Jazz, Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture
Throughout the history of this country, the music of African-Americans has remained a strong influence upon our society and culture. Beginning with the music carried over from Africa with the slaves, up until now, with the new styles created by urban youth today, African-Americans have retained certain elements within their music which makes it unique from any other musical form. Some of the musical forms, which were created from, and/or were strongly influenced by African musical characteristics are: Hymnals, Gospel, Spirituals, Ragtime, the blues, and R&B. While many of these musical forms are still popular today amongst Blacks and Non-Blacks, jazz and rap are arguably the two most widespread and popular forms of Black music ever created. Both forms of music were created by black musicians and are most popular amongst both the younger and the older generations of African-Americans. Outside the race, jazz has become a medium listened to and performed by people of all ages. Rap, on the other hand, has enjoyed the majority of its popularity within younger circles, while its opposition comes mostly from the older generations. What older generations need to know is that rap/hip-hop is a spin-off of jazz. Early African-American
The first thing that is important to know is that rap is more of a culture than a musical form. The musical form directly associated with and derived from hip-hop, is rap music. Therefore, while much of this paper will chronicle the growth of the rap/hip-hop culture, it will also fully examine the musical form of rap. Hip-hop is a culture consisting of graffiti art, break dancing, cutting and scratching records, and rapping. Hip-hop could be considered a lifestyle, with it's own style of dress, language (slang), and music. Today, many people confuse the hip-hop culture with the musical form of rap, simply because it has become the most prominent aspect of the culture. In the past, all elements of hip-hop were popular and widely practiced. Lately however, break dancing and graffiti, while they still exist in smaller circles, have taken a back seat to deejays and rappers. It is believed that hip-hop began as and has continued to be a response to the rejection of the values and needs of the younger generation by the elders. All elements of rap began as forms of self-expression for those who wanted to be seen and heard. This need for new forms of self-expression came about in the early 70's in response to a change in black radio. Black radio stations played an intricate role in the black community, as a musical as well as cultural preserver. At that time, black radio reflected the customs and values of the time, and set the tone for and climate for which people governed their lives. This was because the radio was a primary source of information and enjoyment for blacks, particularly those youth in the inner cities. "It is the theory of many that as black radio began to try to appeal to the older, more affluent, and primarily white audience and featured more of the less soulful and rhythmic white disco music, black youth felt excluded and responded by creating hip-hop" (Costello 56). Rap was created out of the hip-hop culture in the early 70's primarily by a New York City DJ of Jamaican decent named Kool Herc. Herc's style of music consisted of reciting improvised rhymes (lyrics) over dub versions of his reggae records. Since New York was not into reggae as they are now, Herc changed the reggae beats to the popular songs of the day. As the records at the time were relatively short, Herc learned to extend the beats through repetition by using an audio mixer and two of the same record on a turntable. Rap was also characterized by the element of call and response, where the rapper would recite a well-known phrase, and the crowd would respond with a common response such as: "If you're having fun in the place to be, somebody let me know!" and the crowd Shouts back "Oh yeah!" Or, "The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire!" Crowd: "We don't need no water, let the mother fucker burn!" Other characteristics of rhythm, clever word play, and the use of metaphors were also prevalent. As Kool Herc became more popular, he began to focus more on the new aspects of a deejay and added two rappers, Coke La Rock and Clark Kent, to form one of the first rapping teams. They took on the name Kool Herc and the Herculoids. Through their performances at clubs and promotion of the music, rap consistently gained in popularity throughout the rest of the 1970's. The first commercial success of the rap song "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang in 1979 helped bring rap music into the national spotlight. The 1980's saw the continued success of rap music with many artists such as Run DMC (who had the first rap album to go gold in 1984), L.L. Cool J, Fat Boys, and west coast rappers Ice-T and N.W.A becoming popular. Today, in the late 1990's rap music continues to be a prominent and important aspect of African- American culture. Rap music was a way for youths in black inner city neighborhoods to express what they were feeling, seeing, and living and it became a form of entertainment. Hanging out with friends and rapping or listening to
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 4945
Approximate Pages = 20 (250 words per page double spaced)
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