Why I think hip-hop is the greatest music genre, a thread and a history lesson:

Hip-hop was born in New York in the 1970’s. The people who birthed the genre were mainly of Caribbean, Latin American or African American descent. In different ways, the hip-hop artists would use the genre as a way to fight against the racial injustices they were experiencing.

Many black people weren’t allowed into night clubs in the 1970’s, thus spawning block parties where the discriminated people would gather. Originally the music would be played by DJ’s, who would remix a variety of popular songs. This was the birth of hip-hop beats.

Then came the MC’s, who would perform over the DJ’s’ beats. The MC’s performed in a monotone voice, in a rhythm to the beat, which is what we know as rap today. On September 16, 1979, the first official hip-hop/rap song would be released; Rapper’s Delight by Sugarhill Gang.

In the 1980’s the genre would be popularized by artists like Kurtis Blow and groups like Run-D.M.C. However at the time hip-hop was quite underdeveloped. The rhymes were basic and the lyricism was rather simple. This was soon to change, though.

Later on in the 1980’s, hip-hop would be start to develop. Thanks to groups like Eric B. & Rakim, Public Enemy and N.W.A., the genre would have a bigger focus on lyricism and flow.

While groups such as Eric B. & Rakim would help hip-hop evolve technically, displaying more complex flows and lyrics, other groups had other ideas. Public Enemy and N.W.A. rapped about racial injustice towards black people and the truths about life in the ghetto.

N.W.A.’s debut album “Straight Outta Compton” (1988) would doom enough become incredibly popular. With lyrics about the life in the streets of Compton, the more fortunate people would learn what was really going on the hood, as media outlets would often share unilateral stories.

“Gangster rap”, which was popularized by N.W.A. themselves, would continue to grow in the 90’s, but not before the sound of hip-hop was evolved yet again by groups like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. They would give the genre a new sonical edge...

...by chopping a whole variety of jazz samples, that would align with boom bap beats. Additionally, their lyrics would almost be the opposite of what gangster rap brought to the table. The lyrics would instead be philosophical, humorous and full of word play.

In the 1990’s hip-hop would finally start to really blow up. It’s said to be the “golden era” of hip-hop, with countless legendary artists and classic albums. However I want to go back to New York, to talk about gangster rap again. The kids from Queensbridge: Nas and Mobb Deep.

Is there anything quite like hip-hop? These two men have seen it all. Mobb Deep’s album “The Infamous” is filled with raw lyrics from the ruthless streets of Queensbridge. Perhaps the song “Temperature’s Rising” explains it best...

... On this track the duo deliver respective messages to Havoc’s brother Killa Black. At the time Killa Black had went through a murder, and was hiding from the cops. That was real life, and somehow the same duo would go from fighting for survival, to going on tour.

This is not a history lesson on rap, I’m just trying to explain the cultural significance of it, as well as its immortal greatness. I’ll just get straight to the point; a war has begun, between fans of old rap, and fans of new rap...

... This is a shame, and there’s not much more to it than that. There has never been a right way to make hip-hop music; it’s always evolved. Whether you like the music or not, hip-hop is evolving and is still a massively important for black culture...

As it cheesy as it sounds, more people need to start appreciating hip-hop as a culture. There’s nothing like it. What other genre has struggling teenagers turning into superstars, whether they’re lyricists or sound pushers? I could say a lot more but I’ll leave it at that.

Actually, no, here’s why I love hip-hop:
- I don’t think there’s any genre that expresses messages through lyricism as well
- The sounds of hip-hop beats - whether it’s based on a sample or a modern trap beat - is unmatched
- Its flows and rhyme schemes are one of a kind 1/2

2/2
- There’s nothing like it culturally
- It can be enjoyed in countless ways, whether it’s instrumental hip-hop, modern trap, jazz hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, technical hip-hop, experimental hip-hop, etc