West Coast hip hop

Hip hop music has helped to culturally mold an entire generation. Although it started in the late 1970s with roots in rock & roll, reggae, jazz, blues, and funk, people still feel its effects to this day. Nearing its 4th decade, its rhythmic influence has spanned nearly the entire globe. However, the spell that it has placed on the masses over the years has not always had the best of outcomes. It is true that many artists have used the platform of the genre to profess violence, among other…

Hip hop is a subcultural movement that originated in the early 1970’s by groups of young African-American, Latino, and Caribbean teenagers living in South Bronx, New York City. Though it made its way towards the western coast of the United States of America, Hip hop did not gain popularity until the 1980’s. It can be divided into four sub-groups. Each of these groups represent hip hop in a unique way. In terms of orality, hip hop heavily relies on rap music, which involves speech, writing, and…

Hip hop music has been around for 30 years now, and during this time there have been many artists to produce amazing songs. But, some of those songs have stuck in our minds and still make us get up and dance and sing along when we hear them. We salute those who have given us musical talent so remarkable to make us melt when we hear their song. The top 8 hip hop songs ever are (in no particular order): 1. 'It was a good Day' -Ice Cube From the beat to the lyrics this is that feel good song…

life in hip-hop. He connects his career to past artists and events in history. Jay-Z has become one of the most influential people in hip-hop. He has been a prominent figure for decades in music. Jay-Z’s influence on other artists has changed hip-hop’s history itself. The stories of his past, which he shares in “Decoded”, are a part of history because they all shaped his career and made hip-hop what it is today. In “Decoded”, Jay-Z shares a few moments that were not only important in…

Gangsta rap, originating from the west coast wouldn’t be received with open arms by the American public. This new genre of rap was much more adult oriented and featured a plethora of expletives. Though the product was more edgier, the focus remained the same. Gangsta rap featured problems…

three of Prophets of the Hood, Imani Perry analyzes Hip Hop music by recognizing certain aspects of songs. Perry believes that the most critical feature of a song is its figurative language such as metaphors and similes, which make the song more interesting and create a feeling or expression related to the song. She emphasizes the importance of the lyrics of a song and its ability to tell a story. Perry details the four formats of the stories of Hip Hop songs: narrative,…

associated with and a main ingredient for hip-hop. In 1541, rap was first used as a word meaning to utter sharply or vigorously. Then in 1932 the word was used as a way of acknowledgment and later to converse in an open and by the 1960’s it was used as a slang term referring to an oration or speech. By the 1970’s Rap could be described as talking in a stylistic manner on records. Rap can be traced back to its African roots where centuries ago the griots of West Africa told stories rhythmically…

There has been controversy surrounding rap music has been in the forefront of the American media. From the hype of the East Coast-West Coast rivalry that shadowed the murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. to the demonization of modem music in the wake of your modern day crime it seems that political and media groups have been quick to place blame on rap for a seeming trend in this so called “youth violence”. however, though critics are quick to point out the violent lyrics of…

Many regard hip hop as offensive noise but many of the music’s elements have roots deep in American history and helped shape the country as we know it today. It’s earliest roots date back to the rhythmic music of tribal Africa. Much of the music consisted of drum beats and rhythmic chanting accompanied by melodic vocals and other minor instruments, such as, shakers, string instruments, and flutes. Today’s rap music is also centralized around heavy beats and the same rhythmic chanting, which we…

Of course, towards the mid-1980s the new school or the golden age of Hip hop was brought into the light. At the time when Hip hop was developing in the 70s almost every graffiti artist was either in a gang or group and they were trying to mark their territory or promote their group. Graffiti is a certain style of art that was painted with spray paint and is illegal in most areas because it is vandalizing private property. There was different forms of graffiti one was a tag. According to Michael…