Index: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Home > Old school hip hop
The very first hip hop to come out of the block parties of New York City in the 1970s and early 1980s is called old school hip hop. Compared to more modern, new school rap, old school has relatively simple rhythms and cadences that occur on the beat instead of wrapping around the rhythm, as has become common. Generally, subject matter was simple, good times, parties and friendship, with only a handful discussing political or social themes ( Grandmaster Flash was a notable exception). Also compared with later hip hop, old school had a high amount of female artists, even though none reached quite the level of fame of their male counterparts. Rappers usually performed over disco or funk tracks.The first recordings of old school hip hop were The Sugarhill Gang's " Rapper's Delight" and Fatback's " King Tim III". Sugarhill Records was particularly important in the early hip hop scene. Those tracks were based on funk and disco and their music was performed by real live musicians, using traditional instruments. Later on, electro funk used electronic rhythms, drum machines and portions of records by Kraftwerk and other early electronic artists. Finally, Run-D.M.C focused on beats and samples - according to the traditional definition of the term old school rap, "Sucker MCs" and "Peter Piper" were the first new school tracks, focusing on beats and later on samples.
However, the definition of all rap music of the eighties as old school rap seems to be more common nowadays, although musically it is not particularly useful.
Sound samples:
- by Eric B. & Rakim (1988); note the rapid-fire delivery and the strength and clarity of the voice -- this duo, and this song, are often considered the peak of the Golden Age of Old School, which ended in approximately 1989. This is not seen as old school rap according to traditional definition.
- by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force (1982); the track used portions from Kraftwerk, Captain Skyy and Ennio Morricone. It is the first electro funk track. This is generally seen as a branch of hip hop.
- by The Beastie Boys (1986); note the crew's method of delivering rhymes in tandem with each other, where sentences and phrases may be uttered by two or more performers in sequence (as in many earlier rap records), as well as a strong breakbeatThis article is about breakbeat, the genre. For the technique, see break (music). Breakbeat breakbeats or breaks , are a collection of sub- genres of electronic music, chiefly exemplified by drum and bass and jungle, usually characterized by a non-straigh (characteristic of rock and rollRock and roll also called rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony backing), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. As a cultural phenomenon,). The Beastie Boys are not seen as old school rappers according to traditional definition.
- by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (1982); note the subject matter, which is addressing socio-political and economic issues, -- this was one of the first message rap s The first was "How we Gonna Make the Black Nation Rise" by Brother D, which was however musically much more conservative. "The Message" is sometimes seen as an electro funk track.
List of artists:
Hip hop
Read more »