Many think of the East Coast-West Coast rivalry as a key characteristic of 90s hip-hop, but aside from the feuds and ultimate tragedies that plagued the genre, hip-hop culture in the 90s was all about breaking new ground in terms of technology, style and wider influences. But by the 90s, hip-hop had also become a commercial and cultural behemoth, with megastars like 2Pac, Biggie and Jay-Z taking on the charts and taking over radio, TV and print media all over the world. To the untrained ear, the two of them can often sound like the same person, as they’re unbelievably compatible both lyrically and sonically.When people refer to the “golden age” of hip-hop, they’re often speaking about a period roughly between the mid-80s and the mid-90s, where innovation and experimentation was rife as artists continually made attempts to reinvent the genre. Prodigy and Havoc first met at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan, and it was only natural that their rap styles aligned. If you’ve never heard of them, you probably remember Eminem freestyling over the beat to their song Shook Ones (Part II) in the final rap battle of the 2002 film 8 Mile. Representing Queensbridge, Queens, Mobb Deep was the rap duo of Prodigy and Havoc. Big L was shot nine times in a drive-by shooting in 1999 after achieving the status of rap legend over the span of his career. Fat Joe became the first New York rapper to secure a solo deal with a major label with his debut album Represent. The group was forged in the underground rap battle scene of New York City. was an acronym for “Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes.” was a collection of rappers formed and mentored by Biggie, and some of the more notable rappers involved were Lil’ Cease, Lil’ Kim, Capone, Nino Brown, and Trife. Of course, I couldn’t possibly talk about New York hip-hop without mentioning the man who many people consider to be the greatest rapper of all time, Biggie Smalls. Da Mystery of Chessboxin’ by Wu-Tang Clan. Each member of the Wu brings their own flavor to the mic, yet all of them are lyrical embodiments of Staten Island. The entire Wu-Tang Clan probably has more members than you can count, with the most notable of them being RZA (pronounced “rizza”), GZA (pronounced “jizza”), Ghostface Killah, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna. The group was formed in the late ’80s when RZA basically decided to round up all the best rappers in Staten Island and form a supergroup to represent the rap scene in their borough. It doesn’t get much more true to New York than 50 dudes standing on stage passing the mic around while the others just bounce around menacingly on stage. For anyone looking to dip their toes in this incredible style of music, here are some 1990s New York hip-hop groups that you should absolutely listen to: Wu-Tang Clan Through their music, New York rappers gave the impression that they wouldn’t hesitate to stomp you out with a Timberland boot but that they could also carry themselves with class and style and that they were capable of weaving together some very impressive rhyme constructions and wordplay.ĭon’t get me wrong, I love a lot of the new generation of rappers, but when it comes to what I consider true hip-hop, there was no better time and place than New York City in the ’90s. The rap scene in New York in the ’90s was characterized by a grimy yet smooth and cleverly lyrical style. As any true hip-hop head will tell you, New York City in the 1990s was the golden era of boom-bap. However, it’s certainly not at its peak either. I would argue that with groups like these, as well as individual acts like Action Bronson and Bishop Nehru, underground-style New York hip-hop is far from dead. Modern rap groups like Flatbush Zombies, Pro Era, and The Underachievers are true to their roots, carrying the torch of New York ’90s hip-hop (while also adapting to the modern era) and often paying homage to the great New York rappers that paved the way for them. While the boom-bap New York style of hip-hop seems to have passed out of the mainstream in favor of the highly melodic, trap style of rap music you see littering the charts today, there are still some artists out there that are keeping this longstanding and sacred tradition alive.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |