Overview
Hip hop is a cultural movement that began among urban Jamaicans (Deejays), African Americans (MC'ing) and Puerto Ricans (Grafitti and Breakdancing) in the Bronx borough of New York City during the early 1970s, and has since spread around the world. The four main aspects, or "elements", of hip hop culture are MCing (rapping), DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing. Some consider beatboxing the fifth element of hip hop; others might add political activism, hip hop fashion, hip hop slang, double dutching (an urban form of rope skipping) or other elements as important facets of hip hop. The term has since come to be a synonym for hip hop music (or rap music) to mainstream audiences.
The origin of the term "hip hop" itself is unclear; but, over time, the term has taken on a life of its own. The movement that later became known as "hip hop" is said to have begun with the work of DJ Kool Herc, while competing DJ Afrika Bambaataa is often credited with having invented the term "hip hop" to describe the culture. A variety of mythical etymologies and complex meanings have been attached to the term and continue to propagate within the hip hop community
History
Rap music originated as a cross-cultural product. Most of its important early practitioners-including Kool Herc, D.J. Hollywood, and Afrika Bambaataa-were either first- or second-generation Americans of Caribbean ancestry. Herc and Hollywood are both credited with introducing the Jamaican style of cutting and mixing into the musical culture of the South Bronx. By most accounts Herc was the first DJ to buy two copies of the same record for just a 15-second break (rhythmic instrumental segment) in the middle. By mixing back and forth between the two copies he was able to double, triple, or indefinitely extend the break. In so doing, Herc effectively deconstructed and reconstructed so-called found sound, using the turntable as a musical instrument.
While he was cutting with two turntables, Herc would also perform with the microphone in Jamaican toasting style-joking, boasting, and using myriad in-group references. Herc's musical parties eventually gained notoriety and were often documented on cassette tapes that were recorded with the relatively new boombox, or blaster, technology. Taped duplicates of these parties rapidly made their way through the Bronx, Brooklyn, and uptown Manhattan, spawning a number of similar DJ acts. Among the new breed of DJs was Afrika Bambaataa, the first important Black Muslim in rap. (The Muslim presence would become very influential in the late 1980s.) Bambaataa often engaged in sound-system battles with Herc, similar to the so-called cutting contests in jazz a generation earlier. The sound system competitions were held at city parks, where hot-wired street lamps supplied electricity, or at local clubs. Bambaataa sometimes mixed sounds from rock-music recordings and television shows into the standard funk and disco fare that Herc and most of his followers relied upon. By using rock records, Bambaataa extended rap beyond the immediate reference points of contemporary black youth culture. By the 1990s any sound source was considered fair game and rap artists borrowed sounds from such disparate sources as Israeli folk music, bebop jazz records, and television news broadcasts.
In 1976 Grandmaster Flash introduced the technique In 1979 the first two rap records appeared: "King Tim III (Personality Jock)," recorded by the Fatback Band, and "Rapper's Delight," by Sugarhill Gang. A series of verses recited by the three members of Sugarhill Gang, "Rapper's Delight" became a national hit, reaching number 36 on the Billboard magazine popular music charts. The spoken content, mostly braggadocio spiced with fantasy, was derived largely from a pool of material used by most of the earlier rappers. The backing track for "Rapper's Delight" was supplied by hired studio musicians, who replicated the basic groove of the hit song "Good Times" (1979) by the American disco group Chic. Perceived as novel by many white Americans, "Rapper's Delight" quickly inspired "Rapture" (1980) by the new-wave band Blondie, as well as a number of other popular records. In 1982 Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" became the first rap record to use synthesizers and an electronic drum machine. With this recording, rap artists began to create their own backing tracks rather than simply offering the work of others in a new context. A year later Bambaataa introduced the sampling capabilities of synthesizers on "Looking for the Perfect Beat" (1983).of quick mixing, in which sound bites as short as one or two seconds are combined for a collage effect. Quick mixing paralleled the rapid-editing style of television advertising used at the time. Shortly after Flash introduced quick mixing, his partner Grandmaster Melle Mel composed the first extended stories in rhymed rap. Up to this point, most of the words heard over the work of disc jockeys such as Herc, Bambaataa, and Flash had been improvised phrases and expressions. In 1978 DJ Grand Wizard Theodore introduced the technique of scratching to produce rhythmic patterns.
Sampling brought into question the ownership of sound. Some artists claimed that by sampling recordings of a prominent black artist, such as funk musician James Brown, they were challenging white corporate America and the recording industry's right to own black cultural expression. More problematic was the fact that rap artists were also challenging Brown's and other musicians' right to own, control, and be compensated for the use of their intellectual creations. By the early 1990s a system had come about whereby most artists requested permission and negotiated some form of compensation for the use of samples. Some commonly sampled performers, such as funk musician George Clinton, released compact discs (CDs) containing dozens of sound bites specifically to facilitate sampling. One effect of sampling was a newfound sense of musical history among black youth. Earlier artists such as Brown and Clinton were celebrated as cultural heroes and their older recordings were reissued and repopularized.
During the mid-1980s, rap moved from the fringes of hip-hop culture to the mainstream of the American music industry as white musicians began to embrace the new style. In 1986 rap reached the top ten on the Billboard pop charts with "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" by the Beastie Boys and "Walk This Way" by Run-DMC and Aerosmith. Known for incorporating rock music into its raps, Run-DMC became one of the first rap groups to be featured regularly on MTV (Music Television). Also during the mid-1980s, the first female rap group of consequence, Salt-N-Pepa, released the singles "The Show Stoppa" (1985) and "Push It" (1987); "Push It" reached the top 20 on Billboard's pop charts. In the late 1980s a large segment of rap became highly politicized, resulting in the most overt social agenda in popular music since the urban folk movement of the 1960s. The groups Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions epitomized this political style of rap. Public Enemy came to prominence with their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988), and the theme song "Fight the Power" from the motion picture Do the Right Thing (1989),by American filmmaker Spike Lee. Proclaiming the importance of rap in black American culture, Public Enemy's lead singer, Chuck D., referred to it as the African American CNN (Cable News Network).
Alongside the rise of political rap came the introduction of gangsta rap, which attempts to depict an outlaw lifestyle of sex, drugs, and violence in inner-city America. In 1988 the first major album of gangsta rap was released: Straight Outta Compton by the rap group NWA (Niggaz With Attitude). Songs from the album generated an extraordinary amount of controversy for their violent attitudes and inspired protests from a number of organizations, including the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). However, attempts to censor gangsta rap only served to publicize the music and make it more attractive to both black and white youths. NWA became a platform for launching the solo careers of some of the most influential rappers and rap producers in the gangsta style, including Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E.
In the 1990s rap became increasingly eclectic, demonstrating a seemingly limitless capacity to draw samples from any and all musical forms. A number of rap artists have borrowed from jazz, using samples as well as live music. Some of the most influential jazz-rap recordings include Jazzamatazz CD (1993), an album by Boston rapper Guru, and "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)" (1993), a single by the British group US3. In the United Kingdom, jazz-rap evolved into a genre known as trip-hop, the most prominent artists and groups being Tricky and Massive Attack. As rap became increasingly part of the American mainstream in the 1990s, political rap became less prominent while gangsta rap, as epitomized by the Geto Boys, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Tupac Shakur, grew in popularity.
Since the mid-1980s rap music has greatly influenced both black and white culture in North America. Much of the slang of hip-hop culture, including such terms as dis, fly, def, chill, and wack, have become standard parts of the vocabulary of a significant number of young people of various ethnic origins. Many rap enthusiasts assert that rap functions as a voice for a community without access to the mainstream media. According to advocates, rap serves to engender self-pride, self-help, and self-improvement, communicating a positive and fulfilling sense of black history that is largely absent from other American institutions. Political rap artists have spurred interest in the Black Muslim movement as articulated by minister Louis Farrakhan, generating much criticism from those who view Farrakhan as a racist. Gangsta rap has also been severely criticised for lyrics that many people interpret as glorifying the most violent and misogynistic (woman-hating) imagery in the history of popular music. The style's popularity with middle-class whites has been attacked as vicarious thrill-seeking of the most insidious sort. Defenders of gangsta rap argue that no matter who is listening to the music, the raps are justified because they accurately portray life in inner-city America.
The Music
The various factors that influenced early hip hop are complex and numerous. Although the majority of influences can be traced to African culture, the multicultural society of New York City resulted in diverse musical influences finding their way into hip hop music.
Elements of the style and techniques of rapping originate with the griots of West Africa; traveling singers and poets had musical styles that contained elements of what would later evolve into hip-hop music. Some griot traditions came to the United States, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean with the passage of African slaves to the New World. Other notable influences are the spoken word sections of records by soul and funk musicians such as James Brown and Isaac Hayes.
One of the many influences on the creation of contemporary hip hop music is the Jamaican style called dub, which arose as a sub-genre of Reggae in the 1960s. Dub music saw producers such as King Tubby creating instrumental versions of popular reggae records for the purpose of clubs and Sound systems; they had discovered that dancers often responded better to the extended, isolated beats of the records, often featuring intense percussion and heavy basslines. Soon, the MCs that hosted the dances began speaking over the instrumental records, and the skills of MCs such as U-Roy, Dr. Alimontado and Dillinger saw them become popular performers in their own right. This tradition continues in contemporary Dancehall music. In 1967, Jamaican immigrants such as DJ Kool Herc brought dub to New York City and began playing it at parties in community centres, roller rinks and on the streets.
In parks and community centres, up and coming DJs were playing to packed crowds of youngsters eager to hear the old funk tunes. Pretty soon (by 1976/77) the DJs and dancers we’re paying special attention to the percussion breaks in records like Jimmy Castor's 'It's Just Begun', Dennis Goffey's 'Scorpio' and Herman KeIly's 'Dance To The Drummer's Beat': in fact to any record with a good drum break, including tracks by the Rolling Stones and other white rock bands.
The kids who were into the breaks started calling themselves B-Boys and the wild, acrobatic style of dancing which accompanied the playing of the breaks became known as breaking. The better Bronx DJs like Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash started mixing two copies of the same record to make the breaks last longer; with fast cutting between the decks a 20-second drum break could be turned into a five-minute mix! Besides experimenting with the technical side of DJ-ing like cutting and scratching, the Bronx Jocks were also experimenting with the new, weird and wonderful electronic sounds coming out of Europe.
Kraftwerk's 1977 hit 'Trans-Europe Express' was a great B-Boy favourite and the cool driving metallic Kraftwerk mixture of computerised drumbreaks and synthesisers was something a lot of the more musical kids on the scene wished to emulate. While all this was happening on the hot and sweaty dancefloors of the Bronx, out on the streets another vital element of the hip hop scene was falling into place.
The old, black tradition of using rhyming slang to put down your enemies (or friends) had developed, through smart-ass street jive of the early Seventies, to become for many urban youngsters a new way of talking. Half speaking, half singing the rhythmic street talk of rapping was soon being heard in the clubs, with aspiring rappers doing their thing over the local sound systems, the DJs providing backing tracks of instrumental versions of the latest dance hits.
Another significant influence is Blues music. In fact it could be argued that hip hop is a continuation of an oral historical tradition dating back to the griots and traced through blues to the current hip hop scene. One of the main influences Blues had was the Call/Response aspect of the music. This survived into the tradition of "toasting", another aspect of the oral tradition intrinsic to hip hop music. This became most pronounced in the tradition of MC "Battles", begun in the early 1980's.
DJ Kool HercHerc was one of the most popular DJs in early 70s New York, playing at neighborhood parties (also known as block parties). After his first gig on Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx in 1973, Herc quickly switched from using reggae records to funk, rock and disco, as he found that the New York audience did not particularly like reggae. Herc and other DJs found that dancers often preferred the percussive breaks of the records, and began extending them using an audio mixer and two records. Within a highly-competitive atmosphere, Herc's friends and competitors quickly developed other mixing techniques in order to keep audiences excited. As in Jamaica, these events were often hosted by a performer who spoke while the music played; these were originally called MCs (Masters of Ceremonies) and, later, rappers. Early rappers focused on introducing themselves, the DJ and others in the audience, although they quickly progressed to including improvisation and a simple four-count beat, along with a simple chorus. Later MCs added more complex and often humorous lyrics, and incorporated sexual themes. Although it had yet to be recorded, hip hop music steadily grew in popularity, and by the end of the 1970s was beginning to become a major artistic force which had spread throughout the United States. During the 1980s and 1990s, hip hop gradually became mainstream (a transition usually considered to have been completed in 1992) in the US and, to a lesser degree, worldwide.
DJing
DJing (turntablism) in hip hop refers the practice of using a turntable as a musical instrument. Skills associated with turntablism include record scratching, beat juggling, and mixing. A DJ should not be confused with a producer of a music track (though there is considerable overlap between the two roles).
Famous DJs include Grandmaster Flash, Mr. Magic, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Scratch from EPMD, DJ Pete Jones, Prince Paul (widely lauded for collaborations with De La Soul and assorted solo ventures), DJ Premier from Gang Starr, Pete Rock, DJ Scott La Rock from Boogie Down Productions, DJ Miz, DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill, Jam Master Jay from Run-DMC, Eric B., Tony Touch, DJ Clue, DJ Shadow, RJD2, DJ Q-Bert, Diamond D, Mr. Khaliyl (an associate of Mos Def and Jurassic 5), Young Einstein, DJ Nu-Mark, James Lavelle, Cut Chemist, DJ Format, DJ Serious, Mister Cee, DJ Paul Nice, DJ Aladdin, Mix Master Mike, DJ D-Styles, DJ Signify, DJ Rhettmatic, DJ Babu, DJ Kay Slay, DJ Clue, DJ Quik, and DJ Spooky.
Before coming into their own as music makers, an MC's role was to get the crowd into the DJ's mix. Hip hop used to be, above all, about getting one's audience to dance. In Europe this attitude has been more enduring than in the U.S., where MCs quickly became hip hop's central focus. Disillusioned with this new culture, some DJs further explored the art of spinning records, creating the turntablist scene.
A DJ needs turntables, a good sound system, and scratch material, which typically comes in the form of vinyl records. Some early recorded rap music does not contain any sampling or DJing, however; for example, none of the members of the Sugarhill Gang were actually involved in the DJing scene in the Bronx and thus couldn't have done any, which explains the session player remake of "Good Times".
Graffiti Art
Graffiti as an urban art form had been known since at least the 1950s, but began developing in earnest in the late 1960s and flourished during the 1970s. Hip-hop graffiti began during these periods on the subways of New York, and later expanded to the city walls themselves. This movement from trains to walls was encouraged by efforts by the city's Metropolitan Transportation Authority to eradicate graffiti on their property (the M.T.A. officially declared the transit graffiti-free in 1989).
The first forms of subway graffiti were quick spray-painted or marker signatures ("tags"), which quickly evolved into large elaborate calligraphy, complete with color effects, shading, and more. Finding original techniques was very important for graffiti artists; for example, in 1972, one well-respected graffiti artist called Super Kool replaced the dispersion cap on his spray paint with a wider one, found on a can of oven cleaner. This is still a common practice. By 1976, graffiti artists like Lee Quinones began painting entire murals using advanced techniques. Some of the most memorable of Quinones' work were political in nature, calling for an end to the arms race, for example. The book Subway Art (New York: Henry Holt & Co, 1984) and the TV program Style Wars (first shown on the PBS channel in 1984) were among the first ways the mainstream public were introduced to graffiti. Quickly the rest of the globe imitated and adapted hip hop graffiti. Today, there are also strong scenes in Europe, South America, Australia and Japan. (Graffitti is a European-origin tradition. The word comes from the Italian term "graffito.")
Graffiti has long been villainized by those in authority and allegedly associated with gangs, violence, drug culture and street crime. Although it is a crime, falling under the category of vandalism, many artists are not criminals and do not engage in such activity as the brands that their art form has been labeled. Still, popular culture feels that it is a violent activity that is an overall detriment to society. This may be true in some cases, but most "writers", as they are often called, are in fact true artists that spend painstaking hours practicing and refining their skill to create something that is beautiful, at least in their own eyes. Demonizing their art by saying it is nothing more than a nuisance that might not be aesthetically pleasing has resulted in knee-jerk legislation, such as the 3-strike laws in Los Angeles, California. These can send a young artist to prison for life just for writing on a wall, even if it is the only crime they have ever committed, because it is has been classified as "gang related activity".
Breakdancing
Breakdancing, also known as B-boying or B-girling by its practitioners and followers, is a dynamic style of dance. The term "breakdancer" originates from the dancers at DJ Kool herc's parties who would save their best dance moves for the break section of the song. Breaking is one of the major elements of hip hop culture, commonly associated with, but distinct from, "popping", "locking", "hitting", "ticking", "boogaloo", and other funk styles that evolved independently in California during the late 20th century. It was common during the 1980s to see groups of people in a playground, basketball court, or sidewalk with a radio performing breakdancing shows for a large audience.
While breaking in its current form began in the South Bronx alongside the other elements of hip-hop, it is similar in style to and may possibly derive from the Capoeira form of dancing/martial arts, which was developed by slaves during the slavery period in Brazil.
"Hip-Hop" as a form of dance is becoming more popular. Derived from, but not wholly consisting of, breakdancing moves, it is a dance without any limitations to positions and is an expression of how a dancer feels on the inside.
The style of hip-hop dance incorporates a lot of fast paced combinations and rhythm. Hip-hop is very casual and fun. The modern moves and energy make it a great form of fun and exercise for teens and pre-teens of today. Certain shoes can be worn at some studios, preferably the dance sneaker or jazz shoe.
Beatboxing
Beatboxing, considered by many to be the "fifth element" of hip hop, is the vocal percussion of hip hop culture. It is primarily concerned with the art of creating beats, rhythms, and melodies using the human mouth.
Early pioneers of the art include Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, and Buffy of the Fat Boys. The term 'beatboxing' is derived from the mimicry of the first generation of drum machines, then known as beatboxes.
The art form enjoyed a strong presence in the '80s. Beatboxing declined in popularity along with breakdancing in the late 80s, and almost slipped even deeper than the underground. Beatboxing has been enjoying a resurgence since the late '90s, marked by the release of "Make the Music 2000." by Rahzel of The Roots (known for even singing while beatboxing) The Internet has greatly aided the rebirth of modern beatboxing—on a global level never seen before—with thousands of beatboxers from over a dozen countries interacting on the UK's Humanbeatbox.com.
The art form has radically evolved, extending its reach to include physical theater routines, and has integrated itself into hip hop (and other forms of theater). Vocal percussion is a standby of a capella groups, as well.
Beatboxing has also recently branched beyond its traditional scope (mimicry of "beat boxes" to create hip-hop beats) to several new stand alone forms. It is now widely practiced as a form of human Drum & Bass, a style of heavy electronic music. The range of sounds that can be reproduced by the human vocal chords are staggering to many unfamiliar with this musical practice.
100 Great Rap/Hip-hop Songs
1. Run DMC - It's Like That
2. K-Os – B-Boy Stance
3. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five w. Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Do It)
4. MC Shan - The Bridge
5. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - T.R.O.Y. (They Reminisce Over You)
6. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Tha Crossroads
7. A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario
8. Eric B. & Rakim – Paid In Full
9. 2Pac - So Many Tears
10. Public Enemy - Night Of The Living Baseheads
11. Big Boi – Ghetto Musick
12. Notorious B.I.G. - Big Poppa
13. 2Pac - California Love
14. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message
15. Common - I Used To Love H.E.R.
16. Boogie Down Productions - South Bronx
17. Nas - If I Ruled The World
18. Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Pt. II
19. Busta Rhymes - Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See
20. LL Cool J - Jingling Baby
21. 2Pac - Dear Mama
22. Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill A Man
23. A Tribe Called Quest – Oh My God
24. Blacksheep - The Choice Is Yours
25. Big Boi – The Way You Move
26. Warren G - Regulate
27. K-Os –Superstarr, Pt. 0
28. Common - The Light
29. Eric Sermon – Music
30. Slick Rick - Childrens Story
31. Outkast - Elevators (Me & You)
32. Word Of Mouth - King Kut
33. 2Pac - Life Goes On
34. Outkast – Spottieottiedopaliscious
35. Kurtis Blow – The Breaks
36. Mos Def - Ms. Fat Booty
37. A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation
38. Big Boi – Church
39. Method Man – Bring The Pain
40. The Fugees - Fu-Gee-La
41. Eric B. & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul
42. Nas – Ether
43. Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg - Nothin' But A G Thang
44. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony w/ 2Pac - Thug Luv
45. Boogie Down Productions - Stop The Violence
46. Busta Rhymes - Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check
47. De La Soul – Plug Tunin’
48. K-Os – The Love Song
49. Rob Base - It Takes Two
50. DMX - Ruff Ryder's Anthem
51. Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh - Ladi-Dadi
52. Dr. Dre - Keep Their Heads Ringin'
53. N.W.A. - Boyz-N-The-Hood
54. Ol' Dirty ******* – Got Your Money
55. Eric B. & Rakim - Eric B. Is President
56. Outkast Feat. Killer Mike - The Whole World
57. Genius GZA - Duel Of The Iron Mic
58. Geto Boys - My Mind Playin' Tricks On Me
59. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five w. Melle Mel - The Adventures of Flash
60. Public Enemy - Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
61. Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day
62. Lady Of Rage – Afropuffs
63. Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize
64. Beastie Boys - No Sleep Til Brooklyn
65. Snoop Dogg/Dr. Dre - Gin And Juice
66. Jay Z - 99 Problems
67. Chubb Rock – Treat ‘Em Right
68. Jungle Brothers – Black Is Black
69. K-Os – The Man I Used To Be
70. De La Soul – Church
71. Eve - Let Me Blow Ya Mind
72. Black Moon - I Got Cha Opin
73. Ludacris - Southern Hospitality
74. Makaveli (2Pac) - Hail Mary
75. MC Lyte - I Cram To Understand U
76. Method Man/Mary J. Blige - All I Need (I'll Be There For You)
77. Missy Elliott – Work It
78. Mystikal - Shake It Fast
79. Black Starr - Brown Skin Lady
80. A Tribe Called Quest - Bonita Applebum
81. Notorious B.I.G. - Mo' Money Mo' Problems
82. The Roots - You Got Me
83. Ol Dirty ******* – Shimmy Shimmy Ya
84. Onyx – Slam
85. De La Soul – Buddy
86. Outkast – B.O.B.
87. P. Diddy - Let's Get It
88. Incredible Bongo Band - Apache
89. Pharcyde - Passing Me By
90. Pharoah Monche - Simon Says (Get The F**K Up)
91. Black Rob - Whoa!
92. Junior M.A.F.I.A. - Get Money
93. Jay-Z & Notorious B.I.G. - Brooklyn's Finest
94. Eminem – Stan
95. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - If I Could Teach The World
96. Digable Planets - Nickel Bag of Funk
97. The Game - Westside Story
98. Wu Tang - C.R.E.A.M.
99. 50 Cent – In Da Club
100. 2 Live Crew – Me So Horny
Hip Hop Genres
Hip-hop Blues: Of all the alternative hip-hop genres, Hip-hop Blues is probably the least explored.
Alternative Rap: Alternative Rap refers to hip-hop groups and rappers that refuse to conform to any of the traditional stereotypes of hip-hop music and hip-hop lyrics. Instead, they blur musical genres and tackle issues not usually found on mainstream rap radio. Most alternative rap groups are embraced primarily by alternative rock fans, not hip-hop or pop audiences and are commonly referred to as "underground."
Trip-Hop: Trip-hop first emerged (and had its height) in the 90's and is usually a laid back combination of jazz (or acid jazz), rap, hip-hop and breakbeat. Some artists include Tricky, Massive Attack, and DJ Shadow. The tempo is slow (usually less than 120 beats per minute) and features instruments such as the piano, upright bass and horns. The tone of trip-hop is almost always nostalgic, moody or dark. Weird, trippy sound effects and haunting vocals (usually female) are the norm for trip-hop, while samples taken from classic film and vintage radio are very common.
Crunk: There are two common definitions of crunk;
By some accounts, the southern slang term came into existence when people combined the words "crazy" and "drunk;" by other accounts it's southern shorthand for “cranked” or “cranked up.” Either way it serves as an adjective or verb, and means hype, excited, over-the-top crazy, insanely good, or wild, as in “we got crunk at the party last night” or "crunk it up."
The second definition is a genre of hip-hop music formed in the Southern United States. This loud, high energy music was made mainstream by the success of Lil Jon & the Eastside Boys, and others. Featuring pounding bass heavy beats and frenetic chants, crunk is almost synonymous with club music and usually has repetitive lyrics.
One sub-genre of crunk is called Crunk-N-B and can best be compared to its sister genre Hip-hop/R&B where artists like Mary J. Blige sing R&B type lyrics and melodies over a hip-hop beat, however in this case it's R&B type lyrics and melodies over a crunk beat.
Hip-hop Rock:Hip-hop Rock, Hip-hop Rap, Metal Rap, Acid Rap whatever you label it, we're talking the fusion of Hip-hop and Rock music. The late '90s saw an explosion of bands that combined these two influences, and acts such as Korn, Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock were suddenly getting mad radioplay, while the artist who is commonly referred to as the "father of Acid Rap," Esham rapped insanely evil lyrics over Black Sabbath samples.
Hip-Hop Jazz:Hip-hop Jazz is a unique animal.
Some say Hip-hop Jazz began in the '70s with Gil Scott-Heron, who performed spoken word accompanied by jazz musicians.
Some say it started in the '80s when hip-hop bands like Stetsasonic paved the way for later hip-hop bands like The Roots.
Still others say it really began in the '90s when groups like A Tribe Called Quest, Guru and Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth seamlessly combined the two elements of Hip-hop and Jazz to the point where it actually stood on its own as a separate genre.
All of these ideas have some truth, but the one thing that holds true is Hip-hop Jazz is diverse; it ranges from the combination of straight ahead jazz with hip-hop (Buckshot LeFonque), to rappers rhyming over live jazz music (The Roots, Black Eyed Peas) to music heavily influenced by and drawing from Jazz (Guru, A Tribe Called Quest).
Bass/Miami Bass:Bass music emerged from two distinct sources. The party and dance scene in Miami and Detroit where it took on a more electronic tone. When Bass started in the mid-'80's, it merged the break beats of the '70s hip-hop with the digital flavor of the times, adding distinctive drum-machine beats seemingly designed for blowing out speakers. As a result of these two divergent sensibilities, the term "bass" can be used to desribe a broad range of music. For our intents and purposes we're sticking to hip-hop oriented bass that (usually) incorporates rapping and the hyper-active, hypersexual bass known as Miami Bass or Booty Bass. The two are grounded in a hip-hop beat and mentality, however Bass ranges from the slowed-down to the mid tempo beat and doesn't usually feature an emcee, whereas Miami Bass is known for its more frenetic tempo and ... um... shall we say freaky lyrics. More often than not, Miami Bass lyrics dealt with the the part of the body commonly referred to as "the booty," hence the genre's nickname Booty Bass.
Early Miami Bass pioneers such as 2 Live Crew brought the genre into the limelight and in the early '90s, songs such as 95 South's "Whoot (There It Is)" and 69 Boyz' "Tootsee Roll" assaulted the charts and went multi-platinum.
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