11/02/2017

An Overview Of The Golden Age Of Hip Hop

By Matthew Barnes


When asked what their memories of the late 1980s and early 1990s are, many may bring up an array of topics. For stakeholders in the music scene, however, the time period is recognized as the golden age of hip hop. It is a period that marked the creation of renowned rappers in music history.

Some albums released during the age continue to receive lots of airplay on TV and radio stations today. During the era, majority of musicians doing mainstream music were based at the heart of New York City. The diversity of the genre gave birth to a refreshing feel to modern music.

Many internationally acclaimed artists made their mark during the era. They include Slick Rick, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, the Jungle Brothers and Public Enemy just to mention a few. Their hits topped the billboard charts for long and served as a benchmark for future rappers. At the end of the 1990s, artists such as Dr. Dre and Eminem started to emerge.

Many music enthusiasts know the era for its innovative contribution to the industry. Every single hit being churned back then reinvented the genre. Unlike the long breaks that fans often get treated to these days, pioneering albums would be released month in month out.

The innovation brought about by the music genre also brought change to the beats and messages delivered in lyrics. Artists started to infuse faster rhymes and beats in their works. This was made possible with advancement in production technology. Many black rappers also infused anti racism messages in their hits.

One aspect that makes the age stand out is the way sampling was heavily done. New types of beats, patterns and riffs would come up rapidly. This gave rise to a new type of DJs and producers who could crank up tunes without the need for formal training. The style samples that producers infused in hip hop were heavily borrowed from funk, soul, jazz and rock n roll music.

Due to the large number of beats being sampled at a time, rapping styles evolved quickly. Fans began to adore the fresh styles done by the likes of Chuck D, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and KRS One. In the coming years, renowned music pundits talked of them as phenomenal. As creativity was rife, fans did not have much to complain about.

As much as some artists dwelled on self gratification in their lyrics, many covered social protest. Socially contentious issues that got addressed include crime, domestic violence, politics, drug abuse, culture and religion. These messages drew the attention of the world to the genre.

A large number of lawsuits eventually came out of the massive sampling of beats done by producers. Courts handled mounting cases of copyright infringements by record labels. Eventually, the whole concept of sampling died out as beats became more creative.

Majority of music hits released these days can be linked to the pioneering effects of the genre. Despite the over emphasis on self glorification today, recurring social problems ought to be addressed through music. Such messages can create a positive impact in society.




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