Hip-Hop History Archives - Page 10 of 21

Black Music Month: Remembering Heavy D, The “Overweight Lover” Of Hip Hop

June 7, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Heavy D was not just a rapper but a charming storyteller who laced his lyrics with positivity and joy. Born in Mandeville, Jamaica, as Dwight Myers, Heavy D migrated to The Bronx, New York, with his family as a child. He was just eight when he decided that the world of hip-hop was his destiny.

Growing up in Mount Vernon, Heavy D immersed himself in the vibrant world of hip-hop, which was just beginning to find its footing in mainstream culture. Inspired by this emerging genre, he and his high-school friends, DJ Eddie F, Trouble T. Roy, and G-Wiz, formed Heavy D & the Boyz, a foundational pillar of the New Jack Swing era.

Climbing The Ladder Of Success

Heavy D’s success wasn’t an overnight story; it resulted from relentless dedication. His career took off in 1987 with the release of Living Large, an album that propelled him into the limelight. The album’s blend of reggae, R&B, and hip-hop vibes resonated with the audience, setting the stage for Heavy D’s multi-genre influence.

His influence spanned across eras, making him a crucial player in various music periods. Heavy D left his mark from New Jack Swing to the Golden Era. “Now That We Found Love,” a track from his 1991 album, Peaceful Journey, became a Top 5 Billboard hit and remains a party anthem today. In the ’90s, the rapper continued his winning streak with Blue Funk and Nuttin’ But Love. The latter became his best-selling album, earning a Platinum certification. Additionally, he earned himself a Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Single in 1990.

His versatility extended beyond music. Heavy D successfully ventured into television and film, with notable roles in popular shows like Living Single. However, he was not just an entertainer but a beacon of positivity in a genre often associated with aggression. His lyricism reflected his personal ethos – an attitude of love, respect, and upbeat energy. This earned him the nickname the “Overweight Lover,” symbolizing his big heart and irresistible charm.

The Death Of A Legend

On November 8, 2011, the world bid farewell to an icon. He passed away due to a pulmonary embolism, but his legacy continues to shine in music and beyond. His impact on the hip-hop scene is undeniable. Through his music, he opened doors for future generations of rappers, showing them that success could be achieved without resorting to violent themes. He also inspired other artists, influencing the music of modern performers. Heavy D was also a mentor, fostering the careers of several artists, including Soul For Real and Monifah.

We remember Heavy D for more than his music. He embodied an ethos of love, respect, and positivity. In a world where negativity often takes center stage, Heavy D chose a different path – one of joy and exuberance. His music reflected his personality – full of life, love, and unbridled enthusiasm.

Heavy D was more than a rapper – he was an icon, a pioneer, and a lover of life. As we look back on his life, we celebrate not just his achievements but the indomitable spirit that made Heavy D, the “Overweight Lover,” an unforgettable figure in the annals of hip-hop.

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Naughty By Nature’s “Poverty’s Paradise” Turns 28

June 6, 2023 by newhiphopnews

We’re looking back on the influential album that is Naughty By Nature’s Poverty’s Paradise. Like many other uprooted rap groups from the ’80s to ’90s, Naughty By Nature first fell in love with the hip-hop subculture through the bustling streets of New York. Treach, Vin Rock, and DJ KayGee were scanning the streets of New Jersey for graffiti art, fully immersed in the ground roots of the genre.

The trio of Naughty By Nature lived in East Orange, New Jersey. With the three of them within three blocks of each other, they came together through a creative uprising of breakdancing, beat-making, and DJing. Dubbed The New Style at the time, they began performing at local talent shows in the New Jersey area. After seeing success in this setting, they decided to start recording music with a serious intent to turn the passion into a career.

DJ KayGee recalls watching hip-hop icon Grandmaster Flash in the movie Wild Style as a wild teenager, which inspired him to immerse himself in that world fully. Vin Rock grew up in a musically inclined family, growing up to hear his brother’s booming drum machine. Regarding his brother, he told High Times, “He’d play Heat Wave, Kool & The Gang, Con Funk Shun on the record player and then would try and drum exactly how the drummers were drumming on the records. He’d get frustrated and kick and throw his drums all over the place because he couldn’t get it exactly right.”

Naughty By Nature Balances Funk With Introspection

By 1991, their self-titled Naughty By Nature was flying off of the shelves off of hit single “O.P.P.” The trio actually signed to Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit back in 1989; however, the failing record label struggled to get their album out into the public eye. Either way, “O.P.P” set Naughty By Nature on the road to success. Sampling The Jackson 5, they brought a newfound aesthetic to the hip-hop game.

While Naughty By Nature had an inherent knack for melodic pop hooks, they managed to stay tied to their street image that they grew up in. Vin told HipHopDX in 2008, “It’s just a perfect balance. When you put different people together, I guess that collective input equates to one. You get the merge. It is a mixture, and we have been able to ride that fine line between street and Pop.”

However, from the outside, fans would’ve thought that Naughty By Nature was facing a fair bit of pressure heading into 1995’s Poverty’s Paradise. Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Notorious B.I.G, and 2Pac were causing a stir in the hip-hop community with their respective records. The New Jersey hip-hop heads would need a stand-out project to remain relevant in an increasingly saturated rap scene. While Poverty’s Paradise isn’t exactly a consistent classic from front to back, the 62-minute experience had more than enough highlights to solidify it as an iconic hip-hop album. In addition, Naughty By Nature really wasn’t responding to the unceasing beefs throughout hip-hop. Instead, they remained entrenched in the New Jersey community, both sonically and narratively.

Poverty’s Paradise Won Naughty By Nature’s Sole Grammy

By the time Naughty By Nature’s Poverty’s Paradise rolled around, the trio was already a global force. 19NaughtyIII‘s “Hip Hop Hooray” would become their second hit track. However, the group was also amounting an emotive collection of deep cuts. Once the fame arrived, they pivoted to showcasing their respective abilities to rap about their personal narratives in an unparalleled manner. Poverty’s Paradise saw Naughty By Nature capture street life’s toxic and chaotic traits. This was especially notable on “Craziest,” where the three marvel at the disorderly world around them. The trio wanted to instill a gritty message even if their fans had become accustomed to dance-inducing street anthems.

Of course, this isn’t to say that 1995’s Poverty’s Paradise is exclusively grim or foreboding. At its core, Naughty By Nature was always about inducing joy into their audience. Growing up in the party-driven hip-hop scene of New Jersey, that DNA would always remain in their sound. “Feel Me Flow,” a groovy take on Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up,” peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 100 Charts. With their fourth studio album, Naughty By Nature proved they could succeed in any pocket of hip-hop. Whether curating party-driven records or diving into a world of intimate storytelling, the group’s diverse backgrounds manifested into an unpredictable sound. The result? Their first and only Grammy, winning the 1996 award for Best Rap Album.

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What Happened To Lauryn Hill? A Timeless Icon

June 5, 2023 by newhiphopnews

To this day, Lauryn Hill remains one of the most mysterious figures in music. The Grammy-winning New Jersey icon went from the top of the sonic world to the shadows overnight, only releasing one solo studio album throughout her entire career. Of course, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill exists amongst the greatest fusions of hip-hop and soul to date. In addition, she was a key part of legendary hip-hop trio The Fugees throughout her early 20s. Even if Lauryn Hill’s career was frustratingly brief, her mainstay presence as a hot topic speaks volumes to her influence as an artist. If she announced a tour tomorrow, it would sell out immediately.

Lauryn Hill’s first exposure to the entertainment spotlight took place at the mere age of 13. Performing at the high-stakes Apollo Theatre, she was thrown into a world of pressure-filled expectations from a young age. At the time, the Apollo Theatre had been host to iconic acts. The Jackson 5, The Isely Brothers, Billie Holiday, and Prince had all performed at the iconic venue. Precocious and shy, she came to face-to-face with the harsh judgements of the music industry from a young age. The experience would later inform her ambiguity and lack of a fully-fledged career.

Lauryn Hill Experienced Intense Pressure As A Teen

lauryn hill now — Portrait of American Pop and Rhythm & Blues musician Lauryn Hill as she poses against a white background, New York, New York, 1998. (Photo by Anthony Barboza/Getty Images)

With her voice shaking with nerves on the Apollo Theatre stage, the beginning of her recital of “Who’s Lovin You” was met with testing boos from the audience. These detractors weren’t directly looking to demean her on-stage talent. Instead, they were testing Lauryn Hill to see if she would persist through the harsh pushback to her performance. Hill had already been exposed to more pressure and scrutiny than the majority of people face through their entire lives.

Unfortunately, we live in a culture where early success is persistently romanticized. Teenagers often garner an even greater spotlight than fully grown performers, with record labels looking to profit off of their youth. The result can often be damaging for vulnerable young creators, who aren’t yet mature enough to process the high-octane expectations surrounding the music industry. Lauryn Hill was undoubtably a victim of this stigma. Her voice was thrown into a toxic world of boos and cheers before she had even faced high school. After walking off of the stage of the Apollo Theatre, she cried after the traumatic experience.

Fame & Toxic Relationships Deeply Affected Her

By high school, she had teamed up with Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel to form The Fugees. Initially solely there as a vocalist, her talent as an MC was quickly noticed by the two. The Fugees separated themself from the prevailing gangster rap narrative of the late ’80s to early ’90s, with their sophomore album blowing up off of “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” The song became a career-defining moment for Hill, who stood out as the best singer and rapper throughout The Score. After the albums’ success, fans were clamoring for her to go solo. Even when she didn’t want to, she caved in with The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, propelling her to a place of stardom that a Black woman had arguably never seen before in the music industry.

However, trouble was ahead for Lauryn Hill. The pressure became overwhelming and corrosive for her, who was struggling with the fame behind the scenes. How exactly did this struggle form? To this day, fans can only guess. Whether it was mental health issues, the toxic nature of her relationships, or simply a conscious decision to detach, Hill became to disappear from the spotlight by the early 2000s. In part, this may have had to do with her relationships with other men. While she was known to have had a relationship with Fugee member Wyclef Jean, she actually had five children with Damian Marley. The two never married, and the extent of their relationship remains murky to her day. Hill has been intensely private over the past few decades, leaving it a question mark as to whether these experiences affected her presence in music.

Hill Faced Controversy From Fans & Media

Soon after the release of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she was the subject of plenty of criticism surrounding her relationship to men. Known for engaging in intimacy with already married men, many fans accused her of not living up to Christian ethos of much of her lyricism. In addition, her relationship to her newfound fame became toxic. Hill’s struggle to justify her music creation in the context of the capitalistic world we exist in. Consequently, this compromised her desire to create. By the early 2000s, she had begun traveling down a path of individuality and spirituality away from her fans. MTV Unplugged 2.0, a live acoustic set released in 2002, finally gave fans a spotlight into these issues.

She would become associated for her constant gaslighting of her fanbase. Hill faced tax evasion charges, bounced to and from wanting to reconnect with the Fugees members, and consistently showed up late to her performances. In many ways, her aloofness draws a connection to the modern-day behavior of Frank Ocean. To this day, fans question what exactly led to her disappearance from the world of music creation. Did that night at the Apollo Theatre permanently traumatize her and distance her from the world’s opinions? Did she simply lose the passion over time? Was it a conscious decision to disengage from the capitalistic nature of the music industry? In retrospect, Lauryn Hill’s disappearance was likely a combination of all of these struggles.

She Performed On June 3 At The Roots Picnic

Recently, Lauryn Hill has been making slightly more frequent appearances under the public eye. Last weekend, she delivered a surprise reunion performance with Fugees at the Roots Picnic. The trio performed six iconic tracks from their discography. This was ntended to signify a celebration of the 25th anniversary of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. In light of Pras Michel’s recent conviction surrounding a multi-million-dollar financial conspiracy case, it could be the last we hear from the trio for the foreseeable future.

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Beastie Boys “Ill Communication” Turns 29

June 5, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The Beastie Boys were three friends from New York who haphazardly became one of the biggest rap groups of all time. Blending the worlds of rock grime and hip-hop, the trio made it a point to not take themselves too seriously. The group was a heavy source of inspiration for middle class white kids, who finally had a sonic source of enjoyment when they didn’t quite resonate with the messaging of rap groups such as N.W.A. or Public Enemy. The Beastie Boys brought rock and hip-hop together like never before, delivering a sort of unfiltered tone of anti-establishment that stuck with the suburbs for good.

Permissive groups such as Rage Against the Machine or Linkin Park were clearly taking notes from The Beastie Boys. In the backdrop, you even had a young Eminem blasting the group while writing verses as a hungry Detroit teenager. He would even go on to emulate them. Em told Complex, “I knew we were about to show the ‘Berzerk’ video, so I was doing what I call the Berzerk face. The whole song to me feels like vintage Beastie Boys. And you know the ‘Pass the Mic’ video where Ad-Rock is making that face, kind of not looking the camera? I was doing my own version.” Like N.W.A., The Beastie Boys completely fell outside the traditional confines of the music industry. They proved that any voice, no matter how outlandish, could land on the top charts.

Pressure Was On The Group To Deliver

However, the group was no longer associated with the new kids on the block until 1994’s Ill Communication rolled around. There seems to be a make-or-break moment for bands who begin to come of age, a point where they are inevitably forced to move on from their once pervasive youth and crowd-surfing days. The growing pains are clear in the music industry, with plenty of groups disbanding at this conjuncture. However, their fourth studio album had the opposite effect. Ill Communication is their most mature record to date, a climactic connection between all their influences.

The Beastie Boys Grew Up On Ill Communication

Portrait of members of American Rap group Beastie Boys as they pose in front of a mural (by Keith Haring), 1987. Pictured are, from left, Mike D (born Michael Diamond), MCA (born Adam Yauch, 1964 – 2012), and Ad-Rock (born Adam Horovitz). (Photo by Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)

With Ill Communication, The Beastie Boys were looking to condense all of their oddball interests into one project. From Buddhist spirituality to Miles Davis-infused jazz musicals, their fourth studio album comes from a group of thoughtful hipsters rather than enraged kids. “The Update” expresses a sullen disappointment at the ever-changing world. MCA states, “The waters are polluted as the forests are cut down / Bombing and drilling deep below the ground.” Mike D refuses to bend to the reality of his 30s, stating, “I’m still listening to wax, I’m not using the CD.”

Their lyricism is far more reflective and composed on Ill Communication than past records. When The Beastie Boys first blew up onto the scene, the trio was endlessly searching for outlandish shock value. Horowitz even apologized down the line for their initial projects. In 1999, he told Time Out New York, “The sh*t and ignorant things we said on our first record. There are no excuses. But time has healed our stupidity.” The Beastie Boys dialing it in, for the most part, aids the notoriety of Ill Communication. A flute sample meanders through the booming drums of “Sure Shot,” while “Root Down” slings a bass guitar amid a rapid pace. The record also got its iconic hit in the form of “Sabotage.”

The Beastie Boys Expanded On Their Existing Sound

beastie boys ill communication — Beastie Boys (Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage)

Ill Communication frequently rotates between the more modern early ’90s boom-bap of New York and The Beastie Boys’ classic underground live sound. In fact, the record’s distinctive sound compared to Licensed To Ill or Paul’s Boutique even has “Sabotage” sounding out of place. However, they would always be hard-pressed not to include a clear chart-topping track on the project. The track’s live rock band setting is a powerful nostalgia source for the band’s OG fans.

The Beastie Boys finally grow out of their growing pains on Ill Communication. After an awkward slew of records that saw them struggle to transition out of the unfocused turbulence of their early Rick Rubin-produced works, they finally brought it all together on their fourth studio album. Ill Communication is a holistic blend of spirituality and frustration, one that shows up as a wild form of funk, jazz, and rock. The result? The Beastie Boys’ second No. 1 album on the US Billboard 200, one that would eventually go 3x Platinum. Ill Communication was a successful coming-of-age revival, if there ever was one.

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Who Is Mase? Bad Boy Hitmaker & Hip Hop Minister

June 3, 2023 by newhiphopnews

It isn’t easy for MCs to smoothly leave the music industry once fully engrained in it. One hit song is life-changing, propelling an artist from often impoverished circumstances to the top of the world. Even a “one-hit wonder” can change their family’s life off of the track’s notoriety. As a result, plenty of creatives hang onto the music industry far after their relevancy has passed, praying that they can re-create that musical magic. Their home, social circle, and way of life become engrained in grandiosity.

However, rapper Mase is a rare exception to this standard. Merely two years after his hit studio album Harlem World, he famously retired from hip-hop to pursue a calling from God. Even if the world was screaming out the hook to “Feel So Good,” the New York-raised personality wasn’t feeling it. He dropped it all to become an ordained minister while continuing his studies at Clark Atlanta University. During an interview with Funkmaster Flex, he announced his retirement, stating, “I told everyone that I don’t plan to be here for long. I planned to use rap as a stepping stone.” He continued, “It takes a great person to walk away from money. When my whole heart isn’t in it, I can’t do it.”

Rapper Mase’s Harlem World Put Him On The Map

However, Mase’s departure from hip-hop had been in the works for a long time. He spent his adolescent years in The Bronx after being born in Jacksonville. However, his mother sent him back to Jacksonville after he began getting in trouble in the streets. While living in Jacksonville as a teenager, he began attending church. He wouldn’t spend much time back in Florida, returning to New York by the time he was 15. However, it was enough time for Mase to be influenced by the Christian lifestyle he was entrenched into.

Like many other MCs, Mase’s teenage aspirations revolved around the world of sports. After returning to New York, he pursued a career as a basketball player. He was the star point guard at Manhattan Center High School in the early 1990s. However, Mase would eventually pivot into a rapper career when he realized he wouldn’t make it to the NBA. His big break in the industry came in 1996 when he began rapping for Diddy (Puff Daddy at the time) at the Hard Rock Cafe. Shortly after, he would sign a $250,000 deal with Bad Boy Records.

Mase & Diddy Have Had An Extended Beef

rapper mase — NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – MAY 12: Mase attends DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic Live! at Prudential Center on May 12, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)

By the time he was ready to retire, Mase’s inscribed deal for Bad Boy Records would be the source of beef between the two MCs. Mase felt that his contractual obligations to the label still existed after his retirement, which caused him to construct a series of subtle disses at Diddy. However, the two would eventually reconcile their differences, that is, until the 2020 Grammys. After receiving the Icon Award, he blasted the Grammys. He boldly stated, “Truth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys. Black music has never been respected by the Grammys to the point that it should be.”

After his speech, Mase would re-ignite his opinions on Diddy’s treatment of his artists under Bad Boy Records. He told Vibe, “Your past business practices knowingly has continued purposely starved your artist and been extremely unfair to the very same artist that helped u obtain that Icon Award on the iconic Badboy label.” While Diddy remained silent for a long time regarding the beef, he eventually came out in 2022 to defend his name on The Breakfast Club. He accused Mase of being a “fake pastor” who “went and conned people.” Lastly, he claimed that Mase owed him $3 million.

He Quit Hip-Hop To Focus On Ministry

Even after Mase retired from the hip-hop industry to pursue a religious career in ministry, he straddled between being a rapper and a pastor. Five years after his supposed retirement, he returned with the 2005’s self-explanatory Welcome Back. However, he hasn’t released a solo project since then. Outside the occasional release of a new single or a feature, Mase’s recent life has been focused on moving forward with his religious relationship. In 2021, he became the head of the Gathering Oasis Church. In addition, Cam’ron and Mase recently re-kindled their relationship as co-hosts on the It Is What It Is sports talk show.

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Who Is DJ Kool Herc? The “Founding Father Of Hip-Hop”

June 3, 2023 by newhiphopnews

On August 11, 1973, DJ Kool Herc, born Clive Campbell, threw the famous “back to school jam” block party on 1520 Sedgwick Ave. The Jamaican-American DJ was instrumental in the creation of hip-hop. However, it was actually Herc’s sister, Cindy Campbell, who had decided to throw the party. Initially, the goal was to raise funds to purchase new clothes for the upcoming school year. Even ahead of frat party antics, the entry charge was 50 cents for boys and a quarter for girls. Over 300 people would show up at Sedgwick Avenue. DJ Kool Herc would become a local celebrity overnight. Suddenly, the 18-year-old was viewed in a starkly different light throughout the Bronx borough.

However, DJ Kool’s life didn’t start in the bustling streets of the Bronx. Instead, he was the first-born son of Keith and Nettie Campbell in Kingston, Jamaica. At the time, the area was a melting pot of dance halls and DJs, a culture that rubbed off on him as a kid. Music was also being played throughout the household. He told RockTheBells, “In Jamaica, my father let me know about Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, and Bing Crosby. He could sing the entire White Christmas album word for word.” Growing up in a musically inclined family and environment, he would bring that influence when the Campbell family emigrated to New York in 1967.

DJ Kool Herc Influenced Other MCs

Kool DJ Herc during Launch of “Hip-Hop Won’t Stop: The Beat, The Rhymes, The Life” Collection Initiative for the Smithsonian Institution at Hilton New York in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Jemal Countess/WireImage)

A few years later, a teenage Clive Campbell was blasting James Brown’s “Sex Machine” while curating graffiti in the streets of The Bronx. A creative outcast, he joined the Ex-Vandals, a graffiti crew he ran with while riding his bike around town. Soon after that, he began to express his creative interests in a manner beyond the visual world. Blending the influences of The Bronx, Kingston, and his family, he began to build up his resume in the New York borough gradually. With sister Cindy acting as the marketer for the parties, it wouldn’t take long for DJ Kool Herc to begin garnering a sizeable audience. He told NPR, “I never gave a party to buy clothes, or buy some jewelry. I gave a party because people asked me to.”

As DJ Kool Herc continued to host block parties, he discovered his own sound around “the break” in the process. Without the luxury of headphones, he was highly observant of how his crowd would react to the music. A self-described servant of the audience, he curated the “Merry-Go-Round,” where the beat break was looped in a manner that became associated with the inklings of hip-hop. The earliest version of this was with “Bongo Rock” by The Incredible Bongo Band, with the looping record going on to be sampled by Nas on 2004’s “Thief’s Theme.” By the mid-1970s, DJ Kool Herc was a local legend, influencing the hip-hop careers of the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Sylvia Robinson, and Jam Master Jay. In essence, he dominated the early hip-hop scene in the 1970s.

He Still DJs Across The US And Europe

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 16: DJ Kool Herc attends The Source Magazine’s 360 Icons Awards Dinner at the Red Rooster on August 16, 2019 in Harlem, New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)

To this day, DJ Kool Herc travels worldwide hosting DJ sets. In fact, he’s better known in Europe in this day and age than he is in the United States. He would never go on to create his own hip-hop record, which he doesn’t regret. Regarding the sentiment that he founded hip-hop with NPR, he boldly exclaimed, “Nobody can take that from me.” By the late 1970s, DJ Kool had purposefully retreated from the music industry. Watching many of his contemporaries succeed, he consciously decided to withdraw. This occurred after being stabbed at the Executive Playhouse while trying to stop a fight. By 1980, he was working at a record store in the South Bronx.

Herc has also been through a fair bit of trials throughout his life. In the mid-1980s, his father passed away. The trauma of the experience took a severe toll on him, and Herc admitted he became addicted to cocaine at the time. However, he would eventually return to the DJ’ing world. In addition, he’s working on an ongoing campaign to prevent Sedgwick Avenue from being converted. Officials want It to become a business building from affordable housing. The location was later deemed “the birthplace of hip-hop.” Thankfully, the iconic site hasn’t been under threat since deemed so by New York state officials. In addition, DJ Kool Herc has expressed aspirations surrounding building a museum commemorating hip-hop within Jamaica. In essence, his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is well deserved.

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When Was Hip Hop Created?

June 2, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Hip Hop emerged in the late 1970s in the South Bronx, a borough of New York City. This vibrant, multifaceted cultural movement came to life in response to social and economic conditions that marginalized inner-city African American and Latino youths. Its innovative music, dance, visual art, and style marked the movement.

The Founding Father Of Hip Hop

Regarded as the founding father of Hip Hop, DJ Kool Herc is widely credited for kickstarting hip hop. Born in Jamaica and raised in the Bronx, Herc brought the sound system culture of his homeland to New York City. On August 11, 1973, he held a party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx. This event is what many consider to be the birth of Hip Hop.

Early Pioneers & The Start Date Of Hip Hop

DJ Kool Herc was not alone in shaping the early Hip Hop landscape. Afrika Bambaataa, another influential figure, contributed to the movement by organizing block parties and fostering community among young people. Grandmaster Flash, a pioneering DJ, is credited with developing innovative DJing techniques such as scratching and beat juggling. These pioneers laid the groundwork for the Hip Hop movement in the 1970s. They crafted its core elements and spreading its influence throughout the Bronx.

The Evolution

The late 1970s and early 1980s marked a period of rapid expansion and evolution for Hip Hop. The genre began to reach a wider audience, moving beyond the boundaries of the Bronx and infiltrating mainstream American culture. Artists like Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J, and the Beastie Boys brought Hip Hop music to the charts while breakdancing crews and graffiti artists showcased the visual and dance aspects of the culture. By the mid-’80s, Hip Hop was a nationwide phenomenon.

The Global Spread

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Since its inception in the ’70s, the culture has become a global force. Its music, dance, and visual art have also influenced cultures worldwide, from Europe to Asia, Africa to South America. The genre’s global reach is a testament to its power as a form of expression and communication. Despite its roots in the South Bronx, the movement resonates with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, highlighting universal struggle, resilience, and creativity themes.

Conclusion/TLDR

The Hip Hop start date in the 1970s marked the beginning of a cultural revolution that continues to reverberate worldwide. From its roots in the South Bronx, the sound has grown into a global phenomenon, influencing music, dance, visual art, fashion, and more. The power of Hip Hop lies in its ability to give voice to marginalized communities, challenge societal norms, and foster creativity and expression. As we look to the future, it’s clear that the impact of the culture’s start date will continue to be felt for generations to come.

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N.W.A.’s “Efil4Zaggin” Turns 32

June 2, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Ice Cube’s sudden departure from N.W.A. shook up the hip-hop world. Everything about his stoic and hardened image represented what the group was all about. Straight Outta Compton was uncompromising and groundbreaking, an album that had all of America talking. The album only solidified how divided the working class was from the bourgeoisie. Some hailed the project as a necessary outcry, while others demeaned its violent uptakes on tracks such as “F**k Da Police.” In essence, the Compton group had proved hip-hop’s value as a powerful source of messaging.

How would the group’s follow-up live up to the radical change that Straight Outta Compton instilled in rap? In addition, the loss of a key member was bound to tip the balance of the chemistry that the group developed. Even with the modern-day Brockhampton, it took the group years to adapt after losing Ameer Vann. Ice Cube’s departure from N.W.A. was anything but smooth-going. The two sides had embarked on a public spat that ended up in the press. Also, the Los Angeles Police Department’s racial profiling and officer misconduct against Rodney King erupted riots throughout Los Angeles.

Efil4Zaggin Is The Darkest Of N.W.A.’s Albums

With N.W.A. remaining on the front page in the three years since Straight Outta Compton, fans were clamoring to see how the group would artistically respond to their numerous controversies with Efil4Zaggin. The project wouldn’t deliver on the charts in the same manner that their debut did. However, Efil4Zaggin was still a defining statement from N.W.A. In contrast to the more measured Straight Outta Compton, Efil4Zaggin is the darker of N.W.A.’s two albums. The project is an electric rush of death metal and hip-hop. The diminished N.W.A. is pissed off; they want you to know it.

Efil4Zaggin is purposefully painful in every sense of the word. Even if N.W.A. didn’t want to admit it, they were hurt behind the bravado of their anger directed at Ice Cube. Their sophomore (and final) project aims to instill that pain into their audience. It wouldn’t be out of line to say that N.W.A. had gone utterly insane at this point. This sentiment is clear before even hearing the project. All it takes is a peek at the track-listing, featuring “Kill A Hooker” and “Find ‘Em, F**k ‘Em, and Flee.” It’s also apparent in the disturbing lyricism, with Eazy-E being noticeably enraged from start to finish. “Approach to Danger” mirrors a harrowing Michael Myers Halloween film, blending sampled screaming with screeching guitar riffs and synths.

Multiple Songs Diss Ice Cube’s Departure

n.w.a. albums — Rappers Stacy Phillips, MC JB (Juana Burns) and Baby D. (Dania Birks) of JJ Fad poses for photos with rappers MC Ren (Lorenzo Jerald Patterson), Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson), Dr. Dre (Andre Romelle Young) and Eazy-E (Eric Lynn Wright) of N.W.A. backstage after their performance at the Genesis Convention Center in Gary, Indiana in July 1989. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

Of course, a primary narrative of the record is attacking Ice Cube‘s manner of leaving N.W.A. While the group has reunited in the long term, the initial fallout was an iconic moment of hostility within hip-hop. Ice Cube felt he was being cheated out of royalties from N.W.A.’s record label at the time while also having an underlying sentiment that he could achieve more in a solo arena. “Message to BA” calls out Ice Cube explicitly for his departure. However, “Real N***az” is the most directly damning message against their past member, as they violently depict what they would do to Cube if he ever came near them. MC Ren angrily spits, “Only reason n***as pick up your record is cause they thought it was us.”

Efil4Zaggin Laid The Foundation For G-Funk

While many N.W.A. fans associate Efil4Zaggin with Ice Cube’s fallout and its subsequent diss tracks, its sonic departures and growth on the part of the remaining members are more than worth nothing. Ice Cube’s departure left ample room for Eazy-E to expand his pen game, opening up about his darkest fantasies behind menacing beats. In addition, Dr. Dre and DJ Yella were subtly laying down the foundations for G-Funk on Efil4Zaggin. “Automobile” exists in the framework of a P-Funk sample, a sound that N.W.A.’s Dr. Dre would later expand on and trademark with future albums. Their final album departed from the Gangsta rap subgenre they popularized on Straight Outta Compton, striding into a territory of Halloween-esque grime.

If not for the tragic passing of Eazy-E, the Ice Cube-less N.W.A. were still forming the makings of a unique subgenre that they could’ve continued to expand on with future albums. Months before Eazy-E’s death, the trio Eazy, Cube, and Dre even discussed getting back together and creating another album. Efil4Zaggin was a platform on which the group’s members would leap off of, propelling hip-hop into its golden age of sound. Dr. Dre would expand on the early G-Funk experimentation of the project. Embarking on his solo career, the sound had evolved on The Chronic and Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle. Efil4Zaggin set the platform for the next decade of WestCoast sound.

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Jay-Z’s Former NYC Apartment, Known As “Stash Spot,” Listed For $1.4 Million

June 2, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Just last month, Jay-Z and Beyonce made American history by purchasing the most expensive home ever in the state of California for $200M. Some Twitter users have been calling the property “ugly” and comparing it to a “prison,” but nevertheless it’s a huge step up from where Hov resided in the late ’90s on 560 State Street. As the NY Post notes, the father of three was both selling drugs and making music at the time, but ultimately gave up the former for a very successful pursuit of the latter.

“I knew something wasn’t right about the things I was doing,” Jay admitted while visiting the property in 2019. “My conscious was alive. So I just decided to let that street life go and just really focus on music. This is what I love to do. If I had my choice to be successful — to be successful in the street or be successful making music, it would be making music.” After letting go of the toxicity in his life, the New Yorker quickly found himself blowing up and achieving all his dreams in the industry.

Jay-Z Spent His Younger Years on 560 State Street

His former residence, popularly known as “Stash Spot,” has been listed for sale for $1.4 million. It’s located in Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill neighbourhood and boasts two levels. The main floor contains a living room, dining area, and powder room. Elsewhere you’ll find a primary bedroom with a large, custom-designed closet, as well as a second room that could fit a bed or function as an office/nursery. Other amenities to be enjoyed by whoever foots the bill include the building’s 6,000-square-foot shared courtyard, an outdoor kitchen, and a gas-fired barbecue pit.

Elsewhere in the news, Ne-Yo made an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast earlier this week, at which time he revealed that Jay-Z still teases him about giving “Let Me Love You” away to Mario. Read more about that at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

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Rappers Who Have Earned Both An Oscar & Grammy

June 1, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Hip hop and awards shows have always had a tumultuous relationship. The Grammys didn’t even recognize the genre until 1989, which, in hindsight, is simply ridiculous. However, rappers have been treated with even less regard when it comes to other “prestigious” awards shows. The first rap track to even get nominated at the Academy Awards wasn’t until 2002. There hasn’t exactly been a deluge of nominations or wins since then.

Regardless of the hard-traveled roads these awards shows create for hip hop artists, there have been some big wins at both. While the Grammys have plenty of rap-centric categories, the limited space the Oscars present has always been a hurdle. However, some rappers have broken through at “Hollywood’s Biggest Night.” Some took home a statue in surprising categories. As of this writing, there have been a total of three rap artists who have won both a Grammy and an Oscar. AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Eminem

Since 2000, Eminem has earned 15 Grammy Awards and twice as many nominations. In fact, Slim Shady has earned the fourth most wins overall, only bested by icons like Kendrick Lamar, Ye, and Jay-Z. The Detroit rapper’s victories have been spread out over several Grammy categories, including Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video.

Despite having a litany of music industry accolades under his belt, Eminem’s most surprising win was earned in 2003. At the 75th Academy Awards, he took home the Best Original Song Oscar for “Lose Yourself” from the film 8 Mile. Directed by Curt Hanson (L.A. Confidential), the semi-autobiographical film garnered praise from critics and fans of Marshall Mathers alike. While Eminem didn’t receive a nomination for acting, he did make Academy Awards history by being the first rapper to win an Oscar.

Eminem’s Academy win didn’t exactly open the floodgates for hip hop artists, but it did set a precedent. Two years later, Memphis rap group Three 6 Mafia would win in the same category for their track “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from the film Hustle & Flow. Other artists like Kendrick Lamar would go on to earn nominations years later. Sadly, the next rapper to win an Oscar for Best Original Song wouldn’t be until 2015.

Common

The Chicago-based rapper Common underwent several artistic evolutions during his illustrious career. However, he has always been a conscious figure in rap music, proselytizing street-smart politics through smooth delivery and insightful bars. Despite being nominated twenty times, the rapper has only won three Grammy awards.

Common won his first for the Erykah Badu song “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” in 2003. The song was a duet between Badu and Common, who were romantically involved at the time of its recording. The track was from the film Brown Sugar and helped propel the soundtrack to No. 16 on the Billboard 200 charts. In 2008, he won his second Grammy for “Southside” from his seventh album Finding Forever. Along with Kanye West, he took home the award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group award.

However, the biggest win for Common was the one-two punch of earning an Oscar and Grammy for the same song. At the 2015 Academy Awards, Common won the Oscar for Best Original Song for “Glory” from Selma. A year later, Common and co-writers John Legend and Rhymefest would also win the Best Song Written for Visual Media Grammy. In 2017, Common won an Emmy, leaving him just a Tony award away from the coveted “EGOT.”

Will Smith

Will Smith has been a facet of pop culture for nearly four decades. From being in the hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince to starring in summer blockbusters, Smith has dominated every artist field he’s entered. His cultural presence has practically been unmatched by his peers. In 1989, Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff won the inaugural Grammy award for Best Rap Performance for the song “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” The track would go on to be a playful anthem for kids everywhere.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince would also earn their second Grammy in 1993 for the song “Summertime.” The duo would eventually call it quits a year later as Smith was looking to pursue his acting career full-time. However, in the late ‘90s, Smith would return to music as a solo artist. His return to music earned him two more Grammys for the songs “Men in Black” and “Gettin’ Jiggy wit It.”

While Smith’s music career has seemingly been put to rest, his acting has only gained more momentum. Smith was nominated for his first Oscar in 2002 for his portrayal of Muhammad Ali in the biopic Ali. Five years later, he would earn his second Academy Award nod for the film The Pursuit of Happyness. But apparently, the third time was a charm when Will Smith finally took home the statue in 2022. Smith played Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus Williams, in the film King Richard. The film not only earned Smith the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar but also a Best Picture nomination.

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