Hip-hop

• 1. The Bronx Block Party

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  On the 11th of August 1973, a back-to-school party took place in the recreation room at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. DJ Kool Herc used two turntables to extend the instrumental breaks of James Brown records. This technique created a new rhythm for dancers known as B-boys and B-girls. The event marked the birth of hip-hop culture within the African-American and Caribbean immigrant communities of New York City. Socio-economic conditions in the South Bronx had concentrated lower-income residents after the Cross Bronx Expressway construction accelerated white flight. These block parties provided an outlet for teenagers to expend pent-up energy instead of fighting on the streets. Tony Tone of the Cold Crush Brothers stated that hip-hop saved many lives during this era.

• 2. Four Pillars And A Fifth

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  Hip-hop culture rests upon four principal elements: rapping, DJing, breakdancing, and graffiti art. A fifth element called knowledge underscores the role of music in shaping values and promoting consciousness-raising. DJs like Grandmaster Flash perfected needle dropping to create perfect transitions between phonographs. Breakdancers created signature moves that other competitors would imitate to outdo them. Graffiti artists decorated stages and designed flyers for these events. MC Kid Lucky mentioned that people used to break-dance against each other instead of fighting. Afrika Bambaataa founded the Zulu Nation to channel gang members' violent urges into creative ones. KRS-One identified additional elements including self-expression, street fashion, and street entrepreneurialism.

• 3. Golden Age Innovation

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  The period from 1986 to the mid-1990s became known as hip-hop's golden age. Rolling Stone described the era as one where every new single reinvented the genre. Public Enemy released Fear of a Black Planet in 1990 which was both a critical and commercial hit. Time magazine declared rap the rock n roll of the day with its big beat and social comment. MC Hammer's album Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em sold over ten million units and became the first diamond-certified hip-hop record. Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby became the first hip-hop single to hit number one on the Billboard charts in November 1990. The era saw strong themes of Afrocentrism and political militancy in lyrics alongside experimental sampling techniques. Albums like Nas Illmatic and The Notorious B.I.G Ready To Die marked a renaissance for New York hip-hop.

• 4. Gangsta Rap Backlash

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  N.W.A released Straight Outta Compton in 1989 establishing Los Angeles as a legitimate rival to New York City. FBI Assistant Director Milt Ahlerich wrote a letter to Priority Records lamenting the album's discouraging impact on law enforcement. The song Fuck tha Police sparked the first major controversy regarding hip-hop lyrics. Ice-T faced censorship during live performances and rapped that parental advisory stickers made records sell gold. His 1992 heavy metal song Cop Killer prompted so much backlash that Time Warner Music balked at releasing his next album. Both U.S. presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton criticized gangsta rap. Sister Souljah argued that rap exposes contradictions of American culture that the political system never intends to deal with. Dr. Dre's The Chronic popularized G-funk style and was certified three times platinum.

• 5. The Bling Era Shift

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  Sean Puff Daddy Combs ruled the 1997 charts by repurposing old hits into new ones. Diana Ross I'm Coming Out became Mo Money Mo Problems while The Police Every Breath You Take became I'll Be Missing You. Shiny suits worn by Combs and his protege Mase became a signature for this period dubbed the shiny suit era. Will Smith's Gettin Jiggy wit It gave a catchier name for the time known as the jiggy era. In 1998 hardcore rapper DMX released It Dark And Hell Is Hot seen by some as bringing hip-hop back to the streets. Master P built No Limit Records into a multimillion-dollar enterprise in New Orleans. Cash Money Records signed a distribution deal with Universal in 1998 featuring Birdman and Lil Wayne. B.G. rechristened the slick consumerism of the era with his song Bling Bling which made the slang resonate globally.

• 6. Digital Disruption Era

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  Starting in 2005 social media led to the decline of fans purchasing physical media like CDs and vinyl. Hip-hop sales plummeted totaling a 21% decrease from 2005 to 2006. Peer-to-peer file sharing wreaked havoc with record sales while digital downloads returned singles to the forefront of music sales. Downloads of individual tracks from Flo Rida 2009 album R.O.O.T.S totaled millions even though the album itself did not go gold. Despite falling record sales hip-hop artists still regularly topped the Billboard 200 charts. Rick Ross Black Eyed Peas and Fabolous all had number one albums in 2009. Eminem Relapse was one of the fastest selling albums of that year. The blog era allowed young artists to cultivate a following using the internet instead of traditional radio play.