This week, we will learn about the foundational elements of Hip-hop culture in the United States and
the ways that Hip-hop music has been influenced by regional input and interpretation over time.
As you blog on the key words of the week, Hip-hop's Regional Sounds, think about the ways that different urban
and suburban spaces have influenced Hip-hop's sound. What are the similarities and differences between
different regional sounds of Hip-hop? What are some of the regional influences that you can attribute to a
particular geographic location? How do you recognize one regional Hip-hop sound from another?
Hip hop regional sounds portray the realities of local life that surround an artist. For example, the Southern regional sound that is characterized by heavy bass and aggressive lyrics can be tied to the records of heavy violence between Los Angeles police and black citizens (PBS timeline). Another example of hip hop drawing inspiration from the environment is Grandmaster Flash whose lyrics serve as a social commentary about his frustrations with the urban community (Persley). Other hip hop artists commonly reference their region in their music, such as Outkast who draws in local color of the south or Jay-Z who commonly references people and history particular to New York (Persley xxviii). The fact that art is an individual’s unique interpretation of reality explains the idea that regional sounds are a personalized reflection of a hip hop artist’s context. Regional influence in hip hop can surface in anything from lyrics to instrumental effects to physical movements. To the uninformed observer, hip hop can be described as a general urban art form but it in reality, it has been tailored to each individual location it develops in and diversified. The fairly recent incorporation of hip hop into mainstream music culture potentially threatens to homogenize it, or as Greg Tate states, cause the “systematic destruction of a people’s folkways” (67). A concern is that mainstream American ideals like wealth and fame could become the overpowering themes of hip hop instead of accurate description of reality or local community issues.
ReplyDeleteIn hip-hop music, there are different types of regional sounds. Whether it's West coast, East coast, Midwest or even down South, hip-hop offers a variety of different sounds. There are the sounds of the West coast, which reside a lot in California (Los Angeles and the Bay Area.) Then there are the sounds of the Midwest (Detroit and Chicago.) Then we have the East Coast, which resides in NY mostly. Leaving us with the dirty south, which has places like Atlanta, Texas and New Orleans. All these regional sounds are hip-hop music. They are all music and have lyrical meanings to them. That is a commonality throughout the different regions of sound. However, East Coast music is very patriotic in the fact that they like to "rep their city". You'll hear Jay-Z give a shout out to Brooklyn on a lot of his songs, and you'll even hear people like Fat Joe or 50 Cent talk about it as well. I think the rappers in NYC were influenced by the city they live in and what it represents to America. They have a lot of pride in such a great city. The Midwest has a sort of poetic vibe to it. Rappers like Kanye and Common follow this trend. I think lyrically it is the best regional sound out of the four. Down south rappers like the chopped and screwed sort of style. The music seems to have simple choruses, but some hardcore bass. Lastly, west coast rap is a lot of the gangster rap movement. The hoods you hear about like Inglewood, Compton and Long Beach probably had a lot of influence to rappers like Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre when they were making their music. That is a heavy influence on the regional sound of the West Coast. The West Coast has a lot more "gang related" lyrics, compared to the East Coast. These regions of sound are influenced by the physical movements going on as well. Outkast shows the true culture of the South, while Jay-Z reps NYC. Then we have Paul Wall chopping and screwing it, and The Game still reps his blood colors. Whatever it may be, hip-hop definitely has it's different regional sounds.
ReplyDeleteHip-Hop Regional Sounds shapes the way music is created because the community of where music is made drastically shapes the sound. The East coast is where Hip-hop began, more specifically in New York City and the Bronx (Lecture 1/23). Hip-hop artists from the East coast rap about being proud to be from their cities, and the music has a heavy beat (Lecture 1/23). Jay-Z is an artist from Brooklyn, and represents this in a lot of his songs, including New York, with Alicia Keys, which we heard in class on 1/23. West Coast music lyrics discuss what is going on in the bad neighborhoods, and is known as ‘gangsta rap’ (Lecture 1/23). As seen in lecture on 1/23, The Message by Grandmaster Flash talks about the dangers of being on the playground in the artists’ neighborhoods. Music from the Midwest has a variety of sounds, as it is a melting pot of different cultures producing different beats. Someone in class on 1/23 said that Midwest music has a “poetic” flow, and I agree with this observation. Artists like Common and Kanye West portray this poetic sound in their lyrics and beats. Music from the South has a unique and strong sound. Outkast is an obvious example of music from the South due to the twangy sound of their music. Nelly is also a rapper from the South (PBS timeline), who incorporates this unusual twang into the music. Hip-Hop Regional Sounds are usually easy to identify when listening to music that heavily represents its location.
ReplyDeleteToo many people believe that all Hip-hop sounds alike. This is false on so many levels. One major way that Hip-hop differs within different MCs and sounds come from a geographical standpoint. One thing that is generally true of all MCs is the idea of representing for their city. Like mentioned in lecture, and I would have to agree, I couldn’t remember a Jay-Z song that he does not mention New York and the area where he came from. (Lecture 1/23). The regional sounds of Hip-hop are specific culture and/or music produced in a particular region created by racial and ethnic identity of the artist. Specifically each region has something that it is generally known for. The east coast, being the birthplace of Hip-hop has a special essence to it. (Lecture 1/23). Rappers like Jay-Z, Rakim, Talib Kweli, and Mos Def (Yasiin Bey) keep hold of the reputation in the east by reminding everyone where they came from. The west coast is more famously known for the gangster rap popularized by Ice T and N.W.A . The south is more commonly known for its use of a lot of bass that provide a unique sound ranging from artists like Paul Wall,T.I, and Outkast. The Midwest probably is the most debated sound because it is compromised of all different types of sounds ranging from the poetic like Common and Lupe Fiasco to the fast rapping, and bizarre Tech N9ne of the Killa City.
ReplyDeleteEvery artist has their own story and experiences, which they convey to their audiences by using their own hip-hop regional sounds in their music. Whether it be Ice Cube and the whole N.W.A crew in Los Angeles using their music to display their dislike of authority and their involvement in gang related issues, or Biggie Smalls and Jay-Z each describing growing up with their own troubled childhoods in Brooklyn. The east cost, west coast, mid-west and southern areas of the US all have their own sounds which influenced their native artists, creating a common ground between regional MCs. When hip-hop started in Brooklyn, pioneers like DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa borrowed from historical and tribal African traditions including boasting in order to pump up their audiences (Hodges Persley xxi). Groundbreaking innovations like this paved the way for the evolution of hip-hop to make it into more of a story-telling form rather than the crowd pleasing form it originally was. Artist now had a way to express their frustration with the economy, certain social politics, and other issues that affected their communities (Hodges Persley Lecture). These stories than differed depending on an artist’s hometown, thus creating a division of regional sounds. These unique regional sounds were than deemed vital to an artist, not only as a part of his identity, but also to properly have their story told to their listeners.
ReplyDeleteHip Hop is an extremely unique genre of music in which the style differentiates from where you are located. There are four major regions that have there own unique styles. The first region is the East Coast. The East coast consists of three major cities: New York, Boston, and Philadelphia. (lecture 1/23) The East Coast is where hip hop was invented, specifically in New York City and The Bronx. (lecture 1/23) The East coast is known for rappers that came from the underground and that are great freestyles. For example: Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z. The East coast is very unique and is responsible for the start of such a great music genre. The second Region is the west coast, which consists of Los Angeles and Oakland. (Lecture 1/23) The west coast is known for the creation of gangster rap and explaining through there rhymes what it is like to live in the streets. West coast rap also had a movie which described what they were rapping about. This movie is known as Boyz N the Hood. (PBS timeline) The next genre is the south. The south consists of: Texas, Miami, Atlanta, and New Orleans. (lecture 1/23) The south is a very unique genre in its own way. It is very heavy bass, and it is not as lyrically sound as the east or the west. Southern rap really started to hit the mainstream in the 2000’s. Last but not least is the mid-west. The mid-west consists of Detroit, Kansas City, Chicago, and St. Louis. (lecture 1/23) The mid-west is unique in its own way. The mid-west is known for a more poetic style of rap. The perfect example of this is Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West. After doing my research on regional sounds, I can tell that each region has there own unique style of rap.
ReplyDeleteHip Hop Regional Sounds can basically be understood as an extension of an artist’s contexts through musical (or other artistic) sounds. Many art forms attempt to draw in and express the world that surrounds them. One may sing a song to express his love for another, tell another his sorrows, or share a little about his home town. Artistic expression is as abundant as human experience. So, too it is the with Hip Hop Regional sounds. A Hip Hop artist, like Jay-Z for example in Empire State of Mind gathers his city and experiences of his city and collects them into artistic expression (class example). Not only is he able to simply express his experience of the city, but he encodes the language with context. So, one who has experienced the city will be able to dive into the context of Jay-z’s communication. Or one also learns more about the city through his words. Yet, it is not just the words but the music that can represent a city. Through sampling hip hop is able to take others work and creatively express it in their own way. So, a New Orleans native could take New Orleans jazz and sample it into her song. Thus, not only could her words give the listener a feel for the city but the music itself creates a historical and cultural context.
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ReplyDeleteWithin hip hop music there are many attributes that help to distinguish different types of sounds from others, an example of one of these attributes is regional sounds. Regional sounds can be defined as specific hip hop music and culture, such as dance, art, music, fashion, theater and much more, that have been produced within a particular region (In class lecture). These regions consist of the East Coast (New York, Philadelphia and Boston), West Coast (Los Angeles and Oakland), Mid-West (Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Kansas City and St. Louis) and The South (Texas, Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans); from which each region comes a different sound of hip-hop. Within each of these regions, you can see the influence and impact the environment has on these artists. For example, in Grandmaster Flash’s lyrics he focuses heavily on the violence, class differences and social critique within his urban community. For many artists such as Jay- Z and Snoop Dogg, it is not hard to tell which region they are from because they are constantly referencing their cities histories and violence in almost every one of their songs (PBS Timeline). Within the South, Outkast is an obvious example because of the many references to true culture, along with using a lot of bass, making Southern hip hop very distinguishable. For the Mid-West and Artists such as Kanye, this region is seen as a sort of melting pot from different cultures and sounds, creating a “poetic” feel to the music (In Class Lecture). All of these regional influences are what helps to make these sounds distinguishable.
ReplyDeleteJust as people from different regions within the U.S. carry different accents, Hip-hop from various regions each carries a different, unique sound. Many of the topics and messages conveyed in the music between different regions are similar. It is the way in which these subjects are aurally presented that creates these regional sounds. If one frequently listens to Hip-hop, it eventually becomes quite easy to determine what region a song originates from. The West Coast is most notorious for gangster rap through N.W.A. and the g-funk sounds of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Too Short. G-funk is the classic West Coast sound in my opinion, often using a more laid back beat and sung chorus to convey a relaxed vibe that automatically makes me think West Coast. East Coast hip-hop is well known for its lyrical ability and consciousness, artists that could be referred to as street poets, who tell their story filled with the grit and grime of inner-city life. Continuous, free flowing rhymes put over aggressive beats could best describe the East Coast sound. People often think A Tribe Called Quest, Notorious B.I.G., and Nas when they hear East Coast Hip-hop. Southern Hip-hop is best characterized by heavy hitting bass and often times a slower delivery. Chopped and screwed music is the first thing that comes to mind when Southern Hip-hop is mentioned since the South is where it originated. Midwest Hip-hop is a melting pot of all three previously mentioned regions. Rapid-fire delivery rapping is something I feel is unique to the Midwest sound. Twista and Bone Thugs N Harmony helped popularize this style by introducing new lyrical patterns of rapping faster than most people had heard before.
ReplyDeleteThe music genre known as hip hop has grown into one of the most popular genres of music in present day. Hip Hop music very different among the different regions of the United States. Hip hop music began in the east coast in New York City in the 1970’s. Eastern hip hop artists produce songs that reflect pride for their hometowns (Lecture 1/23). For example, Jay-Z is from Brooklyn, and his song titled New York, which we listened to in class on 1/23, really describes life in New York. East coast beats are more aggressive and free-flowing. I have heard it referred to as New York rap. In the west coast in the 1990’s, “gangsta rap” became a popular form of hip hop after Dr Dre released his solo album titled The Chronic, featuring Snoop Dog (Lecture 1/23). The west coast was the leading coast following Dr Dre forming the very popular Death Row Records. The TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” is recognized for introducing hip hop to Hollywood in the 1990’s ("Beyond Beats and Rhymes: A Hip-hop Timeline"). West coast hip hop is more about life on the streets. Hip hop in the south is often referred to as southern rap, which began in Houston and moved on from there. Outkast, a group from the south, brought a new fashion/look to hip hop with their clothing from the south (Lecture 1/23).
ReplyDeleteA person passively listening to hip hop music most likely will not notice any difference between an artist from say Los Angeles, Atlanta, or New York City. But if they did some research and more extensive listening to the lyrics and beats, they could find the differences. Each region of the country has its own distinct flavor and each bring something different to the table. For example, N.W.A., who reigned from Los Angeles, had some signature themes in their lyrics. They rapped on the “subject matter of violence, guns, and antigovernment rhetoric (Hip Hop History Timeline).” Meanwhile, in Atlanta, OutKast has a lot of bass heavy beats and are “known for their eclectic styles of dress (Hip Hop History Timeline).” Even though rappers from the different regions bring a different element to the genre, one thing that they all do is represent their city. The artists have a lot of pride for their various cities so they want everyone to know what makes them who they are. Like I said, each region has brought a different element to hip hop. The West Coast is famous for openly rapping about gang violence and their dislike of authority. The Midwest is known for having a lot of soul sampled beats and the artists “have a more poetic style of rapping (Class Discussion).” The South has many bass heavy beats and the songs are more slowly delivered. Finally, the East Coast is famous for socially conscious lyrics.
ReplyDeleteThere are many different styles in hip-hop and they are all from different places but the four main areas are the East Coast, West Coast, South and the Midwest. All of the different regions have obvious differences and different struggles that the locals have to deal with, and more often than not those struggles are what hip-hop artist use as the basis of their lyrics. For example, artists like Snoop Dogg and N.W.A that are from the West Coast region, their lyrics usually fall into the category of “gangsta rap”. Artists from the East Coast region like Jay-Z and Nas love to “rep their city”. As was said in lecture on Monday, I haven’t heard a Jay-Z song where he doesn’t mention New York in some way. Artists from the South region like Ludacris and T.I. often have songs with beats and hard bass lines that are easily recognizable as hip-hop from the South. And as for hip-hop from the Midwest region, artists like Kanye West and Common, have more of a poetic flow to their rhymes. Artists from the Midwest are also considered to be a mix of the other three regions. The Midwest region is often considered the melting pot of hip-hop. As you can tell hip-hop has many different regional sounds.
ReplyDeleteThe hip hop regional sound can be broken down in to East Coast, West Coast, and Midwest. East Coast hip hop usually has sounds with multi-syllabic and free-flowing lyrics. Some of East Coast artists are DMX, Jay-z, and LL Cool J. West Coast hip hop is known for its gangsta rap. Artists that are part of West Coast are Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dog. In the Midwest there is a fast-pace style of hip hop. Tech N9ne, Kanye West, and Eminem are just some of the rappers from the Midwest.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop is a set of sonic, visual, oral, aural, and embodies the codes of self-expression (Lecture 1/23). A good example of this definition is Hip-hop regional sounds. All regions have one thing in common, that they are proud of who they are and where they are from. They also started from the Southern Bronx area (PBS).Through the years the regions have added their own stamp to hip-hop; however, all MCs have kept one thing the same, repping YOURSELF. Lil Wayne (New Orleans) to Jay-Z (Empire State of Mind) both use rap to express themselves and their cities. The difference being the ways (words, beats, etc.) they use to express their region. For example, the West Coast MCs mentions more violence; Midwest region, in the Chicago suburb it is more poetic and if you are in the Kansas city area it is more fast paced (Lecture 1/23). The East Coast has its own style that has impacted other regions. MCs like Jay-Z and Biggie introduced the style of repping their cities (Lecture 1/23). For an example in “Juicy” towards the end of the song Biggie says, “Representin' B-Town.” Another example of a region’s influence on hip-hop as a whole is The Lockers dance group from Los Angeles. They are credited with inventing the dance move of locking; this is a West Coast move used by all regions today (Persley). Nonetheless, regions maintain their unique styles, fortunately, because hip-hop is an art of self-expression, and you can’t express yourself if you forget where you’re from.
ReplyDeleteIn a fairly brief period of time hip-hop's influence has become a vast influence on not just American society, but communities around the world. Along with its musical impact, hip-hop has distinguished itself and asserted its relevance by infiltrating and augmenting almost every aspect of our culture. If we take its thirty year history (roughly) at face value (lecture 1), we would overlook its deeper roots and influence which date far back into American and African history. When talking about regional sounds its important to understand why certain sounds are attributed to certain areas. For instance in southern hip-hop music you can hear its soul, its twang, and makes me think of how it progressed from the blues of the deep south and southern jazz of New Orleans. When we travel to to East-coast hip-hop, we can pick out a significant urban influence. Its inner-city knocks, heavy snares, and MC's boast both story and struggle. The confidence and heaviness exudes what it means to be living in an urban jungle in New York cities, where immigrants first came into to claim their right to the "American Dream." (The Message). On the West Coast, rappers like Ice Cube and Dr. Dre highlighted the struggle and plight of black youth in gang culture and also exposed flaws in governmental systems. I would characterize their musical sounds as "riding" music, something you could listen to riding around on a bright Los Angeles day. We can view fusion in the Midwest, which is a large region with historical influence and adaptations from surrounding regions. All in all, we should identify these regional sounds both separately and together, while attributing their establishment from a culturally deep rooted past of struggle and conquer.
ReplyDeleteAs hip-hop has continued to emerge, the difference in the regional sounds is prevalent. The East Coast, West Coast, South and Midwest each have their own, unique style that has become synonymous with the culture and artists of each region. The East Coast is widely considered to be where the genre of hip-hop was invented and this is an important theme in the music that artists from this area talk about in their music. East Coast rappers constantly “rep” New York and have pride in being from the center or “mecca” of hip-hop music and culture. The East Coast Sound music is known for its socially conscious music and lyrics and many genre-defining artists. The West Coast hip-hop scene began with N.W.A and continued with rappers like Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg. This music scene focused more on the gangster culture that was prevalent on the West Coast and the problems brought on by these experiences with gangs and violence. Like the East Coast hip-hop scene, the West Coast rappers feel it’s important to rep their area and let everyone know that the West Coast is the place to be and that good hip-hop music comes out from places other than the East Coast. The Southern and Midwestern hip-hop scenes have appeared on the scene much later than the aforementioned ones. The Southern hip-hop scene focuses on the party culture and uses heavy bass to distinguish itself from other genres of hip-hop. The Midwest hip-hop scene uses poetic lyrics and positive messages to promote the sentiment that anyone can succeed in hip-hop.
ReplyDeleteHip-Hop’s foundation lies within the regions it birthed from. Most people don’t acknowledge this. Hip-hop consists of multiple elements coming together to form a flamboyant genre. Each region gives a different spark to Hip-Hop’s general existence, and therefore creates links and relations to people from different regions. (Lecture 1/23) This is what makes Hip-hop universal. Regional sounds are defined as specific music/culture styles in a certain regions. (Lecture 1/23) For example, East ‘s music has little base-line and is more freestylistic, West Coast’s lyrics tend to be more gang affiliated or “gangster music”, Southern has the big base-line music with the “hyphy” lyrics, and Mid-West has a more poetic flow with a mix of different beats. The best part of these styles is that they evolved from the artist’s environment. So in defense for West Coast music, which is recognized by its violent lyric, they are only regurgitating what they are surrounded by. (PBS Timeline) This goes for ALL the regions. The “roots” of Hip-hop are said to be in the center of New York: Bronx and Queens, which can easily be linked to the freestyle element that comes out of the East Coast. Hip-hop is “the moment at which poor Black communities began contesting the reality of their surroundings, their life opportunities.” (Tate) (p.65) The growth of Hip-hop is also demonstrated by this phenomenon. From Sugar Hill to Grandmaster Flash to Jay Z, you can see the environment change, and so does the music out of that region.
ReplyDeleteAs we have already touched on many of the defining characteristics of the various hip-hop regional sounds in lecture I would like to "rep my city," so to speak. While I grew up in Lawrence, Kansas City is my home now, and also home to a rapper called TechN9ne. TechN9ne famously repped his city in his 2010 album, "The Gates Mixed Plate", a reference to Gates BBQ. I loved hearing about a local rapper praising baked beans and strawberry soda ("O.G."). However, when discussing TechN9ne with friends, I learned that many people view him and the KC rap scene as a joke. My theory is that this results from KC's lack of reputation as anything other than the kingdom of Midwestern BBQ and crappy sports teams- compare it to LA or NYC and we come up short in the kind of urban culture that grows good hip-hop (and hip-hop that is perceived as "credible"), both in terms of the fine arts and urban blight. However, as of 2011, KC is in the Top 10 most dangerous cities for violent crime. Perhaps there is an odd silver lining here: a perceived (by others) return to KC's roots as a hotbed of music culture and crime, the way it was in the 20s and 30s. As with jazz and the blues in those days, some of the allure of hip-hop is the "dangerous" aspect. Until KC gets that mojo back, its hip-hop scene will never be accorded the respect its poets deserve.
ReplyDeleteHip hop started in the North Eastern region of the United States in some of the roughest neighborhoods of New York in the early 70’s (PBS Timeline). From there it spread like wild fire. As Hip hop swept across the country many different variations formed. These variations are classified into four distinct regions throughout the United States know as Hip Hop Regions. They are East Coast, West Coast, Mid-West, and South (Lecture 1/23). Though the regions are separated by distinct sounds, they all do have one thing in common…Pride. Each MC has the pride of his hometown. In current Hip Hop culture every artist gives a shout out to his or her hometown. Hip Hop typically comes from rough neighborhoods which often scare people away. But MC’s use their lyrics to swing open the door of what is going on in their communities and share their political views. An example of both pride for his city and a closer view to his city is Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind”. The whole song is Jay-Z spitting different attributes and code about New York that only New Yorkers can understand. He has pride for his city but also tells the listener about poverty throughout the city. Jay-Z is only one of many who show his flavor from his hometown.
ReplyDeleteFrom Tech n9ne and the Wu-tang clan to DJ Screw and Ice cube, artists from different regions have influenced each other and motivated innovations within their own and other regions over time. Before most people heard of Tech N9ne in 1997, he was in L.A. rapping with a local MC in a group known as Luniz, Yukmouth. Yuk realized that it was crucial to broaden your scope of influence, and branch out to other parts of the globe. Right now hip-hop is at the zenith of its popularity and diversity within the culture. The artists in the past may or may not have been more talented than the Flo-Rida's and J-Cole's of today, but the networking and collaborations that these current artists have accomplished, completely globalized hip-hop. When UGK (Pimp C and Bun B) recorded "Big Pimpin'" with Jay-Z, the nation was introduced to Houston's approach of hip-hop. This song was a hit because it merged the south's style and lingo with on east coast beat with an extremely talented mc. Innovations or new collaborations tend be the most popular songs and attract a listener to a different style of hip-hop. The sounds of hip-hop are also influenced by the climate or surroundings of their society. In the East coast music is lyrical and designed for intent listening. People who listen to hip-hop in the east coast are more likely to be walking or riding the subway, with headphones, than riding in their cars. Music from California, Kansas City, and the south is more likely to have greater emphasis on the beat and the kick drum or subwoofer, and is designed for listening to in your car. Have you ever listened to a Beastie boy's beat versus a Three Six Mafia or a Dr. Dre beat? I am not saying that all west coast and south beats are louder on the subwoofers than all east coast beats, but typically it is that way. No matter what your region characteristically does, new sounds and styles will constantly change hip-hop and the sounds of the regions.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of hip-hop as a culture rather than simply a genre of music lends itself to a much deeper study and exploration of the subject. Looking into this whole idea of hip-hop from it’s beginning over 30 years ago to the present; much can be learned largely on just how broad the topic truly is. Playing into this, regional sounds show just how different the sounds and the ideas and the culture can be even within the United States. In Greg Tate’s essay he writes, “…parasitically feeding off the host of the real world’s people--urbanized and institutionalized—whom it will claim till its dying day to ‘represent,’” which brings up the interesting idea and question of who the music and the artists actually do represent, which again varies largely by geographic regions. In class we looked at these regions and the major cities that they include and the sounds that come from each of them. The west coast, focusing on cities like LA and Oakland, the east coast, featuring cities such as New York and Philadelphia, the south, focusing on cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, or Miami, and lastly the Midwest, featuring Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, and Detroit, all not only draw different sounds from their regions but also the music and lyrics that are produced often focus on the situations the artists face each day. Looking to the East Coast, Jay-Z’s hit song Empire State of Mind showcases not only where he has come from and where he is now in his life, but also those that have come before him and how their region has shaped them.
ReplyDeleteHip Hop is known as an artistic way to express oneself, share experiences and tell a story. Hip hop is known to have originated in the rough urban areas of New York, Bronx and Queens (Lecture 1/23) yet, if it wasn’t for the influence of other cultures and regions, hip hop would not be what it is today. Hip-hop’s regional sound is simply an artists way of revealing the realities of their environments and telling the story of their cities. Many early artists induced Grand Master Flash’s art of storytelling through his documentation of the violence, crime and social critique he see’s daily (Lecture 1/23). But as hip hop spread across the United States specific differences between regions and their sounds and styles began to emerge. Jay Z, an East coast rapper, talks of New York history and the pride he has for his city, for example in “Empire State of Mind.” Tupac, a West coast rapper, refers to the crime in LA and the gang violence, as in “To Live and Die in LA.” Kanye West a Midwest rapper, as mentioned in class seem to be more poetic with their lyrics and Southern rappers such as Outkast reveal southern living for instance the rise of bohemian fashions (Ms. Jackson video, Lecture 1/23) Some people believe hip hop is all the same, yet, once dissected further, specifically region to region, it’s clear the ever changing world of hip hop has been and is still changing everyday, whether throughout regions or the culture as a whole.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop is all about sampling (Lecture 1/23). This idea keeps being touched upon in lecture and after digging deeper into the culture and history of hip-hop, it seems to be a valid one. This genre of music originated in the rougher communities of New York. Places like the Bronx where kids rarely had opportunities to succeed or escape poverty and violence. With people looking for a way out, Hip Hop came to be an escape. It allowed people to express themselves and how they did this varied on the places they came from and instruments they used. Whether a rapper was from the East Coast where the idea of rags to riches was ever present or they were from the West Coast where gangs were prevalent, they always spoke with pride and similarities can be found within their music. There are regional sounds and this means that in a given area there could be specific instruments used and rappers could be writing lyrics on the same kind of topics. The Midwest can be seen as more of a melting pot, getting ideas from all over the country (1/23). And in the South, Outkast created music which “[incorporated] Southern drawl, regional references to local color, and fun pop culture samples. It marked a break in bicoastal hip hop and ushered in a new Southern sound for rap” (A Timeline of Hip Hop History). This further exemplifies how hip-hop artists feed off each other and create unique sounds by combining others ideas with their own.
ReplyDeleteI’m sure we’ve all heard the saying “music to my ears”, but our brains truly relish in the patterns, repetition, and rhyme scheme of the melodies in songs. Artists and songwriters strategically mix, match, and combine elements of song resulting in what listeners coin as “catchy” tunes. The regional sounds of hip-hop reflect this concept of styles and components of song, which are favored and common in specific areas of our nation.
ReplyDeleteRegional sounds of the South, East Coast, West Coast, and Midwest each contain elements of intonation and style directing the listener to its origin. The South encompasses a sound relying heavily on the bass line. The East Coast is known for its lyrics and the artist’s expected reference to his or her hometown. The West Coast sound has become known for its gangster rap. And the Midwest is a melting pot of intertwining styles.
Recognizing regional sounds serves as a starting point for decoding the other elements of hip-hop. When one can begin to break down codes, they can begin to make links between one style and another style, one culture and another culture, and the past and the present, which work together to continually revolutionize the elements and components of hip-hop.
Although Hip-Hop originated in New York City, over time it developed in various parts of the United States, producing very different sounds. Hip-Hop is a form of self-expression that transcends all boundaries (lecture notes 1/23). However, it is also about communicating one's own experiences. Since the regions of the United States differ in culture and experiences, it is no wonder the music varies from region to region. Each Hip-Hop artist has his or her own background and life experiences. Therefore, where he or she grew up has an impact on the music produced. When looking at different areas of the U.S., it is fairly clear to see the differences in sound. When Hip-Hop started in the 70s, it had elements of disco and funk, but it also borrowed from the cultural traditions of African Diaspora (lecture notes 1/23). The East Coast sounds represent connections to one's city, as in Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind." On the other hand, Southern Hip-Hop reflects the culture and fun of its region through rhythmic beats and baselines, which can be heard in any Outkast song. The area from which the artist grew up and lived shaped his or her experiences and led to the establishment of unique styles of Hip-Hop and its regional sounds.
ReplyDeleteWhen people think of hip hop, they usually resort right to gangster rap. Gangster rap is a very big part of the scene, especially in the West Coast (lecture 1-23), but is not always the case. Hip hop was born in the Bronx of New York back in the 70’s (lecture 1-23). There are regional sounds (lecture 1-23) that get portrayed as being different styles or different content all around. West coast usually has more gangster rap coming out of it where the South usually raps about money and girls. Even here in the Midwest we have our own style which has a more fast paced beat or lyrics such as; Tech Nine, Twista, and Bone Thugs and Harmony. All regions have definitely made an impact in hip hop. The South had a huge movement that caught on all over the word and that is “chopped and screwed.” Artist such as Paul Wall and UGK would even put out the same cd they just released only this time it was screwed up and chopped. In hip hop there is one thing they all have in common, they are all rapping about the different experiences, surroundings, “the American Dream” (lecture 1-23), and what they have been through in their lifetime. You can just “hear” it or you can actually “listen” to it and find what point they are trying to make. You might be surprised.
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ReplyDeleteAccording to our lecture hip-hop is all about sampling. Sampling is the act of musical, physical, aural, and oral re-appropriation (Lecture 1/23). Also from our lecture, we learned that the definition of hip-hop regional sounds is "specific hip hop music and or culture produced in a particular region that is shaped by the artists racial and ethnic identity." Hip-hop is categorized into different regions in the United States and each region has a different sound. The four primary regions are the West coast, East coast, South, and Midwest. Each region has its own rhythm and beat style, artistic touch, and social issues that they portray. The South has a more “chopped and screwed” style unlike the East Coast, which is known for their lyrical skill (Lecture 1/23). The West has all about the “gangster rap,” unlike the Midwest who has artists like as Eminem, Nelly, and Kanye West has a more lyrical flow (Lecture 1/23). It’s hard to put exact words on describing the Midwest sound but if you simply listen to songs by Kanye West or Lupe Fiasco you can hear a more rhythmic style. So basically, after listening to all different songs from different regions you can tell how each region has its own sound and style and that is exactly what hip-hop regional sounds is.
ReplyDeleteHip-hop, to put shortly, is the expressive product of one’s environment. Although it originated in New York, throughout the years, Hip-hop has spread to nearly every region in the US. So how can we differentiate between them? Let’s look at the four main principles of Hip-hop (MCing, DJing, Breaking and Graffiti) and compare them by the region.
ReplyDeleteEast Coast Hip-hop can most easily be identified by its lyrics and through its use of drumbeats. The two artists who revolutionized this are Biggie and JayZ. Both have that classic flow, with lyrics that nearly always rep their city.
When comparing this to Mid-West Hip-hop, artists such as Nas, Kanye or Common tend to have a more poetic flow. Personally I feel Mid-West and East-Coast rap have the most similarities because both styles tend to be lyrically focused and demonstrate a strong city pride.
Looking at West Coast Hip-hop, artists such as Tupac, Dre and Snoop tend to fall into the gangster rap category. With the overwhelming presence of gang’s like the Bloods and the Crips, West Coast Hip-hop displays more gang/drug related content than other regions.
Southern Hip-hop may be the most easily identified because of its use of a strong bass and that southern twang to the flow, best exemplified by artists like T.I. and Outkast.
On a final note, one thing that really differentiates Hip-hop is the graffiti. Regional gangs rep specific codes/color combinations, all of which are expressed through graffiti. (Ex: Bloods- red, Crips- blue, Latin Kings- yellow).
The genre of hip hop contains many different aspects depending on the region it originates from. These different parts of hip hop don’t pertain to strictly music. Hip Hop includes culture, art, dance etc. These main regions are, the West Coast (mainly Los Angeles and Oakland) the Mid-West (Chicago, Kansas City, Detroit, and Ohio) the East Coast (New York) and the South (Atlanta, Texas, New Orleans, and Memphis). Within all of these regions one reoccurring theme is the effect of these artists surrounding growing up. They would rap about what they had to go through and what they witnessed in their home town or city. West Coast hip hop started with the more gangster rap like NWA and Snoop Dogg. These artists were always rapping about their life and experiences involving violence. When we think of the East Coast we think of Jay-Z, Biggie, Nas and others. The New Yorkers, especially Jay-Z, always rep their home town. The Mid West artists include Kanye, Lupe, Bone Thugs, and others. This region is a melting pot of all the regions being in the middle of the country. Their style is often recognized as quick delivery of lyrics. One example of that is Twista. Artists from the southern region include; Outkast, Three 6 Mafia, Lil Wayne etc. Their style seems to be bigger beats with a slower delivery on the lyrics. All of these regions styles differ in many ways and that’s what makes the genre of hip hop so good to listen to.
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ReplyDeleteFor someone who doesn’t listen to the hip-hop genre that much, or someone who doesn’t look further into the makeup of the music, they see hip-hop as if it only has one sound and style. If they were to look more into the music, they would see that hip-hop has a wide range of styles that often correlate to the regions that the MC’s are from. There are four main regions of the genre which include the South, Midwest, West, and East. Starting in the East, where hip-hop first emerged, has artists like Jay-Z, Biggie, Nas and Rakim. Each differences but as a whole the east coast music is well known for the lyrical content and shout outs to their city (Lecture 1/23). They take great pride in where they came from and they want the listeners to see that. The West Coast is mostly known for the gangster style of rap. The west holds artists like Snoop Dogg, The Game and Ice Cube. In the Midwest, popular artists Eminem, Lupe Fiasco, Wiz Khalifa and Nelly all have a wide variety of sounds. The Midwest is a mixture of many styles but also the poetic style is often seen in this region. The last main region is the South, which covers a large area of the states. Even though it’s the entire south, there are many different lifestyles in the south which cause the rap game to be very different throughout this region. One main characteristic of artists like Outkast, Dj Khaled and Lil Wayne in the south is their bass lines. In the Florida area, a lot of techno and dance music has started to emerge. All these regional sounds show that artists often keep the styles that they hear while growing up and tell about the situations they faced that were specific to their region.
The elements of Hip-hop are unique to the region they come from. Because of the history of our country and the hardships and triumphs of different regions, a variety of music reflects these stories. We defined these regional sounds in lecture as specific Hip-hop music and/or culture (dance, art, music, fashion, theater, etc.) produced in a particular region that is shaped by the artist’s racial and ethnic identity as well as the local color (Persley: lecture 1/23). I had not thought of Hip-hop as being identifiable to a region before this lecture and it made me think about the clues artists give when they perform Hip-hop. For example, in the Southern region, the Outkast video we watched was full of color, bass-line, and elements reflecting the poverty in the South. The Jay-Z “Empire State of Mind” video described the streets of New York as an insider would see and understand them. Ice-T’s “Six in the Morning” becomes a trademark of “gansta rap” about gang life in LA and the West Coast earns this connotation; the Mid-West, however, seems to be a mix of all types (Persley: A Timeline of Hip Hop History). I also learned and thought it most interesting that each region is diverse within itself. Hip-hop in Dallas is a completely different story than the Hip-hop from Atlanta. The music these regions produce is culturally relatable.
ReplyDeleteAlready, I have learned that hip-hop is a much broader culture than I ever imagined. In any genre of music, I tend to bunch every song in that genre with the rest of the music in that genre without really thinking about the demography and background of the artists. However, that is essentially what defines hip-hop regional sounds (Lecture One). It is the sounds and styles artists bring into their own music that provides hints to where they came from and possibly what they have been through. Sometimes the hints are overt, such as Jay-Z always referring to New York in his music, and sometimes the hints are more subtle, like the beats a DJ plays or the way an MC raps. Gangsta rap, which is a subgenre of hip-hop that displays big-city crime and gang violence in cities like Los Angeles and Oakland, is what characterizes the West Coast sound. The East Coast MCs are known for using intricate and metaphorical lyrics. These lyrics are so involved because they come out of the birthplace of hip-hop. Artists were mad about the negative connotations given to them in the Bronx and wanted to express deeply what they experienced (Lecture One). There is so much diverse culture in the south, and it can be difficult to assign one particular style to it, but usually the sound is characterized by heavy bass and shouting vocals. Call and response is commonly used in Southern-style hip-hop. Lil’ Jon’s Crunk style is a familiar Southern sound (RapDict.org). Finally, the Midwest sort of incorporates all the styles of the other three regions into its sound.
ReplyDeleteRegional sounds within hip-hop can be broken up into four major categories: east coast, west coast, midwest and southern; each one having very distinct characteristics that help define their style and identity. According to lecture, hip-hop’s roots were in urban centers in New York (mainly in the Bronx and Queens), but it’s popularity quickly spread across the country into other urban areas along with suburban neighborhoods as well.
ReplyDeleteThe four hip-hop regional sounds have many unique aspects that help the listener differentiate them from one another. As our class discussed on Monday, many of us associate west coast styles with gangster rap. We cannot help but do this because of the context of songs such as “F*** the Police” by N.W.A. and “Gangsta Party” by Tupac. When thinking of East Coast styles, I personally think of the lyrical content of the music compared to the actual instrumental in the background. One artist in particular who I believe demonstrates this regional sound well is Nas. Southern hip-hop on the other hand places a large emphasis on the bass line and is very distinguishable. When I think of Midwest hip-hop, a couple different styles come to my head. I listen to Common’s music which sounds like musical poetry that is filled with positive content, while on the contrary is Eminem’s Detroit based hardcore rap with lyrics driven by anger. One facet that all of these regional sounds share in common is the idea of personal struggle and a rough upbringing, and how he or she had to overcome that adversity.
d.cohen
ReplyDeleteI feel that if you do not listen to a lot of hip-hop, you associate it as one thing. A lot of people will say that there are not different types of rap and that it is all the same. I disagree with this because it is just not true. It’s not true because hip-hop can be defined as dance, art, music, fashion, and theater. (Lecture notes, 1/23). There are all different categories of hip-hop that exist. There are also different regional sounds that occur. Regional sounds can be defined as what is, “Produced in a particular region that is shaped by the artists racial and ethnic identity as well as the local color of the community in which he/she lives” (Lecture notes, 1/23). This is important because this is a reason why there are all different types of sounds across the nation. Hip-hop is not the same everywhere you go. It originated in NYC and then spread from there. It started as a form for African Americans to express themselves. A lot of the early work from the first artists had them rapping about topics important to them that were going on in society. I think it is important to know that hip-hop has a lot of different elements to it because people get this confused a lot.
DWOLFE
ReplyDeleteHip-Hop is an expression of culture that, over time, has come to be unique in various regions all over the U.S.A. and the world. The technical definition of Hip-hop’s regional sounds is “defined as specific Hip-hop music and/ or culture (dance, art, music, theater, etc.) produced in a particular region that is shaped by the artist’s racial and ethnic identity as well as the social and economic experiences that produce the local color of the community in which he/she lives and raps about in their music.” Hip-hops regional sounds breakdown into four key categories: East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, and the South. Each of these regions has their own defining characteristics. East Coast rap is noted for its lyricism first style of music, which mostly focuses on a “creating something for yourself” mentality. Gangster rap is synonymous with the West Coast, which became a predominant method for young black artists to expose the rest of the country to the hard social and economic conditions of his or her area. The South is very diverse in hop-hop culture, ranging from the loud bass and Latino influenced Miami Hip-hop to the slowed down chopped up style of Chopped ‘N Screwed from Houston. The three of these region’s styles are all very prevalent in the Mid-west, which has become known as the underground melting pot of Hip-hop. All in all, Hip-hop has become a very diverse method of expressing oneself, which varies in different regions all over the United States.
From the West coast to the East coast and everything in between, Hip-Hop culture has taken the country and many other parts of the world by storm. Artists from all parts of the country of America have come forward to tell their personal story with music and artistic expression. Even though Hip-hop culture came out of the Bronx in New York (1/23), It has been influenced by other types of beats and sounds that came from other parts of the country. The West coast is where Snoop Dogg, Mac Dre and Tupac came from, and includes major cities such as Oakland and Los Angeles. The Midwest is home to artists such as Tech N9ne, and Lupe Fiasco and includes the cities of Kansas City, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and St. Louis. The South is home to rappers such as Gucci Mane, T.I, and OutKast and some of the major cities where hip-hop is prevalent are Houston and Atlanta. (1/23) The East coast is the home for Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, and Wiz Khalifa, big cities being New York, Philadelphia and Boston. The sounds and beats that come from the South have a lot of bass and that Southern touch to their music and rhythms. West Coast sounds is where “gangsta rap” first rose. East Coast music varies a lot, but many East coast raps are very rich in lyrics. All regions have one thing in common. This commonality is that all sounds tell a personal story or experience of those rapper/MCs past, they engage in storytelling. (1/23) Many rappers throughout the country rap about their rags to riches story, and even rap about politics and crime. Tupac(West Coast) raps about his hard upbringing in many songs, as well as Biggie (East Coast) and these hard times make for a great lyrical rap song.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEZJ33oKwm8
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFw5NRkWZ5o&feature=related
Before I start, I wanted to post these two clips of the Lil Wayne & Katie Couric Interview. Not only is it my favorite interview I've watched, but he makes some very good points. In part one of the interview he goes into much detail about music and what it means to him. Then in part 2, is more personal about his interests in Sizzurp & Weed, and being a romodel for his kids.
Wayne says it best, and probably speaks for a lot of people when he states, "I believe music is another from of the news, and another form of journalism, so I have to cover all the areas with my albums. Music is not only a way to express myself, but a way to show my intelligence, and who I really am". I've never really heard someone put it like that, but I think that is a great way to put it. Hip hop started in the 1970's in Bronx New York, but quickly spread throughout the country. Some of the big names in the East consisted of Big Daddy Kane (who was blessed with a great lyrical skill), Public Enemy (known for bringing the hard, aggressive beats), than the other big names such as Grandmaster Flash, Jay Z, and Notorious B.I.G (who all made a very big impact on the game).
Shortly after hip hop got big out East, it immediately did the same thing out on the West Coast. It started out there in 1978, They mainly focused on "gangster rap" out in California, but also started a style of dance called Poplocking which started in Fresno, CA. The West was blessed with some amazing MC's and performers such as Tupac (who's name plays a huge role in hip hop and rap), and others like Nate Dogg, Warren G, and G Funk (who was huge in the 90's).
Next, it worked its way down south to New Orleans, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, and so on. Hip hop started in the South from club vibe music in the 1980's. The South focused on loud and aggressive beats, graffiti, and slang words (such as crunk by Lil Jon). The first rappers to get big in the south were the Geto Boys from Houston. Then of course you have Lil Wayne, who some can very easily say is the best ever to this day. One of the only rappers that doesn't write out his raps before going into the studio to record his music. To be able to freestyle like he does, while using deep lingo, mention current events, not get froze up, and make a story out of it, of the top of the dome is impressive as hell. Some other big names from the south include Paul Wall, Outkast, Andre 3000, Big Boi, Ludacris, Nappy Roots, and T.I.
Last but not least is the Midwest. Hip hop didn't come on strong til the 1990's. The midwest focused on fast- paced music, footwork, and certain musicians could be pretty political at times (Common, Lupe, & Nas for example). You can't forget about Kanye West, who has been through some real hard times (just like most of the rappers and artists in the game), but put everything he had into it to be the best, and has worked his way to the top. He is very different due to all the different styles/ swags he brings to hip hop and rap. The artists that were known for the fast paced music consists of Twista, Tech N9ne, and Do or Die. And obviously, you can't leave out Bone Thugs (Def. in my top 5 of all time).
Overall, I'd say that the South and the West have the Gangster rap and Graffiti in common, while the East and Midwest are similar when it comes to their lyrical style. Both the East and Midwest rappers make sure to rep their hoods, and get real deep, political, and spit real meaningful raps.
Hip Hop may have started in the east coast United States but, over the past 5 decades it has spread past American boarders. Hip Hop is a cultural movement that cannot be contained within one area of the world. However, its origination out of poverty and the African American’s plight established its cultural importance. Even though the east coast gave birth to this cultural movement each region has its own feel and flow. Hip hop has different regional sounds that define the social and economic experiences that came out of the particular area. The artist shares his racial and ethnic influences within his sound. NWA from the west coast addresses the issues with politics and the law with their hit “Straight out of Compton.” This jam provides an outlet to the struggles of gang life within the community. This sound is a contrast to the stress of poverty and pride for the city in the east coast. Artists such as Jay-Z speak of his upbringing and code his lyrical message with hometown references. The southern sound is more of a “hoodrat” feel. It is base heavy and makes the ‘head nod’ the key motion when listening. The Mid-West, just like its population is a compilation of all of these sounds. Eminem and Tech n9ne sample from sounds all around the U.S. Regional sounds “produce the local color of the community.”
ReplyDeleteHip-hop regional sounds consist of specifics made by certain people in a particular region based on that person’s ethnicity and race (Lecture 1/23). Areas such as the East, West, Mid-West, and even the South all have different hip-hop sounds. When Hip-hop first started in New York, it was more about getting the audience involved, such as Sugar Hill Gang’s songs. As it progressed, artists rapped about the cities they rep and how it was growing up there, such as the song called “The Message,” which is about how the streets weren’t safe, and education wasn’t all that great. Nonetheless, every region has their own unique style. In the West, people such as Ice Cube liked to rap about gang violence and what it’s like on the streets. It was more of a “gangster” rap style (Lecture 1/23). In the East, you have people like Jay-Z, who rap more about their experiences and repping their city. As brought up in class, you notice in almost all of Jay-Z’s songs that he talks about the city he is from (Lecture 1/23). The South, containing artists such as Outkast, has more of a slow, heavy bass beat to their music (Lecture 1/23). They like to rap about the poverty, and life styles of a southern. Then you move to the Mid-West, where you have people such as Tech N9ne, Kanye, and Eminem who have more of a “poetic” flow to their music. The Mid-West comprises of all types of different rapping styles, which is why it’s known as the melting pot.
ReplyDeleteThe lyrics of some songs actually express and tell stories of actual events seen through the eyes of the rapper themselves. For example Tupac’s song “To live and Die in LA” sounds like his lyrics are a script to a movie. Each region has it own way of expressing their style of rapping. The beauty of Regional hip hop is music’ is that it exists. Regional music is like the news. The more I listen to it the more I learn of what is going on in all the different regions. In many of the West coast raps lyrics like the ones in Tupac’s “Live to Die in LA” or Ice –T’s “ Cop Killer” discuss the violence and hate crime that people in the projects face everyday. As for East coast region their expression through the lyrics gave more of a bragging vibe. Each coast has a unique style that fits comfortably with the rapper representing the region. Jay Z is a proud to be rags of riches kind of guy as for Tupac or 50 Cent vibes gave off more of a proud to be Living kind of rappers and you can tell that by them way they express themselves in their lyrics. No matter what where the rapper is from is almost the first thing any listener connects with when they hear the artist’s music. Knowing and understanding can be two different things when it comes to interpreting a rapper regional style.
ReplyDeleteI have never been much into music. I listen to it mainly because it's on the radio, but have never gotten into the meaning of the song or haven't ever picked a favorite singer. My friends always make fun of me because i'm famous for singing the complete wrong lyrics, but acting like I know what they say. As of the three days I have been in Hi-Hop class I already have begun taking a completely different approach at songs and artists. I now listen to each word and can envision in my mind a picture with what they are saying. For me this class is not going to be as easy as for some, because I am going into this class completely blind sided,not knowing anything. As I went through and listened to the assigned music, I did begin to understand the songs and can see a huge different in each region. I only liked one song from the West Coast, and I think it's because I didn't understand what they were saying and the beat came on a little too strong for my taste. Then when it came to the South, I liked every song, which maybe is because I'm from the south. The East coast was my second favorite region. I really like Jay-Z, and now that we have talked more about him I really love the song Empire State of Mind. I'm looking forward to learning more about music, and where it all comes from.
ReplyDeleteI have never thought this much into hip-hop music before, but now that I see the behind the scenes of it so to speak, it's completely fascinating. I never knew the complexity to the different regions and the different sounds of the region. I knew that Jay-Z was obviously from the East, considering how much he talks about New York and that he has a song dedicated to the city. As I listened to more and more of his songs I noticed that he mentions NYC in every song he sings. Another rapper I can think from the East coast is Sam Adams, who reps Boston in almost every song he sings. Now obviously the South, Midwest, and West have their own unique sounds as well. One of the most famous artists I can think of that came from the south is Usher. "Peace up, A-Town down." In a ton of songs he mentions the ATL. Outkast also comes from the south with Big Boy and Andre. Now we come to the Midwest. The midwest is a melting pot of culture and sounds in hip-hop. Cities like Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and Cleveland are some of the major cities included. Since I live in KC, I am very familiar with Tech N9ne and Krizz Kaliko. Kanye West also comes from the midwest region. West coast hip-hop consists of gangster rap with artists like Snoop Dogg.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, before this class I listened to hip-hop just for the beats and lyrics. Now that I've had some insight into how hip-hop started and what the artists stand for in their songs, it's even more interesting that what I thought before. I can't wait to learn even more in the coming weeks of this semester and hopefully I will appreciate the music culture even more than I already do.
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ReplyDeleteWhen thinking about the different regional sounds of hip-hop, I get quite overwhelmed. Each region is so unique and has its own distinct sound that it would be very hard to argue which region has the "best" sound. The East Coast is more lyrical than the other regions, and the West Coast is more gangster-rap and has heavy bass-driven songs. The South has more chopped and screwed beats, while it also usually has a slower flow. The Mid-West can be seen as the “melting pot” and is a mixture all of the regions. Hip-Hop started in the East Coast and spread across the United States gradually, thus creating a unique sound for each region. Artists that contribute greatly to their particular region that I enjoy listening to are Kanye West (Mid-West), Jay-Z (East), Common (Mid-West) and BIG KRIT (South). Most artists shout-out and write songs about their region too…for example; some of songs that come to mind are “Where I’m From” by Jay-Z and “Homecoming” by Kanye West. The region in which rappers are from is a key component and influence to the style of music that the artist makes. Music is always changing and some artists sound like their region more than others, but regardless, the region where a MC or hip-hop contributor is from, is monumental to the style of that individual.
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