Mark Henderson answered
Hip Hop music came into existence in post-civil rights culture of the 1960s and 70s, mainly because of the introduction of synthesizers, drum machines and turntables. This made it possible for DJs to take the rhythmic drum beats of soul, disco and pop records of the time and loop them to create a rhythmic accompaniment for a MC to rap over.
Rapping was a fusion of traditional African vocal techniques such as call and response and poetry, which featured themes of social alienation, politics, race and poverty.
The first hip hop single to be released is considered to be Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" in 1979, which helped spread the genre across the country from its beginnings in the African American and Latino communities of New York.
New, more advanced synthesizers and drum machines in the 1980s aided the development of the genre, and this led to what has become known as the "golden age" of hip hop in the mid 1980s with the emergence of groups such as Public Enemy, De La Soul and Gang Starr. These artists made heavy use of sampling and politically-militant lyrics.
The 1990s heralded the mainstream success of the genre. In particular Public Enemy's "Fear of a Black Planet" was well received by critics and consumers alike. Also, in this decade MC Hammer released the first number one hip hop album, "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em", and the lead single of this album "U Can't Touch This" reached the top ten.
Since then Hip Hop has grown and spawned hundreds of sub genres - and is still one of the most popular music genres in the western world today.
Rapping was a fusion of traditional African vocal techniques such as call and response and poetry, which featured themes of social alienation, politics, race and poverty.
The first hip hop single to be released is considered to be Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" in 1979, which helped spread the genre across the country from its beginnings in the African American and Latino communities of New York.
New, more advanced synthesizers and drum machines in the 1980s aided the development of the genre, and this led to what has become known as the "golden age" of hip hop in the mid 1980s with the emergence of groups such as Public Enemy, De La Soul and Gang Starr. These artists made heavy use of sampling and politically-militant lyrics.
The 1990s heralded the mainstream success of the genre. In particular Public Enemy's "Fear of a Black Planet" was well received by critics and consumers alike. Also, in this decade MC Hammer released the first number one hip hop album, "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em", and the lead single of this album "U Can't Touch This" reached the top ten.
Since then Hip Hop has grown and spawned hundreds of sub genres - and is still one of the most popular music genres in the western world today.
