| Hardcore hip-hop | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Hardcore rap |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Early 1980s, mainly inNew York City andPhiladelphia |
| Derivative forms | |
| Regional scenes | |
| West Coast hip-hop,East Coast hip-hop | |
Hardcore hip-hop (also known ashardcore rap) is a subgenre ofhip-hop that developed through theEast Coast hip-hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists asRun-DMC,Schoolly D,Boogie Down Productions andPublic Enemy, it is generally characterized byanger,aggression andconfrontation.
Music experts have creditedRun-DMC as the first hardcore hip-hop group.[1] Other early artists to adopt an aggressive style wereSchoolly D inPhiladelphia andToo $hort inOakland. Before a formula forgangsta rap had developed, artists such asBoogie Down Productions andIce-T wrote lyrics based on detailed observations of "street life", while the confrontational and aggressive lyrics and chaotic, rough production style ofPublic Enemy's records set new standards for hardcore hip-hop andhip-hop production.[2] Though initially a largely East Coast phenomenon, by the late 1980s, hardcore rap increasingly became largely synonymous withWest Coastgangsta rap, with artists likeN.W.A infusing "gangsta" themed stories of gritty gang life.
In the early 1990s, hardcore hip-hop again became associated with the East Coast asWu-Tang Clan emerged withminimalisticbeats and piano-drivensampling, which became widely popular among other hardcore hip-hop artists of the time.[2] In the early, late 90s and early 2000s, other New York based artists likeOnyx,DMX[3][4] andM.O.P.[5] incorporated yelling in their lyrics. In the 2010s,punk rap combined elements of hardcore hip-hop andhardcore punk, with artists likeDenzel Curry at the forefront.[6][7]
Gangsta rap has often been associated with the hardcore hip-hop style, and gangsta rap is generally considered a subgenre or offshoot of hardcore hip-hop. However, not all hardcore hip-hop revolves around "gangsta" lyrical themes, despite the considerable overlap between the two genres, especially within hardcore rappers of the 1990s.[2] Hardcore hip-hop is characterised byaggression andconfrontation and generally describes violence oranger.Russell Potter wrote that while hardcore rap has been associated with a "monolithic 'gangsta' outlook" by thepopular press, hardcore rappers have "laid claim to a wide variety of ground".[8] Hardcore hip-hop can also be associated with progressive politics, with artists such as Public Enemy,KRS-One,Immortal Technique andDead Prez, incorporating revolutionary lyrical content in a hardcore style.
