Hip hop music or rap was developed by African Americans and Latino Americans at block parties in New York City in the 1970s. It was part of hip hop culture characterized by rapping, DJ scratching and beatmatching using two turntables and a DJ mixer, break dance, graffiti, synthesized beats and sounds, and rhythmic beatboxing. It is a rhythmic music style with rapping in which the performer speaks along rhythmically with an instrumental or synthesized beat.
Hip hop music was first recorded on radio or television in 1979. Old school hip hop was the first mainstream hip hop style, influenced by disco and parties in the 1980s. New school hip hop was the second mainstream hip hop style, marked by its electro sound, and developed into Golden age hip hop throughout the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. The gangsta rap gained popularity. Golden age hip hop artists included LL Cool J, Slick Rick, Ultramagnetic MC’s, the Jungle Brothers, Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, KRS-One, Eric B. & Rakim, De La Soul, Big Daddy Kane, EPMD, Biz Markie, Salt-N-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Gang Starr, and A Tribe Called Quest. Early gangsta rap artists included Schoolly D, Ice-T, Geto Boys, N.W.A, 2 Live Crew, Too Short, Kid ‘n Play, The Fat Boys, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, MC Hammer, and Vanilla Ice.
The 1990s saw its diversification including styles such as West Coast hip hop dominated by G-funk, East Coast hip hop dominated by jazz rap, alternative hip hop, and hardcore rap, Southern rap and Atlanta hip hop. It became the top-selling music genre by 1999.
It continued to pick up steam throughout the 2000s increasingly influencing other popular music genres like neo soul, nu metal, and R&B. New styles like crunk in the South of the United States emphasizing beats and music more than lyrics, and alternative hip hop. Since the late 2000s, rappers have expanded their fan base through social media, blogs, and streaming platforms. Trap rap and mumble rap have become the most popular hip hop subgenres since the mid 2010s. It has become the most popular genre in the United States since 2017.
You can find a list of hip hop artists on Wikipedia.
Source: Wikipedia
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