50 years of Hip Hop- How Come?


Having been a music fan for over 50 years, it’s been fun to see all the different musical genres that have come and gone in popular music.

In the the 50s it was Rock n Roll. Then in the 60s we had Psychedelia, in the 70s Punk, in the 80s New Wave, in the 90s Grunge. It was always interesting to see how music changed into the next new thing.

At the latest Grammy awards, which I did not see, there was a segment called 50 years of hip hop.

I’ve personally never been a big fan of the genre, there are some songs I have liked, but that’s ok. Everyone has their tastes. What I am surprised about is Hip Hops longevity. It just seems like for the last 25 years a lot of music hasn’t really changed much. There has been no " next new thing"as far as I can tell.

How Come? Anyone feel the same way or care to comment. Am I just getting old??

 

128x128alvinnir2

You’re getting old. I’m over 60, so I can say it.

So are you dismissing shoe glaze and Dream pop as new styles? Also try Alicia keys or Taylor swift. Sure, they borrow from jazz singers, but they made it their own and they sound nothing like Ella. Same how rock and roll borrowed from the blues.
I will agree these genres are not life changing, not as big as the ones you mention, but none of them just appeared, they all took time to grow and develop. We lump Bach, Beethoven and Stravinsky together under classical. We may be too close to the changes in genres today to define them as people will 100 years from now.
As for hip-hop, I agree with you, I myself only put it on at the gym. And it’s not the same as rap as some believe. Hip hop evolved from rap. So you do have that in the last 25 years.
this is just a viewpoint, I am not a musicologist, just a lover of all music.

Jason I respect a lot of your input, but what you just said about rap-hip hop is what my Dad said about rock and roll 50 years ago. 

@jasonbourne52 LOL, clearly you might not be the intended audience.

 

To the OP...some of the earliest hip-hop crossed over to different audiences more easily back in the day, especially given that many tracks were almost novelties (Rapper's Delight) with a strong but easy beat to follow. Saw my share of young caucasians "fake dancing" in clubs at the time and shaking my head then..not to the music but to those who were trying (but failing) to dance.

 

LL Cool J, Ice T, Biggie & Tupac and Run DMC through groups like Outkast, Public Enemy to todays artists like Jay Z, Drake, Anderson .Paak and Kendrick Lamar...its real music to the artists and its real music to the audience...isn't that kindof the test? It may not make sense to some...that's cool.

 

@ghasley 

It's real music and has great appeal to many, no doubt about that, and that is a great thing. It just seems to me like I'm ready to hear some thing totally new and fresh musically, and I have been for some time. Seems like things changed up a lot more often musically pre 2000 then since. Maybe I just don't appreciate or see the nuances of changes these days.

 

There’s a lot of music which is not my taste. But that’s all I need to say. I don’t need to deride it as "not music."

I’m pretty sure that most people don’t listen to twelve-tone classical music, either, but it was largely made by white guys, so I guess it can count itself safe from Old Guys Yelling at Clouds.

Masthead - The Cannon

I’m ready to hear some thing totally new and fresh musically,

I find new and fresh stuff in my streaming services, they push it to me on discovery mixes, daily mixes, or I can select a genre.

Like any other genre you find artists you love, and artists you hate. I love when artists use samples of old songs and create something fresh. This is a gospel choir which did a cover of a song by eminem that gives me chills every time I watch it

If you have headphones put them on:

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