Music MagazineGenre Research

Hip Hop/ Rap

Nelson Adebayo 12P

Dr. G

History of Genre• Hip Hop is a cultural movement which incorporates break dancing, music, graffiti

writing, DJing and MCing. • Originated in the African American and Latino American communities of New York

City.• Since first emerging from the Bronx, the lifestyle of hip hop culture has spread around

the world.• Keith Wiggins, a rapper with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, has been

credited with coining the term Hip Hop in 1978• Other artists started copying the Furious Five and started using the term in their

music. I.e. The Sugarhill Gang with “Rapper’s Delight”.• Hip Hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa and South Bronx community leader, is also known

to have popularized the term.• Jamaican born Kool Dj Herc is known as being highly influential in the pioneering

stage of Hip Hop in the Bronx.• Herc created the blueprint for hip hop music and culture by building upon the

Jamaican tradition of toasting or boasting impromptu poetry and sayings over music which he witnessed as a youth in Jamaica.

What distinguishes it?

• Hip Hop can be distinguished as it is distinct from spoken word poetry in that it is performed in time to the beat of the music.

• Hip Hop/ Rap has deep Black roots, in that most of the beats are based upon old African instruments.

• Hip Hop/ Rap incorporates lyrics, often about street life, their culture and heritage.

• The artists are usually of African American Descent, but there are exceptions e.g. Eminem and Vanilla Ice and often come from urban areas. I.e. New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Key Artists• Artists who are considered to be pioneers of Hip Hop/ Rap are:• Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five• Kool Dj Herc• Afrika Bambaataa• The Sugarhill Gang• Run-DMC• Artist who are considered to be pioneers of Rap/ Hip Hop in modern times

are:• Jay- Z: Considered the best in the industry right now, and is a legend in rap

music• Nas: One of the most popular artists in the industry after success of “Illmatic”• Dr. Dre: Founding member of N.W.A, and also leading producer and also

seen as legend in the industry.• Kanye West: Seen as a leading artist, for his success as a producer and

albums. Could also be seen as a leader of alternative hip hop along with Outkast

• Game: Seen as a pioneer in bringing the West Coast music scene back to the forefront.

Key Artists• So what makes a rapper a pioneer?• it could be argued that there is no proper definition of hip hop pioneer. But what is

undoubted is that, the artists aforementioned are defined as Leaders, in bringing Hip Hop/ Rap to where it is now.

• Artist such as Fugees, have through their music, presented their music, the troubles youths face and the lack of help from politicians. This is an area that has become ever more visited by hip hop musicians, as they seek to express their feelings about the way they feel they are being treated, in a “White man’s Country”, with most hip hop musicians being from Afro-Caribbean descent.

• Most of these artist seek to educate, rather than attack certain people or politicians. They want to show the youths the power of music and their personal history. Also, the actions of certain hip hop artists, will inevitably lead to influences upon future acts.

• This is not to say, that artists who choose to lead in different ways are not leaders. The “Gangsta Rap” genre was made by pioneered by artists such as Ice Cube, N.W.A and Snoop Dogg, to talk mostly about their upbringing on the streets and gang life. Removing the perception that Gangsta Rap encourages violence , but is rather “Real Hip Hop”.

Sub Genres

• There are several types of sub genres contained within Rap/Hip Hop.

• Some of these genres are attributed towards the different areas, of which a musician may come from or different regions.

• Sub genres such as:

• G-Funk: Originates from California, Los Angeles.

• “Gangsta” Rap: Originates from California, Los Angeles. (differences with G-Funk)

• Pop-Rap: Originates from The Bronx, New York

• Alternative: Originates from East Coast (New York, Washington, Virginia)

• GCrunk: Originates from Southern America (Atlanta)

Public Perception

• Hip Hop/ Rap is generally a mainstream genre. Even though many top artists started out on Pirate Radio, they turned their attention to the wider audience.

• Hip Hop, seems to get a very watchful following as most people, including politicians at times, are watching what the artists say and if they are to be seen as role models.

• A majority of rappers have been criticised for abandoning their “roots” in Pirate Radio, in pursuit of more money and more fame available in the Mainstream audience.

• The Hip Hop industry can be certainly be viewed as a mainstream industry, as it has led to the development of sub genres in the “game”. Even though it is predominantly mainstream, hip hop can also be viewed as rooted in the underground scene.

Who Listens To Hip Hop?

• Hip Hop can be argued as a “Black Only” music genre. Even though this is not far from the truth, hip hop is now able to cater to a much wider audience, other than the black community.

• In recent years, artists have left the “grimey” street scene, and aimed for the mainstream industry. By joining this industry, artists are able to not only gain a bigger audience, but also more money.

• With artists delving into the film and clothing line industry, they open up doors for listeners of different cultures and races.

• There are sub genre within hip hop, which can cater for anybody. i.e. Alternative, Freestyle, Conscious and Nerd core

Record Labels• There are several different record labels involved in the Hip Hop industry. Most of

these record labels, involve people who either used to recording artists, or are still recording artists.

• Record Labels, will sign up with “Major” Labels, to distribute their artists music from. These “smaller” labels will then find talent to work with and sponsor for a duration of their contract.

• “Major” Labels:• Sony• EMI• Universal• Warner Music Group• Smaller Labels• Cash Money/Young Money• Aftermath• Shady• Konvict

The Competition• In the rap/ hip hop genre, there is small but stiff competition in the magazine

department.• Here are the some of the most popular magazines and a brief fact file about them:• XXL:• XXL is widely available magazine, which is also hugely popular.• XXL is a magazine that is mainly aimed at teenagers to 30 year olds, and is directed

at those who love hip hop.• A new edition of XXL is released every month, for its readers to find out the latest

about the genre.• XXL contains features such as upcoming artists, but XXL is also famous for its

rankings and highly acclaimed ratings of albums past and present. If an album is rated highly, it will receive the highly sought after “XXL” status. Only 19 albums have been able to reach this status.

• XXL prices vary according to country, but in the UK, XXL is available for £2.95. If you wanted to subscribe to the magazine, you can do so for either 12 or 24 months.

The Competition• Source:• US based magazine, covering hip hop music, politics and culture.• Founded in 1988 originally as a newsletter• Released every month for readers to catch up and find out about new music or the

latest stories.• As in XXL, Source gives what they perceive to be, the rating a newly released album

from a hip hop artist deserves. The Source gives out “Mics” as their way of judging an album, with “five mics” being the highest an album is able to receive. As, the Source has been running for a long time, it has awarded 44 “five mics” to different albums.

• The magazine is available online for subscription, with the price set at $25 for 12 issues. The magazine is also available in the UK, and Europe, with prices ranging from £2.95-£3.95 for off the shelf purchases.

The Competition• HHW (Hip Hop Weekly)• US Based magazine• Released every 1-2 weeks• Specializes in Hip Hop, culture and clothing• Layout similar to that of tabloids• More of a gossip magazine, compared to the other two• Widely available to buy off the shelf $1.92 or £2• Also able to subscribe to receive an issue for a year, equivalent to 26 issues, $49.99

Cross Media

•There are a few TV shows which are dedicated to popular music including Hip Hop. BET’s 106 and Park and T4. But TV shows such as Wild ’N’ Out, is a show that is based around Hip Hop, but uses it in a more lighter approach.

•There are also huge amounts of radio stations, internet pages, blogs and specific music channels which cover the Hip Hop genre and other popular music.

What next?

• Many critics and Hip Hop artists themselves, may say that “real” Hip Hop is dying and new “artificial” forms of hip are slowly creeping in to the frame.

• It could be argued that an old dog, is simply learning new tricks, rather than the industry as a whole changing.

• But one thing is for sure, is that new artists are trying to hit the mainstream audience straight away, rather than the underground scene.

• The youth also seem to be taking over, as they discover and incorporate new rap techniques and new lyrics to their armoury. Rappers such as Drake, Nicki Minaj, Charles Hamilton, B.O.B, Soulja Boy and Lil Twist, are just a few, that are leading the new wave of hip hop artists.