Julian Rafiel Antonio Miller
Composition 1
11/08/13
Answering a question
Mr. Dilbeck
Rap music has been
around since the 1970’s and has become some of the mainstream and constantly
played genres to date. Starting from very humble, underground beginnings hip
hop grew from the Black ghettos of New
York and flourished into the huge industry it is
today where an artist from any city no matter how poor they are can become an
idolized millionaire and tour the world. Certain rappers that helped this
transition however, hip hop had many artists that served as a catalyst to
popularization of Rap music such as N.W.A, 2pac, Notorious BIG, Wu Tang Clan,
Eminem, and Dr. Dre and many other rappers. These rappers used there messages,
style, lyricism, songs, and personality to influence the music and culture of
hip hop and gave Hip hop the necessary
number of listeners and popularity to jump out of underground and make it to
radio. Rap music has gone through many changes, influences and era’s, Many
people say however that as of recent “Real” rap has been diminished to near
death because of that lack certain elements that made “Real” Rap so popular in
the beginning however all fans are opinion based and definitions tend to alter,
so what is real rap and does it exist anymore or did “Hip Pop” kill the genre.
Rap music is the
genre of African American music in which an insistent, recurring beat pattern
provides the background and counterpoint for rapid, slangy, and often boastful
rhyming patter glibly intoned by vocalist or vocalists. Rap also essentially
relies on Hip Hop which is the Black and Latin Subculture that supports Rap
music but also draws in the stereotypes and negatives that surround the music.
The Culture and Music go hand in hand and grow together, this being the case
Rap has changed drastically from its origin on the corners of New York and Disc Jockeys spins in the clubs.
The corner is where many fans say Rap music was at its purest when it just
Neighborhood kids battling and free styling, when it was just a hobby and there
was hardly any no money to look forward to. This is also where the common trend
in rap music came from as the kids would rap about all the things they never
most likely have such as money, women, being the best, and smoking a lot of
weed but along with these trends came stories of struggle that many blacks were
experiencing in ghettos. These troubles were bluntly present in the hip hop
culture and with the transition of a decade from the 80’s to the 90’s the
amount of rappers and amount of actual music multiplied as well as the trouble
for the culture.
Rap
has many different sub-genres like Gangsta rap, Alternative/Artistic, Trap Rap,
Conscience rap and many others; however rap has well established legends of the
music that the helped create or heavily influenced these sub-genres. Artists
like Bone Thugz N Harmony, Nas, Dr Dre, Outkast, Three Six Mafia, Eminem,
Jay-Z, Kayne West, Ice T, and Snoop Dogg are all from different areas, but all
share one common denominator: their influence on the hip hop culture and their
influence on rap music itself. Their influence being that they bring a new
element/standard to music that leads the way and inspires younger rappers. When
they engage in beef with another rapper the diehard fans from their regional would
soldier up and represent the rapper even if it meant violence. This factor was
spearheaded in the 90’s where you can be seriously hurt if you told the wrong
person a top ten rapper list that they don’t agree with.
The 1990’s era for
hip hop music was turbulent and exciting as there was a growth in the quality
as well growth in tensions. This era was also where majority of rap legends
came into play as well as their influence and styles. The often referred to as
a “Golden Era” of rap music which consisted of the ingenious lyrical content,
masterful rhythms, emcees and all-star icons in their prime. This time period was kind of climax for the
culture where rapper beefs would carry over into the streets meaning that
certain fans would actually take action and cause actual harm to the rappers
occurred, gang violence. In the Black subculture all this was very exciting,
but to others who were ignorant to all the inner workings of the culture, the
rap events and music were very scary and tabooed. Despite this Popularity of Rap
music soared and even hit the radio, with this mainstream breakthrough rap had
risen from the underground and become a solidified genre.
With
this new mainstream view came a more critical eye as rappers words started to
be looked at more and political leader strove for censorship or just blunt destruction
of rap music (Eminem being a stand case). With all these problems, the turn of
the century, and the rise technological advances, rap music went through an
industrial metamorphosis where there was a decrease in quality, inspiration,
and actual lyricism. Its also went through a cultural metamorphosis, by 2000’s
rap had broken the race barrier and started to become popular amongst white
children and communities and these qualities were replaced with high
production, generic material trends, (money, clothes, women, marijuana) and
catchy hooks. The industry had taken over and artist from the 90’s were out of
their prime, the new generation of rappers were striving for radio hits, club
hits and other ways of making large amounts of money off the music, so instead
of mastering all the details of being a rapper they focused more on phrases
that stick in people minds and rapping about all the material things they have
now. These topics and methods was most effective for radio play and mobile
phone ringtones, this era is known to be the birth of Hip Pop or Popular Rap
music. With this occurrence the radio was flooded with these kinds of songs. To
the point where more genuine style rap was few and far between and really only
existed in the underground culture. During this time period was is when “real”
rap fans say that Rap died; killed off by its own success.
The
music industry and the technology industry come to a sort of partnership with
increase of catchy music and marketable business of ringtones, this factor especially
affected rap music as rappers now were motivated not by the love of the music
but more by the potential of getting rich off sales and touring. Few Rappers
strive to make a effort and try and bring back the classic elements that make
rap songs, these rappers referred to as Emcee’s give hope older fans of rap
that yearn for the older days but Hip pop has grown attached to a new
generation who promote the new style of rap music. Hip pop continues to be made in large
production and “Real” Rap declines to only 90’s rap godfathers, Underground street
rap, and new age Emcee’s. Rap’s rise to mainstream ultimately affected its
development and changed its sound, the parameters for “Real” Rap may never be
agreed upon but the recognition that it has changed will always remain wither
that is good or bad, only time will tell.
Rap’s
rise to mainstream ultimately affected its development and changed its sound,
the parameters for “Real” Rap may never be agreed upon but the recognition that
it has changed will always remain wither that is good or bad, only time will
tell.
Works
Cited
(Phillips, Chuck. “Gangsta Rap: Did Lyrics Inspire Killing of Police? : Pop music: Two teens awaiting trial in Milwaukee say Tupac Shakur's angry lyrics influenced them in the slaying of an officer.” L.A Times, 1994)
(Alexander,Bey.
“Hip-Hop's
Musical Evolution of Rap”. oneonta.edu)
sorry for the lateness i was having internet problems
