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Originating Location: New York, NY
Originating Era: late 1970s
Key Artists
1970's
- Africa Bambaataa
- Grandmaster Flash
1980's
- Boogie Down Productions
- Eric B. & Rakim
- N.W.A.
- Public Enemy
- Run-D.M.C.
1990's
- A Tribe Called Quest
- Eminem
- Jay-Z
- Nas
- Notorious B.I.G.
- OutKast
- Tupac
- Wu-Tang Clan
2000's
- 50 Cent
- Ghostface Killah (formerly of Wu-Tang Clan)
- Kanye West
- Lil's Wayne
- MF Doom
Key Albums
- Run-D.M.C. - Raisin' Hell
- Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
- The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
- Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Genre Description
There is a fine line between the terms hip-hop and rap, which is a line that most casual fans do not even realize exists. Traditionally, hip-hop refers to the culture, while rap refers to that specific part of it. The hip-hop culture is centered around four essential pieces, rap (the music), turntablism (the medium), breakdancing/b-boying/b-girling (the dance) and graffiti (the art). This style of life originated in New York City during the 70s deriving from the popular block parties and burrough rivalries of the time in mainly black culture. Many claim to be the actual originator of this now immensly popular style (which include such luminaries as DJ Kool Herc, Africa Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash) but it has been truely a result of community looking to define itself as a culture. This is ironic because of its now immense popularity in the mainstream throughout the world.
Artists in this genre
- Aesop Rock
- Monster Mill
- Libretto
- Mark Rae
- MF Doom
- Dim Mak
- Prefuse 73
- Madlib
- Jel
- RJD2
- Lex
- Lyrics Born
- Calamalka
- Citizen Cope
- Faithless
- Hangar 18
- Headset
- J Boogie's Dubtronic Science
- Labtekwon
- Los Mocosos
- Machine Drum
- Mike Ladd
- Neutrino
- Pedestrian
- Prince Po
- Rob Sonic
- Scientific American
- Talkdemonic
- Yohimbe Brothers
- DJ Rels
- Four Tet
- Buck 65
- Dosh
- El-P
- Yesterdays New Quintet
- Vast Aire
- Savath & Savalas
- Lico Laats
- Eminem
- Pat Dillett
- Gorillaz
- Run-D.M.C.
- Doseone
- DJ Shadow
Labels in this genre
- Stones Throw
- Astralwerks
- BBE
- Beggars Group
- EMI
- Alternative Tentacles
- Anticon
- BBE
- Cold Crush
- Definitive Jux
- Dischord
- Fat Possum
- Thirsty Ear
- TVT
- Oglio
- Interscope
- Sony
- Island
- Hollywood
- A&M
- Ninja Tune
- Epic
- Sire
Further Reading
- Wikipedia Article
- About.com Hip-Hop/Rap
- Old School Hip-Hop
- Hip-Hop Site
- Davey D's Hip-Hop Daily News
- Underground Hip-Hop
- All Hip-Hop
- Hip-Hop Directory
- Can't Stop Won't Stop : A History of the Hip Hop Generation by Jeff Chang
- And It Don't Stop : The Best American Hip-Hop Journalism of the Last 25 Years by Nelson George
- The Vibe History of Hip Hop by Alan Light
- Droppin' Science: Critical Essays on Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture (Critical Perspectives on the Past) by William Eric Perkins