Hip Hop has been heavily scrutinized since it became popular, one main reason being the depiction and treatment of women that is displayed in rap songs. However, most people do not realize that many talented women were made famous and known by male rappers who saw their talent and signed them to labels. For example, Christopher Wallace (Biggie), signed rapper Kimberly Jones (Lil Kim) to his label and the both of them produced records together for years. Biggie had appeared on several of Kim’s songs and Vice Versa. Also, rappers Nas, AZ, and Foxy Brown all got their starts in the rap group The Firm, Brown being the only female. And now, especially, women have a heavy influence and rap. Rappers such as Nikki Minaj, Iggy Azalea, and Azalea Banks are not only top selling female rappers, but they are top selling rappers in general. Especially Nikki Minaj, who has been a staple in music for about 8 years now. Though lyrics in rap songs would suggest otherwise, females are actually quite respected in the rap community.
Category: Uncategorized
Freestyling: Why it is important for rappers
When an up and coming rapper finally becomes recognized he or she will be bombarded with requested interviews, radio shows, people who want them to perform, etc. It seems every time we see a new rapper hit the scene, one of the first things he is asked to do is “spit a full 16”, meaning 16 lines straight off the top of their head, otherwise known as a freestyle. So, in a genre where writing and lyrics are the backbone, why have a rapper rush themselves and try and rap without memorization? Well, there is a term in rap called a ghostwriter. This means that some popular hip hop artists have people who write their lyrics, or at least part of their lyrics, for them. Most times, people will never know for sure if a rapper has a ghostwriter, whether it is rumored that they do or not. A freestyle is a great way to see if a rapper is “for real.” Chances are, if a rapper can freestyle well, they sure as hell can take time and write a song well. It is a great indication of talent because it puts the musical artist on the spot and forces them to think both quickly and cleverly, something that not everyone can do. Above is an attached video of Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (2pac and Biggie), freestyling early on in their careers, giving us a little taste of what was to come in future years.
Passing the Torch
Hip hop, like all other genres, goes through changes as time goes on and as it becomes more solidified as a respected genre of music. A few posts ago, I described how new rap was different than old school rap, as sound is more focused on rather than lyrics. The reason for said change is because of the change in where popular rappers come from these days. For example, when hip hop was first popular, New York and L.A. were the two main cities that produced rap artists. Today, that city is Atlanta, and furthermore, the South in general has produced many rising stars in the rap game. Lil Yachty (pictured top left), 21 Savage (pictured bottom center), and already respected rappers Young Thug, Future, and Gucci Mane all hail from Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, Denzel Curry (pictured top right), and Kodak Black (pictured bottom right) are from Florida. It is interesting to see these different styles of rapping, styles very different from old styles, that we can infer manifested because of the region of the country these artists were born in. New York rap has always had a jazzy and laid back feel to it, with a very lyrical artist rapping on the beat. Whereas when we look at all these new rappers, many of whom are from the same place, they focus on the beat and the instrumentals as well as the melody of their voice in the song. Though this is a relatively new brand of music and could be considered its own genre, it certainly has seem to taken over the original style of hip hop.
Lamont Coleman-the “Most Valuable Poet”
NYC is where hip hop initially emerged in the 1970’s, capturing the hardships of living in the ghettos of the Bronx. Naturally, New York has been the birthplace of many of the genres most talented MC’s, most notably Biggie, Nas, and Jay-Z. These are the three rappers people mainly think of when associating New York Rap, gaining immense popularity and still holding relevance in todays pop culture. A 4th king of New York rap, one overlooked by the formers, is Lamont Coleman. “Big L”, as he was primarily known, emerged as a popular Harlem rapper in the early and mid 90’s. So wait, if this guy was so great, how come I’ve never heard of him? Interesting question, containing an even more interesting answer. Getting gunned down in your mid twenties seemed to be a habit for the genres most famous prodigies, and Lamont was murdered in his native Harlem in 1999 at the age of 24, taking 9 shots to the head and chest. Lamont’s music was a well mixed style of ruthless lyrics combined with a smooth falsetto like flow, yet retaining a certain viciousness. Though his lyrics could be categorized as “gangsta rap” or “horrorcore”, people closest to him knew him as a quiet and respectful guy, in fact his murder is said to have been a reaction of some issue that Lamont’s older brother had with members of a gang. Though “L” had gained considerable popularity by the time of his death, he was nowhere near the height of his popularity, only releasing one studio album. “Lifestylez ov da Poor and dangerous” was released in 1995, and featured two top 25 hip hop billboard tracks, “Put it On” and “M.V.P.” So what makes Big L so relevant? Another great question! Many hip hop fans, and even some of his fellow rappers, believe Big L to be potentially the most skilled all around MC that the game has ever seen. Flow, lyrics, freestyling, straight A’s for Lamont, you can even ask his fellow kings.
Nas-“Big L scared me to death. When I heard that on tape, I was scared to death. I was like there’s no way I can compete if this is what I gotta compete with.”
Jay-Z-“He was a very talented writer. I think he had the ability to write big records and big choruses.”
Big L’s story mirrors those of the great Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, however unlike them, he was struck down on his ascent, not at his apex.
It’s not Crap, it’s just Different
Hello and welcome to my blog on Hip Hop/Rap music. In this blog I will discuss rappers and rap groups both new and old, analyzing their styles and messages as well as their ability. First off, i would like to say that there is 100% percent no discrimination towards any branch of rap music in this blog. Whether it’s Grandmaster Flash, or trap music, all will be talked about and broken down. I say this because recently I’ve been hearing people bash the new era of rap like they were a bunch of close minded old folks calling Jazz the devils music. As a very profound teapot once said, tale is old as time; it isn’t bad, it’s just new. The golden age of hip hop is usually defined as the early 90’s, and though I love to cruise down the street in my gold minivan bumping “Ambitionz az a ridah,” times do change. Sure, recent rap does not possess the poetic components that older genres of rap did, but that is because that is not its purpose. I know right, rapping and words usually coincide BUT not always. No, the focus of this new music is the sound. Instead of lyrics, new rappers are more focused on their delivery, or how their voice sounds. If they sound catchy, they usually become popular. Plus, the production of rap songs has become more important than ever, once again appealing to the sound direction of a song rather than its message. The bottom line is, this new music, it is more pop oriented, and so the masses love it. If one attempts to review a new rap song based on the criteria of old school rap, they will most certainly be disappointed. However if they look at new rap how it is supposed to be looked at, they might find that they have an appreciation of it, since it is basically a whole new genre.
Hello world!
Welcome to Sites At Penn State. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!