RAP MUSIC'S EVOLUTION

 East Coast vs. West Coast in the 1980s

Rappers like Ice-T and Schoolly D sparked the "Gangsta Rap" conflict between the East and West Coasts. This kind of rap was heavily focused on violence, which influenced the rappers' lifestyle and environment as they grew up. Ice-T released '6 in The Mornin,' which critics see as the first gangsta rap song.

The East Coast/West Coast hip hop battle raged on, with Biggie and Tupac representing their own coasts and cultures. Biggie and Tupac both popularized gangster rap to mainstream American audiences.

Late 1980s and early 1990s: Gangsta Rap

Rap music began to shift away from story-based lyrics about social/economic concerns and toward songs about becoming a gangster and shooting people. Violence was a key topic in the lyrics of this genre of rap as well.

G-Funk was a subgenre of West Coast Gangsta Rap that emerged in the early 1990s. G-Funk is distinguished by its use of melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic rhythms, deep bass, and a high pitch synthesizer lead. Snoop Dogg was a major influence on G-Funk with his classic song "Nuthin but a G Thang."

Dr. Dre released The Chronic, one of the most significant Hip-Hop albums of all time. This album introduced G-funk to a wider audience and established Dr. Dre as one of the most inventive musicians of his generation.

Let Me Ride by Dr. Dre is an example.

The rap group 'Wu Tang Clan,' located in New York, published their debut album, 'Enter The Wu-Tang,' in 1993. Because of its dark and gruff feel, as well as its technical writing, the record became innovative.

For instance, Wu Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck

Illmatic is a new album by a Queens-based rapper from New York City. The Source magazine gave the album a five-star rating. The album contained ominous sounds and gloomy tales, which were novel in hip hop.

Example: Nas - N.Y. State of Mind

Sheer Dominance in the 2000s

Along with 50 Cent and his dominance in the mid-2000s, Jay-Z and Eminem were two rappers that held rap music together. Jay-Z released his smash tune "Hard Knock Life," which became his biggest success at the moment. He leaned more on flow and wordplay, as he continued to mine sounds from prominent producers like Swizz Beatz and Timberland.

Eminem, on the other hand, created his nefarious alter-ego "Slim Shady." He was able to express his rage via lyrics about drugs, rape, and murder because to the cruel and violent persona. With the release of his record "The Slim Shady LP," he had the world at his fingertips. This opened up a whole new world of rap.

Contemporary Hip-Hop in 2010

With new performers like Fetty Wap, Future, XXXTentacion, and Lil Uzi Vert, the genre continues to grow (for better or worse). Hip hop is constantly gaining new subgenres, such as trap and mumble rap. The latter is made up of a simple melody supported by a very strong bass line. The vocalist will slur words or not say anything at all, instead murmuring over the music.

Other hip-hop musicians that are still tremendously successful include Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and J.Cole. These musicians concentrate on lyrics and beats, which are well-known in hip hop history.

The musicians named accomplish in this by infusing their own flavor into their music, pushing hip hop forward while yet preserving bits of the genre's rich history.

Which epoch do you prefer?