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Hip-Hop eras

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M Dogg™:
I have been a fan of Hip-Hop along time, and I have been able to see different trends, and such. I think I pretty much got it right, but I want to see what ya' all think. I have seperated Rap music into eras, as at each time this era has dominated the music business. There are also times of confussion, like after Nas beat Jay-Z, or when both Biggie and 'Pac died, so I'll lay it out, and see what you guys think.

Rap Music started out on mainstream radio with the Old School, and the release of Rappers Delight by Suger Hill Gang in 1979. The Breaks by Kurtis Blow hit next, and hip-hop was off and running. The Old School era hit it's commercial peak when Run-DMC came out. Run-DMC changed how rap sounds, and gained great mainstream attention, which Hip-Hop was struggling for. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5 also did well, and White Lines with Grandmaster Flash and Melli Mel kept Hip-Hop going. Kool Moe Dee and the rest of the Treachious 3 also gained success. Hip-Hop was off and runnin'.

Then came the day everyone can agree changed Hip-Hop forever. Eric B. and Rakim released Eric. B For President in 1986 as Rakim used a whole new style of rhyming which no one else did. Forever changing the landscap of rap, Rakim was by far the most advance emcee of his era. Others followed, or changed with him. More and more emcees had to step up there game. KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions would come out, and add a more hardcore sound to Hip-Hop. In the West in 1986, Too Short from the Bay Area would release Freaky Tales and in Compton Ice Cube would write Boyz N Tha Hood, which would be performed by local drug dealer Eazy-E and produced by former Funk producer Dr. Dre. The True School was born, as advancment from the Old School would begin. Many sounds would be created, as a law of the times was no bitting allowed. So different regions, like the South with 2 Live Crew in Miami, or Gheto Boys of Texas, or the West like N.W.A., or King Tee in Compton, Ice T in L.A. along with Low Profile, or Too Short, Ant Banks, and Digital Underground of the Bay, or the East with Boogie Down Productions, LL Cool J, the Juice Crew and De La Soul of New York, all had different sounds, and each tried to be unique.

Hip-Hop would begin running the mainstream too. No longer would intercity music be searching for attention, they would get it. And no time like the L.A. Riots in 1992 would the focus of intercity like be more clear. The L.A. Riots was pretected by almost every L.A. rapper, and after the Riots, one album stood out in telling of it. Dr. Dre released the Chronic in 1992, and the attention swung from everywhere, to what was going on in L.A. The Gangsta Rap era had begun, and G-Funk was the smooth sound that was used by all. G-Funk's sound would help ease the hard pill that AmeriKKKa would have to swallow. Gone was the happy music of De La Soul, and upbeat music dance music of M.C. Hammer and Yonng MC. Now rap became more real. Snoop Dogg, who had a smooth flow was able to narrirate stories in a smooth voice, and people became less impressed by great rhymers, and instead wanted the painful stories that 2Pac would poar from his heart, M.C. Eiht and D.J. Quik would battle like if they were fighting over gang territory, and Coolio explained why It Takes A Theif. Producers like Ant Banks, Shock G, Dr. Dre, Cold 187um and Warren G made the hard lyrics easier to deal with.

The Eastcoast would have another Renisance that was almost as important as the one in Harleem. But this time, all of New York would experence it. A young story teller by the name of Nas would release his  debut Illmatic in 1994, and later that year Notorious B.I.G. would release his album Ready to Die. Both told violent and often sad storied of life in New York.  Wu Tang Clan, who was under the radar in the Gangsta Era, would also grow in popularity, as they brought back a very True School feel about them. Though Eastcoast was rising, Westcoast was not slippin' at all, which would lead to very interesting times. Aside from both coast, Da Brat, Outkast, Scarface of the South, and Bone Thug's N Harmany, and Common were all making noise, and Hip-Hop looked to be going back to a more diverse feel as other people were getting involved.

At the end of 1994,  2Pac was shot in New York. This caused many rumors and such to run wild. Rumor was that 2Pac's friend Notoriuos B.I.G. was behind it all. So what followed was a huge rivalry in which the sides would be divided by the Mississippi, and a Hip-Hop Civil War would begin. Artist outside each coast would be seen under the radar, and gain some attention, but this civil war was the center. In early 1995, 2Pac was giving interviews from jail about Notorious B.I.G. setting him up. Biggie would denie it. Death Row, who was trying to court 2Pac, would begin to lay down the battle lines of the war. The Dogg Pound would record New York, New York video, in New York, and then stomp down the towers. Biggie before the video, stated that New Yorl can't let 2PAC and the Dogg Pound do this. Later, the Source Awards was in N.Y., and many people would boo when a westcoast artist was announced. This would lead Death Row Records to tant the eastcoast fans after every award. Snoop and Suge would egg on the crowd. In the end of 1995, 2Pac was released from jail and all hell broke loose. Saying he would be a nutt when he gets out, the once conscience rapper turned gangsta, and dissed Biggie and half the eastcoast. Unfourtantly, the next 9 months after being released from jail, would be 2Pac's last. When 'Pac died, the Gangsta Rap era did with him. As 'Pac's death was seen as Gangsta Rap becoming too real for people to handle. Shortly after 'Pac died, Hip-Hop was silent, and then Biggie died in 1997. The 3 year long civil war was at an end, and no one won. Rap would need a new direction, as the street life was too much to handle for the Hip-Hop crowd.

Rap would take interesting twist. After 'Pac and Biggies untimely, and unsolved murders, Hip-Hop in 1997 had a more silent feel to it, Though Puff Daddy's tribute to his friend Notorious B.I.G. was one of the most touching moments in Hip-Hop history. But in 1998, things began to come up again, as artist like Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Master P and Ma$e had a more upbeat, and dancible sound. LL Cool J would renew his career for a 3rd time, battling young rapper Canibus, and in 1999, Dr. Dre would release white boy rapper Eminem to rip havoc in the pop world. Dr. Dre would also try to renew the westcoast, releasing Chronic 2001, which updated the sound everywhere. Hip-Hop was in full party mode. Artist like Nelly, Fabolus and Cash Money would all rock Bling Bling. Bling Bling was in full effect. Jay-Z lead the pack, and it seemed like there was no end to Bling Bling. Under the radar were artist in Rawkus, and Common was still around. More traditional hip-hop was out there, but the fact that it wasn't selling made more hardcore fans fustrated, even trying to justify that more traditional hip-hop has never sold. In reality, underground has never sold, but traditional hip-hop has not always been underground.

After about 4 years of Bling, Bling, or the Jiggy era running hip-hop, Jay-Z was by far the top man. The only one close was New York Renisance hero Nas. But Nas too had turn to the Bling Bling era for sales, such as Ochie Wally and Shorty, and now Jay-Z to become the undisputed king of hip-hop challenged Nas to a battle for the crown. Though Nas went back to his more traditional beginnings, and beat the cocky Jay-Z in one of the greatest battles in Hip-Hop history at the end of 2001. Now Hip-Hop was looking for direction. as Nas released Stillmatic to set the foundation in late 2001. Eminem released the Eminem Show in 2002 and Hip-Hop was now trying to update the traditional rap with modern production that Dr. Dre set up in 1999. Though the return of the true school never happened, even after KRS-One spanked Nelly, as more and more, the Dirty South was taking over. Well looking for direction, Hip-Hop looked in the direction of the South. East and West coast both saw a reduction in sales, and both Jiggy rap and Traditional rap were seen as old school. In 2002, Ludacris and JD did a Atlanta tribe. The sound already popular with Petey Pablo and other Southern artist. But now it was exploding. It makes sense since most of Black America lives in the South, that now the South would be the place that Hip-Hop would be centered. After 9-11, it was Atlanta's Outkast that had the song that discribed it. Timberland and Missy Elliot's sound out of Virginia would make hit after hit. Lil' Jon and the Eastside Boy's, David Banner, Bonecrusher. The South is right now the dominating sound out. 50 Cent maybe the biggest thing in New York, and Snoop Dogg in L.A., but both have a little south to them that can be heard in them. Where hip-hop goes from here, it will always change. But right now, we in the Dirty Era.

PLANT:
That was a good read M Dogg, thanks homie. ;)

I agree with everything you laid down, great summary of hiphop music right there.

Twentytwofifty:
It looks pretty acurate.  It must be difficult replaying the history of rap since you have to leave so much out.
Like:

Slick Rick & "La Di Da Di"
Big Daddy Kane
Public Enemy
A Tribe Called Quest
Pete Rock & DJ Premier
Boot Camp Click
EPMD & Def Squad
...and so on


I'd put the eras like this:

1977 - 1983
1984 - 1986
1987 - 1991
1992 - 1996
1997 - 2000
2001 - Present


The summary looks good.  Hip-hop has been thru so much.

white Boy:
yo can someone put like all major things hapening in hip hop, like album releases, group break ups and deaths, id greatly apriciate it

Bramsterdam (see ya):
I enjoyed readin all that man. I'd prop ya if i had enough posts  :( lol
peace

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