What was Hip Hop Like Back in the 80's and early 90's?

[son of 1973]

this is so true, the sound is more melodic and more synthed out now which is good listening but that raw sound is missing... also the funk is missing from today's hip hop (i'm not one of those cats who says everything was better back in the days) I think it's just due to different sampling tastes right now, mostly every funk record has been sampled but not just sampling just the beats overall are lacking that funky sound, I can't explain exactly what I mean when I say "that funky sound" but some of yall might know what I mean.

the funk was reinforced by the funky sampling. even some of the earlier synth based production (old outkast, eightball mjg, too short, rap a lot music) followed a funky vibe. neptunes too. the roots too. rap has def gotten away from that, first when bad boy came with the glossy r&b, then when the south moved to the mannie fresh sound which i think has been the biggest inflence post bad boy.

 

[young_reezy]

the funk was reinforced by the funky sampling. even some of the earlier synth based production (old outkast, eightball mjg, too short, rap a lot music) followed a funky vibe. neptunes too. the roots too. rap has def gotten away from that, first when bad boy came with the glossy r&b, then when the south moved to the mannie fresh sound which i think has been the biggest inflence post bad boy.

thats true, a lot of mannies' earlier stuff had that funky vibe to it with the bass guitars and what not but around 1999 he started to go the more synthed out route for that futuristic sound at the time. lyrically rappers have evolved but I don't think that as many emcee's are using hip hop for the vehicle that it is to speak to the masses, right now it's just about self gloss and having a good time which is good but thats not using hip hop to it's full potential musically.

 

[white715]

Producers back then were more knowledgable of music you got guys like Pete Rock who has a 90,000 record collection and they would really craft a beat, they weren't just trying to make a song that would bang in the whip.

And theres too much pop influence on rap and R&B today, this is the 1st time in history where whites aren't borrowing from black culture we are trying to sound like them to sell more records and get more air play.

 

[young_reezy]

Producers back then were more knowledgable of music you got guys like Pete Rock who has a 90,000 record collection and they would really craft a beat, they weren't just trying to make a song that would bang in the whip.

And theres too much pop influence on rap and R&B today, this is the 1st time in history where whites aren't borrowing from black culture we are trying to sound like them to sell more records and get more air play.

thats a real statement.

 

[fuc_i_look_like]

Honestly was Pac really as big as nostalgia makes him out to be or did he moreso gain the GOAT title after his death? I was 6 when he died, don't remember shit.

 

[young law]

i would like to know how did Run-DMC fade out.
did they start making subpar music
or
did folks not care for that older style anymore

because there is a lot of un-appreciation for them. folks steadily undermining the music and what they did for hip hop because they had "simple" lyrics

but what folks dont realize is that Run-DMC helped hip hop/rap smooth on into the consciousness of america

 

[king hassan]

Producers back then were more knowledgable of music you got guys like Pete Rock who has a 90,000 record collection and they would really craft a beat, they weren't just trying to make a song that would bang in the whip.

And theres too much pop influence on rap and R&B today, this is the 1st time in history where whites aren't borrowing from black culture we are trying to sound like them to sell more records and get more air play.

That's a lost art right there, they want it right now. When it takes only a few minutes to make a beat something not right

 

[young law]

How respected was Treach as a rapper back in the day???

I done heard some folks say they couldnt get wit NBN style,sayin it was pop

but IMO NBN were hood as fuck and Treach was a supreme lyricist whose influence can still be heard

 

[king hassan]

Honestly was Pac really as big as nostalgia makes him out to be or did he moreso gain the GOAT title after his death? I was 6 when he died, don't remember shit.

He was just another rapper in the game. When he started doing that wild shit that's what folks remember him by. When he first came out he was a b-boy rapper like everyone else, then after "Juice" he took on that Bishop persona

 

[young_reezy]

Honestly was Pac really as big as nostalgia makes him out to be or did he moreso gain the GOAT title after his death? I was 6 when he died, don't remember shit.

on the rap tip it wasn't universally thoguht that no one man was the best, before the internet and the "group think" mentality that many of us have now began to sat in Pac was looked at as a good rapper but the controversy made his name bigger, after he died it just continued to sky rocket. he was dope but the media made him larger than life.

 

[young_reezy]

How respected was Treach as a rapper back in the day???

I done heard some folks say they couldnt get wit NBN style,sayin it was pop

but IMO NBN were hood as fuck and Treach was a supreme lyricist whose influence can still be heard

when NBN first dropped around 91' they were very respected and one of the few universal eastcoast groups. they had a ill style and a hood feel that rocked everywhere, once they blew up around hip hop hooray time they kinda lost that hood feel.

 

[young law]

when NBN first dropped around 91' they were very respected and one of the few universal eastcoast groups. they had a ill style and a hood feel that rocked everywhere, once they blew up around hip hop hooray time they kinda lost that hood feel.

thanx for the post

so it was another case of fans loving you till your POPular

nothin new there

 

[Kwan Dai]

I'm a 70's baby. I have lived through several changes of Hip Hop. Some good, some bad. But what I particularly remember from the early years is, most of the youngsters weren't just into just Hip Hop Music which, in fact didn't come until years laters. Bombing, DJing and B-Boying came before the music. I started out B-Boying. Most of my home boys did as well. But we all experimented with Bombing, DJing and Rhyming at some point. For us it was all fun and gave us the opportunity to express ourselves through, movement, drawing, sound and words.

During the 80's Run-Dmc was by far the biggest the act. But I remember great music from the 80's which, I preferred over Run-Dmc. Alot of this music has been forgotten because, most of it was home grown in NYC. With Hip Hop not getting many spins on radio it was hard for this great music to reach the masses. Hip Hop gained steam across the country once artist began to tour.

Great 80's artists.

Dana Dane
Ice-T
Just-Ice
KRS
Rakim
Kool Moe Dee
LL
Kane
G-Rap
Melle Mel
Spoonie-G
Fat Boys
Heavy D
3x's Dope
Ultra-Magnetic
Mantronix
Schooly -D
EPMD

Once the 80's came to a close. The Music began to shift from the themes of Blacks having knowledge of self, Community, and just an over all sense of social awareness to a more dark, and street gritty sound. This was all a by product of the Music before it being aggressive in artist expression, along with the drug epidemic, and social strife in black communities across the country. By this time DJing, B-Boying and Bombing were damn near dead and forgotten. Although, it was still going on, being good in those areas of Hip Hop didn't bring fame and fortune. Thus many DJ's becoming producers, and more and more Hip Hop participants wanting to be MC's.

I personally was a bit turned off when this shift came, being a B-Boy at heart I just wanted to catch wreck to some fly shit. But then, Wu-Tang and Black Moon brought me back to Hip Hop. Wu-Tang because, of their infusion of Knowledge of self, Martial arts (been studying sense a kid, and I love Kung Fu Flicks gots 100's of them) and their message of being a real dude. Black Moon because, they repped BK the right way. They were REAL BK cats to the heart. During Black Moons time it was that real in BK.
I didn't mess with Biggie. Although, he was nice, Sun was too Pop and didn't represent BK as it was considering he wasn't a project kid like many of us. He chose to live as one when he didn't have to so, he lost my respect from jump. Wasn't into to Pac either. He changed after Juice and I interpreted that as being crazy fake. He had a interesting life story and his message for Blacks in his music had already been done by the likes of KRS, P.E. PRT, Xclan, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Rakim, and better in IMO. So, Pac didn't move me either. Pun was nice, but for me not enough substance.

I never attended arena style concerts. I always checked out Club performances. LONS, King Sun,Run-DMC,Wu,Ceelo and many others.

90 Artists I was rolling with
Wu
BCC
DITC
Hit Squad
Leaders of the new school
Heiro
Pharcyde
Saffir
Bush Babbies
Onyx
Goodie Mob
Jeru
Gangstar
Group Home
De La
Roots

Forgive me for writing a book but the topic was too dope.

 

[young law]

1st. New York City is very unique. It's the only city with Major mass transit with Chicago probably being a distant 2nd. So a lot of music was made for headphones because more people walked in NYC than the rest of the country.

wow

this is a great point.

the reason why NYC was makin headnod music was cause of the boune,the walk,the train and bus ride

NY rappers didnt even start rappin about cars till later on while down south and west coast were talkin bout cars heavy from early on

 

[Kwan Dai]

when NBN first dropped around 91' they were very respected and one of the few universal eastcoast groups. they had a ill style and a hood feel that rocked everywhere, once they blew up around hip hop hooray time they kinda lost that hood feel.

I'll agree to an extent. I think Treach was respected because, he was from the HOOD. Newark, NJ is gully. I also, think they were able to get love because, of their affiliation with Flavor Unit. But I don't think Naughty's music was excepted with open arms from the gully parts of the Hip Hop community.

 

[usmarin3]

That's a lost art right there, they want it right now. When it takes only a few minutes to make a beat something not right

The sample laws (De La Sol) fucked up rap, once the old artist/labels saw rap was making money they started suing rappers. As a result producers had to start making music from scratch and artist didn't want to pay money for sample clearance.

 

[young_reezy]

I'll agree to an extent. I think Treach was respected because, he was from the HOOD. Newark, NJ is gully. I also, think they were able to get love because, of their affiliation with Flavor Unit. But I don't think Naughty's music was excepted with open arms from the gully parts of the Hip Hop community.

this song was right here.....

[video=youtube;j7VD5UpAXPo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7VD5UpAXPo&feature=related[/video]

 

[Kwan Dai]

The sample laws (De La Sol) fucked up rap, once the old artist/labels saw rap was making money they started suing rappers. As a result producers had to start making music from scratch and artist didn't want to pay money for sample clearance.

How did De la fuck up rap?

 

[Kwan Dai]

this song was right here.....
[video=youtube;j7VD5UpAXPo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7VD5UpAXPo&feature=related[/video]

Great Song. But on a larger scale the Poppiness of OPP overshadowed everything NBN did.

 

[young law]

The Source and XXL and The Box cable show was how people around the country got to hear about music outside they region. I got put on to mad artists I would not have bought in the store if I aint see they video on the Box first (stuff like RBL Posse E 40 MC Breed). And Too Short def is the old school south biggest influence, i would visit the carolinas then and that was all you heard. Im glad you tube has eliminated the need to tape music off the radio, but that was the biggest thing to do, it was like getting money almost it was anticipated that much lol.

yessssss

the BOX was the channel we stayed tuned into

running up the damn phone bill

i remember Wu-Tang, Snoop,Tupac,Naughty By Nature and BTNH were the most requested rap artists