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Introduction

Hip hop music is a style of 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. It consists of two main components: rapping (MCing) 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, a cultural movement that was initiated by inner-city youth, mostly African Americans in New York City, in the early 1970s.

Typically, hip hop music consists of intensely rhythmic lyrical form making abundant 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. This beat is often created using a sample of the percussion break of another song, usually a funk or soul recording. 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.

Hip hop began in The Bronx, located 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, terrorism, 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.

Roots of Hip Hop

Hip hop culture, including rapping, scratching, graffiti, and breakdancing, emerged from 1970s block parties in New York City, specifically The Bronx (Toop, 1991). In the 1930s more than a sixth of Harlem residents were from the West Indies, and the block parties of the '80s were closely similar to sound systems in Jamaica (Toop, 1991). These were large parties, originally outdoors, thrown by owners of loud and expensive stereo equipment, which they could share with the community or use to compete among themselves, who began speaking lyrics or toasting.

Rap music emerged from block parties after ultra-competitive DJs isolated percussion breaks, those being the favorites among dancers, and MCs began speaking over the beats (Toop, 1991); in Jamaica, a similar musical style called dub developed from the same isolated and elongated percussion breaks. However, "most rappers will tell you that they either disliked reggae or were only vaguely aware of it in the early and middle '70s." (Toop, 1991)

Lastly, most existing hip hop acts were shocked when King Tim III's throwback to radio DJs rhyming jive and the Sugarhill Gang's appropriation of rap on their remake, not sample, of CHIC's "Good Times" were released, as most DJs and MCs knew each other and many had been attempting to record (Toop, 1991). Early rap records are a mix bag of quality material by party veterans and poorer material quickly produced for a profit.

Lil Rodney Cee, of Funky Four Plus One More and Double Trouble, cites Cowboy, of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, as, "the first MC that I know of...He was the first MC to talk about the DJ." (Toop, 1991)

The historical conditions contributing to the origin of hip hop

The reasons for the rise of hip hop are complex. Perhaps most important was the low cost involved in getting started: the equipment was relatively inexpensive, and virtually anyone could MC along with the popular beats of the day. MCs could be creative, pairing nonsense rhymes and teasing friends and enemies alike in the style of Jamaican toasting at blues parties or playing the dozens in an exchange of wit. MCs would play at block parties, with no expectation of recording, thus making hip hop a form of folk music (as long as electronic music is not excluded from being folk). The skills necessary to create hip hop music were passed informally from musician to musician, rather than being taught in expensive music lessons.

In Washington, D.C., go go also emerged as a reaction against disco, and eventually mixed with hip hop during the early 1980s, while electronic music did the same, developing as house music in Chicago and techno music in Detroit.

In addition to this origin of modern Hip Hop, a primitive form of Hip Hop was first shaped by slaves that came to America in the 18th Century from West Africa. The scenic background is that slaves who were often tired and bored with hard work, started speaking out complaints or sang phrases that would cheer them up. These words were accompanied with claps or beats made by hitting a spot on their bodies. This shaped the very primitive form of Hip Hop.

Disco

Hip-hop was both rooted in disco, and a backlash against it. According to Kurtis Blow, the early days of hip-hop were characterized by divisions between fans and detractors of disco music. Either way, it is indisputable that disco had an effect on hip-hop music and culture, due to the fact that the first commercial rap hit "Rapper's Delight" by Sugarhill Gang in 1979, was flush with tenets of disco, from the funk-laden beat to the televised exploitation involving the clothes, dancing, and corny special effects, all associated with disco.

Minimalism

Minimalism --and more significantly Electronic Minimalism-- resorted to calmly, methodically --and sometimes even organically-- remove the extensive mess of ornamentation existent in both Popular and Classical Music; cleaning the palate and paving the Autobahn for the discovery of new rhythms.

From 1977 to 1982 on WGPR, followed by three years at WJLB, Detroit FM DJ named Charles Johnson better known by his on-air name, the Electrifying Mojo, presided over the Midnight Funk Association, broadcasting a diverse anti-format with special attention given to the German minimalist electronic group Kraftwerk. Having fished the Autobahn album out of the "discarded" bin at a previous station, and soon after having acquired a copy of Trans Europe Express, when the 1981 album Computer World came out, Mojo played the entire albums virtually every night, making a lasting impact on listeners.

Ghetto DJs

Librarians of lunacy and analog alchemy, Ghetto DJs found solace in experimentation. A generation that refused to be silenced by urban poverty, teenagers with little cash but plenty of imagination began to forge new styles from spare parts.

In an interview for David Toop's book 'Rap Attack 3', Afrika Bambaataa said that

"The Bronx wasn't really into radio music no more. It was an anti-disco movement. Like you had a lot of new wavers and other people coming out and saying, 'Disco Sucks'. Well, the same thing with hip hop, 'cause they was against the disco that was being played on the radio."

and in a reference plastered countless time on the internet, known as "The History Of Rap" by Kurtis Blow, he writes

"You have to understand that disco music was the hottest thing out -- it was a craze that infiltrated all of American society. We were the rebels who couldn't relate. We weren't going for it. The B-Boys were from the ghetto, while disco was for the middle class and the rich. But there was hip-hop in both worlds. It was the hip-hop tug-o'-war -- disco rappers versus the B-Boys."

Doug Wimblish (bass), who together with Keith LeBlanc (drums) and Skip McDonald (guitar) took over the Sugarhill Records production and arrangement responsibilities from Positive Force and label arranger Jiggs Chase, says

"Jiggs had done an arrangement that was pretty slick but it wasn't the raw stuff they wanted. One of them was almost in tears, 'cause they though they were going to have to do it. And then Rodney [Cee] was just, 'Man, this sounds like it's for an older crowd. What is this shit?' So then we cut 'That's the Joint' and they liked that much better. You couldn't do those boring disco tracks -- everything was four-on-the-floor all the way through. The rappers, they wouldn't have that shit."

Minimalists and DJs; all suppressing the fear of ridicule, all mindful of the delicate balance between challanging and alienating listeners, and all proud of their ability to understand increasing amounts of technical knowledge in light of the creative independence it reaped; have crosspolinated with and from each other since their infancy.

Earlier styles that contributed to hip-hop music

• West African griots, wandering poets and "praise-singers"
• Spirituals and other forms of Christian music, as well as certain Protestant preachers' sermons
• Voice instrumental, long-standing tradition in world music of many varieties and across peoples
• Scat singing, using the voice to imitate a musical instrument.
• Toasting, traditional African-American and Afro-Caribbean entertainment, long, rhymed tales of great heroes, Stagger Lee and Jack Johnson among others (see dub)
• Dirty Dozens, stylized exchange of insults.
• "Signifying Monkey", long series of rhymed tales in which the weaker monkey triumphs through tricks over the more powerful beasts of the jungle, a ruder version of the Brer Rabbit stories.
• Talking blues, popularized by Woody Guthrie, John Lee Hooker, and others, featuring rhyming talking with ironic asides to the audience.
• Late 1960s and early '70s at least proto-rap poets such as Gil Scott-Heron and the Last Poets
• Jump rope and schoolyard rhymes, such as the following:

One bright day in the middle of the night,

Two dead boys got up to fight.

Back to back they faced each other,

drew their swords and shot each other.

• Jazz vocalese and pop/R&B Doo wop, using voices to imitate an entire band (dating back at least to the Mills Brothers).
• Here Come The Judge, a song recorded by Pigmeat Markham in 1967, can be considered a prototype of rap.
• Memphis Jug Band, had a style and flow which could be the very first prototype of rap.
  

Old school hip hop (1970–1986)

Old school hip hop is a term used to describe the very earliest hip hop music to come out of the block parties of New York City in the 1970s and 1980s. It began in the early 1970s in New York with the advent of breakbeat DJing, in which DJs including Kool DJ Herc and Grandmaster Flash extended the breaks (short percussion interludes) of funk records, creating a more "danceable" sound. In modern usage, the term is often used to refer to hip hop from the early 1990s by numerous radio stations and television channels, including BET.^{[citation needed]} However, this "danceable" sound has fallen out of use with current-day hip hop.

History

Hip hop music began in the early 1970s in New York City with the advent of breakbeat DJing. Kool DJ Herc, Grandmaster Flash and other DJs extended the breaks (short percussion interludes) of funk records, creating a more "danceable" sound. This use of extended percussion breaks led to the development of mixing and scratching techniques, and later to the popularization of remixes.

As hip hop's popularity grew, performers began speaking while the music played, and became known as MCs or emcees. Performers often emceed for hours at a time, with some improvisation and a simple four-count beat and basic chorus. Teams of emcees (many of whom were former gang members) sprang up throughout the country, led by the first emcee team, Kool Herc & the Herculoids. The MCs grew more varied in their vocal and rhythmic approach, incorporating brief rhymes, often with a sexual or scatological theme. These early raps incorporated rhyming lyrics from African American culture (see roots of hip hop music), such as the dozens.

Old school hip hop would often sample disco, soul, and funk tracks. In the case of the Sugarhill Gang, a live band was used for samples. However, the old school sound soon became based largely on drum machines and popular "break" samples. This use of extended percussion breaks led to the development of mixing and scratching techniques. Scratching was invented by Grandwizard Theodore in 1977, and was found on DJ records such as Grandmaster Flash's "Adventures on the Wheels of Steel". Scratching later resulted in the popularization of remixes in hip hop. In 1984, Marley Marl accidentally caught a drum machine snare hit in the sampler; this innovation was vital in the development of electro and other later types of hip hop. In contrast with the later rhymes of new school hip hop, old school rap was relatively simple in its rhythms and cadences.

Old school rap was often focused on good times, parties and friendship. An exception was "The Message", a rap song written by Melle Mel for his hip hop group, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. The popularity of "The Message" led the "message rap" to gain a place in the hip hop canon.

The first steps towards the commercialization of hip hop came with the release of what are usually called the first two commercially issued hip hop recordings: "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by the Fatback Band, and "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang. While "King Tim III" is widely regarded as the first recorded hip hop song, it was the Sugarhill Gang that won hip hop its first mainstream popularity. Though neither the Fatback Band nor the Sugarhill Gang had significant roots in the DJ culture, "Rapper's Delight" became a Top 40 hit on the U.S. Billboard pop singles chart. After the releases of follow ups by acts such as Kurtis Blow ("The Breaks"), The Sequence ("Funk You Up"), and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five ("Freedom"), hip hop was pegged as a successful, yet temporary, trend in music.

During the 1980s, hip hop began to diversify and develop into a more complex form. The simple tales of 1970s emcees were replaced by highly metaphoric raps over complex, multi-layered beats. Some rappers even became mainstream pop performers, including Kurtis Blow, whose appearance in a Sprite commercial made him the first hip hop musician to be considered mainstream enough to represent a major product, but also the first to be accused by the hip hop audience of selling out. 

Old School Artists

Golden age hip hop (1986–1993)

The golden age of hip hop, derivative of old school hip hop, began with the popularity of Run-DMC's album Raising Hell in 1986 and ended with the popularity of G-Funk around 1993. It was characterized by ubiquitous soul, jazz and funk samples (à la James Brown and Curtis Mayfield) and Afrocentric lyrics. The golden age was based in New York City and saw acts emerge from the West Coast and the South, and featured rappers including the Juice Crew All-stars, Rakim, KRS-ONE, and Chuck D, who advanced the wordplay, delivery, and subject matter of rap. Additionally, groups such as De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Leaders of the New School produced socially conscious recordings, leading to the genre of conscious hip hop. Hip hop also expanded into new subgenres and styles. During this period, Def Jam became the first independent hip hop record label and the rise of one of its most successful protégés LL Cool J. 

New styles

A number of new hip hop styles and subgenres began appearing as the genre gained popularity. Run-D.M.C.'s collaboration with hard rock band Aerosmith on "Walk This Way" was an early example of rock and hip hop fusions. Also, the mid-1980s saw the rise of the first major black female group, Salt-N-Pepa, who hit the charts with singles like "The Show Stoppa" in 1985. Ice T's seminal "6n' Da Mornin'" (1986) was one of the first nationally successful West Coast hip hop singles, and is often said to be the beginning of gangsta rap.

In 1987, Public Enemy brought out their debut album (Yo! Bum Rush the Show), and Boogie Down Productions followed up in 1988 with By All Means Necessary. Both records pioneered a wave of hard-edged politicized performers. In 1988 and 1989, artists from the Native Tongues Posse released the first conscious hip hop albums, with jazz-based samples and diverse, quirky and often political lyrics covering a diverse range of topics (see jazz rap) and strongly influenced by the Afrocentric messages of Bambaataa's Zulu Nation. Also, in 1988, Public Enemy released their sophomore album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. This album, generally considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, and praised by critics and fans, combined noisy, oftenatonal samples with fiery political rhetoric to create a wholly unique sound, never before seen in hip-hop.

Black pride, Afrocentricity and Politics

During this time hip-hop saw a large circle of artist promoting Black pride, unity, and self-awareness. Artist and groups such as Public Enemy , Kool Moe Dee, X-Clan, and Boogie Down Productions (after the death of Scott Sterling) began to preach their distaste with the social and political state of the U.S., and its effects on the black community. This era also saw a significant number of Five Percenter affiliated artist such as Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Poor Righteous Teachers, and Brand Nubian preaching the doctrine of the Supreme Alphabet and Supreme Mathematics in their lyrics.

Hip hop also began a movement of ending violence in hip hop and the black community, mostly led by KRS-One and the Stop The Violence Movement with their song "Self Destruction".

Rise of women

Prior to the late 80's, women in hip hop were few and far between and those that were active got very little airplay. However after the releases of "Roxanne's Revenge" by Roxanne Shante and "The Show Stopper" by Salt N' Pepa, it became apparent that women in hip hop would no longer take a backseat to the current male dominated market. Artists such as MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, and Monie Love began to release full albums and gain airtime on radios.

Alternative styles

Alternative styles were developed and popular, those of the Native Tongue Posse which included A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, the Black Sheep, and the Jungle Brothers. Also jazz rap began its rise through groups such as Stetsasonic and Gang Starr. Beatboxing was popular through artists like Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie and the Fat Boys.

The crew with the "Juice"

The most memorable artists from the golden era were perhaps those affiliated with Marley Marl's Cold Chillin Records and its collective the Juice Crew. Big Daddy Kane was known for his smooth lyrical flow and sex appeal, Kool G Rap for his complex wordplay, Biz Markie for comedic antics, Masta Ace, Craig G, and MC Shan from the Bridge Wars against Boogie Down Productions. Many rappers to this date pay homage to Kane and Kool G Rap for their impact on some of today's lyricists.

West Coast hip hop

West Coast hip hop, also known as West Coast rap or California hip hop, is a style of hip hop music that originated in California in the 1980s. It has since grown into a subgenre of hip hop and has developed several creative centers, most of which are in African American communities in California.

The centers of West Coast hip hop is the Los Angeles area, but can also include the San Francisco Bay Area area and Seattle.

1980's

The origins of West Coast hip hop can be traced back to the late 1970s. After its invention in New York City it started to spread across the country. It quickly jumped coasts to California, where a strong presents of African Americans embraced hip-hop, where it was mainly prominent in block parties and some clubs. However, The West Coast scene became truly established during the 1980s as hip hop music first gained national appeal, and established itself in California in general (and in Los Angeles in particular). Early hardcore rap performers included Bay Area legend Too $hort, who started rapping as early as 1983 and put out three independent albums beginning in 1985 before his 1987 major-label debut, "Born to Mack," went gold. Too $hort would release 2 more albums before 1991 that went platinum and double platinum respectively. In Los Angeles during the same period, artists like Ice-T, Captian Rapp, King Tee, Toddy Tee, and Mix Master Spade, C.I.A. gained prominence, while World Class Wreckin' Cru, DJ Unknown, Egyptian Lover and the Arabian Prince innovated a style called electro hop (or simply electro), essentially a hybrid of dance music and rap - following the lead of Afrika Bambaataa, who had originally created hip hop by mixing together reggae, funk, and German techno. Electro hop was a less funky, more bass-heavy West Coast sound, similar to Florida rap group 2 Live Crew and the Miami bass scene. However, hip hop followers didn't fully accept electro hop in the long run, and it had all but disappeared by the mid-1990s.

Gangsta rap

The so-called "gangsta rap" movement also originated in California in the 1980s, serving as a sharp contrast to electro hop and other lighter forms of hip hop. Ice-T's "6'n da Mornin" (1986) received some national exposure while his 1987 recording Rhyme Pays was a landmark for the genre and could be considered the first purely gangsta rap albums. It managed to go gold. N.W.A.'s N.W.A. and the Posse came out shortly thereafter. The CD was a compilation album of loosely connected rappers under the name "N.W.A". While not proving to be popular nor having a major affect on hip hop, it set up N.W.A. for their follow up album, which is credited for popularizing gangsta rap to this day. It was about a year after their first album that the group was shortened to the members Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and DJ Yella, the addition of MC Ren; along with continued contributions from unofficial members The D.O.C. and Arabian Prince.

In 1988, the now-legendary N.W.A. released their blockbuster, Straight Outta Compton, and put the West Coast on the hip hop map. Their sound was influenced by hardcore, metal-tinged rap performers like Ice-T, and '70s soul music and p-funk. Straight Outta Compton united these sounds with minimalistic beats and blunt, hard-hitting lyrics filled with references to (and often promotions of) violence, hedonism, and the criminal lifestyle. Individual members also were able to write pages in hip hop history. Shortly after Straight Outta Comtpn was released Eazy-E released his wildly received debut album in 1988, with most the production done by Dr. Dre. In 1989, unofficial member The D.O.C. released his solo debut album No One Can Do It Better which managed to be released with critical acclaimed and sold over a million copies, which received 5 Mics from The Source. When Ice Cube left the group in 1989 his lyrics and delivery earned him two platinum and widely acclaimed (both gaining the highest ratings from The Source) albums in AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and Death Certificate released in 1990 and 1991 respectively. The remaining members of the group followed up by releasing Efil4zaggin which leaned more towards violent, criminal rap that became more growingly associated with hip hop. After this the group would break up with Dr. Dre leaving the label to sign to Death Row Records.

Early 1990's

2 other West Coast groups that came out around this time were Digital Underground and Compton's Most Wanted.While neither group proved to be as popular or controversial as N.W.A., they still helped to shape early West Coast rap. However, like N.W.A., some of its individual members would go on to form moderate (ie. MC Eiht of CMW) to successful (ie. 2Pac of DU) solo careers, and continue to build upon West Coast rap. During 2Pac's early career, he would rap about many social and political issues with the albums 2Pacalypse Now and Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. before his style began to lean towards gangsta/thug rap in the mid 1990's.

Latin rap also got its first start during this time. While previously being restricted to New York, West Coast artists like Kid Frost and Mellow Man Ace were pioneers in the sub-genre. Although not popular at the time, these artists paved the way for the most successful Latin rap group/artist to ever come out, the South Gate, CA natives, Cypress Hill (read below). 

Golden era of West Coast hip hop (1992–1996)

With the nationwide success of N.W.A., the West Coast had finally established a style that matched the intensity and grit of the hip hop that was coming from the East Coast at the time. In gangsta rap, the West Coast scene had a voice that could compete with Public Enemy, KRS-One, and other East Coast powerhouses. Although N.W.A. would eventually split, its remaining members continued to build, popularize, and revolutionize on the foundation the group had laid.

Three of N.W.A.'s most prominent members, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, and Dr. Dre, launched successful solo careers after the group's dissolution. Ice Cube's style was more militant, angry, racially charged, and political, while Eazy-E's style was more violent gangsta rap mixed with some g-funk.

G-funk

Dr. Dre's style, innovated with Warren G, dubbed "g-funk" or "gangsta funk," was slower and more melodic, with heavy basslines topped by flutes and p-funk samples, and finished with a slurring, often whimsical lyrical delivery. The genre was characterized by a generally hedonistic subject matter including violence, sex, and drug use, and a slurred "lazy drawl" that was said to sacrifice lyrical complexity for clarity and rhythmic cadence. Dr. Dre's debut album, The Chronic released in 1992, is widely considered to be a seminal work in the genre and not only established the dominant sound of hip hop music for years to come, but also launched the careers of several key West Coast hip hop artists, including Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dat Nigga Daz, Kurupt, Nate Dogg and Warren G. G-funk also became the dominant genre of West Coast rap for years to come for new and veteran artists alike.

After the release of The Chronic, many producers from the West Coast and even some from the East Coast began producing in the g-funk style or imitating it. Most notably, producers Warren G and DJ Quik produced their most well-known material in the g-funk era, Dre's fellow Death Row "inmate" Daz produced Tha Dogg Pound's debut Dogg Food in the same style.

Lasting influences in hip hop that have carried on even to this day include heavy use of funk-style synthesizers, and hooks sung with heavy voice-editing in a style pioneered by funk singer Roger Troutman.

East Coast vs. West Coast

While the beginnings of the rivalry between coastlines can be traced back to N.W.A., it took a personal beef between two of gangsta rap's greatest prodigies to fully capture the nation's attention. While 2Pac was working on his third album Me Against the World in 1994, he was shot by muggers in the lobby of a New York City recording studio that friend The Notorious B.I.G. was recording at. While serving prison time for sexual assault, 2Pac accused The Notorious B.I.G. and Puff Daddy, amongst others, of having prior knowledge of the shooting. This series of events sparked an intercoastal war between Bad Boy Entertainment (owned by Combs) and Death Row Records (owned by Suge Knight).

The tension between Death Row and Bad Boy increased as both labels released a series of scathing tracks blatantly filled with insults, threats, and accusations targeted at the opposing labels. The rivalry ended when Shakur was fatally shot in 1996, a slaying that The Notorious B.I.G. was suspected by the public to be involved in. However, it is now widely believed that it actually resulted from a fight involving members of 2Pac's entourage and a gang member earlier in the night. In an incident that may or may not be connected to the rivalry, The Notorious B.I.G. was also fatally shot in Los Angeles, California, in a similar fashion to Shakur, six months after the fatal shooting of 2Pac.

Popularity

The coastal rivalry raised Death Row Records to notorious status. Combined with the rise of g-funk, West Coast artists like Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, and Tha Dogg Pound all released multi-platinum albums on Death Row Records. Although enjoying much success because of surrounding controversy, many critically acclaimed albums that are now considered classics in hip hop history were released during this time such as All Eyez on Me, Doggystyle, and Dogg Food. At the height of its popularity, West Coast artists were selling 3 times more than their East Coast rivals. Meanwhile, other gangsta rap artists from California were also enjoying much success, if not as much as Death Row artists. Warren G, DJ Quik, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and Westside Connection all debuted or continued to release gangsta rap/g-funk albums in the early and mid 1990s, which enjoyed at least moderate success.

On the other side of the coin, even non g-funk/non Death Row artists were rising to popularity. Coolio released his platinum selling album It Takes a Thief and his multi-platinum and world famous album Gangsta's Paradise in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Mack 10 released his self titled album in 1995 and managed to go gold. Too $hort and newcomer E-40 pushed the Bay Area to a rare level of moderate success, with E-40 releasing his second album, In a Major Way in 1995, which went gold (and eventually went platinum 7 years after it was released). Too $hort continued to release music about pimp lifestyle and drugs that helped him receive 4 platinum albums between 1992 and 1996. The earliest success of Latin rap also came from this time, as Cypress Hill released a string of platinum selling albums in the early and mid 90's while at the same time continuing to pioneer Latin rap set forth by fellow West Coast rapper Kid Frost. Their style mixed Latin rap with gangsta rap and g-funk to create a seminal work in the genre and made them the first Latin rappers to have gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums. Their first 2 albums (and to a lesser degree, their third) were met with critical acclaim.

Following incidents with the two Coasts, Death Row Records' success diminished as Dr. Dre departed to form Aftermath Entertainment, 2Pac got murdered, and Snoop Dogg left to join No Limit Records. Gangsta rap disappeared from the national spotlight and the resulting void was filled by East Coast pop-rap acts such as Puff Daddy, Ma$e, and actor/musician Will Smith. By 1997, West Coast hip hop had began to diminish from the mainstream.

Decline (1996–2003)

An oft-cited reason for the decline of the West Coast scene in the late 1990s was that by that time it had been split into two almost totally unconnected factions. While gangsta rap artists like Dr. Dre, E-40 and Snoop Dogg - along with all of their countless imitators - continued to fight for access to the mainstream, the so-called Conscious hip hop scene on the West Coast was gaining momentum, which tended to adopt a more do-it-yourself ethos, forgetting commercial success. The rivalry between the East and West also left a bad impression on West Coast hip hop and gangsta rap in general to the music industry, making it extremely difficult for artists from the West to push their music. The demise of Death Row and the popularity fading of g-funk signified an eventual crumble of the power house that was West Coast rap. The after effects of the West Coast scene's "great divide" of the late 1990s can still be felt today: as a result of the split, major West Coast cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles are now home to not one but multiple hip hop scenes. With the death of the West Coast's biggest star the West Coast's momentum came to a sudden halt. The media and critics who previously helped boost gangsta rap started feeling disdain towards the West's constant "inappropriate" behavior and image. While the underground was continually gaining momentum, it began getting crowded with constant imitators. It was also around this era that illegal downloading became popular, which hurt the entire music industry, and as the West had been already begun lagging in this department, they seemed to take the hit somewhat harder

Underground development

In the late 1990s, the West Coast's Underground hip hop scene began to gain prominence as underground hip hop started to boom as artists tried to stray away from the negativity gansta rap brought the Coast. Artists like Blackalicious, Zion I, The Pharcyde, Aceyalone, Hieroglyphics, Jurassic 5, The Coup, Ozomatli, Spearhead, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Of Mexican Descent, Planet Asia, and others (most of whom self-identify as "conscious" artists, and all of whom include political, social, or insightful messages in their music) gained recognition without being signed to major labels. Other artists such as Dilated Peoples and The Black Eyed Peas while signed to major labels, failed to break out into the mainstream for lack of promotion or other reasons yet still had the same style and maintained an underground following.

West Coast hip hop today (2003–present)

West Coast rap seems to be fighting to be part of the mainstream again as there is on going a third generation of artists. The Game's album "The Documentary" along with a well publicized beef with 50 Cent has received more attention to the West Coast.

Since The Game released The Documentary, artist like Glasses Malone, Bishop Lamont, Omar Cruz, Crooked I, JT the Bigga Figga, Lil Eazy-E, Eastwood, Clyde Carson (of The Team), and Ya Boy have all received increased attention with regard to future releases. The Bay area is also picking up steam with their sub-genre of music hyphy music, promoted by long time veteran E-40. While other artists like Mykestro, Guerilla Black, Roscoe, Mitchy Slick, and Sly Boogy, Mistah F.A.B., and The Federation are also trying to help reintroduce West Coast rap to the world, the West still has to compete with a market dominated by Southern artists that even East Coast rappers have trouble competing with. This combined with the continued growth of Pop-rap or commercialism has lead to a mystery in which direction the current generation of rappers will go. As of right now, The Game, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, E-40, The Black Eyed Peas, and Ice Cube seem to be the only artists of 2006 that have created strong leads in mainstream hip hop.

After the success of his album R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece Snoop Dogg convoked west side artists (about 65 people) into a meeting called the Western Conference on July 4, 2005. They agreed to join forces again and to end long standing beefs between each other in hopes of helping West Coast music back to its once reigning place through unity. It served as occasion for several members to announce cease-fires in their beefs including the reconciliation of Tha Dogg Pound, Jayo Felony and Snoop, and The Game and JT the Bigga Figga. Snoop Dogg offered his label Doggystyle Records and his C.E.O. position at Koch Records to be an "engine" of the movement, and that he will promote with his name.

With a new attitude the West Coast seems to be taking steps towards bring success, both commerically and musically, back to the left side of the map. With unity in mind artists begin to collabrate again and grow with there music. While an incline of sales have shown in recent years, 2007 will showcase some of the newer West Coast's most prospective artists in Glasses Malone, Ya Boy, Omar Cruz, and Bishop Lamont.

However, for much of the 2000s, the West Coast continued losing its appeal to the then growing Dirty South. Particularly, in the year 2003, Southern rap experienced an unprecedented degree of mainstream popularity. Since 2000, The Game remains the only person to sell a multi-platinum album on the West Coast (aside from The Black Eyed Peas, who do not follow traditional West Coast hip hop music and are often overlooked). From the aforementioned mass appeal of Southern rap the West Coast has severely struggled to regain its status in the mainstream. The West Coast has also been criticized for losing originality in its works, fallowing what some call the same style as in years past.

Southern hip hop

Southern Rap (also known as Dirty South) is a type of hip hop music that emerged in the late-1990s as a popular force from cities such as New Orleans, Miami, Atlanta, Memphis, Houston, and Baton Rouge.

History and rise to popularity

In the 1980s, the rise and spread of hip hop culture from New York City and California spurred cities in the Southern United States to develop and nurture their own respective hip hop scenes. Without large urban markets like New York City and California, major record labels largely ignored the south for decades. Southern rap artists were forced to release their music independently. The mixtape scene has factored largely in the success of many of today's southern rap artists.

Miami Bass

Miami Bass is a popular style of music from the Miami area of South Florida and is embodied by the musical style of local rap stars such as Trick Daddy. Miami Bass is a part of the robust music scene in the South Florida metropolitan area, which is comprised of cities such as Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale.

In Miami, the distinctive bass-heavy scene of Miami bass evolved out of electro hop and similar hip hop-influenced dance scenes in Miami, including Luther Campbell and his group, 2 Live Crew. 2 Live Crew became infamous after their album, Nasty As They Wanna Be (1989), was banned in a Florida town and the group was subsequently arrested on obscenity charges after performing; the charges were eventually dismissed. The Miami Bass scene that 2 Live Crew typified is simply one form of southern rap and Miami Bass' club-oriented sound garnered little respect from hip hop fans. But the 2 Live Crew is not the only music artist in Miami. This city also holds Trick Daddy, DJ Uncle Al, Rick Ross, Trina, Jacki-O, Pitbull, Cool & Dre, DJ Khaled, Smitty, Pretty Ricky and many more. Miami rapper Trick Daddy also grew up in the Liberty Square Housing Projects of the Liberty City section of Miami, one of the city's and America's roughest areas. The city of Miami is also home to the label Slip "N" Slide Records. 

Southern hardcore

The first rap group to gain national notice for southern rap music were the Geto Boys. The Geto Boys hailed from Houston, and consisted of Willie D, Dr. Wolfgang Von Bushwickin the Barbarian Mother Funky Stay High Dollar Billstir, and Scarface. Houston was the first major city outside of New York City and Los Angeles to attract attention from the rap world; the Geto Boy's 1989 local debut, Grip It! On That Other Level, garnered the attention of Def Jam founder Rick Rubin to executive produce and release their 1990 nationwide debut

However, it was the Geto Boys' 1991 hit, Mind Playin' Tricks on Me, that began to break down the barrier for southern rap. The raw and unforgiving lyrics about paranoia and losing one's mind were a huge change from what most hip hop fans expected coming from the South. The song would go on to influence several other acts that would popularize the Southern rap scene; for example, while hosting BET's Top 25 countdown in 2004, OutKast's André 3000 remarked that "Mind Playin' Tricks on Me" "put Southern rap on the map." The Geto Boy's Scarface later launched a successful solo career and is referred to by some as the original "King of the South."

Soon after the Geto Boys' success, Houston became a main center of Southern hip hop. Now-popular groups such as UGK (from Port Arthur, Texas) and 8 Ball & MJG (from Memphis, Tennessee) moved to Houston in the late 80s to begin their musical careers. Both groups went on to release influential albums such as UGK's Too Hard to Swallow (1992) and 8 Ball & MJG's Comin' Out Hard (1993). Houston was also home to Rap-A-Lot Records, the first successful Southern rap label, incidentally headed by Scarface.

Spirituality

In Tennessee, Arrested Development released their album five months after "Mind Playin' Tricks on Me." Their brand of lighthearted and spiritual party singles from their debut LP, 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of..., was a world apart from the sexually explicit, bass heavy party music of Miami and the gangsta rap bravado of Houston, but the group gained both commercial success and critical acclaim. While Arrested Development was not able to keep their momentum going, their success did set the stage for Atlanta's OutKast and Goodie Mob.

These two groups, both a part of the collective the Dungeon Family, debuted in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Their musical basis was alternately heavy-bassed funk over which were party raps, and slow introspective songs about poverty, promiscuity and racism. OutKast and Goodie Mob were the first groups to popularize Atlanta, Georgia in the South and were among the first acts from the South to gain national recognition.

No Limit/Cash Money

By the late 1990s, Atlanta had emerged as a major city in hip hop and the city's success and influence in the rap world continues on today. While OutKast, Goodie Mob, and a number of other Atlanta-based acts (several of them part of Organized Noize the Dungeon Family collective) balanced critical and commercial success, New Orleans rapper/label mogul Master P popularized a bounce-based sound that focused more on commercial appeal than artistry.

The late 1990s also saw the emergence of New Orleans as a hotbed for rap music. Master P's No Limit Records popularized rappers such as Mystikal and Silkk the Shocker and became home to highly popular West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg; the compteting Cash Money label presented acts such as The Hot Boys (The B.G., Juvenile, Lil Wayne, and Turk).

The No Limit/Cash Money formula was also successfully co-opted by Miami's Slip-N-Slide label, which included Trick Daddy and Trina. Labels such as these also caused Dirty South music to be associated with "mass produced" albums released in rapid succession. The CD packaging for these releases typically featured brightly-colored, heavily Photoshopped "bling bling"-style album covers; and a whole page of the liner notes for each LP was usually devoted to advertising its follow-ups.

A number of other southern cities were the home base for popular hip hop acts: The controversial Three 6 Mafia hailed from Memphis, Tennessee, Nappy Roots from Bowling Green, Kentucky, Petey Pablo from Greenville, North Carolina, Little Brother from Durham, North Carolina, Missy Elliott, Clipse, Pharrell, Timbaland, and The Neptunes from Virginia Beach (although their music bears almost no resemblance to southern rap and could be considered East Coast Rap), and Dru Money from South Carolina.

Crunk

By the early 2000s, Southern rap was arguably becoming the genre's most popular form. This is due to the mainstream acceptance of the crunk music movement that originated from Memphis, Tennessee. Rap groups such as Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz, 8 Ball & MJG, the Youngbloodz, and Three 6 Mafia have had massive mainstream success releasing music focused on the ever-popular club scene.

Screwed and Chopped

Screwed and Chopped was developed in Houston, Texas which remains the location most associated with the style. The late DJ Screw, a South Houston DJ, is credited with the creation of and early experimentation with the genre. DJ Screw began making mixtapes of the slowed-down music in the early 1990s. This provided a significant outlet for MCs in the South-Houston area, and helped local rappers such as Lil' Flip, E.S.G., UGK, Lil' Keke and Z-Ro gain regional and sometimes national prominence. Originally, this process involved mixing two copies of the same record, slowed down either on the turntables using pitch shift or through use of an after-mixer device. Phasing, flanging and echo effects were originally the result of the two records being played at millisecond intervals.

Some Houston-area artists (e.g. Ganksta N-I-P and Willie D) incorporated the slowed tempo into a few rap songs long before chopped and screwed was part of the mainstream. For example, Willie D's song Die (from the album I'm Goin Out Lika Soldier) featured a slowed-down sample of the line "Balls and my word" from the movie Scarface.

By the time of Screw's death in 2000, the genre had become widely known throughout the southern United States. Currently, the style is exemplified in the music of Swishahouse DJs such as OG Ron C and Michael 5000 Watts. Their work has helped establish current rappers Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Mike Jones and rap groups such as The Color Changin' Click and the Screwed Up Click. More major recording labels have embraced the genre, and chopped and screwed albums occasionally outsell the unmixed version.

2005 saw the return of Houston as a leader in Southern rap with Houston artists such as Mike Jones, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Bun B of UGK, and Paul Wall experienced great commercial success.

Typical features

Stylistically, Dirty South is notably different from its northern and western counterparts. Whereas East Coast hip hop has historically been associated with complex lyrics and sparse urban beats, contemporary southern rap is largely characterized by its upbeat, exuberant, club-friendly tunes and simplistic, heavily rhythmic lyrical delivery. Crunk has been criticized by many for its tendency to focus on danceability and to shy away from political, social or spiritual topics, although some artists (such as David Banner and Bubba Sparxxx) have tried to embrace these subjects.

The production style of southern rap can veer towards either a soul-based sound (Dungeon Family, Arrested Development) or a grittier sound (No Limit, Cash Money, Mystikal). Where most East Coast rap operates at tempos around 90-120 beats per minute, Southern rap runs rhythms at 140-160, upwards of 180 beats per minute, and then places each snare hit twice as far apart.

This leaves more time to be filled between the kick (on the down beat of the first measure) and the snare (on the downbeat of the second). Sometimes this space is filled with quick trills of hi-hats, a style pioneered by Three 6 Mafia and Hit Man Sammy Sam's Big Oomp Records; other times, it is filled with additional snare patterns; for instance, Pastor Troy's "Ain't No Mo Play in G.A.," or Miracle's "Bounce." The fastest and slowest rhymers in hip-hop both belong to southern rap, as different talents adapt to the music's distinct tempo. Sampling, while still used, is less common in Southern hip-hop production.

A mainstay feature of hip-hop has always been giving 'shout-outs' to entire coasts, states, or cities, but a more recent trend that is particularly common in southern rap has been to include much more specific shout-outs to specific neighborhoods or local jurisdictions, such the wards of New Orleans, for example, and particular housing projects.

Southern Rappers

 Hardcore hip hop

By the 1990s, the sound of New York and the East Coast had become harder and darker, with lyrical content to match. The shift seemed sudden, but was actually accomplished over several albums in a short timespan.

Artists from the late 80s like EPMD and Eric B and Rakim offered a foundation of hard drums and intricate lyricism. Public Enemy and their production team, The Bomb Squad, had also influenced a harder sound of hiphop across America. EPMD had assembled the Def Squad by the early 90s, which included New Jersey rapper Redman, as well as Das EFX. Criminal elements had also started to become prevalent, taking influence from early gangster rapper pioneers as Boogie Down Productions, Ice T, and Schoolly D. While these early acts were not considered as hard as what was to follow, they were clearly and consciously moving their sound away from successful contemporaries like MC Hammer and towards something tougher and nastier.

1993 was a year of rapid transformation. Wu-Tang Clan released their first album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). This, Black Moon's Enta Da Stage, and Onyx's Bacdafucup spawned a gritty, stripped-down, dark and violent subgenre of hip hop that would influence contemporary acts such as Mobb Deep and The Notorious B.I.G., and would for a short time become the signature sound of New York City's rap scene; Wu-Tang's members dominated rap for the first half of the 1990s with acclaimed releases such as Liquid Swords and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

By 1994, both Nas' debut Illmatic and B.I.G.'s debut Ready to Die were released, bringing much industry attention back to New York. Nas was hailed by many as the second coming of Rakim due to his poetic phrasing, style of flow, and his blend of street and philosophical topics; Biggie went a more "gangster" route, saying he and cohort Puff Daddy desired to bring the West Coast gangster rap sound of Ice T and Ice Cube to the East.

These 1994 releases created a marked shift in the industry, with less attention focused on groups and more on solo artists. This would become the blueprint for other solo "hardcore" personnas to follow, including the solo careers of Wu-Tang Clan members such as Raekwon (Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...), Ghostface Killah (Ironman), Method Man (Tical), GZA (Liquid Swords). As well as AZ and Smif-N-Wessun in 1995, Jay-Z in 1996, Big Pun and DMX in 1998. Lyricists began put their own spin on the themes of the subgenre, including guns, drugs, sex, and money, with the production sound becoming more glossy as it found more mainstream appeal.

The re-emergence of New York as a growing entity in mainstream hip hop soon spawned an inevitable confrontation between the East Coast and West Coast and their respective major labels. This sales rivalry eventually turned into a personal rivalry, provoked in part by famous West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur's shooting, which Shakur blamed on The Notorious B.I.G. and his Bad Boy Entertainment label. As artists from Death Row sent disses (most notably Tupac's "Hit 'Em Up") toward various East Coast and some Southern and Chicago acts (Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label and his sister/artist, Da Brat), the feud heated up and culminated in the still-unsolved deaths of both rappers in 1996 (Shakur) and 1997 (Wallace).

When 2Pac died, most of its prominent artists left Death Row, and the West Coast fell out of the mainstream spotlight; previous icons such as Snoop Dogg and Daz signed to Southern labels (No Limit Records and So So Def, respectively) and Dr. Dre founded his own Aftermath Entertainment and began working chiefly with East Coast natives Nas and The Firm. The success of Puff Daddy signalled that the sound of hiphop's production had moved away from hard street anthems to more dancable, club-friendly party jams. This was embraced by other rappers primarily for financial gain.

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