Hip Hop began in the 1970s with DJ's like DJ U-Roy using instrumentals with poets like The Last Poets speaking over instrumentals. In 1973 New York's West Bronx DJ Kool Herc began breaking beats over popular songs. "He extended them with an audio mixer and used 2 of the same records. This became popular at street parties and Herc would shout out people and chant over the instrumentals and beats and soon after people in the crowd began joining in shouting their own phrases something like "Yo this is Kool Herc in the joint-ski saying my mellow-ski Marky D is in the house". This would usually evoke a response from the crowd, who began to call out their own names and slogans. Party goers began adding longer rhymes and eventually turned his attention to the complexities of djaying and let two friends Coke La Rock and Clark Kent handle the microphone duties. This was rap music's first emcee team". They became known as Kool Herc and the Herculoids and Hip Hop was born. The timeline will introduce you to some of the most influential emcees that have left their mark in Hip Hop culture.
The Last Poets were a group of Poets and musicians that used poetry and music to speak out during The Civil Rights Movement and have been said to help pave the way towards Hip Hop
DJ Kool Herc moved from Jamaica to New York. While living in the West Bronx he began djaying and using an audio mixer to improvise rhymes over reggae records. New Yorkers weren't into reggae so he began using the popular music out to audio mix and used percussion sections with records to make longer segments at parties and he began hyping up the party goers. Chanting out to the party goers they began adding their own rhymes. Herc's friends Clark Kent and Coke La Rock started handling the mic and rhymes and they became Kool Herc and the Herculoids and these rhymes are now known as hip hops first rap music.
After seeing Kool Herc turning tables at block parties Africa Bambaataa, Grand Master Flash and Grand Master Caz started performing at parties and the culture became known as Hip Hop.
Grand Master Flash began DJaying in 1975 and is one of the pioneers of Hip Hop. He is known to have perfected the "scratch" which was invented by DJ Grand Wizard Theodore. He also started the group the Furious Five and they were signed as Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five to Enjoy Records and released their first single "Superrappin" in 1979. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were the first hip-hop/rap group inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 12, 2007
Hip Hop was becoming popular fast and along with rhyming came a type of dancing called breaking dancing emerging from a group that called themselves The Rock Steady Crew known as a bboy crew that incorporated dancing with their music. This started break dancing battles that were huge events. Rapping and dancing was a way for this culture to express themselves without having to spend money that many people did not have so this was a positive way to have fun while expressing themselves in the form of rapping and dancing.
You can not have a hip hop conversation without paying homage to The Sugar Hill Gang. They're most remembered for their hit "Rappers Delight" who hit the scene in the late 70's and early eighties. They were the first rap group to have a single in the top 40.
Kurtis Blow enters the rap scene and was being managed by the now known hip hop mogul Russell Simmons who got Kurtis signed and released his first album "Christmas Rappin" selling over 400,000 copies following the release "The Breaks" in 1980 selling over half a million. He was the first rapper to perform overseas and later produced music for other musicians.
GrandMaster Caz aka Casanova Fly came on to the Hip Hop scene in the late 70s but began a professional career in the early 80s. He became well known as a DJ in New York and also as an emcee and joined the Cold Crush Brothers and later formed the DJ crew Mighty Force. He is also known for rap battles and battling emcees like Afrika Bataataa in 1977.
Run DMC is considered one of the most influential groups in hip hop culture. They were the first group signified in the advent of new school hip hop and were the first hip hop group to have a gold album and be Grammy nominated. They were the first hip hop group to go platinum and in 1986 go multi-platinum with their album Raising Hell. They were the first to have videos on MTV and to grace the cover of Rolling Stone. They were also the first hip hop group to perform on American Bandstand as well as collaborate with a rock group and a very famous one known as Aerosmith. The 80's boomed for hip hop and along with other groups the movie Krush Groove was made starring Run DMC which was a story about Russell Simmons road to building Def Jam records also the brother of Jo Simmons a member of Run DMC.
Whodini was also managed by hip hop mogul Russell Simmons formed in 1981 and helped hip hop to be heard around the nation getting their music played on urban radios. Their album Escape went platinum. The vinyl album no longer being printed and the cd was released again in only in 1992 and 2002 is considered a valuable collectors album.
The Timex Social Club contributed to the hip hop scene but slowed it down with some rnb added to their sound which was later known as new jack swing. This crew were students from Berkley California and are remembered best by their hit "Rumors".
Public Enemy known as one of the first out spoken hip hop groups for their political raps. Chuck D put out a tape promoting a radio station he was working for to avoid battling a local rapper wanting to battle him. He began rapping along with rapper Flava Flav. They were considered hard core hip hop and often rapped about oppression blacks endured.
ICE-T releasing hard core gangsta rap debut album in 1987. ICE-T is from Crenshaw CA and the first artist to have the explicit content sticker on an album. He is noted as being one of the first gangsta rappers to hit the hip hop scene. He later dropped a heavy metal album and began acting but he has not forgotten his Hip Hop roots and in the mid 90s released 2 more hip hop albums.
LL Cool J signed to Def Jam Records in 1984 and had his first album Radio released in 1985. LL Cool J has released 13 albums and is due to release another in 2013 he also appeared in Krush Groove and has had hits like Im Bad, I need Love , Mama said Knock You Out. He has been influential to Hip Hop culture and has also become a respected actor.
The Beastie Boys formed in 1981 but did not officially begin recording hip hop until 1984 with Licensed to Ill they are also considered one of the longest lived hip hop groups worldwide. They have sold over 40 million albums and paved the way for later hip hop artists.
The Fat Boys were not only hip hop artists but helped to popularize beat boxing (hip hop percussion sounds made with the mouth) which inspired other artists to do so. They created classic hip hop music and also starred in the film Krush Groove and have paved the way for later artists.
Doug E. Fresh aka the human beat box is able to use his mouth to make sounds of drum effects a microphone and other various sound effects with his mouth, lips, gums, and throat. Many have tried to reach his level of beat boxing but Doug E Fresh is the master of beat boxing and has also been successful as a rapper and producer working with other artists. His skills are legendary and have yet to matched at his level. He was also known for his dance he called Doug E and in 2011 and hip hop group name Cali Swag district released a track called Teach Me How To Dougie in homage of Dou E Fresh
Kool G Rap is known as an influential rapper from the mid-80s. He is one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juicy Crew. Famous for his hardcore rap lyrics he is also famous for using multisyllabic rhyming. He has influenced artists like Eminem, Jay Z, Notorious BIG and many more.
Krush Groove was one the first movies based on Hip Hop. It included most of the acts Russell Simmons managed.
Salt N Pepa is one of the first female hip hop crews coming out in 1985 even having a female DJ (Spinderalla). They have been successful in Hip Hop selling millions worldwide and have opened doors for other female artists wanting to follow in Salt N Pepas footsteps.
N.W.A. came out of Compton with gangsta rap following more gangster type lyrics like Ice T. Eazy E brought together other members to form the group that became controversial due to their hardcore lyrics such as the famous track Fuck the Police. They were speaking about the brutality and mistreatment from police officers that were abusing their authority in urban neighborhoods. Members of the group later became successful solo artists.
Criminal Minded formed with Scott La Rock and KRS One who had a hip hop sound with some gangsta rap mixed in it. KRS One released solo albums throughout the 80s and 90s and is well respected today and is known as one of hip hops legends.
Scarface began his career with the Geto boys in 1986 and are credited to be the evolution of Southern rap. He released solo albums while still being a part of the group but later branched off on his own and is well respected in Texas and all over the South for his contributions to hip hop.
JJ Fad originally a 6 member female rap group ended up with 3 members MC J.B., Baby D, Sassy C. They signed with Eazy E Ruthless records and had immediate success with their hit Supersonic. Using bass and treble was big part of their music.
In 1988 MTV Music Television cable network began a new series called Yo! MTV Raps which was a 2 hour long show playing only Hip Hop videos and had emcees as guests on the show. This was the first Hip Hop program to ever be televised the show ran until 1999 before it went off the air.
EPMD formed in 1988 with Erik Sermon and Parish Smith. They added funk and samples of rock breaks adding a more electronic sound to hip hop. This became known as electronic funk using samples from funk artists like Zapp and Roger Troutman.
Queen Latifah started beat boxing with a female group and started rapping on her own making a demo tape giving it to Fab 5 Freddy which got her a record deal. She is said to be the first political female rapper with her track called U.N.I.T.Y speaking against domestic abuse and mistreatment of women. She is still a successful artist even releasing a singing album and is a successful actress.
The Source magazine debuts as a newsletter in 1988 becoming the first dedicated to Hip Hop. It discussed emcees signed to labels and those who were just famous on the street. It reviewed albums now famous for their opinions with 5 mics being the highest rating.
BET (Black Entertainment Television) debuts Rap City in 1989 a show dedicated to Hip Hop videos and emcees being interviewed on the show. In 1999 the show was renamed to Rap City Tha Basement the most famous host on the show was Big Tigger. They invited artists to freestyle in the infamous "booth" the show ran until 2005.
Tupac Shakur entered the hip hop world with Digital Underground before branching out on his own. He is originally from Harlem NY but later moved to California where his career ended in his untimely death. Tupac is arguably the best emcee to ever touch the mic. He had the ability to reach both men and women with his lyrics. His talent is still agrued to be untouched at the level of lyricism Tupac mastered at such a young age he also completed an entire album in one week which usually takes a year for an artist to complete. He was considered a controversial artist because he often spoke out against police brutality in his music and in interviews. he was also involved in a west coast and east coast war with The Notorious BIG who is also considered one of the best to touch a mic. he also had a successful acting career and his movies are still watched today. Tupac has sold over 75 million records worldwide and is the only artist who has continued to release new albums years after death.
The Notorious B.I.G from Brooklyn NY is arguably along with Tupac Shakur one of the best emcees to ever touch a mic. He used to battle on the corners of Brooklyn. Puff Daddy went to him trying to sign him to his label. His first single was a sample from Mtumes hit from the 80s "Juicy Fruit". He was skilled at coming up with lyrics and even when recording in the booth he never wrote his lyrics down and was able to to create master pieces off the top of his head. Artists like Jay Z have used this technique after Biggie. he was only able to release 2 solo albums and 1 collaboration album due to his untimely death. Also involved in the east coast West coast feud that caused back lash in the hip hop community. The Notorious BIG has had 2 albums released since his done one being a greatist hits album and his legacy continued to be a huge part of hip hop as Tupac Shakur.
Common coming into the hip hop scene in 1991 from Chicago Il. This emcee is known to have given hip hop a conscientiousness voice as hip hop has changed throughout the years often receiving backlash as hip hop is believed to have become negative and vulgar towards women. Common released I Used To Love H.E.R. which is an ode to hip hop. He is a respected emcee and actor.
Eminem from Detroit MI is a product of N.W.A.s Dr Dre. He is considered to be one of the all time best emcees who's outspoken lyrics often rapping about his mother negatively and ex wife have been controversial. He is a legendary talent who used to battle other locals before being signed with Dr Dre's Interscope label. He has sold over 47 million albums worldwide and has continued to be successful today. He has his own record label now and has brought out artists of his own like 50 cent.
Snoop Dogg from Long Beach CA came into hip hop with a gangsta rap sound. His first album Doggystyle produced by Dr. Dre sold almost a million records in its first week. He put West Coast hip hop music back on the map as most hip hop talent was thought to be from NY. He has been very successful selling over 30 million albums worldwide. He was close friends and collaborated with Tupac Shakur.
Jay Z aka Shawn Carter from Brooklyn NY has become one of the most successful hip hop emcees today. He has vowed to keep hip hop to what is was in the beginning. He is known to use his lyrical talent to tell a story in his rhymes. He is said to be one of the greatest rappers of all time and was influenced by artists like Big Daddy Kane, marvin Gaye, Notorious B.I.G. He has built an empire not only with his music and record label but with a clothing line, restaurants and investing in a basketball team proving hip hop has opened doors people never dreamed.
Nas is a Queensbridge Emcee who has influenced many hip hop artists and is known to be a conscious rapper. He has sold over 13 million albums worldwide and is considered to be one of the greatest.
Talib Kweli is known as an alternative hip hop artist coming out of NY and is said to rap using a renaissance of conscious, Afrocentric hip hop with a NY sound. He is said to rap in socio-political content and has received back lash for his views. Talib has used his music to speak on topics like politics, racism and love. He is known to have a huge respect towards women and uses his talents to promote conscious music that relates to real life issues.
DMX came into the hip hop scene in 1984 but didnt release an album until 1998. He is from Yonkers NY and raps about his life and the area where he grew up. He is famous for his dog like grunting noises he uses in his music as well as praying during concerts and in his videos.
Ludacris was a disc jocky for Atlanta's hip hop radio station Hot 97.5 before making a demo album. He released his debut album Back For the First Time and is recognized for his wild rapping and unique Southern style and continues to offer his talents to the hip hop scene .
T.I. released his first album I'm Serious in 2001and uses keyboards and samplers to go along with his Southern sound. He is the self proclaimed king of the South and is still creating hip hip representing the Southern part of the United States in his music.
Brown Sugar was a romantic film based on how hip hop has changed.Two friends who grew up on old school hip hop from the 80s who are now working in hip hop try to take hip hop back to what it once was claiming record executives now use gimmicks in hip hop to sell records while falling in love. Many artists like Common Sense, Talib Kweli, Slick Rick and Doug E Fresh are featured in the film.
Kanye West an emcee releasing his first album College Dropout in 2003 was producing hits since 1996 for artists like Jay Z, Goodie Mob, Jermaine Dupri. "His style of production originally used pitched-up vocal samples from soul songs incorporated with his own drums and instruments. However, subsequent productions saw him broadening his musical palette and expressing influences encompassing '70s R&B, baroque pop, trip hop, arena rock, folk, alternative, electronica, synthpop, and classical music".
Wale has been recording music since 2005 but released his debut album on Rick Ross's MMG label Attention Deficit in 2009. He is one of today's best selling artists in hip hop culture.
Big K.R.I.T. from Mississippi released his debut album studio album with Def Jam June of 2012 called "Live From The Underground" he has been releasing mixtapes since 2005 which is known as the underground music hip hop scene. Many artists who have not been signed to music labels are known to make mixtapes so their music can be heard. K.R..I.T. is not only a rapper but a producer.
We'd love to hear from you. Please send questions or feedback to the below email addresses.
Before contacting us, you may wish to visit our FAQs page which has lots of useful info on Tiki-Toki.
We can be contacted by email at: hello@tiki-toki.com.
You can also follow us on twitter at twitter.com/tiki_toki.
If you are having any problems with Tiki-Toki, please contact us as at: help@tiki-toki.com
Close