Rap and Popular Culture

There's more to rap then just rhythms and rhymes. After two decades, it has transferred the culture of America. Every decade has a familiar melody, rhythm, or soundtrack, and the nineties have most certainly belonged to rap. Hip-hop represents a realignment of America's cultural differences, and rap songs continue to deliver the message for us to "Keep it Real". Hip-hop is the term for urban based creativity and expression of culture, and rap is the style of rhythm spoken words blended over music. The history of rap dates back to the early seventies when Clive Campbell, originally from Kingston, Jamaica, decided to throw a block party. All his life he enjoyed watching Bob Marley and Don Drummond and the Skatalites. He loved the big sound systems of the deejays. At age 18, Cool Herc, (a.k.a.) Clive Cambell, became the first break beat deejay. He recited rhymes over the "break" or instrument part of the records he was spinning. He felt as though Americans didn't get reggae, so he tried to capture the feel by using music from artists such as James Brown and Mandrill. He also had dancers who did their thing during his break, so coined the term "break dancers."

The next innovator of rap was Joseph Saddler. He thought that Cool Herc was a god, but he thought he could do better, so he became Grandmaster Flash. He played his turntables with a passion, cueing records with his elbows, his feet, and behind his back. He was the first to create scratching, which is spinning a record back and forth to create a scratchy sound. He tried to rap, but realized his talents laid elsewhere, so he gathered a crew and they called themselves "The Furious Five". They are considered rap's first super group.

Things happened fast for rap. In 1979, there were start up labels like Sugar Hill and Tommy Boy records. That same year the "Sugarhill Gang "came out with "Rappers Delight", which was the first rap song most people remember.

As time passed, so did vinyl records. The disappearance of vinyl marked a third generation of rappers, which is often acknowledged as the classical period of hip-hop. This was the time of the cassette tape. Artists proved that they could sell cassette tapes for full price and eventually their music and style to major record companies. Performers like BDP, Eric B. and Rakem,as well as Public Enemy expanded the genre. Other places in the U.S. started offering their own styles of rap. Groups like NWA, Ice T, and Lukeskywalker and 2 Live Crew were not from New York City, but they all pushed the artistic envelope, challenging issues like censorship and police brutality.

Rap has even affected young people all over the world. This verbal crusade has young people training themselves to speak English quicker than their schools can. Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa are quickly catching up in their appreciation of rap to areas traditionally attached to hip-hop, like the U.S. and Europe.

As far as America goes our list of rappers is long and wide. In 1993, Snoop Dog came on the scene. The gangster rapper released his album "Doggystyle" and it immediately rocketed to the No. 1 spot on the charts. In 1996, The Fugees album, "The Score" became a worldwide smash. In 1996, Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting after he released his best album, "Me Against the World". In 1997, Biggie Smalls is shot and killed as well. His album, "Life After Death" becomes a hit. Although, the untimely deaths of these two rappers were due to an East vs. West rivalry, Todd Boyd, a professor of critical studies at the University of Southern California, says that rap can bring races together.(p.55). In 1997, Puff Daddy did a remake of "I'll Be Missing You". He performed it at the MTV Music Awards, and awoke millions of pop fans to a new era of positivism in hip-hop. Not only is "Puff Daddy" a recording artist, he owns his own label as well, Bad Boy Records. Three Bad Boy releases Notorious B.I.G.'s "Life After Death", Mace's "Harlem World" and Puffy's "No Way Out" sold more than three million copies.

"I'll be Missing You" outsold every single except for Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana, "Candle in the Wind". Puffy is said to be one of the main reasons for hip-hop's mass appeal. Just as important to Puffy's popularity is the high-style, fun loving, money making persona that he cultivates. After the murders of Biggy and Tupac, many music fans scowled at gangster rap's verbal gunslinging. Puff Daddy's videos portray a stylish crowd more concerned with the good life than living out gangster fantasies. Puffy refers to his style as "ghetto high fashion".(p.57).

The growing following of rap is also noticed by its crossover from vinyl to cassette tapes to CD's and on to the big screen. In 1991, "New Jack City" was released. This crime thriller co-starred Ice-T, and was a surprise box office hit. This movie paved the way for a new genre of urban films, such as "Boys In the Hood" and "Menace to Society". Also, "Bulworth" was released in 1998. This comedy starred Warren Beatty and used the languages of rap to critique politics.

Another important bridge that rap has helped cross, is the bridge of color. Groups like the "Beastie Boys", "Everlast", and "Eminem" are listened to by people of all colors and this is proven by their huge record sales. In 1990, "Vanilla Ice" came on to the scene. Although none of us would ever admit that we liked him, we can all imitate the words and beat to this one hit wonder's song, "Ice, Ice Baby".

In conclusion, its not hard to see that rap has become the voice and sound of our young world. As we head to the 21st century, rap music is in the earth wide sound stream. It's difficult to stop a cultural revolution that bridges people together, and over the last 20 years rap music and hip-hop have done just that. In the words of Chuck D. of Public Enemy, "Watch, Feel, and Listen, because it's only just begun."

jasonpennington@Mailexcite.com