RAP MUSIC

Hip hop music, also known as rap music, is a style of popular music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s and since. It consists of two main components: rapping and DJing (production and scratching). Along with hip hop dance (notably breakdancing) and urban-inspired art, or notably graffiti, these compose the four elements of hip hop culture, a cultural movement that was initiated by inner-city youth, mostly Blacks and Latinos[1][2] in New York City, in the early 1970s. Though it can be referred to as an African American music, its creation and proliferation can be credited to many groups of people within the United States and around the world.

History

Main article: History of hip hop music

The main historical eras of hip hop are the old school hip hop era (1970 to 1985), which spanned from the beginning of hip hop until its emergence into the mainstream, and the golden age hip hop era (1985 to 1993), which consolidated the sounds of the East Coast and the West Coast and transitioned into the modern era with the rise of gangsta rap and G-funk, created by the West Coast. The years after 1993 contain the hardcore hip hop, bling, and underground genres, which largely define the modern era. Hip hop began in The Bronx, a borough in New York City, when DJs began isolating the percussion break from funk and disco songs. The early role of the MC was to introduce the DJ and the music and to keep the audience excited. MCs began by speaking between songs, giving exhortations to dance, greetings to audience members, jokes and anecdotes. Eventually this practice became more stylized and became known as rapping. By 1979, hip hop had become a commercially popular music genre and began to enter the American mainstream. In the 1990s, a form of hip hop called gangsta rap became a major part of American music, causing significant controversy over lyrics which were perceived as promoting violence, promiscuity, drug use and misogyny. Nevertheless, by the beginning of the 2000s, hip hop was a staple of popular music charts and was being performed in many styles across the world. Hip hop arose during the 1970s at block parties in New York City, at which the DJs began isolating the percussion breaks to hit funk, soul, R&B and disco songs.[3] These songs were based on – "breakbeat" DJing. Early hip hop rhythms and (sampled) riffs were derived essentially from funk music. Some funk songs, such as James Brown's "The Payback" (1974) are clearly predicting hip hop music and also speaking over the music was used extensively in funk, most notably on records produced by George Clinton. As hip hop became popular, performers began speaking while the music played, and became known as MCs or emcees. In 1979, the first commercially issued hip hop recordings were released: "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang which became a Top 40 hit on the U.S. Billboard pop singles chart.[3] 'Rapper' in reference to music was actually coined by this song. Some historians cite King Tim III (Personality Jock) by the Fatback Band to be the first commercially released hip hop recording but they were a funk and disco group. During the 1980s, hip hop began to diversify and develop into a more complex form. At the same time, more sophisticated techniques were developed, including scratching, and electronic recording. In the late 1980s, a number of new hip hop styles and subgenres began appearing as the genre gained popularity. Hip hop musicians collaborated with rock bands (Such as Run DMC and Aerosmith's rendition of "walk this way") and spread out into the genres of conscious hip hop, jazz-rap and gangsta rap. In the 1990s, a prolonged confrontation between West Coast gangsta rappers and the resurging East Coast began. It centered around Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. and led to both of their deaths, in 1996 and 1997 respectively.

Description

Main article: Hip hop production

Typically, hip hop music consists of rhythmic lyrics making use of techniques like assonance, alliteration, and rhyme. The rapper is accompanied by an instrumental track, usually referred to as a "beat", performed by a DJ, created by a producer, or one or more instrumentalists. Historically, this beat has often been created using a sample of the percussion break of another song: usually funk and soul recordings have been utilized. However, in recent years, it has become more common for the beat to be built up from individual drum samples. In addition to the beat, other sounds are often sampled, synthesized, or performed. Sometimes a track can be instrumental, as a showcase of the skills of the DJ or producer.

Cultural elements

Rapping

Main article: Rapping

Rapping, also known as emceeing, MCing, rhyme spitting, or just rhyming, is the rhythmic delivery of vocals, one of the central elements of hip hop music and culture. Although the word rap has sometimes been claimed to be a backronym of the phrase "Rhythmic American Poetry", "Rhythm and Poetry", "Rhythmically Applied Poetry", or "Rhythmically Associated Poetry", use of the word to describe quick and slangy speech or repartee long predates the musical form.[4] Rapping can be delivered over a beat or without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies a gray area among speech, prose, poetry and song. Rap is derived from the griots (folk poets) of West Africa, Caribbean-style toasting and American blues and jazz roots.[citation needed]

Even though no distinct tone can be assigned to a single syllable of spoken word, one can often roughly hear the various intervals in the speakers voice.[citation needed] The level to which this is perceptible to listeners is at the speakers discretion.[citation needed] The lyricist's indistinct tone, therefore, is inconsequential, because even though the initial tone is unknown, the intervals give the listener a general sense of the intervals of the intended melody.[citation needed] The lyricism and inflection in the speakers voice is what gives hip hop a novel rhythmic and melodic component. Hip-hop verses are analogous to a scat solos in jazz music and therefore not far from any jazz saxophone solo, or any style of solo. However, because rapping differs from instrumentation in that it lacks a wholly distinct tone, it is much more open-ended, because an MC cannot technically sing "wrong" notes.[citation needed] Musicians seen as directly pioneering this sort of rapping, or spoken-word poetry, speak are Gil Scott-Heron and The Last Poets, who in the 1970s were known for their rhythmically inflected poetry set to music that was both funky and minimalist.[citation needed]

Production

Main article: Hip hop production

Hip hop production is the creation of the portion of hip hop music which is not lyrical. Modern hip hop production utilizes drum machines, turntables, synthesizers, hardware and software sequencers, and live instrumentation. In its autentic form, the second element of hip hop was turntable-ism, though that has evolved into other computerized production techniques. The evolution of the terms "DJ" and "producer" also speaks to the post-modern irony of hip-hop. The line across which a DJ becomes not only a disc-jockey, but an individual, creative artist has become increasingly blurred since hip-hop's conception. A "DJ mix", for instance, in which the DJ meshes the end of a song into the beginning of the following song, often contains music which the DJ had not created, but merely replayed. However, once it becomes part of the DJ's mix, the mix becomes a singular creation, and consequently, a piece of art which the DJ himself authored. Consequently, a DJ can represent himself as the main creator of a piece even though much more effort went into the initial creation of the sampled portion. Sometimes, hip-hop songs consist of only one sample, not at all manipulated. The original song may have itself repeated the pattern. Thus, because not much thought, effort or expertise is required to make a beat which sounds professional, hip-hop is both egalitarian and subversively ironic, in that a song can misrepresent itself as the product of much work and expertise. Prior to hip-hop, producers were usually more like recording engineers, the skilled musician who directed the creative direction of albums and songs. During the formative years of hip-hop, however, the producer became the person responsible for the instrumental track, the DJ, though he could also just be responsible for the scratches and live mixing of another producers work. A producer may not even need a sampling source, and lucrate all his music with live instruments. The lyricist also may add his own portions to the instrumental track. There is no standard in hip-hop for crediting song-writing, and this has lead to many disputes, especially over the use of samples. In 1989, for example, the band The Turtles sued De la Soul over the group's uncleared sampling of the band, setting a legal precedent which is still in use today, effectively outlawing the use of samples without legal clearance. Still, legal and illegal sampling has continued since. Hip-hop's instrumental portion is ironic because though the listener understands the artist whose name appears on the record possesses a "symbolic domination over the process", the listener is without a complete understanding of the music's source, both its creator and how it was created. (Rose, 95)

Graffiti

Modern hip hop graffiti originated in Philadelphia, PA, and it quickly spread to New York City. The book Subway Art (New York: Henry Holt & Co, 1984) and the TV program Style Wars (first shown on the PBS channel in 1984) were among the first ways the mainstream public were introduced to graffiti. Quickly, the rest of the globe imitated and adapted hip hop graffiti. Today, there are also strong scenes in Europe, South America, Australia and Japan.

Graffiti has long been vilified by those in authority. In most jurisdictions, creating graffiti on public property without permission is a criminal offense punishable by fines and incarceration.

Breakdancing

Main article: Breakdancing

B-boying, also known as breaking, breakdancing, or B-girling (for women) by its practitioners and followers, is a dynamic style of dance. The term "B-boy" originates from the dancers at DJ Kool Herc's parties, who saved their best dance moves for the break section of the song, getting in front of the audience to dance in a distinctive, frenetic style. Hence the "B" stands for break-boy (or girl). According to the documentary film The Freshest Kids, a history of the b-boy; DJ Kool Herc describes the b in b-boy as short for breaking which at the time was slang for "going off" also one of the original names for the dance. However early on the dance was known as the "boiong" (the sound a spring makes). Breaking was briefly documented for release to a world wide audience for the first time in Style Wars, and was later given a little more focus in the fictional film Beat Street. It was then documented properly in the critically acclaimed documentary feature film; The Freshest Kids, a history of the b-boy. (released in 2002).

Breakdancing is one of the major elements of hip hop culture, commonly associated with, but distinct from, "popping," "locking," "hitting," "ticking," "boogaloo," and other funk styles that evolved independently during the late 1960s in California. It was common during the 1980s to see a group of people with a radio on a playground, basketball court, or sidewalk performing a breakdancing show for a large audience.

Breaking began to take form in the South Bronx alongside the other elements of hip hop. A "burn" is when you humiliate your opponent. The name of the first B-Boy crew was The Zulu Kings.

Hip hop as a form of dance is becoming more popular, it comes from breakdancing, but does not consist wholly of breakdancing moves. Unlike most other forms of dance, which are often at least moderately structured, hip hop dance has few (if any) limitations on positions or steps.

A history of b-boying has been documented in 'The Freshest Kids', a history of the b-boy. The film was produced and directed by Israel and was released in 2002 by Image Entertainment. The film chronicles the birth of b-boying and traces its evolution up until present day. The film features many early pioneers including Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Caz, The Nigger Twinz, The Bronx Boys, The Rock Steady Crew, New York City Breakers, and a crop of today's most important b-boys such as members of the Stylelements crew and also features members of the Electric Boogaloos and the important L.A. based Air Force Crew.

Beatboxing and other elements

Beatboxing

Beatboxing, popularized by Doug E. Fresh, considered by many to be the "fifth element" of hip hop, is the vocal percussion of hip hop culture. It is primarily concerned with the art of creating beats, rhythms, and melodies using the human mouth. The term beatboxing is derived from the mimicry of the first generation of drum machines, then known as beatboxes. As it is a way of creating hip-hop music, it can be categorized under the production element of hip-hop, though it does sometimes include a type of rapping intersected with the human-created beat.

The art form enjoyed a strong presence in the '80s with artists like the Darren "Buffy, the Human Beat Box" Robinson of the Fat Boys and Biz Markie showing their beatboxing skills. Beatboxing declined in popularity along with break dancing in the late '80s, and almost slipped even deeper than the underground. Beatboxing has been enjoying a resurgence since the late '90s, marked by the release of "Make the Music 2000." by Rahzel of The Roots (known for even singing while beatboxing).

As it grew and developed into a multi-billion dollar industry, the scope of hip hop culture grew beyond the boundaries of its traditional four elements.[citation needed] KRS-ONE, a rapper from the golden age of hip hop, names nine elements of hip hop culture: the traditional four and beatboxing, plus hip hop fashion, hip hop slang, street knowledge, and street entrepreneurship. He also suggests that hip hop is a cultural movement and that the word itself had to reflect this.[citation needed] He spells it Hiphop (one word, capital "h") and this is reflected in his Temple of Hiphop. KRS-One's philosophy is slightly more progressive in some ways than that of his contemporaries.[Who says this?] He is, however, one of strongest leaders championing hip hop's place in the world.[Who says this?]

Social impact

Lifestyle

The late 1990s saw the rise in popularity of the "bling-bling" lifestyle in rap music, focusing on symbols of wealth and status like money, jewelry, cars, and clothing. Although references to wealth have existed since the birth of hip hop, the new, intensified "bling-bling" culture has its immediate roots in the enormously commercially successful mid-to-late nineties work (specifically, music videos) of Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Records as well as Master P's No Limit Records. However, the term was coined in 1999 (see 1999 in music) by Cash Money Records artist Lil Wayne on B.G.'s hit single "Bling-Bling", and the Cash Money roster was perhaps the epitome of the "bling-bling" lifestyle and attitude. Though many rappers, mostly gangsta rappers, unapologetically pursue and celebrate bling-bling, others, mostly artists outside of the hip hop mainstream, have expressly criticized the idealized pursuit of bling-bling as being materialistic.

Product placement

Rappers often discuss at length the cars they drive and the drinks they consume and glorify the excess, decadence and luxury.[5] Some critics allege that shilling or product placement takes place in rap music, and that lyrical references to products are actually paid endorsements.[5] In 2005, a proposed plan by McDonalds, which would have paid rappers to advertise McDonalds food in their music, was leaked to the press.[5] After Russell Simmons made a deal with Courvoisier to promote the brand among hip hop fans, Busta Rhymes recorded the song "Pass The Courvoisier".[5] Simmons insists that no money changed hands in the deal.[5]

While some brands welcome the support of the hip-hop community, one brand that did not was champagne maker Cristal A 2006 article from The Economist magazine featured remarks from managing director Frederic Rouzaud about whether the brand's identification with rap stars could affect their company negatively. His answer was dismissive in tone: "That's a good question, but what can we do? We can't forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Pérignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business." In retaliation, many hip hop icons such as Jay-Z and Sean Combs who previous included references to "Cris", ceased all mentions and purchases of the champagne.

Other companies have used the hip-hop community to make their name or to give the credibility. One such beneficiary is Jacob the Jeweler, a diamond merchant from New York, Jacob Arabo's clientèle included Sean Combs, Lil Kim and Nas. He created one of a kind pieces from precious metals that were heavily loaded with diamond and gemstones. As his name was dropped in more song lyrics, his profile rose. He has expanded his brand to conține gem-encrusted watches that retail for hundreds of thousands of dollars. This symbiotic relationship has also stretched to include car manufacturers, clothing designers and sneaker companies.

Language

Hip hop has a creative and distinctive slang. Due to hip hop's extraordinary commercial success in the late nineties and early 21st century, many of these words have been assimilated into many different dialects across America and the world and even to non-hip hop fans (the word dis for example is remarkably prolific). There are also words like homie which predate hip hop but are often associated with it.

Sometimes, terms like what the dilly, yo are popularized by a single song (in this case, "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" by Busta Rhymes) and are only used briefly. Of special importance is the rule-based slang of Snoop Dogg and E-40, who add -izz to the middle of words so that shit becomes shizznit (the addition of the n occurs occasionally as well). This practice, with origins in Frankie Smith's nonsensical language from his 1980 single "Double Dutch Bus", has spread to even non-hip hop fans, who may be unaware of its derivation. As a genre of music popular all over the world, World hip hop, in which African-American English is not the dialect used, is as prevalent as ever.

Censorship

Hip hop has probably encountered more problems with censorship than any other form of popular music in recent years, due to its excessive use of expletives. It also receives flak for being anti-establishment, and many of its songs depict wars and coup d' etats that in the end overthrow the government. For example, Public Enemy's "Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need" was edited without their permission, removing the words "free Mumia".[6]

After the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Oakland, California group The Coup was under fire for the cover art on their Party Music, which featured the group's two members holding a detonator as the Twin Towers exploded behind them. Ironically, this art was created months before the actual event. The group, having politically radical and Marxist lyrical content, said the cover meant to symbolize the destruction of capitalism. Their record label pulled the album until a new cover could be designed.

The use of profanity as well as graphic depictions of violence and sex creates challenges in the broadcast of such material both on television stations such as MTV, in music video form, and on radio. As a result, many hip hop recordings are broadcast in censored form, with offending language "bleeped" or blanked out of the soundtrack (though usually leaving the backing music intact), or even replaced with "clean" lyrics. The result – which quite often render the remaining lyrics unintelligible or contradictory to the original recording – has become almost as widely identified with the genre as any other aspect of the music, and has been parodied in films such as Austin Powers in Goldmember, in which a character – performing in a parody of a hip hop music video – performs an entire verse that is blanked out. In 1995 Roger Ebert wrote:[7]
“ Rap has a bad reputation in white circles, where many people believe it consists of obscene and violent anti-white and anti-female guttural. Some of it does. Most does not. Most white listeners don't care; they hear black voices in a litany of discontent, and tune out. Yet rap plays the same role today as Bob Dylan did in 1960, giving voice to the hopes and angers of a generation, and a lot of rap is powerful writing." ”

In a way to circumvent broadcasting regulations BET has created a late-night segment called "Uncut" to air uncensored videos. Not only has this translated into greater sales for mainstream artists, it has also provided an outlet for undiscovered artists to grab the spotlight with graphic but low production quality videos, often made cheaply by non-professionals. Perhaps the most notorious video aired, which for many came to exemplify BET's program Uncut, was "Tip Drill" by Nelly. While no more explicit than other videos, its exploitative depiction of women, particularly of a man swiping a credit card between a stripper's buttocks, was seized upon by many social activists for condemnation. The segment was discontinued in mid 2006.

_________________
cine se scoala de dimineata ii vede pe altii dormind

hip-hopu e baza :-D

jeah