| East Coast hip-hop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | August 11, 1973,The Bronx, New York City, U.S.[1][2] |
| Derivative forms | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Regional scenes | |
| Other topics | |
East Coast hip-hop is a regional subgenre ofhip-hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970s.[3][4] Hip-hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in theBronx borough ofNew York City.[5]
In contrast to other styles, East Coast hip-hop music prioritizes complex lyrics for attentive listening rather than beats for dancing.[5] The term "East Coast hip-hop" more specifically denotes hip-hop originating from the Northeastern United States.Southeastern states such asGeorgia or Florida instead produceSouthern hip-hop rather than East Coast hip-hop, althoughthe District of Columbia,Virginia, andMaryland produce East Coast hip-hop.[6][7][8]
In contrast to the more simplistic rhyme pattern and scheme used inOld-school hip-hop, hip-hop in the late ‘80s developed a stronger emphasis on lyrical dexterity.[3] It also became characterized by multi-syllabic rhymes, complex wordplay, a continuous free-flowing delivery and intricate metaphors.[3] Although East Coast hip-hop can vary in sound and style, "aggressive" beats and the combining ofsamples were common to the subgenre in the mid- to late 1980s.[5] The aggressive and hard-hitting beats of the form were emphasized by such acts asEPMD,Beastie Boys andPublic Enemy, while artists such asRakim,Boogie Down Productions,LL Cool J,Big Daddy Kane,Nas,The Notorious B.I.G., andSlick Rick were noted for their lyrical skill. Lyrical themes throughout the history of East Coast hip-hop have ranged fromlyrical consciousness by such artists as Public Enemy andA Tribe Called Quest toMafioso rap themes by rappers such asRaekwon,MF Grimm andKool G Rap.[3]
East Coast hip-hop is occasionally referred to as New York rap due to its origins and development at block parties thrown in New York City during the 1970s.[3] According toAllMusic, "At the dawn of the hip-hop era, all rap was East Coast rap."[5] Leading up to hip-hop, there were spoken-word artists such asthe Last Poets who releasedtheir debut album in 1970, andGil Scott-Heron, who gained a wide audience with his 1971 track "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". These artists combined spoken word and music to create a kind of "proto-rap" vibe.[9] Following this, early artists of hip-hop such asDJ Kool Herc,Grandmaster Flash,Afrika Bambaataa,the Sugarhill Gang,Kurtis Blow,Jam Master Jay andRun-DMC, pioneered East Coast hip-hop during hip-hop's earlier years in the 1970s and 1980s.[5]
As the genre developed, lyrical themes evolved through the work of East Coast artists such as theNative Tongues, a collective of hip-hop artists associated with generally positive, Afrocentric themes, and assembled by Afrika Bambaataa. New York–based groups such asDe La Soul,Public Enemy,A Tribe Called Quest, and theJungle Brothers also earned recognition for their musical eclecticism.[5] This period from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s has been called the "golden age" of hip-hop. Although East Coast hip-hop was more popular throughout the late 1980s,N.W.A'sStraight Outta Compton (released in early 1989) presented the toughened sound ofWest Coast hip-hop, which was accompanied by gritty, street-level subject matter.[5] Later in 1992,Dr. Dre'sG-funk recordThe Chronic would introduce West Coast hip-hop to the mainstream. Along with a combined ability to keep its primary function as party music, the West Coast form of hip-hop became a dominant force during the early 1990s.[5] Although G-Funk was the most popular variety of hip-hop during the early 1990s, the East Coast hip-hop scene remained an integral part of the music industry. During this period, several New York City rappers rising from the local underground scene, began releasing noteworthy albums in the early and mid-1990s, such asNas,The Notorious B.I.G. and others.[10]The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show was the launch pad for many East Coast rappers during this era.
Nas' 1994 debut albumIllmatic has also been noted as one of the creative high points of the East Coast hip-hop scene, and featured production from such renowned New York–based producers asLarge Professor,Pete Rock andDJ Premier.[10] Meanwhile, TheWu-Tang Clan,Onyx,Black Moon,Smif-N-Wessun,Big L,Lost Boyz andMobb Deep became pillars in New York'shardcore hip-hop scene, achieving widespread critical acclaim for their landmark albums,Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993),Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous (1995),Enta da Stage (1993),Bacdafucup (1993),Dah Shinin' (1995),Legal Drug Money (1996) andThe Infamous (1995).
The Notorious B.I.G. became the central figure in East Coast hip-hop during most of the 1990s.Bad Boy Records comprised a team of producers known as the Hitmen Stevie J, Derrick "D Dot" Angelletie and Amen Ra directed bySean Combs to move the focus on hip-hop to New York with the Notorious B.I.G.'s Billboard topping hits.[11] His success on the music charts and rise to the mainstream drew more attention to New York at the time of West Coast hip-hop's dominance.[11] According toAllMusic editor Steve Huey, the success of his 1994 debut albumReady to Die "reinvented East Coast rap for the gangsta age" and "turned the Notorious B.I.G. into a hip-hop sensation — the first major star the East Coast had produced since the rise of Dr. Dre's West Coast G-funk".[11] Many saw his dominating presence as a catalyzing factor in the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop rivalry that polarized much of the hip-hop community, stirring the issue enough to result in the Brooklyn rapper's 1997 death, as well as his West Coast counterpart,Tupac Shakur, months prior.[12] By the late 1990s, East coast rap had returned to mainstream dominance.[13]
Biggie's commercial success helped pave the way for the success of other up-and-coming East Coast rappers such asJay-Z,DMX,Busta Rhymes,50 Cent,Ja Rule,the Lox,Fat Joe,Big Pun, andClipse.[11][14] Many East Coast hip-hop producers also rose to prominence during this period such asTimbaland,Pharrell,Just Blaze,Swizz Beatz,Irv Gotti, and7 Aurelius[i].
A mainstream revitalization of East Coast rap occurred in the late 2000s and early 2010s, albeit without the same level of ubiquity as in the 1990s. Younger artists at this time used Internet resources such as social media, blogging, andmusic streaming to build a following among fans,[15][16][17] blurring the lines between theunderground and the mainstream. Rappers who emerged during this "blog era" includeJoey Bada$$,A$AP Rocky,Nicki Minaj,Wiz Khalifa,Meek Mill,French Montana,Pusha T,Logic,Mac Miller,Vast Aire,Wale,Azealia Banks,Flatbush Zombies,Troy Ave,Bishop Nehru,Asher Roth, andKa.
East Coast rappers that saw success during this period includeCardi B,Lil Uzi Vert,Fetty Wap,A Boogie wit da Hoodie,Rich The Kid,Tekashi 6ix9ine,Sheck Wes,ASAP Ferg,Rico Nasty,Young M.A,Action Bronson,Dave East,Shy Glizzy,YBN Cordae,Brent Faiyaz,GoldLink,PnB Rock,Flipp Dinero, andJay Critch. Many of the rappers of this era gained prominence onsocial media, and some diverged from the traditional East Coast sound with stylistic choices that befitted thestreaming era, such astrap production andsouthern hip hop influence.[18] Various factors led to a decline in unique regional scenes, including East Coast rap, and rivalries between different cities and regions declined significantly, with artists across different regions and genres more willing to collaborate than in the past.[19]
New York City's drill genre, heavily influenced byUK drill (and often using the same London producers, such as808Melo), has injected new energy into the New York hip-hop scene, attracting critical acclaim, media controversy and a significant following, despite departing from standard hip-hop song structures.[20] The genre started in Brooklyn, led by artists such asBobby Shmurda, the latePop Smoke,Fivio Foreign,Sheff G, and22Gz.Bronx drill, a related subgenre, has also emerged, with prominent rappers includingKay Flock,Ice Spice andKenzo B.[21]
A neo-mafioso style of East Coast rap, marked by an emphasis on "grimy" gangster lyricism, wordplay, andboom-bap production, reminiscent of "classic" mid-90's acts such as "Wu-Tang, Mobb Deep, Onyx, and early Jay-Z",[22] has made an emergence, garnering critical and commercial success, and acult following.[23][24][25] This modern revitalization of the traditional sound (sometimes referred to as "coke rap"[26][27]) has been spearheaded byGriselda Records ofBuffalo,upstate New York, and its flagship artistsWestside Gunn,Benny the Butcher, andConway the Machine, as well as affiliated artistsMach-Hommy,Roc Marciano,Boldy James,Rome Streetz,Armani Caesar,Daringer andConductor Williams, among others.
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East Coast hip-hop was the dominant form of rap music during the Golden Era of hip-hop.[3] Many knowledgeable hip-hop fans and critics are particularly favorable towards East Coast hip-hop of the early-mid 1990s, viewing it as a time of creative growth and influential recordings, and describing it as "The East Coast Renaissance". Music writer May Blaize of MVRemix Urban comments on the nostalgia felt among hip-hop fans for records released during this time:
It was claimed as the East Coast Renaissance. Wu-Tang brought the ruckus with36 Chambers. The world was ours when Nas releasedIllmatic.Big L, (The MVP) came out withLifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous. Temperatures rose in clubs when Mobb Deep came out withThe Infamous and Brooklyn's finest Jay-Z releasedReasonable Doubt. . . And who can forget the powerful uplifting anthem that would brand New York's concrete "Bucktown" (Smif-n-Wessun's hit single)? . . .Ahh, it was a beautiful time in hip-hop history that many of us wish we could return to.[28]
David Drake ofStylus Magazine writes of hip-hop during 1994 and its contributions, stating: "The beats were hot, the rhymes were hot – it really was an amazing time for hip-hop and music in general. This was the critical point for the East Coast, a time when rappers from the New York area were releasing bucketloads of thrilling work –Digable Planets,Gang Starr,Pete Rock,Jeru,O.C.,Organized Konfusion – I mean, this was a year of serious music."[10]
East Coast hip-hop has also produced a multitude of acclaimed female rappers, includingSalt andPepa,The Real Roxanne,Monie Love,Queen Latifah,Lil Kim,Lauryn Hill,Ladybug Mecca,Foxy Brown,Charli Baltimore,Eve,Missy Elliott,Angie Martinez,Remy Ma,Lil Mama,Nicki Minaj,Cardi B,Rapsody,Young M.A,Armani Caesar,Ice Spice, andCoi Leray.
