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Overview

As both a musical genre and a mass culture movement, hip-hop was developed in the United States by inner-city African American and Latino American youth in the Bronx borough of New York City during the 1970s. Since then, the genre has developed more complex styles and spread around the world.

Be ready to:

Describe the four elements of hip-hop and explain their significance to hip-hop.

Identify members of the holy trinity of hip-hop and understand nonviolent ethos.

Name two individuals responsible for establishing the DJ as an authority figure.

Define gangsta rap, including notable artists and their songs.

Articulate how and why new jack swing and other hybrids emerged during the late 1980s.

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Hip-Hop: 1990s 1

Beyond the East and West Coasts, rap scenes developed in several regions. For example, in Houston, Texas, southern rap in the shape of the Geto Boys documented the realities of life in the city of Houston's notorious Fifth Ward. While gangsta-funk thrived in California and parts of Texas, a techno-driven sound facilitated by the coveted drum machine Roland TR-808 with its sustained "kick drum" sound became a fixture in the music of Miami's 2 Live Crew and other Miami acts to follow. The Miami bass sound, sometimes dubbed "booty music" from its affiliation with the "dirty rap" or risqué rap of 2 Live Crew, was further complemented by an artist from Orlando, Florida, DJ Magic Mike. He established a reputation as a major producer of the Miami bass sound and helped propel its sound farther into the mainstream of rap with acts such as 95 South and the 69 Boyz, with their double-platinum single " Tootsee Roll♫" (1994).

David Hobbs (DJ MR MIXX), Founding member of 2 Live Crew, Music producer DJ creator of Miami Bass

The Miami trio 2 Live Crew, masterminded by manager Luther (Luke) Campbell, became the center of a significant censorship debate when their 1989 album, Nasty as They Wanna Be (1989), was heavily criticized by watchdog groups such as the Parents' Music Resource Center (PMRC) for its sexually explicit content.

X-Rated Rock Music 1987 TV news report with Tipper Gore of PMRC

The current Parental Advisory warning label, introduced in 1996.

The album was judged obscene by a local district judge, and although the band members were acquitted, the case was not finally resolved until it reached the Supreme Court in 1992. Although the Crew and other rap artists who had also been the subject of censorship controversies, such as artists on the Death Row label, Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg (also known as Snoop Dogg), and label owner, Suge Knight, were protected by the First Amendment, rap music artists began recording two versions of their LPs-a radio or clean version and an explicit version as indicated by "explicit content" warning labels. This resulted from the PMRC's campaign, which followed their attacks in the mid-1980s on a variety of music they considered inappropriate for teenage or younger listeners.

In addition to censorship and related controversies, copyright infringement cases arose from hip-hop DJs' practice of reproducing pre-recorded music via digital sampling without seeking copyright permission. Sampling also prompted an amendment to US copyright statutes to include reproducing any music via digital means.

Russell Simmons

The thing about hip-hop is that it's from the underground, ideas from the underbelly, from people who have mostly been locked out, who have not been recognized.

Quincy Jones

I guess hip-hop has been closer to the pulse of the streets than any music we've had in a long time. It's sociology as well as music, which is in keeping with the tradition of Black music in America.