“I’m a walking paradox,” this line, rapped by artist Tyler, The Creator, helps define the theme of the genre of Experimental Hip-Hop. Experimental Hip-Hop is what the name suggests, it’s experimental. There are unique characteristics of Experimental Hip-Hop and its artists that distinctly separate it as a genre set apart from mainstream hip-hop. Experimental Hip-Hop has been on the rise, steadily growing and garnering a following large enough to make it a prominent genre on the music scene, with several artists making projects that have become incredibly popular in the Hip-Hop scene. This genre is a genre with little to no limits, and influences from all sorts of sources.
A textbook definition of Experimental Hip-Hop is that it is, “a style
I probably started listening to his music far too young, however I think I’ve turned out alright. He began as an edgy skateboarding teenager that wanted to make a name for himself and his friends, the group he called Odd Future. (David Jeffries) He has made that name and more by establishing an incredibly successful Odd Future clothing line, and a chart-topping solo career as a rapper. The music he has made is true unparalleled even in Experimental Hip-Hop and he is at the forefront of the growth of the genre. Every song he releases seems to push the boundaries of music further and further. Originally his songs were created just to rub against the grain of popular Hip-Hop, by being edgy, rude, and wild he became a viral sensation with growth consistent since his emergence. His breakthrough song Yonkers is what made him famous. Not for the song itself though, but for the music video. The video consists of him sitting on a stool rapping, throughout the song he eats a cockroach, and ends the song by hanging himself. After seeing that video I’d like to invite anybody to dispute that he wasn’t pushing the boundaries of music. His style can be likened to the Slim Shady style of early Eminem. Music that worries parents, is rumored to be Satanic, revolves around suicidal thoughts and homophobic tendencies while having homosexual undertones, and uses a completely insane amount of curse words and slurs, that is the music that Tyler, The Creator makes. Lately he has evolved as an artist while still maintaining the Experimental traits to his music. Now that he has achieved fame his music has toned down the insensitivity and edginess and has been replaced with actual meaningful lyrics and unique lyrics and stories told by his songs. In his song, Fucking Young, he sings about his love for a girl too young for him, and the internal struggle that creates for them both. That is a
Hip-Hop became characterized by an aggressive tone marked by graphic descriptions of the harshness and diversity of inner-city life. Primarily a medium of popular entertainment, hip-hop also conveys the more serious voices of youth in the black community. Though the approaches of rappers became more varied in the latter half of the 1980s, message hip-hop remained a viable form for addressing the problems faced by the black community and means to solve those problems. The voices of "message" hip...
This shows that this is him and who he really is. People following his beliefs because he treated people equally and judged people equally. This is a big difference from him and other hip-hop artists.
Houston kicked off the Southern hip-hop trends in the 1980's with pioneers such as the Geto Boys and UGK. Both groups we're overtly conscious discussing not only poverty, but also the implications of drug dealing and violence (Smith, 2004; Sanneh 2005). The early 1990's brought in Houston's signature chopped and screwed sound when DJ Screw made his name is a "psychedelic remixer" (Sanneh, 2005.) But the Houston sound took a while to expand to the rest of the US because like the other epicenters the sound of the artist on the independent labels stayed local (Speyer,
Back in the disco days, in the early 1970’s, began a new genre called Hip Hop. It was born in the crime ridden neighborhoods of the South Bronx. Hip Hop is the extracting rhythms of melodies from existing records and mixing them up with searing poetry chronicling life in the hood. Though, hip hop started on the east coast, it did spread rapidly throughout all the clubs and hotels in New York. Then later on, it began to spread to the west coast in Los Angeles. This is where hip hop began to develop its own musical style. Hip hop is known and described as the voice of a generation that refused to be silenced by urban poverty. It is a genre that is fueled up with a lot of passion and truth that is spreading across the entire world. Hip hop is
Hip hop is both a culture and a lifestyle. As a musical genre it is characterized by its hard hitting beats and rhythms and expressive spoken word lyrics that address topics ranging from economic disparity and inequality, to gun violence and gang affiliated activity. Though the genre emerged with greater popularity in the 1970’s, the musical elements involved and utilized have been around for many years. In this paper, we will cover the history and
I was so interested in the truth that I suspended my assumptions about West as I pursued more information through research, giving me an objective lens. It truly rattled me to have been so wrong in my assumptions, it felt weird to know that because of something I didn’t know, I had believed something. It genuinely shook my self-confidence. I really prided myself on my knowledge of Hip-Hop, I thought I knew all the classic albums, how could I have overlooked this one for so long? So, jolted by this sting of self embarrassment, I searched further, I wanted to know what else I had been oblivious to. It became increasingly clearer to me that there were two completely opposite views about Kanye, the more popular view: he’s a worthless egotistical pop star, who’s created nothing of value, and, as I was shocked to learn over time, the informed view, and the truth, that he was and is one the most influential artists of the 21’st
Kanye Omari West, rapper, producer, professional celebrity, and with an ego to match, has forced himself into the limelight of the music industry. Kanye West has made a lasting impression on all of those around him, whether it be a good one or bad. With seven full length albums, a multimillion record label company, and a successful fashion business all under his belt, it’s fair to say that Kanye has done his fair share of creating. Over the last twelve years Kanye went from a young Chicago kid just trying to get his flows off, to one of the most decorated musicians of all time. With over 20 Grammy’s and 3 of his albums ending up on the Rolling stones “500 greatest albums of all time”. He has continuously created, entertained, and spoken his mind for years. Whether it be “George Bush does not care about black people” or “Taylor imma let you finish, but Beyoncé had
Most people believe that they know what hip hop is. Yet, these same people are more familiar with rap music than hip hop. Rap music tends to b the music broadcasted on television and radio stations alike. Hip-Hop itself is relates to a culture and history of peoples. Hip-Hop tells the stories of people oppressed in urban ghettos in all cities, and it promotes change and a transition in those oppressed. Dr. Charles Pinckney author of The Influence of Hip Hop Culture on the Perceptions, Attitudes, Values and Lifestyles of African American College Students states that "Hip hop culture is a form of musical art in words and stories that describe critical messages that are spoken over music" (Pinckney). William Boone who has conducted research in hip hop best explains the phenomenon of Hip Hop as, " Art in "the hood". Hip Hop is the antitheses of economic discrimination and social alienation in Americas impoverished African American communities" (Boone).These origins of ...
Some weaknesses of James McBride’s “Hip Hop Planet” include its cynical tone and his attitude towards the musical side of Hip Hop. McBride opens the essay with a reflection on what his ultimate nightmare is. He showcases the Hip Hop community in a negative light with phrases like, “music that doesn’t seem to be music—rules the world” (McBride, pg. 1). This starts the essay off negatively because it misleads the reader by letting them think he is not a supporter of the Hip Hop movement. As you read the entire essay you realize this is not the case. The article itself isn’t very inviting because tone of the entire essay is very cold and cynical. He also doesn’t agree with the typical Hip Hop sound saying things like, “It sounded like a broken record” (McBride, pg. 1). The sound of Hip Hop music is what helps define it and is a crucial aspect of
The movie ‘From Mambo to Hip-Hop’ is a great documentary about a revolution in the entertainment industry. It talks of evolution on Salsa music and Hip-Hop culture in suburbs of New York. South Bronx is a ghetto neighbourhood. The people living in the area are challenged economically. There is a record of high cases of violence that exist in the streets due to high crime rate and drugs being traded as a means of survival (Gordon, 2005). Most of the people living in the area are descendants of African immigrants who could trace their origin in the Caribbean islands with a large number Latin American population too.
Hip-hop is one of the major music genres of today like the blues were in the 1950's. Stanley Crouch views hip-hop as being vulgar and obscene while he sees the blues as being one of the classic music genres. In actuality, these two genres are similar in many ways.
From its conception in the 1970's and throughout the 1980's, hip hop was a self-contained entity within the community that created it. This means that all the parameters set for the expression came from within the community and that it was meant for consumption by the community. Today, the audience is from outside of the community and doesn’t share the same experiences that drive the music. An artists’ success hinges on pleasing consumers, not the community. In today's world, it isn’t about music that rings true for those who share the artists' experiences, but instead, music that provides a dramatic illusion for those who will never share the experiences conveyed. This has radically changed the creative process of artists and the diversity of available music. Most notably, it has called in to question the future of hip hop.
Hip Hop is defined as: “subculture especially of inner-city youths who are typically devotees of Rap music, graffiti, break dancing, and DJing”. If one asks a fan of Hip Hop what the definition is to them, then one might get something deeper. Some fans define Hip Hop as a culture that consist of many of its own subculture and its knowledge of the history and principles of Hip Hop. Hip Hop can also be defined as an expression of the relationship between urban ...
Hip-hop is moving backwards in the sense that it is regaining its revolutionary and activist voice, as more independent artists are claiming control of the spotlight. Hip-hop is moving forward in the sense that it is no longer catering to one general sound, and corporate labels are losing their grip on the images that get displayed to the masses. Hip-hop is becoming more local. Hip-hop is becoming more about the experience, and less about what is hot and on the top 100 right now. Hip-hop is catering more to the individual’s unique taste, rather than mass-producing one sound and one message. Hip-hop, in the future, will be able to truly uphold its title as “the people’s genre” again. Hip-hop is being reborn, and being returned to a state that runs on artistic investment rather than commercial
Hip-hop music is portrayed by an entertainer rapping over a track that regularly comprises of loops or specimens of other music woven together (Selke INT). Hip-hop originally appeared in the Bronx around the 1970s and steadily turned into the predominant mainstream music structure by the 1990s, representing a multi-billion dollar industry today (Selke INT). Hip-hop music can additionally have some positive impacts. For example, its verbal imagination can motivate audience members to play with dialect, and acknowledge musicality and rhyme (Selke INT). Just like poetry, hip-hop can be a way of expressing oneself.