Overview
By the late 1980s and early 1990s, hip-hop had become increasingly diverse in its sounds, styles, and messages. In this lesson, we will survey several major styles of hip-hop that were popular at the end of the 1980s, including political hip-hop, pop rap, gangsta rap, and sample-based hip-hop. By this time, hip-hop ran the gamut from family-friendly pop rappers such as MC Hammer to the hard, streetwise tales spun by the members of N.W.A.
Objectives
- Identify the characteristics of several styles and subgenres of hip-hop from the late 1980s and early 1990s, including political hip-hop, sample-based hip-hop, gangsta rap, and pop rap
- Recall the significance of sampling in the music of groups such as De La Soul, the Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy
- Recall why some pop rap artists such as MC Hammer were accused of “selling out” when their music had crossover appeal
Introduction
As we saw in the previous lesson, some of the most commercially successful of the early hip-hop groups were those that borrowed heavily from the sounds of rock. Using samples, aggressive styles of lyric delivery, and guest performances by rock musicians, groups such as Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys created a style of hip-hop that had crossover appeal with rock listeners. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, hip-hop had become increasingly diverse in its sounds, styles, and messages. In this lesson, we will survey several major styles of hip-hop that were popular at the end of the 1980s. By this time, hip-hop ran the gamut from family-friendly pop rappers such as MC Hammer to the hard, streetwise tales spun by the members of N.W.A.
“Hip hop music is important precisely because it sheds light on contemporary politics, history, and race. At its best, hip hop gives voice to marginal black youth we are not used to hearing from on such topics.”
