Hip Hop is a genre of music that coincides with an entire lifestyle. Everything from fashion, way of speech and overall culture can be defined by hip hop. It is often confused as the same as rap music, however Hip Hop encompasses the entire subculture that has emerged from rap.
Hip Hop music originated with the term Hip Hop itself. Legend had it that rapper Keith Cowboy from Rappers Delight was teasing a friend who just joined the military by mimicking the cadence that everything is done with and repeating the words “hip, hop, hip, hop”. Cowboy continued using this cadence in his performances and the verse was adapted eventually finding its way into “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugar Hill Gang. Farther back then that Hip Hop music has its origins in touring African shows called “The Griots” which was a group of performers who would sing in a fashion similar to today’s Hip Hop music.
During the end of the disco era Hip Hop music began its ascent. The Hip Hop community was split over Discos influence on its style. Many feel that Hip Hop flourished as a rebellion against Disco’s European techno sound while others believe that Disco was a heavy influence on the Hip Hop’s sound. Whatever the influence by the 1980’s Hip Hop was quickly becoming the dominant genre of music. Artists’ such as Grandmaster Flash, Sugar Hill Gang and Russell Simmons became leaders of pioneering this new genre. “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash is widely considered to be the first serious rap album.
With the 1990’s Hip Hop had reached a peak and was the dominant musical genre. Though bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Sound Garden were leading the way on the grunge scene, Hip Hop proved to have more endurance and by the end of the decade had emerged as the main musical genre. This was helped along greatly by the East Coast West Coast feuds led by Tupac Shakur in the West and the Notorious B.I.G. in the East.
The feud has its roots in an incident that happened in the lobby of the building which housed Biggie’s recording studio. Tupac or 2-pac, was shot by unknown assailants in an attempted robbery. Not long after the shooting Biggie’s “Ready to Die” album shot to the top of the billboard music charts. While in prison 2-pac came to believe that he was set up by Biggie and his record label Bad Boy Records. Upon his release 2-pac signed with the West Coast label Death Row Records and the two rappers traded insults on many recordings written to embarrass one another. Unfortunately the feud was never resolved as both artists died untimely deaths at the hands of unknown assassins’ guns. Both murders have never been solved and there are still those who believe both sides to be responsible for the deaths.
Starting in 2000 Hip Hop music became a slow decline with stars such as Eminem, Kayne West and Jay Z accounting for a large percentage of the genres sales. Even with the decline in sales Hip Hop still is one of the most marketable genres in today’s music scene.