Hip Hop Turns 50

Rap, or earlier versions of it, were popular in certain sections of NYC in the early seventies, if not earlier, personally, I can remember the Last Poets’ line “the Revolution will not be televised” as early as 1970. The Sugarhill Gang was the first to bring it to media attention, and Blonde, her quick take, to a white audience

Rap is unique, rather undefinable, and had a role in music history. With the over commercialized music scene of the late seventies early eighties, rap and punk were the created alternatives, which quickly set it
 
Rap, or earlier versions of it, were popular in certain sections of NYC in the early seventies, if not earlier, personally, I can remember the Last Poets’ line “the Revolution will not be televised” as early as 1970. The Sugarhill Gang was the first to bring it to media attention, and Blonde, her quick take, to a white audience

Rap is unique, rather undefinable, and had a role in music history. With the over commercialized music scene of the late seventies early eighties, rap and punk were the created alternatives, which quickly set it

I'll give credit where credit is due, hip hop was founded in NYC. But I came up during a time when people in Oakland and LA/Compton were trying to break through and the pervasive attitude was 'if you're not from NYC then we want little to do with you and we won't play your music'. It was a definite theme for people like MC Hammer and Too Short of Oakland speaking about the West Coast and the disrespect they received.

Now of course hip hop is universal but in that mid to late '80's period, 'the golden age', it was an amazing time to come up as a fan.
 
Rappers Delight by The Sugarhill Gang is generally credited with being the first rap song played on the radio. This was 1979.

I know some of you Boomers here had this style of clothing in your wardrobe closet. Haha.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mcCK99wHrk0

Bell bottoms and silk shirts? Yep. But those in the video must be "rappin' clothes" and I've never seen anything like that at the nightclubs I frequented. But then, I'm a rocker...
 
It's 'official' birthday is actually tomorrow. I'm guessing we don't have a lot of hip hop heads on this board but nonetheless, curious if folks here remember the first time they heard rap/hip hop and the reaction to it (i'm thinking in the '70's - even though during that period I don't believe there were really any hip hop songs on the airways).

For me, I'm pretty sure RUN DMC and Whodini were the first two hip hop tapes I purchased in the mid 80's.

Odd thing to celebrate that which is probably the number one phenomenon that is dragging the class and culture of this country and the rest of the civilized world down the toilet.

I liken it to the right's fealty to Trump.

People nowadays seem to have this strange predilection for latching onto garbage and following down the shitter.
 
Odd thing to celebrate that which is probably the number one phenomenon that is dragging the class and culture of this country and the rest of the civilized world down the toilet.

I liken it to the right's fealty to Trump.

People nowadays seem to have this strange predilection for latching onto garbage and following down the shitter.

For better or worse (if that's your perspective) hip hop went from starting out in parks and house party's in NYC to a multi-billion industry with a global influence.

Hip hop's audience today is very diverse. Back in the day I heard it argued that it was white record company producers telling black hip hop artists to glamourize ghetto culture to sell records to white suburban kids. I've heard black friends who are big into hip hop speak out against the excesses and prefer when the music was more political and pro-black nationalism.

But there is no denying its influence. I've traveled and seen country kids wearing country boots listening to hip hop. It's mainstream now.
 
Bell bottoms and silk shirts? Yep. But those in the video must be "rappin' clothes" and I've never seen anything like that at the nightclubs I frequented. But then, I'm a rocker...

I would definitely imagine those more into the rock scene aren't dressing like the folks in that video. Haha.
 
I would definitely imagine those more into the rock scene aren't dressing like the folks in that video. Haha.

No, not really Lol! I almost never wore a tee shirt back in my single days when I went out, it was always a nice sport shirt and tight jeans. I had (still have) a few nice polo shirts too.
But yeah, band nights brought out a few strange characters. The hair and spandex...oh, and the mini skirts :)
 
For better or worse (if that's your perspective) hip hop went from starting out in parks and house party's in NYC to a multi-billion industry with a global influence.

Hip hop's audience today is very diverse. Back in the day I heard it argued that it was white record company producers telling black hip hop artists to glamourize ghetto culture to sell records to white suburban kids. I've heard black friends who are big into hip hop speak out against the excesses and prefer when the music was more political and pro-black nationalism.

But there is no denying its influence. I've traveled and seen country kids wearing country boots listening to hip hop. It's mainstream now.

Ahhhhh, so all the negative aspects of it are the fault of rich white people, when all these black "intellectuals" ever wanted, was to rap about their complex socio-political philosophies.

Got it.

And all the xxx-rated audio pornography some of them produce, much of which makes Cardi B's WAP look like a nursery rhymes by comparison, was also the doing of the rich white men who own all these rap labels like Bad Boy, Def Jam and Death Row.

Hmmmmmm..... :thinking:

At any rate, this mass appeal and influence you speak of still does not negate the fact that rap is the vile, filthy, angry, aggressive, criminal thug glorifying, low-talent garbage genre that is, which as I said before, is dragging western culture down the toilet.

In short, it still sucks.
 
The one I remember is the one that gave the genre its name, "Rapper's Delight."

I also remember "The Message" early on.

Both are great tracks.
 
Ahhhhh, so all the negative aspects of it are the fault of rich white people, when all these black "intellectuals" ever wanted, was to rap about their complex socio-political philosophies.

Got it.

And all the xxx-rated audio pornography some of them produce, much of which makes Cardi B's WAP look like a nursery rhymes by comparison, was also the doing of the rich white men who own all these rap labels like Bad Boy, Def Jam and Death Row.

Hmmmmmm..... :thinking:

At any rate, this mass appeal and influence you speak of still does not negate the fact that rap is the vile, filthy, angry, aggressive, criminal thug glorifying, low-talent garbage genre that is, which as I said before, is dragging western culture down the toilet.

In short, it still sucks.

I live for the day, the poorly educated find facts before they open their mouths, rappers first rapped about thier surroundings. Sugar Hill gang started the shit....no violence, etc....it wasn't until white ppl started getting into our music that it become hard core and to the delight of white ppl, its been that way ever since....of course these nigga's day, all they rap about is white p*ssy!!
 
I live for the day, the poorly educated find facts before they open their mouths, rappers first rapped about thier surroundings. Sugar Hill gang started the shit....no violence, etc....it wasn't until white ppl started getting into our music that it become hard core and to the delight of white ppl, its been that way ever since....of course these nigga's day, all they rap about is white p*ssy!!

The Sugar put rap on the Map.....the 80's kept it clean, the 90's on up made it violent and mean

Yeah, it's always someone else's fault.

No better than Trump and his Trumper cultists.

Those morons blame all Trump's shit, the violence enabled by the guns they love and the economic problems brought about by their shitty, pro-1% policies on them dang ol' lib'ruls and Demmycrats.

Blacks meanwhile, with the aid of woke white nitwits, are blaming their shitty, lowlife ghetto culture on whites who supposedly twisted their arms and forced them into it.

In the early 90's NWA, 2Live Crew and many other male and female rappers, who I'm happy and proud to admit I can't readily recall the names of, are the ones who started the "nasty as we wanna be" and gangsta thug attitude in rap because they knew it appealed to young, immature, stupid little teenage shits of all races.

But nobody made them do it.

They did it willingly for money.

And I'll say it again.... their shit is primarily responsible for the cultural decline in Western societies, mainly the US.

No matter what they claim their reasons for it were.

Black ghetto culture is invading, infecting and seeping its way into every aspect of American life and dragging us all down the toilet with them.

But mostly, rap is just shitty, low-talent garbage passed off as music by scammers and con artists to appeal to people with shitty taste.

So fuck off. :fu:
 
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