment on BET’s popular show 106 & Park. Two rappers compete in a freestyle battle before the studio audience and three celebrity judges (the DJ sometimes acts as the 3rd judge). Each competitor alternates freestyling for 30 seconds in each of the two rounds (originally only 1 round when the segment first began). The rappers are not allowed to use profanities or sexually suggestive lyrics, punishable by disqualification. After the battle, the judges decide the winner, per majority vote. Eventually, battle rap moved to a format which is now the predominant form of battle rap, where two emcees battle against each other without a beat, trading prewritten verses in three-round battles. The impromptu aspect of battling still exists in the form of rebuttals, which are short rhymes (usually at the beginning of a verse) where an emcee either comments on something about their opponent that was thought up on the spot (for instance, making fun of the shirt they’re wearing), or responds to something their opponent said during their previous round. While not as prominent as it once was, the art of rebutting is still respected by many as difficult to do correctly, and a sign of a well-rounded emcee. While many creative minds were battling and organizing battles in the early 2000s, Troy “Smack” Mitchell of Queens New York gathered battle rappers of hood renown including Serius Jones of New Jersey and Loaded Lux, Murda Mook and Jae Millz of Harlem, Smack began recording battles, printing and hand-selling the DVDs—a cutting edge technological and artistic hustle at the time. Fight Klub is one of the earliest battle rap leagues and was the only league that aired on TV. It aired on MTV2 sometime in 2006. It is hosted by international P. A lot of the original rappers on there are now legendary in the battle rap game such as Arsonal, Jin and Hollow da don. Jump Off TV’s World Rap Championships premiered in London 2006, featuring American and British rappers. In Cuba, freestyle battles often follow organized concerts and juxtapose composed songs with ‘flowing’ lyrics that are relevant to the present situation. Freestyling can allow audience members to integrate into the performance stage. This provides a forum for up-and-coming underground artists to engage in a musical discussion with already prominent underground Cuban rappers. Freestyle battles often turn political when artists incorporate perspectives on social disparities and issues plaguing the Cuban population.

Bongo Flava

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The name “Bongo” in Bongo Flava comes from Kiswahili usually meaning brains, intelligence, cleverness. Bongo is the augmentative form of Ubongo, a Swahili word for Brain. Flava is a Swahili term for Flavour. In 1981, musician Remmy Ongala joined a band called Orchestra Super Matimila. Each band had a unique mtindo (style/fashion) and Ongala’s band Matimila named their mtindo “Bongo Beat”. Ongala later became the most famous musician ever for Tanzania, reaching global fame working with English singer Peter Gabriel.

Boom bap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The term boom bap originated in 1984 when it was used by T La Rock to describe the beat of the kick drum and the snare in the song “It’s Yours”. T La Rock spoke in an off-script fashion, using the words “boom bap” to mimic the sound of the rhythm. This was the first recorded onomatopoeic expression of the beat. The term later became a universal name for the subgenre of hip hop as a whole. DJ Premier suggested that boom bap existed before the production of “It’s Yours”. He states the term was used by the wider hip-hop community as a term to describe all hip hop and the beat that is produced for it. The subgenre became increasingly better known when KRS-One released an album under the title Return of the Boom Bap.

Boomba music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Vegatone#

Vegatone, Riftsyde flava or Naxvegas muzik is a genre of hip hop/Afro Dancehall music that originated from the town of Nakuru or colloquially Naks/NaxVegas as many youths call it. The music is a blend of indigenous kapuka mixed with a reggae baseline. It is characterized by very flashy Musicians who mainly rap and sing about their sexual escapades and the number of women that they keep, but cipher their language to avoid being explicit. Vegatone has evolved in recent times. Artists in this genre include award-winning artist Teferah who has numerous hits having worked with Nyanda from Brick and Lace on the song “Put It On Me” produced in Romania by Tommo records, and getting signed to an American music label Mpact Muzik in 2017. Teferah is seen as a break-through artist in this genre. Other Vegatone artists are Rhonda Bwoy, Skymer, Juss Nera, Hush BK, Avril, Vivian, K-FRESH, Igiza, Obako, Mavo, 77 and many more. Nakuru is credit for creating the viral sounds of Gengetone which uses the slang used in Nakuru and most Gengetone producers are from Nakuru Sadafa, Mavo on the beat, Duboiz, Samba on the beat, Andah water, Magix Enga and other creatives that fuse Vegatone arrangements. Vegatone is a common sound especially on Kenyan and local nakuru radios highly popularized by Radio presenter Caleb Koyo.

Bounce music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Structure#

Bounce is characterized by call-and-response-style party and Mardi Gras Indian chants and dance call-outs that are frequently hypersexual and controversial. These chants and call-outs are typically rapped over the “Triggerman beat”, which is sampled from the songs “Drag Rap” by the Showboys and “Brown Beats” by Cameron Paul. The original recording sampled by Paul was “Rock the Beat” by British rapper Derek B, produced by Simon Harris and released in early 1987 on the Music of Life British hip-hop label in the UK. The sound of bounce has primarily been shaped by the recycling and imitation of the Simon Harris produced “Drag Rap” beat: its opening chromatic tics, the intermittent shouting of the word “break”, the use of whistling as an instrumental element (as occurs in the bridge), the vocoded “drag rap” vocal and its brief and repetitive melody and quick beat (which were produced with use of synthesizers and drum machines and are easily sampled or reproduced using like-sounding elements). Typical of bounce music is the “shouting out” of or acknowledgment of geographical areas, neighborhoods and housing projects, particularly of the New Orleans area.

Brazilian rap geek

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Brooklyn drill

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Brooklyn drill music first gained attention with the 2014 single “Hot Nigga” from the rapper Bobby Shmurda. The music became more popular and associated with UK drill production (from producers such as 808Melo, AXL Beats, and Ghosty) with the releases of 22Gz’s “Suburban” in 2016 and Sheff G’s “No Suburban” in 2017. Both songs went viral and were credited for the rise of Brooklyn drill. Brooklyn drill music reached mainstream Billboard Hot 100 success with tracks from Pop Smoke (“Welcome to the Party”, “Dior”, and “Gatti”) and Fivio Foreign (“Big Drip” and “Demons”). Pop Smoke was nominated for a 2021 Grammy Award for “Dior.” After Pop Smoke’s 2020 murder in the Hollywood Hills, Brooklyn drill would continue to evolve. With the groundwork Pop Smoke laid, the broader drill scene of Brooklyn began to emerge. One example is Staten Island rapper CJ, whose hit song “Whoopty” is reminiscent of the Brooklyn drill sound.

Chap hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Two leading exponents of the genre are Professor Elemental and Mr.B The Gentleman Rhymer, who belong to the steampunk and Chappist factions of chap hop respectively. Other notable artists are Poplock Holmes & DJ WattsOn, and Sir Reginald Pikedevant, Esquire. In March 2013, UK Education Secretary Michael Gove said he was a fan of the genre. Mr. B noted the irony of this, since his music often pokes at members of the establishment, commenting: “As a non-Etonian and thus an outcast within the cabinet, this is perhaps a little snook cocked at his colleagues.”

Chopped and screwed

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

In dance or hip hop music sampling, the term “chopping” is the “altering of a sampled phrase or break by dividing it into smaller segments and reconfiguring them in a different order.”

Origins#

Prior to the late 1990s, most Southern hip hop was upbeat and fast, like Miami bass and Memphis, which was inspired by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force with their groundbreaking track “Planet Rock”. Unlike its southern musical counterparts Houston’s rap style has consistently remained slower, even in the beginning of Houston hip hop, as can be heard on the earliest Houston based group Geto Boys records from the mid to late 80’s. It is unknown when DJ Screw definitively created “screwed and chopped” music. Screw’s former manager Charles Washington stated, “Screw mistakenly created the sound while hanging out with friends at an apartment in the late 80s.” Screw discovered that dramatically reducing the pitch of a record gave a mellow, heavy sound that emphasized lyrics to the point of storytelling. Initially, the slow-paced hip hop genre was referred to as laid-back driving music and was limited to South Houston until it was popularized by DJs such as DJ T-Rent Dinero and DJ Z-Rusty. In Houston, between 1991 and 1992, there was a notable increase in the use of lean (also known as purple drank and sizzurp) which, as Patel Joseph from MTV News believes, contributed to the allure of screw music. The drug beverage has been considered a major influence on the making and listening of chopped and screwed music due to its perceived effect of slowing the brain down, and giving the slow, mellow music its appeal. In an interview for the documentary film Soldiers United For Cash, DJ Screw denounced the claim that one has to use lean to enjoy screwed and chopped music, saying, “People think just to listen to my tapes you gotta be high or dranked out. That ain’t true. There’s kids getting my tapes, moms and dads getting my tapes, don’t smoke or drink or nothing.” In the mid-1990s, chopped and screwed music started to move to the north side of Houston by way of DJ Michael “5000” Watts, and later OG Ron C. Michael “5000” Watts always gave credit to DJ Screw as the originator of chopped and screwed music, although Watts has been a proponent of the slogan “screwed and chopped” instead of “chopped and screwed”. In the late 1990s, with the help of P2P networks such as Napster, chopped and screwed music spread to a much wider audience. On November 16, 2000, DJ Screw was found dead in the bathroom of his music studio. The autopsy report later revealed that Screw died from a combination of codeine, Valium, and PCP.

Chopper (rap)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The word “chopper” was first used in street and hip hop slang to refer to an automatic firearm. The word has also been used as an informal word for helicopter. The linkage to automatic firearms and helicopters are the rapid “tat-tat-tat” sound they make. This may have an analogous relation to fast-paced rap. One of the first rappers who popularized this style of rap, Twista, in a song with Tech N9ne entitled “Worldwide Choppers” implied this in his lyrics, “I’m finna be usin’ it as energy, watch how radiant I’ma be / Like a helicopter when the words fly” was used to loosely describe the style of fast-paced rap, but the usage of the term was made more widespread when rap artist Tech N9ne released a series of posse cuts with other chopper-style rap artists from around the world in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2015 including “Midwest Choppers” and “Midwest Choppers 2”, “Worldwide Choppers” and “Speedom (Worldwide Choppers 2)”. The trend of naming songs in this fashion spread, with examples such as DCVDNS & Tamas’s track “German Choppers” and the Undaground Choppers series produced by DJ Lil Sprite, which currently includes ten installments. The word “chopper” can simply be used for any rapper that uses a fast-paced style in their lyrics. The word is also used as a verb, as in “chopping” or “to chop”, in describing the action of rapping at high speeds.

Christian hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History and notable examples#

The first commercially released and distributed gospel hip-hop record was MC Pete Harrison of Queens, New York. Under the recording name McSweet, he released The Gospel Beat: Jesus-Christ (1982), written and arranged by Harrison and produced by Mac Sulliver on Lection Records of PolyGram. The first notable full album released was Stephen Wiley’s Bible Break (1985), written by Wiley and produced by Mike Barnes on Brentwood Records. In the same year, David Guzman founded JC & The Boyz. Some of America’s premiere Christian rappers, such as Michael Peace, Soldiers for Christ (S.F.C.), Dynamic Twins, MC Peace and T-Bone came out of this crew. A more commercially successful group known as P.I.D. (Preachers in Disguise) released five recordings. Jon Gibson (or J.G.) is also considered a pioneer of Christian pop rap, with “Nation in Need” (1983) including a quasi-style rap verse and his first rap solo being “Ain’t It Pretty” (1985). CCM’s first rap hit by a blue-eyed soul singer and/or duo, “The Wall” was later released on Gibson’s successful album Change of Heart (1988), and featured MC Hammer (previously as the Holy Ghost Boys). Other tracks included the No. 1 “Love Come Down” and “In Too Deep” from Jesus Loves Ya (1990). Gibson also collaborated with MC Peace on “Enough Is Enough” (1990), “Happy to Know Jesus” (1992) and “You Are the One” (1992). Additionally, he notably collaborated with Soup the Chemist on “How I Cope” (1994) and “As the Sun Rises” (2000). S.F.C. was led by Chris Cooper, originally performing as Super C, later Sup the Chemist, and then Soup the Chemist. Other rap groups emerged in the late 1980s, including dc Talk and E.T.W. (End Time Warriors). ETW was led by producer Mike Hill. Christian emcee Danny “D-Boy” Rodriguez was another well-known early gospel rap artist but was murdered in 1990 in Texas. Prior to his death, he helped launch the career of his sister Genie Rodriguez-Lopez, known as MC GeGee, one of the first female Christian rap artists. The trend of rap artists blending faith and rap continued in the 1990s, with D.O.C. (Disciples of Christ) from Oklahoma, as well as the Gospel Gangstaz from Compton and South Central, Los Angeles. In 1991, JC Crew featured the West Coast beat box champion Maximillian and T-Bone. In the mid-1990s, rapper KJ-52 originated in Tampa, Florida, and Jewish rapper John Reuben from Columbus, Ohio. The Cross Movement group was based in Philadelphia, with The Ambassador and Phanatik as members. More Christian rap artists include Dynamic Twins, Freedom of Soul, IDOL King, Apocalypse, 12th Tribe, and Holy Alliance. 12th Tribe and Holy Alliance were produced by Scott Blackwell of MYX Records, among others. S.F.C.’s (Sup, QP and DJ Dove) 1992 album Phase III was DJ’ed and produced by DJ Dove, whose credits also include the 1993 debut album Gang Affiliated by Gospel Gangstaz. Around the same time as Phase III, Dynamic Twins (Robbie and Noel) released their 1993 album No Room To Breathe. Freedom of Soul (MC Peace and DJ Cartoon) followed with their second album, The Second Coming. Grapetree Records was the first Christian rap label founded by Knolly Williams and Jeff Adams 1994. Gotee Records formed in 1994, co-founded by dc Talk member Toby McKeehan, making it the first record label marketed explicitly for Christian hip-hop and R&B that was backed by a major label. The label was among the first to market the Contemporary Christian music market through distribution at Christian bookstores and playing on Christian radio. Artists associated with Grapetree Records during its early years included Houston-based rapper Lil’ Raskull, who released multiple projects through the label in the 1990s and was later nominated at the 30th GMA Dove Awards in the Rap/Hip Hop/Dance Album category for Glory 2 Glory. The duo GRITS were among the early artists signed to Gotee Records and were active during the formative years of Christian hip-hop. They also won a GMA Dove Award for Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year for “Hittin’ Curves” at the 36th GMA Dove Awards. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Christian hip-hop also diversified stylistically through regional influences. Florida-based artist Pettidee emerged with a Southern hip-hop sound incorporating crunk-influenced production. Writing for Cross Rhythms, Tony Cummings noted Pettidee’s role in expanding the genre’s musical range during this period through albums such as Still Alive and Thug Love. In 2004, the founding of the label Reach Records by American rapper Lecrae and Ben Washer, also had a considerable influence in the development of Christian hip-hop. In 2015, the label set records with sales and award-winning albums. Following the founding of Reach Records in 2004, Christian hip-hop continued to expand with both independent and regional releases. In 2006, Florida rapper Rawsrvnt released In Rare Form, an album blending elements of hip-hop and worship music. Reviewer Tony Cummings of Cross Rhythms described the project as “the best ever fusion of hip-hop and worship ministry”, calling it a benchmark for future Christian hip-hop artists. Several tracks from the album received radio play on British Christian music stations. The album was also included in lists of Stellar Award nominees for Rap/Hip Hop/Gospel CD of the Year in 2007. Christian hip-hop reached mainstream industry milestones in the early 2010s. Lecrae’s 2012 album Gravity won Best Gospel Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, the first time a hip-hop artist won in that category. The label’s artists continued to influence the genre, with Reach Records helping to expand opportunities for emerging Christian hip-hop performers. In 2019, artist and producer Kanye West released his ninth studio album, Jesus Is King, which marked a shift toward explicitly Christian themes in his music, incorporating gospel influences. West described the project as reflecting his faith and featuring largely religious imagery and lyrics. The album was also accompanied by West’s Sunday Service performances, including an Easter Sunday set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival that featured gospel arrangements of his songs and appearances by artists such as Chance the Rapper and Kid Cudi.

Cloud rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

In 2010, music blogger Walker ‘Walkmasterflex’ Chambliss coined the term “cloud rap” in a blogspot post describing the music of Main Attrakionz member Squadda B, whom he labelled “the king of cloud rap”. Chambliss thought he was using a phrase from a 2009 interview by music writer Noz, where rapper Lil B showed him a CGI image of a castle in the clouds and said “that’s the kind of music I want to make.” He later used the term for the Space Age Hustle blog’s compilation album, 3 Years Ahead: The Cloud Rap Tape released in 2010, which helped popularize the genre. The label “cloud” denotes distinct characteristics of the genre such as its “hazy”, ethereal aesthetic (in terms of both aural and visual expression) and its ambiguity as a genre without clearly defined borders.

Comedy hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Satirical hip-hop may be a parody of the whole genre of hip-hop and/or a form of critical music that uses hip-hop as a vehicle for satirical messages. Musical influence and scope vary, ranging from gangsta rap, mumble rap, trap to alternative hip-hop. The more humorous satirical sub-genre meme rap was created with the intent of becoming viral. In the context of mumble rap, a satirical hip-hop song might involve lo-fi production, use of personas/pseudonyms (e.g. George “Joji” Miller), simplistic music videos, lazy rhymes, and intentionally stereotypical lyrics/topics.

Country rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Prototypes#

Early influences on the emergence of country rap as a distinct genre include talking blues like “Big Bad John” (1961) by Jimmy Dean, “A Boy Named Sue” (1969) by Johnny Cash, the 1971 cover of “Hot Rod Lincoln” by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, “Convoy” (1975) by C.W. McCall and “Uneasy Rider” (1975) and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (1979), both by Charlie Daniels. Black artists’ works that may have been influential in the genre’s development include Jamaican ska artist Prince Buster’s “Texas Hold-Up” (1964), “Lil Ole Country Boy” (1970) by Parliament, and “Black Grass” (1972) by Bad Bascomb. Music journalist Chuck Eddy traces the genre’s roots back to Woody Guthrie. Blowfly’s single “Blowfly’s Rapp” (1980) drew on the influence of earlier country musicians like Charlie Daniels and C. W. McCall; NPR said the song is a “Deliverance-style encounter with Ku Klux Klan-accredited truck drivers to light funkbacking”. Spin Magazine said Trickeration’s “Western Gangster Town” (1980) (released four years before Schoolly D’s “Gangster Boogie”) is “cowboy rap’s Rosetta stone, and probably the first ‘gangster’ rap”. UGK became pioneers of the hardcore Southern rap style that emerged after the success of the Geto Boys, which they started to call “country rap”. At the end of “Let Me See It”, Pimp C raps: “This ain’t no muthafuckin’ hip-hop records, these country rap tunes”, originally a response to Northern hip-hop artists who had criticized Southern rap for not being “real hip-hop”. The name of the song “Hay” (1996) by Crucial Conflict is a reference to marijuana.

Crunk

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The term has been attributed mainly to African-American slang, in which it holds various meanings. It most commonly refers to the verb phrase “to crank up”. It is theorized that the use of the term came from a past-tense form of “crank”, which was sometimes conjugated as “crunk” in the South, such that if a person, event, or party was hyped-up, ‌"cranked" or “cranked ‌it was said to be “crunk”. The term has also been traced to usage in the 1980s coming out of Atlanta, Georgia nightclubs and meaning being “full of energy” or “hyped”. In the mid-1990s, crunk was variously defined either as “hype”, “phat”, or “pumped up”. Rolling Stone magazine published “glossary of Dirty South slang”, where to crunk was defined as “to get excited”. A seminal year for the genre was 1996, with the releases of Three 6 Mafia album Chapter 1: The End (featuring “Gette’m Crunk”), and Memphis-based underground hip hop artist Tommy Wright III’s album On the Run, which featured the Project Pimp track “Getting Crunk”. Artist Lil Jon was instrumental in bringing the term further into the mainstream with his 1997 album titled Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album. He later released other songs and albums using the term, and has been credited by other artists and musicians as galvanizing use of the term as well as mainstreaming the music genre itself. The term has continued to evolve, taking on a negative stigma with police, parents and the media. In 2011, the company which manufactured “Crunk” drink brought out an alcoholic version named “Crunk Juice”.

Crunkcore

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History and characteristics#

Crunkcore combines the post-hardcore genres of screamo and emo with hip-hop, particularly the Southern hip-hop genre crunk, along with electronic music such as electropop, dance, pop, rock, and the metal genres of nu metal and metalcore. Writer and musician Jessica Hopper claims that Panic! at the Disco’s fusion of emo and electronic elements influenced the development of crunkcore in the mid-2000s. Kerrang! noted retrospectively that a mostly online presence through mediums such as Myspace was a major feature of crunkcore. The lyrics of the genres are mostly party-themed, hedonistic, and sexually explicit. Family Force 5 is a lyrical exception, instead melding the sounds of the genre with Christian-themed lyrics. Hollywood Undead, Brokencyde, and 3OH!3 are credited as the primary artists behind the creation and emergence of crunkcore. The roots of the genre are in the output of the rap rock group Hollywood Undead, but the genre achieved popularity through Brokencyde, who are considered the most responsible for crunkcore’s rise. Warped Tour co-creator and CEO Kevin Lyman calls the group 3OH!3 “the real tipping point for scrunk” as “they were the first emo-influenced act to depart from traditional instruments in favor of pre-programmed beats”, while still retaining many of the stylistic elements of emo. That group achieved the genre’s greatest success, the 2008 single “Don’t Trust Me”. The genre declined in the 2010s, although Brokencyde and 3OH!3 continued to record and tour, respectively, for the next few years. Blood on the Dance Floor and Family Force 5 are the most prolific artists in the genre, with a respective eight studio albums and five studio album and nine EPs. Crunkcore is typically characterized by the use of screamed vocals, although some crunkcore artists do not scream. For example, 3OH!3 do not “incorporate the blood-curdling screams of many scrunk acts”. Millionaires and Kesha likewise eschewed the screamed vocals typical for crunkcore but retained the sexually explicit lyrics and thus are still often considered part of the genre.

Digicore

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The term “digicore” is a portmanteau of “digital” and “-core” (derived from hardcore), and originally appeared in the 2000s as a shortening for the genre “digital hardcore”. In the late 2010s, an online community of teenage musicians, communicating through Discord, coined the modern usage of the term “digicore” to distinguish themselves from the preexisting hyperpop scene. The style was originally seen as a subgenre of hyperpop, though later described as developing alongside the movement. In late 2019, artist lonelee, the founder of the record label teardrop digital, coined the modern usage of the term “digicore” to replace draincore,

Dirty rap

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Late 1980s and early 1990s dirty rap#

The genre had been around since at least the 1970s or the 1980s, with Blowfly’s Rapp Dirty release. However, it was not until later that decade, when Oakland rapper Too Short released the 1985 album Don’t Stop Rappin containing multiple dirty sex subjects, that sex became a central focus. Although the release did not see much attention outside of his hometown of Oakland, he would continue to use provocative and sexual lyrics throughout his career, gaining him six platinum albums and three gold. The controversial rap group 2 Live Crew brought “dirty rap” to the mainstream with their Miami bass debut 2 Live Crew Is What We Are. With the graphic sexual content of their X-rated party rhymes, 2 Live Crew garnered much negative publicity. However, it was not until their 1989 album, As Nasty as They Wanna Be, that dirty rap became a legitimate genre. After being attacked by conservative critics, censors, and attorneys, 2 Live Crew responded with the 1990 album Banned in the USA, a much more political and angry album. 2 Live Crew returned to their utterly pornographic roots with 1991’s Sports Weekend: As Nasty as They Wanna Be, Pt. 2, which was lambasted by many critics as running the sexually deviant lyrics of As Nasty As They Wanna Be into the ground. From Sport’s Weekend onward, the Crew continued to make dirty rap and party rap. Various rappers followed with dirty rap in the wake of 2 Live Crew’s popularity. The group Poison Clan became widely successful, as did the group Bytches With Problems. Sir Mix-A-Lot’s 1992 hit single “Baby Got Back” could arguably be considered within the dirty rap genre; however, the majority of Mix-A-Lot’s work is not sexually explicit enough for him to be considered a true dirty rap artist. Similarly, the new jack swing hip hop group Wreckx-n-Effect scored a dirty rap hit with their 1992 single “Rump Shaker”. In the early 1990s, the Baltimore club scene first began gaining an identity separate from house music and mainstream hip hop. Baltimore club, or gutter music, often features sexually explicit lyrics, and has influenced many current dirty rappers. Both ghettotech and ghetto house (or “booty house”) also evolved around the same time, and, to an even greater extent than Baltimore club, frequently contain pornographic and sexually explicit content, as exemplified by DJ Assault and DJ Funk, two artists who pioneered ghettotech and ghetto house, respectively.

Drill music

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Lyrics#

Drill lyrics tend to be adversarial and aggressive, sometimes with a “combative energy”. Drill lyrics strongly contrast with the subject matter of earlier Chicago rappers and contemporary mainstream hip hop which at the time of drill’s emergence tended to glorify and celebrate a rise to wealth. Drill rappers use a grim, deadpan delivery, often filtered through Auto-Tune, influenced by the “stoned, aimless warbling of Soulja Boy (one of the earliest non-local Keef collaborators) and Lil Wayne before him.” Atlanta-based rappers Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame were important influences on the early drill rappers.

East Coast hip-hop

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Musical style#

In contrast to the more simplistic rhyme pattern and scheme used in Old-school hip-hop, hip-hop in the late 1980s developed a stronger emphasis on lyrical dexterity. It also became characterized by multi-syllabic rhymes, complex wordplay, a continuous free-flowing delivery and intricate metaphors. Although East Coast hip-hop can vary in sound and style, “aggressive” beats and the combining of samples were common to the subgenre in the mid- to late 1980s. The aggressive and hard-hitting beats of the form were emphasized by such acts as EPMD, Beastie Boys and Public Enemy, while artists such as Rakim, Boogie Down Productions, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., and Slick Rick were noted for their lyrical skill. Lyrical themes throughout the history of East Coast hip-hop have ranged from lyrical consciousness by such artists as Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest to Mafioso rap themes by rappers such as Raekwon, MF Grimm and Kool G Rap.

EDM trap music

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History#

Around 2012, a new style of electronic dance music (EDM) emerged which incorporated elements of trap music, This genre saw the use of techno, dub, and electro sounds combined with the Roland TR-808 drum samples and vocal samples typical of hip hop trap. The music was initially dubbed simply as “trap” by producers and fans, which led to the term “trap” being used to address the music of both rappers and electronic producers, to much confusion among followers of both. The term “trap” continued to be used to describe two separate genres of hip hop and dance music. The new wave of the genre has been labeled by some as “EDM trap” to distinguish it from the hip hop genre. The terms “trap-techno” and “trapstep” are often labeled by producers to describe the musical structure of an individual track. The evolving EDM trap has seen incorporation and stylistic influences from dubstep, in which trap has been hailed as the superseding phase of dubstep during the mid-2010s. The new phase typically plays at 140 BPM with strong bass drops, which began growing in popularity from 2013. In 2013, a fan-made video by Filthy Frank (also known as Joji), of EDM trap producer Baauer’s track “Harlem Shake”, became an internet meme, propelling the track to become the first EDM trap song to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. This challenge the track was used for consisted of one person dancing to the rhythm of the song until the beat dropped, in which then whoever else within the video would dance along with the person dancing in the beginning. Five EDM trap producers performed at the 2013 Ultra Music Festival in the United States, including DJ Craze, Baauer and Flosstradamus. it reached number two in the iTunes dance chart with Vibe stating it was “the world’s biggest-selling EDM trap album ever.” EDM trap music has also found fame internationally, especially in South Korea. South Korean boy band BigBang was one of the earliest groups to bring EDM trap into the K-pop sphere with commercial hit singles such as “Good Boy” (2014) by its members GD X Taeyang and “Bang Bang Bang” (2015). In 2018, South Korean girl group Blackpink released the commercially and critically successful single “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du”, which propelled the EDM trap sound to “global heights”. Rolling Stone recognized “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” for having perfected and popularized K-pop’s EDM trap template, and named it the sixth best Korean song of all time. EDM trap began to fuse with synth-pop and emo pop in the late 2010s when Philadelphia producer group Working on Dying began to produce Eternal Atake, the third studio album by Francisville rapper Lil Uzi Vert. Brandon Finessin of Working on Dying earned eight producer credits on Lil Uzi Vert’s emo rap album, adding hyperpop and EDM elements to traditional trap drum sequences. This led to Lil Uzi Vert and Brandon Finessin leading the Billboard charts collaboratively on the Producers and Songwriters Top 100s. This caused an offshoot scene of hyperpop trap beats to emerge from minor YouTube producers based on Working on Dying’s electronic approach to trap music. A new subgenre of EDM trap music referred to as trapwave (or hardwave) emerged also in late 2010s that fuses trap music with synthwave.

Electro (music)

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Definition and characteristics#

From its inception, one of the defining characteristics of the electro sound was the use of drum machines, particularly the Roland TR-808, as the rhythmic basis of the track. As the genre evolved, computers and sampling replaced drum machines in electronic music, and are now used by the majority of electro producers. Although the electro of the 1980s and contemporary electro (electronic dance music) both grew out of the dissolution of disco, they are now different genres. Classic (1980s) electro drum patterns tend to be electronic emulations of breakbeats with a syncopated kick drum, and usually a snare or clap accenting the backbeat. The difference between electro drumbeats and breakbeats (or breaks) is that electro tends to be more mechanical, while breakbeats tend to have more of a human-like feel, like that of a live drummer. The definition however is somewhat ambiguous in nature due to the various uses of the term. The Roland TR-808 drum machine was released in 1980, defining early electro with its immediately recognizable sound. Staccato, percussive drumbeats tended to dominate electro, almost exclusively provided by the TR-808. As an inexpensive way of producing a drum sound, the TR-808 caught on quickly with the producers of early electro because of the ability of its bass drum to generate extreme low-frequencies. This aspect of the Roland TR-808 was especially appealing to producers who would test drive their tracks in nightclubs (like NYC’s Funhouse), where the bass drum sound was essential for a record’s success. Its unique percussion sounds like handclaps, open and closed high-hat, clave and cowbell became integral to the electro sound. A number of popular songs in the early 1980s employed the TR-808, including Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing,” Cybotron’s “Clear,” and Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock.” The Roland TR-808 has attained iconic status, eventually being used on more hits than any other drum machine. Through the use of samples, the Roland TR-808 remains popular in electro and other genres to the present day. Other electro instrumentation was generally electronic, favoring analog synthesis, programmed bass lines, sequenced or arpeggiated synthetic riffs, and atonal sound effects all created with synthesizers. Heavy use of effects such as reverbs, delays, chorus or phasers along with eerie synthetic ensemble strings or pad sounds emphasized the science fiction or futuristic themes of classic (1980s) electro, represented in the lyrics and/or music. Electro hip hop group Warp 9’s 1983 single, Light Years Away, produced and written by Lotti Golden and Richard Scher, exemplifies the Sci-Fi, afrofuturist aspect of electro, reflected in both the lyrics and instrumentation. The imagery of its lyrical refrain space is the place for the human race pays homage to Sun Ra’s 1974 film of the same name, while its synth lines and sound effects are informed by sci-fi, computer games, and cartoons,“born of a science-fiction revival.”. Although primarily instrumental, early electro utilized rap. Male rap dominated the genre, however female rappers are an integral part of the electro tradition, whether featured in a group as in Warp 9 or as solo performers like Roxanne Shante. The lyrical style that emerged along with electro became less popular by the 1990s, as rapping continued to evolve, becoming the domain of hip hop music. About electro origins:

Emo rap

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Characteristics#

Publications have described emo rap as taking influence from hip hop, nu metal, post-hardcore, and cloud rap. Emo rap departs from the traditional tones found in modern mainstream hip hop in favor of more emotional and personal lyrical content, described by The Wall Street Journal as “giving their elders the finger.” Lyrics tend to focus on topics such as depression, loneliness, anxiety, consumption of drugs and alcohol, nihilism, suicide, and self-medication. The genre is characterized by its combination of musical elements commonly found in conscious hip hop with indie rock instrumentals. Sampling often uses 2000s pop punk and emo songs. Much of the sampling has been influenced by artists who inspired the genre, such as Mineral, Underoath, and the Postal Service. Some emo rappers also make use of original instrumentation. Horse Head of the collective GothBoiClique has described the music as “…sort of nostalgic, but it’s new too…no one’s really done shit like this. It’s like emo rap and melodic trap”. Fans of the music are sometimes referred to as “sad boys”, in reference to emo rapper Yung Lean’s music group by the same name.

Frat rap

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History#

The subgenre of frat rap was invented by Asher Roth with the release of his song “I Love College” in 2009. The subgenre grew rapidly and achieved commercial success within hip hop by 2010. In 2010, 18-year-old Mac Miller released two mixtapes K.I.D.S. and Best Day Ever that made him an overnight success and launched him to the forefront of the frat rap phenomenon. In 2011, Aer’s debut EP What You Need debuted atop the iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap albums chart, and Mac Miller drawing more than 50,000 fans to Government Center in Boston. Many of the most successful frat rap artists rejected the title and culture of frat rap and went on to release music that departed from the subject matter and sound of frat rap, being commercially successful in mainstream hip hop. Originally starting out in frat rap, Mac Miller later changed his sound and later became the most successful former frat rapper in mainstream hip hop, with a review of Rolling Stone stating that Miller had shed his frat rap reputation with the release of his album Swimming.

Freestyle rap

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Original definition#

In the book How to Rap (2009), Big Daddy Kane and Myka 9 note that originally a freestyle was a spit on no particular subject – Big Daddy Kane said: " I n the ’80s, when we said we wrote a freestyle rap, that meant that it was a rhyme that you wrote that was free of style… it’s basically a rhyme just bragging about yourself." Myka 9 adds: “back in the day, freestyle was bust ing a rhyme about any random thing, and it was a written rhyme or something memorized.” Divine Styler says: “in the school I come from, freestyling was a non-conceptual written rhyme… and now they call freestyling off the top of the head, so the era I come from, it’s a lot different”. Kool Moe Dee also refers to this earlier definition in his 2003 book, There’s a God on the Mic: There are two types of freestyle. There’s an old-school freestyle that’s basically rhymes that you’ve written that may not have anything to do with any subject or that goes all over the place. Then there’s freestyle where you come off the top of the head. In old school hip-hop, Kool Moe Dee claimed that improvisational rapping was instead called “coming off the top of the head”, and Big Daddy Kane stated: “off-the-top-of-the-head rapping , we just called that ‘off the dome’when you don’t write it and you say whatever comes to mind.” Referring to this earlier definition (a written rhyme on non-specific subject matter), Big Daddy Kane stated, “that’s really what a freestyle is” and Kool Moe Dee refers to it as “true” freestyle, and “the real old-school freestyle”. Kool Moe Dee suggests that Kool G Rap’s track “Men At Work” is an “excellent example” of true freestyle, along with Rakim’s “Lyrics of Fury”.

G-funk

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Characteristics#

G-funk, which uses funk with an artificially altered tempo, incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, heavy use of the snare drum, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-Funk tunes, and a high-pitched portamento saw wave synthesizer lead. G-funk is typically set at between 90 and 100 BPM. The lyrical content depended on the artist; it could consist of sex, drug use (especially marijuana), love for a city, and love for friends. There was also a slurred “lazy” or “smooth” way of rapping in order to clarify words and stay in rhythmic cadence. Many R&B and pop singles of the 1990s incorporated the G-funk sound to their music. The trademark West Coast G-funk style of hip-hop was a very defining element of the region’s music. The genre helped distinguish West Coast hip-hop from the rivaling rap scene on the East Coast. In essence, the smooth, slow-tempo sound of G-funk accompanied the perceived “laid-back” stereotype of Californian culture whereas East Coast hip-hop typically featured more aggressive attitudes alongside a fast-paced tempo (e.g. hardcore hip-hop). Unlike other earlier rap acts that also utilized funk samples (such as EPMD and the Bomb Squad), G-funk often utilized fewer, unaltered samples per song. Music theorist Adam Krims has described G-funk as “a style of generally West Coast rap whose musical tracks tend to deploy live instrumentation, heavy on bass and keyboards, with minimal (sometimes no) sampling and often highly conventional harmonic progressions and harmonies”. Dr. Dre, a pioneer of the G-funk genre, normally uses live musicians to replay the original music of sampled records. This enabled him to produce music that had his own sounds, rather than a direct copy of the sample.

Gangsta rap

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Schoolly D and Ice-T#

Philadelphia rapper Schoolly D is generally considered the first “gangsta rapper”, significantly influencing the more popular early gangsta rap originator, Ice-T. Ice-T was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1958. As a teenager, he moved to Los Angeles where he rose to prominence in the West Coast hip hop scene. An early case of using “gangsta” as an adjective and a compliment came in his 1984 single Body Rock. In 1986, Ice-T released “6 in the Mornin’”, which is regarded as the second gangsta rap song. Ice-T had been MCing since the early 1980s, but first turned to gangsta rap themes after being influenced by Schoolly D’s self-titled debut album, and especially the song “P.S.K. What Does It Mean?” (1985), which is regarded as the first gangsta rap song. Ice-T continued to release gangsta albums for the remainder of the 1980s: Rhyme Pays in 1987, Power in 1988 and The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech…Just Watch What You Say in 1989. Ice-T’s lyrics also contained strong political commentary, and often played the line between glorifying the gangsta lifestyle and criticizing it as a no-win situation. Schoolly D’s works would heavily influence not only Ice-T, but also Eazy-E and N.W.A (most notably in the song “Boyz-n-the-Hood”), as well as the Beastie Boys on their seminal hardcore hip hop-inspired album Licensed to Ill (1986). Schoolly D would continue to release hardcore hip hop with the albums Smoke Some Kill (1988) and Am I Black Enough for You? (1989).

Genge

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Origins and characteristics#

As Kenyan urban music became more popular, Kenyan artists and music fans were missing a common name for their music, and many names were suggested. Among them were Boomba music, kapuka, and gemba. Around this time, Kenyan rapper Nonini started a campaign to popularize the term “genge” to refer to Kenyan urban music and also specifically to music by artists on Calif Records. Calif-style genge was founded by Clement “Clemo” Rapudo of Calif Records and originated in California Estate, Nairobi. It was popularized by rappers Nonini, with his song Manzi wa Nairobi, and Jua Cali, with the songs Ngeli ya Genge, Nipe Asali, and Ruka. Due to a disagreement on the definition of Kenyan urban music, the name genge is now more commonly used to describe music from Calif Records. However, genge is easily identified by its rapping style and conversational rhythm format that make a song sound like a casual discussion in Sheng. The most notable genge artists are Nonini, P-Unit, Jua Cali, Influx Swagga, Flexx, Jimw@t, Rat-a-Tat, Alpha Msanii, Lady S (deceased), Kleptomaniax, and Pili Pili, among others. Nonini was continuously the most popular artist on Calif Records between the years 2002 and 2004; Nonini is the self-titled Godfather of Genge. Genge has given rise to other subgenres, such as the Ghipuka, popularized by Kenrazy and Gengetone. The main line has also developed, for instance with America-based producer Keggah adapting genge into a form that has proved popular among Kenyans. In June 2018, an Umoja-based boy band called Ethic Entertainment came out with their debut song “Lamba Lolo,” garnering over 4 million views on YouTube. Other boy bands like Boondocks Gang, Ochungulo Family, Sailors Gang, Wakali Wao, Angry Panda, Wakadinali, Vintage Clan, and Rico Gang produced songs that created the subgenre Gengetone. Genge songs generally talk about struggles in the ghetto, with most songs taking on a storytelling format where the main singer is reliving or sharing an event they witnessed with their friends and the lesson the event has taught them. These events often, but not always, revolve around sex, drugs, women, or interactions with people in positions of power over them. Some of the most popular genge tracks include:

Gh hip-hop

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Hip hop evolution#

Fast forward twenty-four years, and hip hop evolved into a more diverse and trendy culture where festivals like the Chale Wote Street Art Festival were a means by which the culture was made widespread. This brought about groups such as yoyo tinz which promoted Ghanaian hip hop through TV shows and documentaries. This also brought about the induction of “Kasahari” which is a twi word meaning “Fast Talk” and is mostly associated with musicians that rap fast. This was a term given to musicians who rapped very fast while using the local dialect known as twi. Some products of Kasahari include Sarkodie and Obrafour.

Glitch (music)

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Precursors#

The origins of the glitch aesthetic can be traced to the early 20th century with Luigi Russolo’s Futurist manifesto L’arte dei rumori (The Art of Noises) published in 1913, which became the basis of noise music. He constructed mechanical noise generators, which he named intonarumori, and wrote multiple compositions to be played by them, including Risveglio di una città (Awakening of a City) and Convegno di automobili e aeroplani (Meeting of Automobiles and Airplanes). In 1914, a riot broke out at one of his performances in Milan, Italy. Christian Marclay began in 1979 to use mutilated vinyl records to create sound collages, while Yasunao Tone used damaged CDs in his Techno Eden performance of 1985. The 1992 album It Was a Dark and Stormy Night by Nicolas Collins included a composition featuring a string quartet playing alongside the stuttering sound of skipping CDs. Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima’s electronic soundtrack for the 1994 video game Streets of Rage 3 used automatically randomized sequences to generate “unexpected and odd” experimental sounds.

Hardcore hip-hop

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History#

Music experts have credited Run-DMC as the first hardcore hip-hop group. Other early artists to adopt an aggressive style were Schoolly D in Philadelphia and Too $hort in Oakland. Before a formula for gangsta rap had developed, artists such as Boogie Down Productions and Ice-T wrote lyrics based on detailed observations of “street life”, while the confrontational and aggressive lyrics and chaotic, rough production style of Public Enemy’s records set new standards for hardcore hip-hop and hip-hop production. Though initially a largely East Coast phenomenon, by the late 1980s, hardcore rap increasingly became largely synonymous with West Coast gangsta rap, with artists like N.W.A infusing “gangsta” themed stories of gritty gang life. In the early 1990s, hardcore hip-hop again became associated with the East Coast as Wu-Tang Clan emerged with minimalistic beats and piano-driven sampling, which became widely popular among other hardcore hip-hop artists of the time. and M.O.P. incorporated yelling in their lyrics. In the 2010s, punk rap combined elements of hardcore hip-hop and hardcore punk, with artists like Denzel Curry at the forefront.

HexD

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Etymology and characteristics#

According to Sticki, the founder of the netlabel Dismiss Yourself, the term “hexD” originally emerged through the music collective Hexcastcrew, who “hex songs—in their words, they cast spells via bitcrushing the music.” The process of “hexxing” a song involves a style of DJ mixing that makes heavy use of bitcrushing and digital effects. after the Dismiss Yourself compilation album Surge Compilation Vol. 1 (2020). The visual aesthetics of hexD draw influence from anime, internet aesthetics, and early Web 2.0 era iconography and artwork primarily associated with the 2006 online GIF editor Blingee as a form of childhood nostalgia that has been compared to the vaporwave microgenre. According to WKNC-FM, the mixing style is reminiscent of early Internet “low quality trance/adjacent EDM” anime AMVs. Alternative Press magazine described the style as “sped up, bitcrushed and glitched out”.

Hip house

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History#

A British collaboration between the electronic group Beatmasters and the rap duo Cookie Crew entitled “Rok da House” is cited as one of the first hip house tracks. Minor controversy ensued in 1988 when a U.S. record called “Turn Up the Bass” by Tyree Cooper featuring Kool Rock Steady claimed it was the “first hip house record on vinyl”. The Beatmasters disputed this, pointing out that “Rok da House” had originally been written and pressed to vinyl in 1986. The outfit then released “Who’s in the House?” featuring British emcee Merlin, containing the lines “Beatmasters stand to attention, hip house is your invention” and “Watch out Tyree, we come faster”. More claims to the hip-house crown were subsequently laid down by Fast Eddie in “Yo Yo Get Funky!”, Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock with “It Takes Two”, and Tony Scott’s “That’s How I’m Living”. After successful releases by the Beatmasters, Deskee, Tyree, KC Flightt, Doug Lazy and Mr. Lee, hip-house became popular in the acid house warehouse scene and nightclubs. Hip house also garnered substantial chart success. The style complemented sample-based records of the period, produced by British artists such as S-Express, Bomb the Bass and MARRS. Hip house tracks featured on popular dance compilations including Telstar’s Deep Heat compilation series and was championed by DJs such as Chad Jackson. As house music emerged as a worldwide industry by the late 1980s, U.S. acts such as C+C Music Factory would use the hip house formula in hits such as “Gonna Make You Sweat”, as well as the Eurodance particularly with hits by the Belgian group Technotronic and the German groups Snap! and Real McCoy.

Hip-hop soul

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Description#

Hip-hop soul evolved directly from new jack swing, a form of contemporary R&B popularized by artists and producers such as Teddy Riley and his group Guy, Keith Sweat, and Bobby Brown. Hip-hop soul shifted from new jack swing’s reliance on synth-heavy production and took the hip-hop/R&B synthesis further by having R&B singers sing directly over the types of sample-heavy backing tracks typically found in contemporary hip-hop recordings like boom bap. It also increased the popularity of hip-hop music and culture with older audiences and corporations looking to market urban music.

Hipco

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History#

Rap and pop music are also performed in indigenous languages across the country, with a generation of artists creating their own style of uniquely Liberian rap music called Hipco (or “‘Co”). Hipco is usually performed in Liberian English or the local vernacular, using the style of communication with which Liberians speak and relate to each other. Hipco evolved in the 1980s and has always had a social and political bent. In the 1990s, it continued to develop through multiple civil conflicts, and today stands as a definitive mark of Liberian culture. Hipco music became popular in 2000. As of 2017, it was the popular music genre of Liberia, “serving as the medium through which rappers speak against societal ills, including injustice and corruption.” The “‘co” in the genre is short of the Liberian dialect Kolokwa, which according to the Washington Post, “the Liberian underclass has been improvising since the early 19th century, blending the English brought by 19,000 ex-slaves with words from about 15 native tongues to attain a soft-sounding patois. Kolokwa is 99 percent an oral language — as yet, there is not a single full book in the dialect — and it is all but incomprehensible to the American ear. In Liberia, the cultural elite has long shunned it as lowbrow. Which means that when Hipco artists inject a few choice snatches of Kolokwa into otherwise English lyrics, their words have political zing.” According to the Washington Post, “HipCo is to Liberia as jazz is to the United States.” In 2017, Liberian historian C. Patrick Burrows stated “we’re on the verge of a renaissance. HipCo is at the leading edge of it.”

Hiplife

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History#

Reginald Osei, known in music circles as Reggie Rockstone, is touted by some as the originator of hiplife; others disagree. Nonetheless, the origins of Ghanaian hip hop go back to the 1980s, with performers such as K.K. Kabobo and Gyedu Blay Ambolley. As early as 1973, Ambolley released his first record, “Simigwado” – a semi-rap in Fante-style highlife – to a small audience, which showed him performing highlife variations with fast-spoken, poetic lyrics. Ambolley would go on to be hailed the father of rap, not only in Ghana but in the world. Over time, Ghanaians became influenced by American hip hop, reggae, dance hall. There was an emerging underground hip hop collective in the capital Accra. Hiplife’s history dates back to the early 1990s. Jeff Tennyson Quaye, better known around the world as Jay Q, one of the pioneers of hiplife (in the mid-1990s), is considered the backbone of Ghana music as a whole; in recognition of his own variation and introduction of Jama/kpanlogo to hiplife, he has been called the King of Jama. Reginald “Reggie Rockstone” Ossei also began to craft this art form with producers Mike Cooke, Rab Bakari, Zapp Mallet and Coal house. Chief G and the Tribe was one of the first rap groups in Ghana consisting of Chief G (now known as Jay Ghartey), Abeeku and Kwaku T performing rap as far back as 1989. After they broke up before Reggie’s foray into what is now termed hiplife, Talking Drums, consisting of Kwaku-T and Bayku, experimented with choruses and hooks in local languages. In Twi, Reggie would flow over hip-hop beats, a style that had been used previously in Mahoney P’s debut album Kofi Babone. In that same era, the group Native Funk Lords (NFL) came out with Pidgin rap; the originators of the genre were from the Kay’s Frequency camp: Tinniequaye, Cil, Jake & Eddy Blay. This group also took inspiration from bands such as Osibisa and Ghanaba of Ghana. Rapper and producer Cavell was also part of the original NFL collective and is now known to many as The Mantis. Reggie Rockstone has been described as the “Godfather of Hiplife” since he spawned a new music genre in the country. After his debut album Makaa Maka, with the hit single “Choo boi”, several hiplife acts followed. Although in several radio interviews in 2004, Reggie Rockstone stated that he does not perform hiplife, this could be mainly attributed to the fact that he now prefers to rap in English. A new era was born in late 1998 when a young producer known as Hammer of The Last Two emerged with original beats plus precision rap artistes. Hammer, born Edward Nana Poku Osei, managed to fuse hip-hop grooves with local tempo and sweet melody, which caught the attention of both the elite and masses instantly. Known for his heavy drums and lead trumpets, Hammer had an originality that elevated hiplife to greater heights, inspiring and influencing a whole generation of producers including Richie, Ball J, Kill Beats, Jayso, EL, and others. In addition, some of the biggest artistes in hiplife today were in Hammer of The Last Two’s line-up, among them Kwaw Kesse, Ayigbe Edem, odeshi, Obrafour, Tinny, Sarkodie, Koo Wiase. Other Ghanaian rappers – Lord Kenya, Obour, V.I.P, The Native Funk Lords (rapping mainly in Pidgin English), Castro and MzBel – continued the trend and hiplife is now one of the most popular forms of music in West Africa. The most popular hiplife musicians are Tic Tac, Sarkodie, Vision in Progress (VIP), Asem, Obrafour, Buk Bak, Castro and Samini, who won a MOBO award for his contribution to hiplife in 2006. Since the rise of these popular musicians, hiplife has grown in popularity abroad, through such artists such as Kwaw Kesse, Koo Wiase, D-Black, Richie, ASEM, Sarkodie, Yaa pono. The first recorded rap beef in the history of Ghana was birthed in the HipLife era when Ex doe released his controversial hit single “Maba”, which was responded to by chicago with “wo bɛ kɔ”. These turn of events ended up heightening tensions amongst the two rappers. Beyond that, Ex doe’s maba also ended up rubbing the godfather of hiplife Reggie Rockstone the wrong way with a line in his flow that appeared to take shots at his credibility being the oseikrom president. In 2009, Ghanaian filmmaker Mantse Aryeequaye released a documentary entitled Rhythm Rising that focused on the political history of the hiplife movement in Ghana, as well as hip-hop music amidst various political climates in the nation. In his film, Aryeequaye also examines many famed Ghanaian artists, among whom are Kwaw Kese, Kwaku Tutu and Obrafour, through their experiences within the hiplife or hip-hop movement. The film explores the culture of hiplife against the backdrop of Ghana’s political environment. Hiplife in Ghana is sticking to a new trend of rhythm and this is mainly being influenced by music engineers such as Kill Beatz, Dj Dijoe, Pie-Sie, Jay So looney, Richie, Kaywa and Hammer of The Last Two. There is some confusion about the classification of hip pop made in Ghana and Hiplife, but overall they bear the same qualities and share common rhythms.

Hipster hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Hipster hop is generally characterized as having a lighthearted mood. Miles Raymer of the Chicago Reader stated that “hipster rap embodies the same sort of utopian, big-tent ideal that old-school hip-hop did, treating the music as a force for bringing people together”. Hipster hop artists have also been described as having lyrical content ranging from the “emotionally vulnerable” to the “ironic or comedic”. Musically, the “hipster hop” label has been used to describe a wide variety of styles, ranging from “a sonic explorer like Kanye… to retro revivalists like the Cool Kids”.

Horrorcore

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Horrorcore defines a style of hip hop music that focuses primarily on dark, violent, gothic, transgressive, macabre and/or horror-influenced topics such as death, psychosis, psychological horror, mental illness, satanism, self-harm, cannibalism, mutilation, suicide, murder, torture, drug abuse, and supernatural or occult themes. The lyrics are often inspired by horror movies and are performed over moody, hardcore beats. According to rapper Mars, “If you take Stephen King or Wes Craven and you throw them on a rap beat, that’s who I am”. Horrorcore was described by Entertainment Weekly in 1995 as a “blend of hardcore rap and bloodthirsty metal”. The lyrical content of horrorcore is sometimes described as being similar to that of death metal, and some have referred to the genre as “death rap”. Horrorcore artists often feature dark imagery in their music videos and base musical elements of songs upon horror film scores.

Hyphy

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The hyphy culture emerged in the late 1990s in Oakland before rising to prominence throughout the wider Bay Area in the early 2000s. It is distinguished by gritty, pounding rhythms, and has been compared to crunk music. San Jose producer Traxamillion is largely considered the first producer to create hyphy style music, having produced songs such as Keak Da Sneak’s “Super Hyphy”, which established the term hyphy. An individual is said to “get hyphy” when they dance in an overstated, fast-paced and ridiculous manner, or if they get overly loud with other people. The phrase “to get hyphy” is similar to the southern phrase “to get crunk”. Those who consider themselves part of the hyphy movement strive for this behavior. Although the Hyphy Movement briefly saw light in mainstream America, it has been an established subculture in the Bay Area since the early 1990s. Throughout the Bay Area (particularly in East Oakland), there are events regularly hosted called “sideshows”, where people perform or watch illegal automobile performances. These performances include activities such as donuts, ghost-riding (an action that has proven fatal on multiple occasions) and street racing, while others dance and “go dumb” around them. The Hyphy Movement’s resurgence in early 2006 was cited by prominent Bay Area rapper E-40 as a new opportunity for the Bay Area’s unique sound to reach a nationwide audience. Many artists, such as Drake and DJ Mustard, pay homage to Mac Dre due to his huge influence in their musical career. With the start of Mac Dre’s label, Thizz Entertainment, he was able to shine a light on local talent such as E-40 and Andre Nickatina, prominent members of the Bay Area rap scene.

Igbo rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Industrial hip-hop

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1980s#

The origins of industrial hip hop are in the work of Mark Stewart, Bill Laswell, and Adrian Sherwood. In 1985, former The Pop Group singer Mark Stewart released As the Veneer of Democracy Starts to Fade, an application of the cut-up style of industrial music, with the house band of Sugar Hill Records (Doug Wimbish, Keith LeBlanc, and Skip McDonald). In 1986, The Beatnigs were formed in San Francisco. As a collaboration between Michael Franti, Rono Tse and Kevin Carnes, The Beatnigs combined hardcore punk, industrial and hip hop influences, described as “a kind of avant-garde industrial jazz poets collective”. The band’s stage performance included the use of power tools such as a rotary saw on a metal bar to create industrial noise and pyrotechnics. In the late 1980s, Laswell’s Material project began to take increasing influence from hip hop. Adrian Sherwood was a major figure in British dub, as well as working with industrial groups such as Cabaret Voltaire, Einstürzende Neubauten, Ministry, KMFDM, and Nine Inch Nails. Tackhead, a collaboration between Sherwood and the Sugar Hill band, picked up where Mark Stewart left off. The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and Consolidated from San Francisco, MC 900 Ft. Jesus from Texas and Meat Beat Manifesto from the UK are also early representatives of the style. The industrial group 23 Skidoo, Miles Davis’s album On the Corner, and the Nine Inch Nails single “Down in It” are also important precedents for the style.

Internet rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology and characteristics#

According to music journalist Alphonse Pierre, writing for Pitchfork, the term “internet rappers” was once used as a dismissive label but later popularized by the “SoundCloud generation”. Writing for The Guardian, journalist Emilie Friedlander stated that during the blog era, bloggers “were trawling the internet to uncover the next great bedroom producer, internet rapper or hyper-specific musical trend.”

1990s–2000s: Forerunners#

During the mid-to late 1990s, Canibus became the first rapper to make references to the Internet in hip-hop. On the track “DJ Clue Freestyle” released in 1997, Canibus stated, “I’ll battle you on the net, I’ll battle you in the flesh.” In 1998, Florida rapper Trick Daddy also made reference to the internet and its visual aesthetics, with the release of his album www.thug.com, which was the URL of his official website.

Jazz rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

In 1989, Gang Starr released the debut single “Words I Manifest”, sampling Dizzy Gillespie’s 1952 “Night in Tunisia”, and Stetsasonic released “Talkin’ All That Jazz”, sampling Lonnie Liston Smith. Gang Starr’s debut LP, No More Mr. Nice Guy (Wild Pitch, 1989), and their track “Jazz Thing” (CBS, 1990) for the soundtrack of Mo’ Better Blues, further popularized the jazz rap style. In 1992, Eric B & Rakim used wood bass on “Don’t Sweat the Technique”. Digable Planets’ 1993 release Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) was a hit jazz rap record. It sampled the likes of Don Cherry, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, Herbie Mann, Herbie Hancock, Grant Green, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Additionally, it spawned the hit single “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)”. In 1993, Us3 released Hand on the Torch on Blue Note Records. All samples were from the Blue Note catalogue. The single “Cantaloop” was Blue Note’s first gold record. Post-WWII swing and modern jazz had fused with the introduction of Black appeal radio, which attracted a younger audience through its reliance on jive idioms, rhyming, and cadence-laden rap verses. Dizzy Gillespie had pointed to The Jives of Dr. Hepcat and rhyming D.J. Daddy-O Daylie as key to popularizing modern jazz. The rise of Top-40 radio on the strength of the rapping DJs in this period of radio’s rebirth among black youth led to the wider use of language and syntax popularizing rap. Muhammad Ali’s phrasing to the press in the early part of his career was born of listening to black radio of the 1950s, which was often white radio announcers speaking slang “jive” and imitating black announcers while withholding the fact on air of their backgrounds. Pioneering DJs Al Benson, Nat D., and Jack the Rapper all used rhyming, the dozens, and jive talk to pepper their broadcasts and were widely copied by white DJs like John Richbourg, Gene Nobles, and Bill Allen during the 1950s, whose influence on James Brown and other godfathers of rap was formative. Bebop was the backing track that modern jazz credits with being the foundation of black appeal, radio is based on.

Jerk (music genre)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Writing for British magazine The Face, music journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds described jerk as “fidgety rhythms, staggered snares and mangled vocals”, and noted that a variety of jerk rappers “boast” but also showcase “a quirky and sensitive lyrical undercurrent that tends to lurk beneath the tough-guy facade”. he never listened to the original wave of jerk rap and is more inspired by Milwaukee hip-hop’s lowend scene in his “percussion choices”.

Jerkin'

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

According to Oktane of Audio Push, jerkin’ culture came from gang members dancing at parties, stating: “Jerking actually came from gang-banging. Like, it was a dance that gang members did. Like, the anti-dance. If you were in the party and everyone was dancing, the gang members would be doing the jerk.” The dance itself consists of moving your legs in and out called the “jerk”, and doing other moves such as the “reject”, “dip”, and “pindrop”.

Jewish hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Jewish hip hop artists have come from a wide variety of countries and cultures. Elements of reggae, klezmer, and other world music are often incorporated alongside traditional hip hop production techniques like cutting, scratching, sampling, looping, and beatboxing. Many Jewish rappers are also multilingual, rapping in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Aramaic, Ladino, and other languages, depending on their background.

1980s through 1990s#

From its commercial golden age in the 1980s and early 1990s, Jewish artists, producers, and executives played a significant role in the hip hop industry. In Israel, Jewish rappers like Shabak Samech’s Mook E, Hadag Nahash, Sagol 59, Subliminal, The Shadow, and SHI 360 helped pioneer the country’s hip hop scene in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Despite this, few of these acts acknowledged their Jewish heritage in their music, with some exceptions being Hip Hop Hoodíos, the parody group 2 Live Jews, and Ruthless Records signees Blood of Abraham. During this time, Jewish religious music occasionally incorporated hip hop, although largely for parody and children’s music, such as Craig Taubman’s “Chanukah Rap” and Shlock Rock’s songs with rapper Etan G.

Kwaito

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The word kwaito originates from the South African slang “kwaai,” which conveys the meaning of “cool” or “bad” in a positive context. The term “kwaai” itself is rooted in Afrikaans, where it initially signified “angry” or “fierce.” However, within the framework of South African youth culture, its connotation had shifted to represent something fashionable or noteworthy. Kwaito led a post-Apartheid township subculture into the mainstream despite the fact that the Afrikaans language is associated with the apartheid regime and racial oppression, Afrikaans words are often drawn into the Sabela and Tsotsitaal and Camtho vocabularies, reshaped and used in a related or new context. M’du Masilela, a pioneering kwaito artist, said, “When house music got popular, people from the ghetto called it Kwaito after the Afrikaans slang word kwai , meaning those house tracks were hot, that they were kicking.” An Isicamtho word derived from the Afrikaans word kwaai is amakwaitosi, which means gangster. Arthur Mafokate described the relationship between kwaito and gangsterism as music revolving around ghetto life.

Latin hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

West Coast#

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, most Latin rap came from New York and the West Coast of the United States. Due to the heaviest Puerto Rican migration to New York City in the ’50s, during the ’70s, the birth of Latin Hip-Hop involved Hispanic from the Caribbean island. Early hip-hop from the United States had a significant influence on early Puerto Rican hip-hop pioneers such as Ruben DJ, DJ Negro, and Vico-C. Mellow Man Ace, from Cuba, was the first Hispanic artist to have a major bilingual single, the 1989 track “Mentirosa”. This song went platinum, leading Mellow Man Ace to be described as the “Godfather of Latin rap” and inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame inductee. In 1990, fellow West Coast artist Kid Frost further brought Hispanics to the rap forefront with his hit song “La Raza”. In 1991, Kid Frost, Mellow Man, A.L.T. and several other Latin rappers formed the rap super group Latin Alliance and released a self-titled album which featured the hit “Lowrider (On the Boulevard)”. The remake of the song Tequila was an A.L.T. hit later that year. Cypress Hill, of which Mellow Man Ace was a member before going solo, would become the first Hispanic rap group to reach platinum status in 1991. The group was also the first major hip-hop music group to include Spanish and Latin slang in their lyrics. Cypress Hill gained hit “Insane in the Brain”(1993) and Platinum record. Ecuadorian-born American rapper Gerardo received heavy rotation on video and radio for his single Rico Suave. While commercially watered-down, his album enjoyed a status of being one of the first mainstream Spanglish CDs on the market. Johnny J was a multi-platinum songwriter, music producer, and rapper who was perhaps best known for his production on Tupac Shakur’s albums All Eyez on Me and Me Against the World. He also produced the 1990 single Knockin’ Boots for his classmate Candyman’s album Ain’t No Shame in My Game, which eventually went platinum thanks to the single. N2Deep, A Lighter Shade of Brown, Proper Dos, and Slow Pain were popular in Latin rap scene. In the mid-1990s, the success of LA’s Cypress Hill led to additional Latin hip-hop artists finding label support. Delinquent Habits were a horn-sampling trio that found MTV support for their breakout bilingual single “Tres Delinquentes” in 1996. By the early 2000s, two Mexico-born, United States-raised Latin hip-hop acts found success on major labels. LA’s Akwid fused banda with hip-hop on hits like “No Hay Manera” while Milwaukee’s Kinto Sol told tales of Mexican immigrant life over more minimalist beats. Mr.Criminal, Mr.Capone-E, Mr.Knightowl, Ms.Krazie, Charlie Row Campo and Mr.Sancho released Latin and Chicano rap CDs.

Latin trap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Latin trap is a subgenre of Latin hip hop, generally taking influence from Southern hip hop, Hip-Hop in general, and possibly influenced by Sound Cloud rap as well as already established Puerto Rican genres like reggaeton and Urbano music. Vocals include a bend of rapping and singing using synthesizers and autotune in Spanish or in Spanglish, while still maintaining the trap style sonic circuitry. The lyrics in Latin trap are often about street life, violence, sex, drugs, and people who pride themselves in living on the other side of the law.

Lofi hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Lofi hip-hop, or chillhop, uses “downtempo, fuzzed-out atmospheric beats” along with samples from sources like retro video games, old cartoons, self-help tapes and public access television.

Etymology#

The genre name originates from the low fidelity (“lo-fi”) aesthetic of the music, which tends to be deliberately less “polished” than high fidelity (“hi-fi”) music and features audio imperfections, distorted sound quality, and less professional audio equipment. The 2004 MF Doom and Madlib album Madvillainy is regarded as a “shared touchstone” for lo-fi hip-hop. is also credited with driving lofi’s growth with his contributions to the soundtrack for the popular anime Samurai Champloo. Another artist also often associated with the development of lofi is US rapper and producer J Dilla.

Lowend

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Lowend is defined primarily by a steady, metronome-like rhythm of synthesized eighth note handclaps, as well as snares on the first and third counts of its beats, rumbling bass, fast tempos, and brief runtimes, typically not exceeding two minutes in length. Lowend beats are also known for being danceable and relatively minimalistic, while lyrics in lowend songs generally focus on partying, twerking, and cars. It takes influence from other hip-hop genres such as bounce, ratchet, hyphy, and twerk music.

Memphis rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Memphis rap has been characterized as being low budget, using repetitive vocal hooks and a “distorted”, that uses the Roland TR-808 drum machine and minimal synth melodies. The genre commonly features double time flows with triplet flows, Because of the lack of resources, bedroom studios were often pushed to the extreme. Usually, the lyrics are quite dark and depict graphic subject matter. DJ Spanish Fly had introduced the synthetic drum-kit sound with the TR-808, splitting the Memphis scene in two between those who preferred the live versus the digital sound. Alongside a strong drum beat were “cowbell, syncopated rhythms, powerful sub-bass, and sharp digital snares”, these elements becoming the hallmarks of the Memphis rap sound. Looping is also a signature with no steadfast rule, although looping is used over chopped edits. Memphis rap has been cited as an influence on the development of Phonk, a subgenre that draws on its sampling practices and sonic aesthetic. Memphis artists released recordings on independent labels. The dominance of New York and Los Angeles’s hip hop scenes forced southern artists to form an underground style and sound to compete with the other regions. Artists used a grassroots approach through word-of-mouth in the club scene and mixtapes to promote their music. Independent cassette circulation networks became an important part of preserving and distributing Memphis underground rap throughout the region. Memphis rap artists often relied on independent methods of production and distribution, including the use of cassette tapes shared through local networks. Oral history and archival preservation projects, including documentation from the Memphis Public Library, have preserved accounts from artists associated with the Memphis rap underground scene such as The Scandalous Playaz, helping document the regional cassette-era culture surrounding independent Memphis rap distribution.

Miami bass

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

1980s origins#

During the 1980s, the focus of Miami bass tended to be on DJs and record producers, rather than individual performers. Record labels such as Pandisc, HOT Records, 4-Sight Records and Skyywalker Records released much material of the genre. Unterberger has referred to James (Maggotron) McCauley (also known as DXJ, Maggozulu Too, Planet Detroit and Bass Master Khan) as the “father of Miami bass”, a distinction McCauley denies, choosing to confer that status on producer Amos Larkins. MC ADE’s “Bass Rock Express”, with music and beats produced by Amos Larkins, is often credited as being the first Miami bass record to gain underground popularity on an international scale. The single “Throw The D” by the group 2 Live Crew in 1986 gave a permanent blueprint to how future Miami bass songs were written and produced.

Michigan rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

While Michigan has historically trailed behind New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta in terms of the infrastructure and resources available to rap musicians, in recent years, Detroit and Flint have emerged as “havens” for a vibrant and diverse music scene. The presence of established veterans and a burgeoning community of rising artists further contributes to the state’s dynamic and innovative musical landscape.

Characteristics#

Two pillars of Michigan rap are Flint rap and Detroit rap, which prioritize driving drum beats, brooding low piano chords, and narratives in their lyrics. The element of drum beats was popularized by J Dilla who used beat drum programming with live improvisation instruments. The style of Flint rap did not gain traction within Michigan until the late 2010s with the rise in popularity of Rio Da Yung OG. Flint rap is a newer scene that has a symbiotic relationship with Detroit. Flint performers could take advantaged of an established scene in Detroit, while the Detroit community hones and harnesses the talent to expand the scene.

Mobb music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Production#

Mobb music, often shortened to Mobb, is characterized by a heavy, deliberate sonic profile that typically operates within a tempo range of 80 to 100 BPM, representing an evolutionary shift away from early West Coast electro-hop. Structurally, the genre favors extended, long-form arrangement s driven by an intricate, heavily layered texture. This framework is anchored by analog drum machine s, most notably the Roland TR-808, which makes that elctronic sound rather then acoutic drum sound. A core structural element is the prominent placement of sharp claps on the second and fourth beats of each measure, creating a pounding, deliberate cadence. Layered over this percussion are signature low-end frequencies, distinguished by the frequent use of “fat” resonant bass synth s and complex melodies that create a raw, performance-based, and organic sound. While sharing a historical foundation in West Coast hip-hop, Mobb features major compositional differences from mainstream Southern California G-funk. While G-funk typically replayed or interpolated a single, recognizable P-Funk sample with minor melodic embellishments to achieve a polished, fluid sound, the Mobb production method relies on an extensive mixture of multiple samples. Producers blend fragments from various musical sources, utilizing live-in-the-studio instrumentation to heavily alter, expand, and reshape these combined elements into entirely new, original compositions. This approach gives the genre a more rigid, electronic, and pounding framework. Production within the genre generally has two distinct styles: * One style is a brighter, more festive, and more upbeat soundscape that relies on infectious, rolling funk grooves intended to create an energetic, feel-good party atmosphere. * In contrast, the other style explores a much darker, ominous, and menacing soundscape. The genre is also often lumped into the hardcore hip hop genre due to its raw production values and aggressive thematic focus.

Motswako

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Title and traits#

The genre’s name originates from Setswana translating to “blend”, “fusion” or simply, “mix” and in context this word refers to the amalgamation of English alongside Setswana or other indigenous languages in the production of motswako. The musical characteristics of motswako typically encompass smooth yet laid-back rap delivery, a consistent beat, occasionally employing a four-on-the-floor rhythm and incorporating reggae-influenced Afro-centric or drum and bass beats. Minimalistic electronic elements serve to maintain a backdrop for the rap vocals to take center stage. In its early stages, motswako utilized rap lyrics primarily in Setswana alongside American vernacular. Additionally, other South African languages such as Zulu, Xhosa and Afrikaans were incorporated. Lyrical themes range from spoken word poetry performed without accompaniment to localized socio-political or economic commentary, drug culture, unity, pride in local culture, romance, objectification of women, pursuit of wealth, aspirations and celebration.

Mumble rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology and characteristics#

The earliest known usage of the term “mumble rap” was in 2014 by VladTV battle rap journalist Michael Hughes, in an interview with battle rapper Loaded Lux about the style’s emergence in mainstream hip-hop. There is disagreement over who first rapped in such a style, although its creation has been attributed to rappers such as Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Chief Keef, Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan, Migos, Sahbabii, Playboi Carti, Ken Carson, and most notably Future, whose 2011 single “Tony Montana” is often cited as the first mumble rap song; however, there have been sources dating as far back as October 2011 of even older releases by other artists. Artists such as Das EFX and Fu-Schnickens may have rapped in a similar style years before the term was created. The term was first used to describe rappers whose lyrics were unclear, but the use of the term has expanded to include rappers that some critics claim “generally put little emphasis on lyricism or lyrical quality”. Mumble rap is used mostly as a derogatory term, in reference to a perceived incoherence of the artist’s lyrics. Oscar Harold of the Cardinal Times stated that “mumble rap” is misleading, arguing that the rappers such as Future rely more upon pop melodies and vocal effects, such as auto tune, than mumbling. Justin Charity, a staff writer at The Ringer, argues that the term is unnecessarily reductive and does not in fact refer to one specific type of rapping. He wrote that many of the artists often scapegoated in conversations about the subgenre do not actually mumble, which “is the red flag that the term isn’t a useful subcategorization.” There are disputes as to whether some rappers are mumble rappers or not. There is also conflation between mumble/SoundCloud rap and other new generation-led evolutions or niches such as trap and cloud rap. The Cleveland Plain Dealers Troy L. Smith writes that 21 Savage unfairly gets classified as a mumble rapper.

Nā mele paleoleo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Early protest era (MC Frumpy and DJ ELITE)#

Nā mele paleoleo first emerged in the late 1980s with Honolulu-based hip hop artists Charlotte “MC Frumpy” Kaluna and her hānai-brother Joseph “DJ ELITE” Netherland. Frumpy and ELITE were later joined by Frumpy’s protege Jason “BUZ 1” Tavares, described in a PBS Hawaiʻi profile as an underground freestyle lyricist active with groups such as Hi-State Family, VM, and Moʻilla Pillaz. Tavares’s high-energy lyricism and performances complemented the protest orientation of Frumpy and ELITE. Their work drew on the confrontational edge of conscious hip hop acts such as Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions (particularly KRS-One), Queen Latifah, and early Ice Cube solo releases. They were also shaped by early 1990s punk and alternative groups including Bikini Kill and Rage Against the Machine. Through this fusion, MC Frumpy, DJ ELITE, and proteges such as BUZ 1 helped establish a hip hop scene rooted in activism and protest culture. Their performances were confrontational and agitational. The genre functioned as a tool of resistance in public demonstrations rather than a recorded, commercial style at this stage.

Nerdcore

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sound#

Being more defined by lyrics, nerdcore has no unifying musical sound, and the sound of nerdcore varies wildly from artist to artist. One common theme, especially in the early days of the genre, is uncleared sampling. MC Frontalot addressed this directly in his 1999 song “Good Old Clyde”, a thank you of sorts to Clyde Stubblefield for the “funky drummer” break – which was sampled to provide the song’s beat. Sources for samples in nerdcore range from Vanilla Ice to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (“Rondo Alla Turca”, in MC Plus+’s “Computer Science for Life”). YTCracker’s Nerdrap Entertainment System is an entire album made up primarily of samples from 8-bit Nintendo games. Another notable artist, Random, created an album dedicated to the Mega Man video games in 2007 titled MegaRan. Though some artists have moved away from this—Frontalot, for example, completely remixed several songs to remove uncleared samples before releasing them commercially on his 2005 album Nerdcore Rising—it is still quite common, as most nerdcore tracks are released non-commercially and thus attract little to no attention from the RIAA. Several DJs have provided beats and done remixes for multiple nerdcore artists, most notably Baddd Spellah, who currently mixes the majority of Frontalot’s tracks. Spellah also won a remix competition in 2004.

New jack swing

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The term “new jack swing” was coined in an October 18, 1987, Village Voice profile of Teddy Riley by Barry Michael Cooper. “New Jack” was a slang term (meaning “Johnny-come-lately”) used in a song by Grandmaster Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers, and “swing” was intended by Cooper to draw an “analogy between the music played at the speak easies of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s time to the crack-houses of Teddy Riley’s time”. The term “new jack swing” describes the sound produced and engineered by R&B/hip hop artist and producer Teddy Riley. Riley is an American R&B and hip hop singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer, who led the band Guy in the late 1980s and Blackstreet in the 1990s. Riley said, “I define the term new jack swing as a new kid on the block who’s swinging it.” The defining feature of Riley’s music was the introduction of swingbeats, “a rhythmic pattern using offbeat accented 16th note triplets”. In an interview with Revolt TV in 2017, Andre Harrell called Riley the inventor of the sound, hailing him “the king of New Jack Swing, because he invented it”.

New Orleans hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins and early development#

New Orleans hip hop originated from a decade of local musical activity in the late 1980s, culminating in the distinct style known as “bounce” in the early 1990s. The genre is profoundly influenced by New Orleans’ traditional African-American musical forms. These include Mardi Gras Indian chants, brass band music, and second-line parades, which are frequently integrated into bounce tracks through sampling or live instrumentation. For example, the incorporation of the Rebirth Brass Band’s “I Feel Like Funkin’ It Up” on Da Sha Ra’s “I Feel Like Bootin’ Up” (1993) exemplifies this direct musical integration. While intensely local in its expression, foundational elements of bounce music also drew from external influences. Key examples include the “Triggaman bells” and 808 drum-machine beats sampled from The Showboys’ 1986 single “Drag Rap”, a track by a New York group, and instrumentals like “Brown Beats” from California DJ Cameron Paul. The “Cheeky Blakk beat”, a variation on “Brown Beats” created by Mannie Fresh for New Orleans rapper Cheeky Blakk in the mid-1990s, became another frequently utilized signature sound of early bounce. Pioneering tracks include MC T. Tucker’s “Where Dey At” (1991), performed over a DJ Irv backing track that sampled “Drag Rap”. This song gained significant local popularity at clubs such as Uptown Hollygrove’s Ghost Town. DJ Jimi subsequently recorded his own version, “Where They At”, which was studio-recorded into a full-length album in 1992. Proto-bounce tracks, such as Gregory D and DJ Mannie Fresh’s “Buck Jump Time (Project Rapp)” (1989), are recognized for their hyper-specific lyrical references to New Orleans neighborhoods and a distinctive sousaphone-driven bass line. The origins of New Orleans bounce reveal a unique synthesis of globally circulating hip hop elements with deeply localized New Orleans musical traditions. This fusion created a distinct sound that, despite its regional dominance, initially faced challenges in gaining broader national recognition. The distinctiveness of New Orleans hip hop was not solely about inventing entirely new sounds but rather about recontextualizing, reinterpreting, and localizing existing hip hop elements through a unique New Orleans cultural lens. The genre’s local character was powerfully forged through the integration of indigenous New Orleans musical forms, lyrical themes (such as roll calls of wards and neighborhoods), and participatory performance styles onto these imported rhythmic foundations. This exemplifies a dynamic process of cultural adaptation and innovation, where global musical trends are localized and imbued with specific regional identity, creating something uniquely New Orleanian. The initial regional limitation, despite internal popularity, suggests that this intensely local nature, while a strength for community identity and authenticity, might have initially hindered broader mainstream appeal until artists like Big Freedia achieved crossover international audiences. This highlights the tension between local cultural preservation and global commercial viability.

Odi Pop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origin#

Odi pop earliest roots can be traced back to early 2000 Kenyan gospel music which was faintly related to the church. In the early 1990s and 2000s, the Kenyan government and church had massive control over what was aired as there was only one state controlled broadcaster. The government clamped down on several secular artists who were considered enemies of state, resulting in the rise of Kenyan gospel music as the style was under an acceptable theme. In 2002, Gidi Gidi Maji Maji released ‘Unbwogable’ which was adopted by Kenyan politicians; future President Mwai Kibaki and future Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga as the official campaign 2002 election campaign sound track. Ogopa DeeJays, a Kenyan record from the late 1990s was rising to prominence during this period developing music stars like E-sir, K- Rupt, Nameless, Amani, and others. Ogopa Deejays would become one of the most influential record labels in Kenya with their sound called Boomba Music (sometimes referred to as Kapuka). Boomba is one of the foundations of Odi Pop. During the same period, a wave of music called Genge was popularized by hip hop artist Jua Cali and Nonini from Calif Records. The term Genge was coined by their producer Clemo. A paper titled The Poetics of Genge: Jua Cali’s Niimbe was presented at the 26th annual MELUS conference and 6th conference of the United States Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (USACLALS), University of Santa Clara, California. In the following years artists like Mejja, Madtraxx, Jimwat and others played a critical role in shaping the Genge sound. In October 2016, rapper Collo from music group Kleptomaniax released ‘Bazokizo’ featuring Bruz Newton which is considered a turning point for Odi Pop. The viral nature of the song and numerous airplay brought Odi pop to mainstream media and opened the door for other Odi pop musicians including Timeless Noel and Jabidii. The style has emerged from the Nairobi area mainly in the Eastlands region including Kayole, Dandora, Umoja, Dagoretti, and Rongai.

Phonk

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Etymology and characteristics#

The term “phonk” was originally coined and popularized by American rapper SpaceGhostPurrp, who released tracks such as “Pheel tha Phonk”, “Bringin’ tha Phonk”, and “Keep Bringin’ tha Phonk” and his 2012 debut album Mysterious Phonk: Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp. In an interview, he explained that “phonk is slang for funk”, in reference to the G-funk music genre. Phonk is directly inspired by 1990s Memphis rap and samples from that era of hip hop. These are often combined with jazz and funk samples. Notable artists associated with “new-age phonk” include DJ Smokey, DJ Yung Vamp, Soudiere, and Mythic.

Plugg

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Etymology#

The genre derives its name from the “Plug!” producer tag on SoundCloud used by the members of the BeatPluggz collective since 2013. MexikoDro of the Beatpluggz collective claimed that fellow collective member StoopidXool or someone else from Beatpluggz recorded the vocals for the tag. At first, the tag used the word “Plugs”, but they later shortened it to “Plug”. Both variants “plugg” and “plug” are used to describe the genre. Other names for the genre include descriptive terms such as “new wave” and “smooth jazz” (not to be confused with new wave and smooth jazz genres).

Political hip-hop

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Conscious hip-hop#

Conscious hip-hop (also known as socially conscious hip-hop or conscious rap) is a subgenre of hip hop that challenges the dominant cultural, social, political, sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic consensus, Some themes of conscious hip hop include social conscience, religion, culture, the economy, depictions of the struggles of ordinary people, and aversion to or commentary on crime and violence, as well as potentially Afrocentricity. Conscious hip hop often seeks to raise awareness of social issues, sometimes leaving the listeners to form their own opinions rather than advocating for certain ideas and demanding actions like political hip hop. Conscious hip hop artists often use their music to express their views on a wide range of topics, including politics, race, poverty, and the environment.

Pop rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

AllMusic describes pop rap as “a marriage of hip-hop beats and raps with strong melodic hooks, which are usually featured as part of the chorus section in a standard pop-song structure.” Pop rap also tends to have less aggressive lyrics than street-level rap music. However, some 1990s artists fused pop rap with a more aggressive attitude to defuse backlash on their own accessibility.

History#

In the 1980s, rap artists including Run-DMC and LL Cool J set up the blueprints and origins of pop rap as they suddenly broke into the mainstream. Later, rap artists such as Tone Loc, Young MC, and Fresh Prince then made party tunes and used their storytelling abilities as they became popular. During the 1990s, pop rap began to expand even more as hip-hop music also began to connect strongly with dance music and R&B. They caused pop rap to be “derided (and, occasionally, taken to court) for its willingness to borrow” from best-known hit singles. By the end of the 1990s and early 2000s, rappers such as Ja Rule fused gangsta rap themes with 1980s pop and soul elements; pop rap was dominated by many artists. During the late 2000s and early 2010s, many rap artists who used pop rap in their music had emerged such as Nicki Minaj, Drake, will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, LMFAO, Illslick, Flo Rida, Pitbull and Wiz Khalifa.

Progressive rap

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Themes and characteristics#

Progressive rap music is defined by its critical themes around societal concerns such as structural inequalities and political responsibility. According to Lincoln University professor and author Emery Petchaur, artists in the genre frequently analyze “structural, systematic, and reproduced” sources of oppression and inequality in the world, Petchaur, drawing from her experiences teaching high school, adds that the music frequently makes connections to critical consciousness that can variously shape the intellectual sensibilities of young students who are “deeply invested in hip hop”. In the context of other rap forms, progressive hip-hop is identified as a thematic subset alongside “status rap”, which expresses concerns about social status and mobility, and gangsta rap, which examines similar existential crises and contradictions as progressive rap. In a corollary analysis, fellow scholar Evelyn L. Parker says that progressive rap “seeks to transform systems of injustice by transforming the perspective of their victims” while demonstrating “the clear prophetic voice reflecting the rage caused by the dehumanizing injustices that African Americans experience”. Noting its presence on the outside of the mainstream, Fort Worth Star-Telegram journalist Cary Darling writes that this form of hip-hop has been “alternately labeled ‘progressive,’ ‘alternative,’ ‘underground’ or ‘conscious, while essentializing them collectively as a return to the creative spirit of hip-hop’s golden era:

Psychedelic rap

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Characteristics#

Psychedelic rap is defined by “deep musicality, anchored by dusty drum breaks and samples often lifted from jazz records”, resulting in music that is “both comforting and otherworldly — both retro and Afrofuturistic”. The genre has its roots in the psychedelic rock of Jimi Hendrix, whose “hypnotic, laidback vocal style” on songs like “Crosstown Traffic” would " foreshadow the stoned swagger of a West Coast hip-hop MC", according to Tidal magazine. Psychedelic soul, such as Sly Stone, and funk, were also key influences on psychedelic rap. Parliament-Funkadelic are among hip-hop’s most sampled artists. Betty Davis was cited as another precursor to psychedelic rap, as her recordings “wove singularly freaky funkiness with proto-rap aggression”, particularly on “Shut Off the Light,” in which Davis has been described as “barking, screeching and howling in a spoken-sung style over a barbed-wire slap-bass riff”. Her ex-husband, jazz musician Miles Davis, “chased head-trip sounds through tape-splicing studio experimentation and electric chaos”, which predated sampling.

Punk rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Vocals and structure#

Some artists makes use of sonic elements of punk rock, such as screaming, whereas others make use of its attitude and melodic style. Lil Jon’s harsh style of vocalization has also been cited as influence on the development of the genre. In a way, hardcore punk was a “radical departure” from alternative and popular music of that era; this was because it was played “louder and harder,” “wasn’t verse-chorus rock,” and “dispelled any notion of what songwriting is supposed to be and it’s its own form” punk rap songs share some of the “unorthodox” characteristics. They are “short, repetitive, wrapped in distortion and grimly effective.” One of the earliest proponents of the scene was Odd Future, due to their merging of hip-hop and shock humor. In an article for the BBC, journalist Thomas Hobbs referred to the rise of the genre as being a rebellion against the politics of the period, with artists showing disdain for topics such as Brexit, the presidency of Donald Trump and global warming.

Rage (music genre)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The term “rage” in reference to the microgenre comes from “Miss the Rage”, a genre-pioneering track made in 2021 by Trippie Redd and Playboi Carti whose title references mosh pits during rap concerts that Trippie Redd longed for during COVID-19 lockdowns. During the 2010s, multiple artists and critics used the word “rage” in the context of hip-hop, mostly either referring to overdriven energetic sound or the moshing that would ensue at rap shows, examples being Lil Uzi Vert’s Luv Is Rage (2015) and Luv Is Rage 2 (2017) releases.

Rap metal

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins and early development (1980s–early 1990s)#

Rap metal’s roots are based both in hip hop acts who sampled heavy metal music, such as Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, Esham and Run-DMC, and rock bands who fused heavy metal and hip hop influences, such as 24-7 Spyz and Faith No More. Scott Ian of Anthrax (who helped pioneer the genre) believes Rage Against the Machine invented the genre. In 1987, the heavy metal band Anthrax fused hip hop with heavy metal for their extended play I’m the Man. The next year rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot teamed up with Metal Church for his 1988 single “Iron Man”, from his debut album Swass, loosely based upon the Black Sabbath song of the same name. Rap metal can be found in a track from the industrial metal band Ministry in their 1989 album The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste on the track “Test” for which they hired rappers The Grand Wizard (K. Lite) and The Slogan God (Tommie Boyskee) to perform vocals. In 1990, the rapper Ice-T formed a heavy metal band called Body Count, and while performing at the 1991 Lollapalooza tour performed a set that was half rap songs and half metal songs. Stuck Mojo and Clawfinger, both formed in 1989, are considered to be another two pioneers of the genre. Anthrax in 1991 teamed up with Public Enemy for a remake of the latter’s “Bring the Noise” that fused hip hop with thrash metal. Also in 1991, the thrash metal band Tourniquet featured the hip hop group P.I.D. on the song “Spineless” from their album Psycho Surgery. That same year the hair metal band Whitecross featured a rap by Alton Hood of the hip hop group D.O.C. on their album In The Kingdom.

Rap opera

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The word hip hopera is a portmanteau of hip hop and opera. An early use of the phrase was a 1994 album of that name by Volume 10 (although not a concept album). The first dramatic production to use the term was a 2001 telefilm by MTV, titled Carmen: A Hip Hopera. The word received increased use after 2005, in describing R&B singer R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet series.

Rap rock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

AllMusic characterized rap rock songs as rock songs in which the vocals were rapped rather than sung. Session player Eddie Martinez, who created the guitar parts for hip hop group Run-DMC’s rap rock song “Rock Box”, recognized that “a rap-rock song needn’t feature a new change in the chorus; rather, it’s a spot where the guitarist can just solo over the same riff that drives the verses.”

Old school rap rock (1980s to mid-1990s)#

Early hip hop DJs utilized breaks from rock records, such as Billy Squier’s “the Big Beat”, the Monkees’ “Mary, Mary” and Steve Miller Band’s “Take the Money and Run”, in order to “flaunt their vinyl guile”. Although the Cold Crush Brothers’ “Punk Rock Rap” did not see much success and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five would wind up being jeered opening for the Clash, Run-DMC saw a crossover audience with their rap rock sound, helping gain rock fans’ acceptance of hip hop. Public Enemy brought a punk rock attitude to hip hop; Another link between hip hop and punk rock was producer Rick Rubin, who split his time between working with hip hop artists Run-DMC and Beastie Boys, and punk-influenced bands like Slayer and the Cult. However, a rap rock collaboration between Run-DMC and the rock band Aerosmith helped diminish such biases. It was the first Billboard top ten rap rock success played on radio. The music video signaled “both a literal and metaphoric merging of hard rock and rap”; the recording revitalized Aerosmith’s career. as demonstrated by songs like “Rhymin’ and Stealin’”, which was built around samples from Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and the Clash, “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” and “No Sleep till Brooklyn”, which featured guitar playing by Slayer’s Kerry King. Public Enemy’s 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back contained a song which sampled Slayer, and in 1991, the hip hop group would re-record their song “Bring the Noise” with the metal band Anthrax, After releasing “two albums of pure Beastie Boys worship”, Kid Rock began to explore his Southern rock influences on Early Mornin’ Stoned Pimp (1996), and Devil Without a Cause (1998), the latter of which “extended the lineage of rap-rock” and helped to “ignite the rap-rock genre”.

Scam rap

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Characteristics#

Scam rap is notable for its explicit descriptions of various fraudulent activities, offering listeners a glimpse into the world of cybercrime, financial manipulation, and identity theft. Artists often share step-by-step instructions, anecdotes, and personal experiences related to their scams. The lyrics often reflect a mix of audacity and humor, showcasing the artists’ resourcefulness and creativity in executing their schemes. Musically, scam rap typically incorporates lazy, triplet flows and rambling bars, often rapped “behind the beat”. The beats themselves may be lo-fi and minimalistic, allowing the focus to remain on the storytelling aspect of the genre. Scam rap also frequently features references to modern technology, cryptocurrency, online platforms, and the dark web, reflecting the evolving landscape of scams in the digital age.

Sigilkore

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology and characteristics#

The term “sigilkore” is derived from sigil, which is described as being associated with magic, deities and occult rituals. The visual aesthetics of sigilkore draw influence from magic, deities, demons, Writing for British newspaper The Guardian, music critic Alexis Petridis described sigilkore as a “micro-trend”.

2019–2023: Origins#

Sigilkore originated as a mixing style pioneered by rappers Luci4 and Islurwhenitalk who formed the collective Jewelxxet. along with producers within his collective BMB Deathrow, would expand upon this style by frequently including references to occultism The genre was also popularized by American singer Siouxxie’s “Masquerade,” which would go viral in mid-2021, and by artists Lumi Athena,

Snap music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

It is suggested that snap music appeared around 2000 in a crime-infested neighborhood of Bankhead, Atlanta, Georgia. Bankhead was a place where the difference between poor and rich was striking, and, as it has been described, “a lighter sound” of snap was born “in the midst of all the aggression.” Another Atlanta based group, D4L, were performing at Atlanta’s Vision Nightclub and Lounge alongside 8Ball, Keyshia Cole and Slim Thug at the time. In 2005, they produced “Laffy Taffy”, which occupied the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Their debut album, Down for Life, was certified gold by RIAA. D4L and Dem Franchize Boys started a rivalry over who started snap. As Fabo of D4L mentioned, Dem Franchize Boys were looked down upon by members of the community, and were referred to as “label prostitutes” there. Crunk producer Lil Jon also increased exposure of the snap genre to the mainstream by releasing his single “Snap Yo Fingers”, which peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Snap continued to maintain a strong presence on the mainstream Billboard charts in 2007. In late 2007, then 17-year-old American rapper Soulja Boy released his hit “Crank That”, which enjoyed the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 for 7 weeks, and was nominated for a Grammy and became one of the biggest hits of the year, advancing the influence of snap music on the Billboard charts, as well as furthering delving into the crunk genre. During the same year, a number of websites specializing in crunk mixtapes opened, increasing exposure to the genre. R&B singer T-Pain’s snap song “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” ranks #63 on Rolling Stones list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. It was also a number-one on the Hot 100 and was number 68 in Rolling Stones “Best Songs of 2007” list. In February 2008, Atlanta rapper V.I.C. released his hit snap single “Get Silly” which peaked at #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and garnered single sales of 500,000 copies sold. In 2020, then Egyptian singer Ramage released his hit while maintaining her signature pop-R&B sound. She furthered trap experimentation in “Ya Lil (Al Anisa Farah)”, from the MBC4 and Dubai One show Miss Farahs soundtrack album Al Anesa Farah (Music from the Original TV Series) (2020). During the same year, a number of websites specializing in crunk mixtapes opened, increasing exposure to the genre. This popularity even spilled over into comedy, as The Boondocks portrayed “The Story of Gangstalicious”, a rapper whose hit within the show was “Homies Over Hoes”, a clear homage to “Laffy Taffy”.

Southern hip-hop

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Overall characteristics#

Although Southern hip-hop includes a number of localized scenes with distinct styles, there are nevertheless stylistic commonalities that have been observed throughout the region. Most Southern hip-hop music places less emphasis on lyrical complexity than other regions do, instead prioritizing vocal styles that encourage audience participation, such as call-and-response chants or catchy choruses that can be sung along with. At the same time, other branches of Southern hip-hop embraced gangsta rap and have been described as pioneers of hardcore hip-hop. Musically, Southern hip-hop displays inspiration from other Southern music styles, such as gospel and blues. Influential artists from throughout the South have also been described as incorporating elements of funk. Bass-heavy percussion, especially that produced by the Roland TR-808 drum machine, is viewed as a cornerstone of much Southern hip-hop. According to some performers, Southern hip-hop is also more likely than other regions to use live instrumentation rather than samples.

Stronda

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Toronto sound (hip-hop)

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Beginnings#

Drake’s So Far Gone (2009), Thank Me Later (2010) and Take Care (2011) and The Weeknd’s trio of mixtapes House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence (2011) played pivotal roles in popularizing this sound. So Far Gone introduced a blend of rap and R&B with introspective lyrics and atmospheric production, while Take Care further refined this style, with Drake collaborating with The Weeknd on several songs. The Weeknd’s early mixtapes complemented this evolution with its dark, ethereal production. Together, these releases defined the Toronto sound, influencing global music trends and artists to integrate its elements into their own work. The city’s cultural diversity, particularly its Caribbean and African communities, has also shaped the sound, incorporating elements of dancehall, reggae, afrobeat and downtempo. This fusion, combined with a minimalist production style that emphasizes atmosphere over complexity, has contributed to the character of style. Neighbourhoods such as Regent Park, Jane and Finch, Lawrence Heights, Chester Le, Alexandra Park, and Rexdale have been identified as centers of the scene, producing artists such as Smoke Dawg, Robin Banks, Top5, Pengz, K Money, and Moula1st.

Trap music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

In trap music, lyrical themes mostly revolve around life and culture in the “trap”, or in southern trap houses where controlled substances are sold. The term “trap” refers to places where drug deals take place. Other topics include street life, acquiring wealth, violence, American vehicles, and the life experiences artists have faced in their southern American surroundings. Trap music employs multilayered, thin- or thick-textured monophonic drones, sometimes with melodic accompaniment expressed through synthesizers; crisp, grimy, and rhythmic snares; deep 808 kick drums; double-time, triple-time, and similarly divided hi-hats; and a cinematic and symphonic use of synthesized string, brass, woodwind, and keyboard instruments to create an energetic, hard-hitting, deep, and varied atmosphere. These primary characteristics, which became the signature sound of trap music, were pioneered by Shawty Redd’s minimalist, horror-inspired style and DJ Toomp’s melodic, sample-driven approach, drawing inspiration from jazz, soul, R&B, gospel, and funk. Trap may use a range of tempos, often programmed in half-time to achieve finer hi-hat subdivisions, from 50 (100) BPM to 88 (176) BPM, though the tempo of a typical trap beat is around 70 (140) BPM.

Trip hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Common musical aesthetics include a bass-heavy drumbeat, often providing the slowed down breakbeat samples similar to standard 1990s hip-hop beats, giving the genre a more psychedelic and mainstream feel. and Groove Armada collaborated with male and female vocalists, Tricky often features vocally in his own productions along with Martina Topley-Bird, and Chris Corner provided vocals for later albums with Sneaker Pimps. Trip hop is also known for its melancholic sound, due to the fact that several acts of the Bristol scene were inspired by post-punk. Tricky opened his second album Nearly God (1996) with a cover version of “Tattoo”, a 1983’s “proto-trip-hop” song by Siouxsie and the Banshees released as a b-side of a single. Tricky then covered a pop single of the Cure. Massive Attack also covered and sampled songs of Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cure in 1997 and 1998 respectively. Trip hop tracks often incorporate Rhodes pianos, saxophones, trumpets, flutes, and may employ unconventional instruments such as the theremin and Mellotron. Trip hop differs from hip-hop in theme and overall tone. Contrasting with gangsta rap and its hard-hitting lyrics, trip hop offers more aural atmospherics influenced by experimental folk and rock acts of the seventies, such as John Martyn, combined with instrumental hip-hop, turntable scratching, and breakbeat rhythms. Regarded in some ways as a 1990s update of fusion, trip hop may be said to “transcend” the hardcore rap styles and lyrics with atmospheric overtones to create a more mellow tempo.

Turntablism

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Precursors#

The use of the turntable as a musical instrument has its roots dating back to the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s when musique concrète composers did experiments with audio equipment. Experimental composers (such as John Cage, Halim El-Dabh, and Pierre Schaeffer) used them to sample and create music that was entirely produced by the turntable. Cage’s Imaginary Landscape No. 1 (1939) is composed for two variable speed turntables, frequency recordings, muted piano and cymbal. Edgard Varèse experimented with turntables even earlier in 1930, though he never formally produced any works using them. Though this school of thought and practice is not directly linked to the 1970s–2010 definition of turntablism within hip hop and DJ culture, it has had an influence on modern experimental sonic/artists such as Christian Marclay, Janek Schaefer, Otomo Yoshihide, Philip Jeck, and Maria Chavez. Turntablism as it is known today, however, did not surface until the advent of hip hop in the 1970s. Examples of turntable effects can also be found on popular records produced in the 1960s and 1970s. This was most prominent in Jamaican dub music of the 1960s, among deejays in the Jamaican sound system culture. Dub music introduced the techniques of mixing and scratching vinyl, which Jamaican immigrants introduced to American hip hop culture in the early 1970s. Beyond dub music, Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1968 self-titled debut album features a backspin effect in the song “Walk on the Water”.

UK drill

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

UK drill developed a different production style than the most common Chicago beat patterns, albeit still based on Chicago drill styles originally pioneered by DJ L, a Chicago producer who collaborated with rapper G Herbo in the early Chicago scene. The genre also took influence from earlier British genres such as grime and UK garage; in an interview with Complex, Jammer noted that “without grime…there would be no UK drill.” Drill producer Mazza noted that both drill and grime share a similar rawness and energy, despite the two genres remaining distinct from each other. Drill producer Carns Hill, alongside several drill rappers, noted that UK drill should probably have a “new name” to distinguish it from the original Chicago drill sound. UK drill is generally more fast-paced compared to its Chicago counterpart. UK drill beats are generally structured around an contrast to the typical trap/Chicago drill beat, the hi-hats have moved from on-beat and triplet subdivisions to a steady 3+3+2 polyrhythm, hi-hat pattern, with snares landing on the fourth beat instead of the third every 2 bars. Instrumentals often also have a sliding bass, hard hitting kicks, and dark melodies. AXL Beats explained that the 808s and fast-tempo snares in UK drill are derivative of grime music. Both genres typically use a tempo of approximately 138–151 beats per minute. The use of British slang, intricate lyrical flows, and elements of social commentary further help distinguish UK drill from its Chicago and Brooklyn counterparts, which are often characterised by a more aggressive, stream-of-consciousness style. As referenced in the book What Do You Call It? From Grassroots to the Golden Era of UK Rap (2024), UK drill also developed its own distinct visual identity, shaped in part by economic realities. As Brixton-based rapper Skengdo explained: “The Chicago lot had True Religion jeans, Timberlands, they were all swagger. But coming up as 15–16-year-olds in the ends, not everyone can afford expensive brands. So we’re wearing Nike tracksuits and Tech hoodies in the video.” Censorship of UK drill lyrics through vocal cuts and mutes is sometimes done to avoid them being used during their prosecution by the police; for example, “shh” is used in songs to replace the names of people, weapons and criminal acts.

UK rap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

As in the US, British hip-hop emerged as a scene from graffiti and breakdancing, and then through to DJing and rapping live at parties and club nights, with its supporters predominantly listening to and influenced by US hip-hop. Unlike in the US, the British hip-hop scene was cross-racial from the beginning, as diverse ethnic groups in Britain tend not to live in segregated areas, even in areas with a high percentage of non-white individuals. Such places allow youth to share culture with one another, including musical genres such as hip-hop. Cross pollination through migrating West Indians helped develop a community interested in the music. The integration of sound systems represent a distinct British Caribbean influence. Sound systems allowed for powerful syncopated bass runs and the ability to bring this sound to other venues creating a club culture. There were, however, British tunes starting to appear. There are an abundance of records that are often credited with being the first British hip-hop release, “Christmas Rapping” by Dizzy Heights (Polydor, 1982), is often credited as such, as well as the slightly later released “London Bridge” by Newtrament (Jive Records, 1983). Dizzy Heights was the first MC to be signed to a major label. Two singles from 1980 precede both of these however, namely Allen & Blewitt’s novelty record “Chip Shop Wrapping”, released in 1980, a parody of The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”, and Bo Kool’s “Money (No Love)”. The instrumental for “Money (No Love)” was produced by Funk Masters member Tony Williams, and would turn out to be an influential release in its own right, going on to inspire DJ’s from New York to employ influences from dub music. In Scotland, actor and stand-up comedian Johnny Beattie released “The Glasgow Rap” in 1983, receiving some chart success at the time. He later claimed to be “Scotland’s first rap star”. This was one of several British novelty or comedy hip-hop singles which hit the UK charts during the 1980s, including “Wikka Wrap” by the Evasions, “Snot Rap” by Kenny Everett, “‘Ullo John! Gotta New Motor?” by Alexei Sayle, “Rat Rappin’” by Roland Rat, and later in the decade, “Stutter Rap (No Sleep til Bedtime)” by Morris Minor and the Majors and “Loadsamoney” by Harry Enfield. There were also early pop records which dabbled with rap – such as Adam and the Ants’ “Ant Rap” (CBS, 1981) and Wham!’s “Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)” (Inner Vision, 1982) — but these are often considered pop appropriations of US rap. Punk band the Clash had earlier dabbled with rap on the single “The Magnificent Seven” from their album Sandinista! (CBS, 1980), and a later single “This Is Radio Clash” (1981). Even earlier than this, in 1979, Ian Dury and the Blockheads released “Reasons to Be Cheerful (Part 3)”, another record with influences from hip-hop. Then Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren’s “Buffalo Gals” (Charisma, 1982), featuring the New York hip-hop group World’s Famous Supreme Team, was the breakthrough hit that introduced the genre to the United Kingdom — McLaren’s Duck Rock album as a whole experimented with many musical styles from around the world. “Buffalo Gals” and another track from the album, “World’s Famous” which also featured the group, used techniques which have been established in hip-hop in the United States, such as sampling and scratching. McLaren even included a song referencing the ‘Double Dutch’ dance that was popular among breakdancing crews in New York at the time. Over the next few years, more UK hip-hop and electro music was released: Street Sounds Electro UK (Street Sounds, 1984), which was produced by Greg Wilson and featured an early appearance from MC Kermit, who later went on to form the Wilson produced Ruthless Rap Assassins; the Rapologists’ “Kids Rap/Party Rap” (Billy Boy, 1984) and Grandmaster Richie Rich’s “Don’t Be Flash” (Spin Offs, 1985). Releases were still few and far between, and the scene remained predominantly underground. Although record labels began to take note of the underground scene throughout the 1980s and 1990s, radio play and publicity were still a difficulty in helping the fledgling scene to grow, and the scene only managed to survive through word of mouth and the patronage of pirate radio stations around the country. Mainstream radio did play British hip-hop on occasion, supported by such well-known DJs as Dave Pearce, Tim Westwood, Steve Barker and John Peel. A significant development in early UK rap was the nationwide Def Jam ‘87 Tour, which featured LL Cool J (billed as the headliner), Eric B. & Rakim, and a then-emerging Public Enemy. In an interview for What Do You Call It? From Grassroots to the Golden Era of UK Rap (2024), DJ, photographer, and broadcaster Normski described the experience to David Kane: “You’ve never heard anything so loud. We heard the records, but we’ve never seen it with so much ferocity in the flesh. By the end of the night, everyone was so pumped. That would have inspired everyone to go and do something badass.” British hip-hop in the 1980s was not just confined to music and break-dancing, but also involved the spread of New York City-style graffiti – another integral element of US hip hop culture — to London and other UK inner-city areas, both on walls and trains. The most direct influence was, however, on graffiti painted in London Underground trains. Teenagers from inner London and other European cities who were into electro-hip-hop and had family and other links to New York City had by the mid-1980s taken up some of the traditions of subway graffiti and exported them home, although legendary New York writers like Brim, Bio, and Futura had themselves played a significant role in establishing such links when they visited London in the early-to-mid-1980s and ‘put up pieces’ on or near the west London end of the Metropolitan Line. Almost as significantly, just when subway graffiti was on the decline in New York City, some British teenagers who had spent time with family in Queens and the Bronx returned to London with a “mission” to Americanise the London Underground through painting New York City-style graffiti on trains. These small groups of London ’train writers’ adopted many of the styles and lifestyles of their New York City forebears, painting graffiti train pieces and in general ‘bombing’ the system, but favouring only a few selected underground lines seen as most suitable for train graffiti. Although on a substantially smaller scale than what had existed in New York City, graffiti on London Underground trains became seen as enough of a problem by the mid-1980s to provoke the British Transport Police to establish its own graffiti squad modelled directly on and in consultation with that of the New York City MTA. At the same time, graffiti art on London Underground trains generated some interest in the media and arts, leading to several art galleries putting on exhibitions of some of the art work (on canvas) of a few London train writers as well as TV documentaries on London hip-hop culture like the BBC’s Bad Meaning Good, which included a section featuring interviews with London train writers and a few examples of their pieces. While many early rappers from the UK, such as Derek B, imitated the styles and accents of their US heroes, there were many who realised that to merely transpose US forms would rob UK hip-hop of the ability to speak for a disenfranchised British constituency in the way that US hip-hop so successfully spoke to, and for, its audience. Attempts were made by UK rappers to develop styles more obviously rooted in British semantics, syntax and dialectical linguistic praxis and practices — Rodney P of the London Posse deliberately chose a London accent – although many succeeded only in adopting a slurred hybrid that located the rap “somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean”.

Underground hip-hop

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Etymology#

In 2026, the blog Pigeons & Planes published an article regarding the semantic change of the term “underground rap” in the 2020s online rap scene.

1980s–2000s: Origins#

Although hip-hop originally emerged from New York’s underground music scene during the early 1970s, by the end of the decade, the genre began to gain wider commercial success and mainstream attention through the prominence of disco-rap, which prompted early underground artists to explore more experimental approaches to their work. In 1983, Rammellzee and K-Rob released the single “Beat Bop”, which was produced and arranged by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Though it remained largely underground, the track was later described as a blueprint for the “apocalyptic, witty, and experimental” style of later experimental hip-hop artists such as Antipop Consortium and El-P. By the late 1980s, as hip-hop became more prominent, young artists began to create and release music independently, as many were unable to obtain record deals. The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show, a radio show that was broadcast on WKCR (and later WQHT), which ran from 1990 to 1999, became well known for welcoming unsigned artists on to the show to freestyle a verse, which resulted in wider publicity and possibly even a record deal for that artist. Across the United States, several regional underground hip-hop scenes emerged, most notably on the East and West Coasts, as well as in the South, which included the Houston, Atlanta and Memphis rap scenes. This era saw the emergence styles such as horrorcore and nerdcore. Subsequently, underground hip-hop artists such as Jedi Mind Tricks, Kool Keith, B. Dolan, Diabolic, Immortal Technique, Insane Clown Posse, Del the Funky Homosapien, and Hieroglyphics later emerged, incorporating lo-fi production techniques and conscious lyricism. By the late 1990s, progressive rap acts such as Black Star and Juggaknots became notable in the scene, alongside traditional underground hip-hop artists like Aesop Rock, Artifacts, People Under the Stairs, CunninLynguists, and Rob Sonic. By the early 2000s, artists such as MF Doom, Edan, Clouddead, Dälek and Madlib, gained wider notoriety, which brought the underground scene to wider audiences as well as contributed to the wider proliferation of the sound, style and aesthetics that would become associated with underground hip-hop.

Urban Pasifika

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Māori music, and Māori cultural in general, went through a renaissance in the early 1980s, both in terms of revival of traditional styles and political self identity. Many Māori came to identify with the politics and rhythms of the reggae music of the Caribbean, leading to the development of a distinctly New Zealand reggae style, led by groups such as Herbs and Dread Beat & Blood. In 1983, Māori singer Dalvanius Prime recorded a song, “Poi E”, with kapa haka group Pātea Māori Club combining breakdancing rhythms with traditional Māori music, which became a surprise hit - the biggest hit in Te Reo Māori for 25 years. In the late 1980s, Upper Hutt Posse became the first New Zealand band to record a bilingual rap song, “E Tu”, which combined western pop-rock styles with more obvious Māori influences. A track from the album, “In the Neighbourhood” by Sisters Underground became the first top ten single in the style, gaining it a wide audience in both the New Zealand Pacific and Pākehā communities. Other breakout acts to appear on the album included OMC and Semi MC’s.

Vigilante rap

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West Coast hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

African American communities of the Bay Area and southern California emerged as new bases of hip-hop culture in the 1980s. Hispanics in the Los Angeles area have played a significant role in West Coast hip-hop culture.

Early years#

Several events laid the foundations for West Coast hip-hop, long before the emergence of West Coast rappers such as Ice-T, Mellow Man Ace, Too Short, Kid Frost and Eazy-E—or even before the emergence of rap itself. According to Syd Caesar, “a cataclysmic event helped give rise to it out West: the Watts riots of 1965.” In 1967, Budd Schulberg founded a creative space in Los Angeles entitled Watts Writers Workshop, intended to help the people of the Watts neighborhood and provide a place for them to express themselves freely; one group to emerge from the workshop was the proto-rap group The Watts Prophets. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, political and social justice movements in the San Francisco Bay Area inspired the emergence and growth of hip-hop culture in the region. The Bay Area developed a unique style of break dancing, and graffiti art sprayed along city streets and buildings, similar to what was expressed in The Bronx on subway cars and abandoned structures. From the inspiration of funk music, to the political and social movements that were energized by the Black Panther Party (founded in Oakland), hip-hop music had strong roots in the Bay. In the late 1970s in Los Angeles, Alonzo Williams, a young disc jockey from Compton, California formed a partnership with another DJ named Rodger Clayton from Los Angeles, California who created a promotion company called Unique Dreams that would hire Williams to DJ at local events. The two eventually went their separate ways: Williams started a group called the World Class Wreckin’ Cru and became the house DJs at a local nightclub called Eve’s After Dark while Clayton launched what would perhaps be the foremost successful mobile DJ crew in the region by the name of Uncle Jamm’s Army that would host parties by top DJs for thousands of people at large venues. Other smaller DJ and party crews emerged around this time, hoping to establish themselves in the area. This could be largely credited to the fact that the local West Coast hip-hop scene revolved more around DJing than rapping. Clayton’s group, Uncle Jamm’s Army, released their first single, “Dial-a-Freak”, and in 1984 Egyptian Lover released his On the Nile album, which includes the popular 12" single “Egypt Egypt”. Members of Uncle Jamm’s Army and the World Class Wreckin’ Cru, including Dr. Dre, The Unknown DJ, Egyptian Lover, Ice-T and Kid Frost would later go on to help define the early West Coast hip-hop sound throughout the 1980s. During this period, one of the most significant factors in the spread of West Coast hip-hop was the radio station 1580 KDAY AM, which was the first radio station in the world to play rap/hip-hop music 24 hours a day because of Assistant Program Director/Music Director and Radio Personality Greg “Mack Attack” Mack. In the 1980s to mid-1990s, inspired both by the region’s history of activism and by funk music, Bay Area artists popularized the “pimp rap” subgenre, focused on rhythmic, funky beats that cut across genres. Artists like Too Short emerged from this dance-oriented hip-hop movement, a predecessor to the hyphy movement of the 2000s.

Witch house

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Witch house is characterized by the use of hip-hop drum machines, noise atmospherics, creepy samples, dark synthpop-influenced lead melodies, dense reverb, and heavily altered, distorted, and sometimes pitched down & reverse vocals, which are either rapped or sung. Influences range from electronic-based genres like ambient house and synth-pop, to alternative music genres such as shoegaze, industrial, ethereal wave, and gothic rock. Alongside, the Houston hip hop scene, particularly rapper and producer DJ Screw, whose pioneering sampling technique known as “chopped and screwed” is regarded as a foundational influence. Witch house’s sonic and aesthetic features are often grisly, nihilistic, and dystopic in nature.

Zeckenrap

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

In the beginnings in the 1980s, as in American hip-hop, political character was the main focus in West German hip-hop, dealing with themes such as racism and everyday problems. With the commercialization of German hip-hop music in the 1990s these political themes lyrically became more and more a background aspect, even though groups such as Advanced Chemistry or Anarchist Academy still wrote songs about political themes. In the 2000s, the network HipHop Partizan was responsible for the establish of rap music within the left scene in Germany. Beginning in 2012, the rap collective Tick-Tick Boom contributed in spreading of the term Zeckenrap. Between 2012 and 2015, the collective regularly hosted a Zeckenrapgala. The German hip-hop group Neonschwarz from Hamburg is said to be the inventor of the term Zeckenrap. The group was also part of the Tick-Tick Boom collective and stated that they invented the word to “oppose something positive to the negative cliché in describing the left as Zecke”. Even though some Zeckenrap artists were able to get some recognition, Zeckenrap is still considered a marginal phenomenon within the German rap music scene, playing a minor role.