HIP HOP MUSIC

When hip hop music first developed in the late 1970s, not many people knew about it. It was started in the poorest parts of New York City by African American and Latino teenagers. They performed breakdancing and graffiti art. Sometimes they played as deejays at free block parties. They played funk and disco tracks non-stop and asked a friend to act as their MC (short for master of ceremonies or microphone controller). The MC would introduce the DJ and encourage everyone to dance and have a good time.

Hip hop became a major genre of popular music in the 21st century, with hip hop singles and albums topping the charts worldwide. Local hip hop scenes developed in many countries and produced successful artists like Dizzee Rascal from the UK and Drake from Canada. Many female rappers also became successful, including Missy Elliott, Lil’ Kim, Lauren Hill and Nicki Minaj. Hip hop has had a strong influence on 21st-century pop music, with many pop songs including elements of hip hop. Pop singers and rappers often come together to produce songs like the single ‘See You Again’, a collaboration between pop singer Charlie Puth and rapper Wiz Khalifa. It topped the charts in 96 countries in 2015.

Since 2010, independent artists have created new styles of alternative hip hop and underground rap. They began their careers by releasing free mixtapes and relying on Twitter, Facebook and other social media to gain followers. Some of the best albums and mixtapes by these artists include Earl Sweatshirt’s Doris, Chance the Rapper’s mixtape Acid Rap, YG’s My Krazy Life and Freddie Gibbs and Madlib’s Piñata.