FEATURE |
||||||
|
and 2 Pac Shakur are possibly the most famous rappers for this type of press. The pair had individually taken the world by storm with tracks like ' Big Poppa ', ' One More Chance ' and ' Notorious B. I. G ' from Biggie and ' Changes ', ' California Love ' and ' Do For Love ' from 2 Pac. As many of you know, this particular part of hip hop ' s story did not end well and ultimately saw both Notorious B. I. G and 2 Pac gunned down. The death of these two icons still rattles the industry to this day.
The 1990 ' s also saw the rise of the South in the genre. Unfortunately, southern rappers and DJ ' s had been somewhat overlooked. After encountering difficulty securing recording contracts artists from the Dirty South, as its sometimes called, discovered the power of independently releasing music
|
with mix-tapes playing a big part. This would later mean that many southern artists retained the rights to their music. The South had something unique to say, different from what New York and California had been releasing. Artists like Mystikal, Scarface, Trick Daddy, Juvenile and 8 Ball where among some of the front runners in the rise of Southern hip hop and by the early 2000 ' s many Southern artists had attained international success. As the decade went on both mainstream and underground varieties of Southern hip hop became among the most popular and influential of the entire genre.
Over the last 40 years or so hip hop has influenced millions of lives and shaped not only the music industry but the business world too. A number of brands had clocked the value
|
in artists ' popularity and product placement in music videos and endorsement style adverts became widespread. No one can deny that the heart of hip hop ' s continued success is its fans. They drive the movement and because of their dedication to the genre, doors have now opened for artists to create collections in collaboration, rather than just endorsing.
Like it or not some of today ' s mainstream hip hop releases have more materialistic lyrics and less political or community content. Some say this is due to hip hop being corrupted by the fortune and wealth it generates, others say it ' s because you have to conform to get a label to sign you if you want international success. Wherever you
|
stand personally, the fundamentals of the game remain. Sampling was always a part of hip hop and the charts today reflect that. Much of the culture has revolved around the idea of updating classic recordings, attitudes and experiences for modern audiences, known as ' flipping ' within the culture.
So, to the forefathers and mothers of hip hop, those who had the strength to rise up and speak on the unjust actions of their realities; to those who found power in the booth and used it to spread love and a message of hope; to those who refused to conform and had the courage to step up into the unknown: thank you. For without those voices, there would be no hip-hop.
|
|||
28 |