Sunday, November 5, 2017

An Analysis Of The Golden Age Of Hip Hop

By Matthew Barnes


When asked what they remember about the late 80s and early 90s, many people may talk about different things. In the music industry, however, many recognize the era as the golden age of hip hop. It was during this time that some rappers rose to fame and became household names.

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.

A large number of artists came into the fold at the time. They include Public Enemy, Slick Rick, Beastie Boys, the Jungle Brothers and LL Cool J among others. The albums they released remained top of the billboard charts for weeks on end and defined the way future generations embraced rap music. When the 90s drew to a close, artists like Eminem and Dr. Dre picked up the mantle.

Many ardent music fans recognize the era for the innovation it brought into the industry. The genre was reinvented at the turn of every new hit single. Unlike what happens these days, groundbreaking albums would be produced month after month back then.

The innovations also brought quick changes to the way tunes played out and the messages communicated through music. Beats and rhymes started to get faster. This was largely thanks to advancement in production technology. Many African American rappers also started to use their music to promote black activism.

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.

Because many types of beats were being tested by producers, rapping techniques advanced rapidly. Rappers like Rakim, Chuck D, KRS One and Big Daddy Kane quickly gained adulation for their unique rapping capabilities. In the years to come, many music pundits regarded them as phenomenal. With creativity at an all time high, fans had very little 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.

The large scale sampling that producers did gradually gave rise to lawsuits. Record labels began to file copyright suits against each other. Eventually, producers embraced the spirit of uniqueness, creativity and innovation.

Most of the hits produced today have a lot to credit to the pioneers of the genre. While many musicians today focus their subjects on self glorification, there is a growing need to address recurring social issues. With music, important messages can be put across to the masses.




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