I Miss 90s Hip-Hop Vol.0
From the Birth of Hip Hop to the End of the 1980s
This month, C.r.e.a.m. Team Records, a label specializing in 90s hip-hop, is launching a new serial feature on its website titled "I Miss 90s Hip-Hop." As an prologue, Vol. 0, we'll trace the flow of the hip-hop scene from its birth up to the end of the 80s.
As of 2022, hip-hop culture continues to exert a tremendous influence across various fields, not only in music but also in fashion and art, around the world. It is now commonplace for hip-hop artists to dominate the upper ranks of the US Billboard charts, and here in Japan, freestyle rap has permeated the general public, while the inclusion of breaking (breakdancing) as an official sport in the Paris Olympics in 2024 has drawn attention to it. Hip-hop, once a subculture, has now become completely mainstream.
Hip-hop culture was born 49 years ago. It is said to have originated on August 11, 1973, at a party called the "BACK TO SCHOOL JAM" held by Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc, then 18 years old, in the recreation room of a housing project in New York's South Bronx.
https://rockthebells.com/articles/dj-kool-herc-rec-room-party/
The DJ was the most respected.
Through block parties that brought together DJs, MCs (rappers), and the youths who danced breakin'—B-boys—who were both spectators and the main focus of the party, hip hop spread throughout New York, centered in the Bronx. Alongside Kool Herc, three great DJs—Afrika Bambaataa, who led the crew Zulu Nation, and Grandmaster Flash, who was a cut above in terms of DJing techniques—laid the foundation for the scene.
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Kool Herc
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Afrika Bambaataa
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Grandmaster Flash
As is often said, DJs were the most respected figures in the hip-hop scene of that era, and rappers were merely their supporting players. Coke La Rock, a member of Kool Herc's crew, the Herculoids, is said to be the first rapper in hip-hop history. He would grab the microphone and hype up the audience to the music Kool Herc played, and phrases he created, such as "You Rock and You Don't Stop," have since been quoted by various rappers in their songs.
You Rock and You Don't Stop
Set in the dawn of hip-hop, the original Netflix drama "The Get Down," released in 2016, portrays this era. The series begins in the South Bronx in 1977, featuring teenagers as its protagonists. While a musical drama, it brilliantly depicts the backdrop against which hip-hop was born in New York City, conveying the excitement and dynamism of its initial impulse.
Another film, "Wild Style," produced in 1982 (released in 1983), is also an extremely important work for understanding the early days of New York's hip-hop scene. It depicts the four major elements of hip-hop – MCing, DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing – in a balanced way, and its use of real artists who were at the forefront of the scene at the time makes it a semi-documentary film.
What the recording of rap music brought
From the 70s to the early 80s, block parties, as depicted in "The Get Down" and "Wild Style," were at the heart of the hip-hop scene. However, the situation changed drastically with the 1979 single release of Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" by Sugar Hill Records, an independent label born in New Jersey. This song, considered the first rap record, was actually performed by three amateur rappers hastily assembled by the label, rapping lyrics written by a real rapper named Grandmaster Caz, making it a kind of fake in the scene.
Originally, at block parties, rappers would simply freestyle over the records played by the DJs, and there was no concept of recording this music onto vinyl. It was meant to be enjoyed only at the party venue or on cassette tapes recorded from the parties. Sylvia Robinson, the head of Sugar Hill and a singer known for her hit song "Pillow Talk," came up with the idea of recording rap music because she was an outsider. "Rapper's Delight" reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the following year and was also a hit in Canada and various European countries. As a result, the success of "Rapper's Delight" became the first catalyst for rap, which had previously been confined to New York, to spread throughout the United States and the world.
Sugarhill Gang
The hit song "Rapper's Delight" proved that rap records could be a business, leading to a surge of releases from emerging labels like Sugar Hill and Enjoy, as well as smaller indie labels featuring various artists. Furthermore, Kurtis Blow, the first rapper to sign with a major label, became known throughout the United States when his 1980 single "The Breaks" earned the first gold record in hip-hop history.
Kurtis Blow
Incidentally, rap singles around this time were produced in a style where they either directly used contemporary disco hits as the track, like “Rapper's Delight” which sampled Chic's "Good Times," or re-recorded and arranged them with live instruments and then rapped over them, a style now referred to as "disco rap." In other words, it was merely a reproduction of what was happening at block parties. However, as rap became more widespread, issues like copyright emerged, leading to the introduction of original tracks using drum machines and synthesizers instead of live instruments, and hip-hop rapidly evolved in terms of its sound.
The origin of the word "HIPHOP"
As a side note, it's also around this time that the term “Hip-Hop,” commonly used today, came to represent this culture. Although “Hip Hop” already appeared in the lyrics of “Rapper's Delight,” it's said to have originally been coined by the rapper Lovebug Starski simply as a catchy phrase often used in rap. This word, which had no particular meaning, began to be used as a general term for the culture after an interview with Afrika Bambaataa titled "Afrika Bambaataa's Hip Hop" was published in the Village Voice in September 1982. Incidentally, the person who named "Hip Hop" as the name for the culture in this article was not Afrika Bambaataa himself, but the journalist who wrote it. However, having a formal name certainly had a positive effect on this culture spreading outwards.
Def Jam expanded the possibilities of hip-hop expression.
Entering 1983, one of hip hop's greatest groups, Run-D.M.C., emerged. The rap style, characterized by the interplay between the two MCs, Run and D.M.C., possessed a groove overwhelmingly different from previous generations. Furthermore, their bold incorporation of electric guitar into their sound deeply appealed to audiences who had previously overlooked hip hop. Among their works, the cover of Aerosmith's song of the same name, "Walk This Way," was incredibly impactful. The producer of "Walk This Way" was Run's older brother, Russell Simmons, along with Rick Rubin. The label they founded, Def Jam Recordings, is also an indispensable entity when discussing the 80s hip hop scene. L.L. Cool J., who projected a macho and strong style while also garnering immense popularity among female fans due to his idol-like appeal. Beastie Boys, a trio of white musicians with punk roots, released the massive hit "Fight for Your Right." And Public Enemy, who captivated audiences with their stage productions reminiscent of a military unit, while also weaving social messages into their lyrics. Def Jam's immense contribution in launching these three stars, each representing a distinctly different type, from the mid-80s onwards, vastly expanded the expressive possibilities of hip hop.
Run-DMC
LL Cool J
Beastie Boys
Public Enemy
From drum machine to sampler
Another epoch-making event of this era was the shift in the core of hip-hop tracks from drum machines to sampler-based sounds. This also marked the beginning of an era where producers became the protagonists in the hip-hop scene, and the quintessential example of this was Marley Marl from Queens. Sampling has now become synonymous with the hip-hop sound, and the method established by Marley Marl of breaking down breakbeats using a sampler to construct beats has been passed down through generations of hip-hop producers. Furthermore, Marley Marl, who led his own crew called the Juice Crew, produced brilliant talents such as MC Shan, Roxanne Shante, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, and Kool G Rap & DJ Polo through his label, Cold Chillin'. The Juice Crew became a major force in the hip-hop scene from the mid-80s onwards, showcasing their presence.
MC Shan
Roxanne Shanté
Biz Markie
Big Daddy Kane
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Juice Crew
Representative artists of the late 80s scene
Other artists appearing in the late 80s include Marley Marl, who also participated as a behind-the-scenes producer; Eric B. & Rakim; KRS-One's Boogie Down Productions, who engaged in a "Bridge Battle" with the Juice Crew; Ultramagnetic MC’s, featuring Ced Gee, who contributed as a producer on early Boogie Down Productions works, and MC Kool Kieth, who enjoyed cult popularity; Stetsasonic, known as the original hip-hop band; the rap duo EPMD, wielding heavy funk sounds as their weapon; Jungle Brothers, who carried on the New York hip-hop tradition while hitting it big with the hip-house track "I'll House You"; and Queen Latifah, who would later blossom as an actress.
Eric B. & Rakim
Boogie Down Productions
Ultramagnetic MCs
Stetsasonic
EPMD
Jungle Brothers
Queen Latifah
Hip-hop spreads across the United States
Furthermore, hip-hop spread from New York to all corners of the United States. In Los Angeles, the gangsta rap movement took off, led by N.W.A. and Ice-T; in the Bay Area, artists like Too $hort and Digital Underground developed their own unique styles; and in Miami, 2 Live Crew caused a stir with their raunchy, explicit lyrics.Furthermore, just like Def Jam and Cold Chillin’, independent labels specializing in hip-hop sprang up across the country. Tone Lōc’s “Wild Thing,” released in 1988 by the Los Angeles-based label Delicious Vinyl, became the first double-platinum (over 2 million copies sold) smash hit in hip-hop history.
N.W.A
Ice-T
Too $short
Digital Underground
2 Live Crew
Tone Lōc
The emergence of hip-hop specialized media
The year 1988 was significant, leading to the rise of the hip-hop scene in the 1990s and beyond, with the premiere of the hip-hop specialized program "Yo! MTV Raps" on MTV in August of that year. The program broadcasted various artists' music videos nationwide, conveying hip-hop's appeal not only through sound but also visually. This greatly helped hip-hop spread to a wider audience. Additionally, the hip-hop specialized magazine "The Source" began as a newspaper around the same time, and it would go on to have immense influence within the 90s hip-hop scene.https://www.pinterest.jp/pin/100908847877662936/
Furthermore, the following year, the Grammy Awards introduced the "Best Rap Performance" category, which was awarded to DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (now Will Smith). While the award recipients don't necessarily align with the core hip-hop fanbase, this can also be seen as a part of hip-hop's broader penetration into the mainstream.
Yo! MTV Raps
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Hip-Hop's Next Era
In the late 1980s, new artists with fresh talent like De La Soul and Gang Starr debuted, who would go on to dominate the 90s hip-hop scene and create the next era of hip-hop...
(The following chapter will cover the 90s hip-hop scene, year by year, starting from 1990, from Vol. 1.)
De La Soul
Gang Starr
＜本文終わり＞
Music writer. Began writing in 1996, contributing to publications such as the hip-hop magazine "blast." Moved to Los Angeles in 2003, where they covered the underground hip-hop scene, including artists like Stones Throw, while also writing about fashion, art, and other fields. Returned to Japan in 2015 and continues to work as a writer for various magazines and web media, focusing primarily on hip-hop.
