East Coast hip-hop

East Coast hip-hop is a regional subgenre of hip-hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970s. Hip-hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the Bronx borough of New

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.

1973–1986: Emergence#

East Coast hip-hop is occasionally referred to as New York rap due to its origins and development at block parties thrown in New York City during the 1970s. According to AllMusic, “At the dawn of the hip-hop era, all rap was East Coast rap.” Leading up to hip-hop, there were spoken-word artists such as the Last Poets who released their debut album in 1970, and Gil Scott-Heron, who gained a wide audience with his 1971 track “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. These artists combined spoken word and music to create a kind of “proto-rap” vibe. Following this, early artists of hip-hop such as DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, the Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Jam Master Jay and Run-DMC, pioneered East Coast hip-hop during hip-hop’s earlier years in the 1970s and 1980s.

1986–1997: Renaissance#

As the genre developed, lyrical themes evolved through the work of East Coast artists such as the Native Tongues, a collective of hip-hop artists associated with generally positive, Afrocentric themes, and assembled by Afrika Bambaataa. New York–based groups such as De La Soul, Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and the Jungle Brothers also earned recognition for their musical eclecticism. By the late 1990s, East Coast rap had returned to mainstream dominance.

1997–2007: Bling era, mainstream success#

Biggie’s commercial success helped pave the way for the success of other up-and-coming East Coast rappers such as Jay-Z, DMX, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, Ja Rule, the Lox, Fat Joe, Big Pun, and Clipse. Many East Coast hip-hop producers also rose to prominence during this period such as Timbaland, Pharrell, Just Blaze, Swizz Beatz, Irv Gotti, and 7 Aurelius.

2007–2013: Blog era and revitalization#

A mainstream revitalization of East Coast rap occurred in the late 2000s and early 2010s, albeit without the same level of ubiquity as in the 1990s. Younger artists at this time used Internet resources such as social media, blogging, and music streaming to build a following among fans, blurring the lines between the underground and the mainstream. Rappers who emerged during this “blog era” include Joey Bada$$, A$AP Rocky, Nicki Minaj, Wiz Khalifa, Meek Mill, French Montana, Pusha T, Logic, Mac Miller, Vast Aire, Wale, Azealia Banks, Flatbush Zombies, Troy Ave, Bishop Nehru, Asher Roth, and Ka.

2014–present: Rise of trap, drill, boom-bap resurgence#

East Coast rappers that saw success during this period include Cardi B, Lil Uzi Vert, Fetty Wap, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Rich The Kid, Tekashi 6ix9ine, Sheck Wes, ASAP Ferg, Rico Nasty, Young M.A, Action Bronson, Shy Glizzy, YBN Cordae, Brent Faiyaz, GoldLink, PnB Rock, Flipp Dinero, and Jay Critch. Many of the rappers of this era gained prominence on social media, and some diverged from the traditional East Coast sound with stylistic choices that befitted the streaming era, such as trap production and Southern hip-hop influence. Various factors led to a decline in unique regional scenes, including East Coast rap, and rivalries between different cities and regions declined significantly, with artists across different regions and genres more willing to collaborate than in the past. New York City’s drill genre, heavily influenced by UK drill (and often using the same London producers, such as 808Melo), has injected new energy into the New York hip-hop scene, attracting critical acclaim, media controversy and a significant following, despite departing from standard hip-hop song structures. The genre started in Brooklyn, led by artists such as Bobby Shmurda, the late Pop Smoke, Fivio Foreign, Sheff G, and 22Gz. Bronx drill, a related subgenre, has also emerged, with prominent rappers including Kay Flock, Ice Spice and Kenzo B. A neo-mafioso style of East Coast rap, marked by an emphasis on “grimy” gangster lyricism, wordplay, and boom-bap production, reminiscent of “classic” mid-90’s acts such as “Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep, Onyx, and early Jay-Z”, has made an emergence, garnering critical and commercial success, and a cult following. This modern revitalization of the traditional sound (sometimes referred to as “coke rap” ) has been spearheaded by Griselda Records of Buffalo, upstate New York, and its flagship artists Westside Gunn, Benny the Butcher, and Conway the Machine, as well as affiliated artists Mach-Hommy, Roc Marciano, Boldy James, Rome Streetz, Armani Caesar, Daringer and Conductor Williams, among others.

Legacy#

East Coast hip-hop was the dominant form of rap music during the Golden Era of hip-hop. East Coast hip-hop has also produced a multitude of acclaimed female rappers, including Salt and Pepa, The Real Roxanne, Monie Love, Queen Latifah, Lil Kim, Lauryn Hill, Ladybug Mecca, Foxy Brown, Charli Baltimore, Eve, Missy Elliott, Angie Martinez, Remy Ma, Lil Mama, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Rapsody, Young M.A, BIA, Armani Caesar, Ice Spice, and Coi Leray.

External links#

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation — by Jeff Chang
It’s Bigger Than Hip-Hop — by M. K. Asante Jr.
Rap Music and Street Consciousness — by Cheryl L. Keyes

Genre family: 1970s in American music, 1980s in American music, 1990s in American music, 2000s in American music, 2010s in American music, 2020s in American music, Hip-hop genres
Region: New York City