Three phases of Hip-Hop

In life, there will always be phases...

Babies grow into toddlers.

Toddlers grow into children.

Children grow into teenagers.
And Teenagers grow into adults...

It's all an evolution and life, as it always does, provides the best example through our own experience for this growth. I've seen people evolve, but I've also seen other things evolve such as, (for the sake of this post) Hip-Hop. I wasn't lucky to grow up in the midst of the beginning stages, but I do respect it. Not to sound cliche, but I fell in love with Hip-Hop in the '90's when BIG,Tupac, Nas and Jay-Z (toward the end) reigned supreme. It was a great time to be a...believer in this form of artistic expression. But things change, often before we even know they have.


1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, New York
Thats where it all began. The humble beginnings prompted by beatboxing and table-thumping, yea all that started in the Bronx. Sure, there were probably others, but this place is the documented birthplace of Hip-Hop. It evolved from this historic place as songs like, "Rappers Delight, "Rapture (performed by a woman named Debbie Harry, who happened to be white) "The breaks" and the song I know verse for verse, "The message." In all my listening and searching this song epitomizes what Hip-Hop embodied at the time.

"The bill collectors they ring my phone

And scare my wife when I'm not home

Got a bum education, double-digit inflation

I can't take the train to the job, there's a strike at the station"

It was new. It was different. But it was what we needed. The revolution music of the '60's was non-existent. The economy was again favoring those who were "well off" and shitting all over the "have nots."A sub-culture of America was either selling drugs or using them, times we're hard to say the least.  Artists had talked about these issues for years, but never with the style and experience-filled way Hip-Hop did. Substance reigned supreme because thats all there was. Bling and flash were there, but not overly emphasized. Groups like Afrika Bambattaa and the Soulsonic Force, Run-DMC and The Beastie Boys continued along the path set, but set out in new ways. Thus, evolving

In the Spring of 1994, an up and coming rapper by the name of Nasir Jones, penned; the classic, the timeless, Illmatic. From start to finish the album, detailed life in a way vivid, but also reminiscent of the past. It seemed as if the album recognized the change which was about to occur in the genre, while paying homage to the past. The lyrics seemed so real and to this day echo in society as the last verse came to life in the Hype Williams film Belly. There were no famous guest apperances, just fantastic production and lyrics.

Beyond the walls of intelligence

life is defined 

I think of crime

when i'm in a New York State of Mind

Believe it or not, it was the end of an era. The end of the beginning. Hip-Hop had to move forward, but it needed that individual or indivuals with a mass appeal, with a certain persona about them that could be marketed to a mainstream audience.

Although I beg to differ with the movie Notorious of how it all really went down, the greatest rapper to ever touch a mic changed everything later in '94. Ready to Die, wasnt just an album. It was almost like you were listening to the score of a movie, and Christopher Wallace played the leading role. I cant lie and say, "Oh I went and bought that album when it first came out," but when I was able to understand the intricacies of his words, it made sense. When I first heard "Juicy,"I understood exactly why this man was the greatest of all time. His ability to tell a story and keep it relevant, astounds me to this day. His ability to say things like:

Heartthrob never

Black and ugly as ever

however

I stay Gucci downto the socks

rings and watch filled with rocks

Crazy.

 Period.

The album told the story of Christopher Wallace, while being more than successful commercially. Although lacking the major guest appearances of future rappers, he held his own much like Nas. The intro was truly an introduction, not just people yapping at the mouth. It felt like the project was something special, as it seemed to transcend time sampling songs from the past as a prelude to the future. Unfortunately, we never got to see Notorious B.I.G. truly become what he should have, due to a highly sensationalized beef with the west coast, but his emphasis on lyrics remained. Yes, he was also flashy being one of the first peurveyors of the word swagger. Him and Puffy, along with others made it cooler than it once was, as their was money to be made doing this rap thing.

It wouldnt be right to mention Hip-Hop during the 90's without mentioning Tupac, A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast, DMX, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Cash Money, UGK and a host of others. Although the emergence of swagger had begun, these artists still promoted an air of substance promoting progression and development.

Jay-Z. No words can really explain what he has done for the genre as he as epitomized, from Marcy to Hollywood. With his first release in 1996 (Reasonable Doubt) his flow gave us similar imagery of Nas and Big, but he eventually found his own voice. A few small beefs and a few millions later, he is the undisputed king of Hip-Hop and the last of a dying breed. His 2003 release, The Black Album also represented the end of an era. I can almost say it isnt the end of an era, but the end of people doing albums in similar forms. It was a rough time for Hip-Hop fans, but artists such as Ludacris, T.I. Eminem, Nelly and Lil Wayne carried the torch.

However there was a shift

A change.

Something amiss.

Yup, in my white Tee - Dem Franchize Boyz

It started as all fads do. Everyone was leanin' and rockin'
It was fun. Great for a party.
But then it lasted.
and has continued to last as seen by the jerk movement, souljah boy and all the other dance songs.

A part of me wants to scream out, what the fuck happened. but the other part tactfully says, things change.

1) Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - > Nas "Illmatic"
2) "Ready to Die -> The Black Album
3) Dem Franchize Boyz -> And so on...

HELP