Even After 50 Years, Hip-Hop is Still a Big Deal!
From its beginnings at house parties in New York City in 1973, rap is now one of the most popular sounds of today. It is known for its clever, powerful wordplay and innovative musical accompaniment.
The genre changed the lives of generations of African-American artists who were born in poor areas. It also gained fans all over the world with anthems that spoke to local problems.
It has had such an artistic and social impact that the US government has named it a cultural treasure.
Kendrick Lamar‘s album Damn won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Music, and the Library of Congress has 12 other albums in its collection.
Some of these are “3 Feet High and Rising” by De La Soul and “Fear of a Black Planet” by Public Enemy.
The 50th anniversary of the genre was commemorated by the Grammy Awards last month, and the Universal Hip-Hop Museum, supported by some of the genre’s most prominent figures, will open in New York in 2024.
Even with all the praise and institutions, hip-lasting hop’s legacy is a lively collection of songs that talk about all parts of life.
Here are 12 songs that tell that important history.
1. The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” (1979)
The New York crew was a good example of the wordplay in this growing genre.
When Rappers Delight made it into the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, it was hip-first hop’s big hit. The track has still had an effect on all parts of the craft.
2. Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’s “The Message” (1982)
This powerful song is what got hip-hop artists interested in social justice.
At the time, songs like “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow and “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa helped put the style on the US charts.
The Message took their lively energy and combined it with hard-hitting lyrics about the hopelessness of living in poverty in the city.
The Message gave artists like Public Enemy, NWA, and Kendrick Lamar the tools they needed to keep spreading the message for decades to come.
3. NWA’s “Straight Outta Compton” (1988)
In The Message, Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five looked at the city as outsiders, but in Straight Outta Compton, NWA, a group from Los Angeles, is the tough hero of the story.
From Dr. Dre’s hard-hitting production to Ice Cube, Eazy-E, and MC Ren’s tough lyrics, the song is often seen as the start of the subgenre gangsta rap, along with other songs like Ice-T’s “6 ‘N The Mornin” from 1986. It also paved the way for a wave of uncompromising artists to record unfiltered street stories in the studio.
Also Read: The 10 Wealthiest Rappers in The World and How Much Money They Have?
4. A Tribe Called Quest’s “Check The Rhime” (1991)
Gangsta rap in the US caused a lot of trouble, so a more soulful and meditative version of the style grew.
Check the Rhime, the first single from A Tribe Called Quest’s groundbreaking album The Low-End Theory, which is a mix of avant-garde jazz, soul music, and lyrics that make you think.
Both Q-Tip and Phife Dawg were great rappers. In their verses, they use clever wordplay and metaphors to talk about how important it is to learn while still being street-smart.
5. Nas’s “NY State of Mind” (1994)
This track by Nas is a great example of how literary hip-hop can be.
In the NY State of Mind, from his groundbreaking first album Illmatic, Nas thinks about the pros and cons of living on the edges of society.
DJ Premiere plays a scary piano loop in the background while Nas observes people, places, and things without judging them.
This song sounds like a picture of a harsh city.
6. Tupac’s “California Love” (1995)
In this huge hit, gangsta rap and pop styles come together.
It is also a story about second chances, as rapper Tupac and producer Dr. Dre need a hit song to get back on the scene.
Dr. Dre’s success showed the industry that he could still make great music outside of NWA, while Tupac’s continued popularity showed that he hadn’t lost any of his charms despite his legal troubles.
California Love was a big hit in the US, Europe, and Australia. It was a sign that hip-hop would become a commercial powerhouse in the future.
Also Read: The 8 Best New Hip-Hop Songs of This Week
7. Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” (1998)
Lauryn Hill’s first single as a solo artist builds on the themes of female empowerment in hip-hop that were first explored by artists like Roxanne Shante, Queen Latifah, and Salt-N-Pepa in the 2000s.
Hill’s flow is rough and passionate, and there are different verses for women and men that ask us to raise our standards in relationships and in our life goals.
Doo Wop (That Thing) was another important event in hip-hop history. It is the first song by a female rapper to reach the top of the US charts. Since then, Missy Elliot, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B have all done the same thing.
8. Eminem’s Stan (2000)
This masterpiece shows how hip-hop can be like a movie.
Fans and critics were both surprised when Eminem gave up the raunchy and outrageous persona of his previous hits in favor of a more serious and scary look at fan culture.
The lyrics tell a story through the eyes of the artist and a crazy fan. You can read them like a short story.
The British singer Dido steals the show with a haunting chorus, and the word “stan” is now often used to describe obsessive or overly enthusiastic behavior.
9. Missy Elliot’s “Work It” (2002)
Missy Elliot’s single is a creative and technical turning point for the genre. It features some of the first electro-fueled sounds, which made producer Timbaland a star in his own right.
The song “Work It,” which is on Elliot’s fourth album, shows why she is still one of the best rappers out there.
Nicki Minaj was especially influenced by her style, which had a lot of different ways to rhyme and used a lot of funny slang words and sounds.
Also Read: In May, Fiery Rapper 6ix9ine Will Play in Israel.
10. Kanye West’s “Stronger” (2007)
Even though it wasn’t Kanye West‘s best song, Stronger was a big change in hip-hop.
Its success led artists to use more electronic music in their music, which can be heard clearly on Drake’s latest album, Honestly, Nevermind.
11. Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” (2010)
Hip-hop songs that make you think about yourself have been around since the early 1980s.
But artists like Kid Cudi and, to some extent, Eminem dug deep when they tackled tough topics like depression, resilience, and mental health without fear.
The pursuit of Happiness is a great example. It and its parent album, Man on the Moon: The End of the Day, influenced a new generation of artists, including Travis Scott, Logic, and the late XXXTentacion.
12. Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” (2015)
The song “Alright” is another modern masterpiece that takes us back to the roots of hip-hop.
It updates the socially aware reporting style of The Message, which was a big hit in 1982, to show how race relations in the US are getting worse.
With songs like “This Is America” by Childish Gambino and “The Story of O.J.” by Jay-Z, Lamar and his peers show that hip-hop is still important after 50 years.
