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Hip Hop in the early 1980s encompassed immense amounts of disco and funk influence. Rappers like Kurtis Blow made hip hop dance music. By the mid-1980s, hip hop music was becoming popularized because of artists like Run DMC who incorporated rock music into their raps in order to appeal to different audiences. Rappers like LL Cool J began adding melodic hooks to their songs to add a “catchy” or memorable part. In 1986, Raising Hell became hip hops first top ten album. Towards the end of the 1980s, gangsta rap started to emerge from groups like N.W.A who spoke on social issues. Because of the widespread popularity and drastic change of hip hops style in the 1980s it is often credited as the decade that diversified hip hop.
Several outside factors influenced hip hop in the 1980s. From public unrest to technological advancements, the music from hip hop’s “Golden Age” quickly grew and developed to be more substantial and innovative than hip hop from the 1970s.
1980s hip hop was influenced by earlier forms of music such as the blues, r&b, and jazz. Lyrically, though, what set 1980s hip hop apart from its predecessors in the decade before was that the songs’ content had somewhat matured and became more “authentic.” 1980s hip hop found inspiration in the political and social issues of the time, and artists in the genre began to speak out against the problems plaguing Americans living in urban areas, such as police brutality and drugs. In addition, 1980s hip hop was influenced by technological advancements that enabled artists to swap out turntables for sampler machines that were more affordable and efficient for producing music. Consequently, the change in the technology available for the production of music allowed for artists to try different things and become more innovative, such as can be seen with the strains of electronic music heard in some of the genre’s songs from the decade.
Run DMC was a hip-hop group founded in Hollies, Queen, in 1983. The members included Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. They were the first hip-hop group to bring rap music to the mainstream and the most influential hip hop music. They had a signature style of wearing bowler hats, black leather jackets, black denim pants, and Adidas shoes. Run DMC hits are It’s Tricky, It’s like that, and Walk this way.
Kurtis Walker, known as Kurtis Blow, is an early hip-hop artist during the early 80s. He is the first commercially successful rapper and is the first rapper to be signed to a major record company. His hit song “The Breaks” become the first hip-hop song to be single certified gold in 1980. Kurtis’s popularity and becoming a successful rapper have influenced and inspired other hip-hop artists during the early day of hip-hop.
Fat Boys
Best known in the 1980s. The members are Prince Markie Dee, Damon Wimbley (Kool Rock-Ski), and Darren Robinson (Buff Love). The Fat Boys put entertainment at the forefront of their music. The boys used their mouth to create unique and exciting noises- beatboxing- which captured audiences. However, the old fans did not like the new sound and preferred the more rigorous sound from their first album. The boys met in junior high, and formed a trio called the Disco Three. Later, they entered the Radio City Music Hall, In the Spring of 19 Later, the agent renamed the group Fat Boys. Later in the decade, they remade old rock hits such as Louie Louie, the Twist, and Wipeout. Their top hits include “The Fat Boys are Back”, “Jail House Rap”, and “Human Beat Box.” The music of Fat Boys defined the decade as listeners can’t seem to stop feeling it.
LL Cool J, known by the government as James Todd Smith, was born in 1968. He is one of the biggest influences in mid-late 80s new-school rap. He signed to Def Jam Records at age 16. Some of his most popular songs are “Around the Way Girl”, “I’m Bad”, “Rock the Bells, and “Mama Said Knock You Out”. He has also been featured in a few popular movies including “Krush Groove”, “In Too Deep”, and “The Last Holiday”.
Eric B and Rakim are a hip hop group from Long Island, NY. They started out in 1986 with Eric B being the DJ and Rakim as the lyricist. Rakim was known for poetic raps, and creating a new flow in the rap game that was not solely focused around the beat but also included the claps. Some of their biggest hits include “Move The Crowd”, “I Know You Got Soul”, “Paid in Full”, and “I Ain’t No Joke”.
1.N.W.A.-Straight Outta Compton
2.Kool G Rap And DJ Polo-Road To The Riches
3.Treacherous Three-Feel The Heartbeat
4.Run-D.M.C.-Its Like That
5.Kurtis Blow-The Breaks
6.Ice-T-6 ‘N The Mornin
7.Boogie Down Productions-Criminal Minded
8.Doug E Fresh And Slick Rick-The Show
9.Eazy E-Boyz N The Hood
10.Slick Rick-Children´s Story
11.Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five-Message
12.Eric B And Rakim-I Ain’t No Joke
13.LL Cool J-Rock The Bells
14.Eric B And Rakim-Paid In Full
15.LL Cool J-I´m Bad
16.The D.O.C.-Its Funky Enough
17.N.W.A.-Gangsta Gangsta
18.The D.O.C.-The Formula
19.Big Daddy Kane-Ain’t No Half Steppin
20.Too Short-Don’t Stop Rappin 01
21.Too Short-Players
22.Beastie Boys-Beastie
23.Run-D.M.C.-Sucker M.C’S (Krush-Groove 1)
24.Salt-N-Pepa-Push It
25.Public Enemy-Rebel Without A Pause
26.N.W.A.-Express Yourself
27.Tone Loc-Wild Thing
28.Funky Four Plus One-That’s The Joint
29.Doug E. Fresh-La Di Da Di
30.Beastie Boys-Fight For Your Right
31.Biz Markie-Just A Friend
32.Run-D.M.C.-Walk This Way
33.Young MC-Bust A Move
34.LL Cool J-I Need Love
35.Schoolly-D P. S K ‘What Does It Mean’?
36.Beastie Boys-Paul Revere
37.Audio Two-Top Billin’
38.Boogie Down Productions-The Bridge Is Over
39.Special Ed-I Got It Made
40.Run-D.M.C.-Rock Box
41.EPMD-You Gots To Chill
42.De La Soul-Me Myself And I
43.Public Enemy-Don’t Believe The Hype
44.Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five-White Lines-Long Version
45.EPMD-So Wat Cha Sayin’
46.Public Enemy-Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
47.Mc Shan-The Bridge
48.Newcleus-Jam On It
49.Run-D.M.C.-Peter Piper
50.Whodini-Funky Bea
51.Mc Lyte-Paper Thin
52.Eric B And Rakim-Microphone Fiend
53.Boogie Down Productions-My Philosophy
54.Ultramagnetic MCs-Ego Trippin
55.Run-D.M.C.-Its Tricky
56.Marley Marl-The Symphony
57.DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince-Parents Just Don’t Understand
58.Public Enemy-Bring The Noise
59.Eric B And Rakim-Eric B Is The President
60.Boogie Down Productions-South Bronx
61.Big Daddy Kane-Smooth Operator
62.Kurtis Blow-Christmas Rappin’
63.Eric B And Rakim-My Melody
64.Stetsasonic-Talkin’ All That Jazz
65.DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince-Brand New Funk
66.Treacherous Three-The New Rap Language
67.The SugarHill Gang-Rappers Delight
68.Beastie Boys-Shake Your Rump
69.Eric B And Rakim-I Know You Got Soul
70.Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five-The Megamelle Mix
71.Kool G Rap And DJ Polo-Men At Work
72.MC Lyte-I’m Not Havin It
73.N.W.A.-Panic Zone
74.Ice-T-Im Your Pusher
75.Eazy E-Eazy Duz It
76.Doug E Fresh And Slick Rick-Play This Only At Night (Will’s Mood)
77.Eric B And Rakim-Follow The Leader
78.Eric B And Rakim-Paid In Full
79.LL Cool J-I Need A Beat
80.Ice-T-Colors
81.Big Daddy Kane-Mister Cee’s Master Plan
82.Kool G Rap-She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not
83.Kool Moe Dee-The Don
84.Kurtis Blow-Basket Ball
85.The SugarHill Gang-Be A Winner
86.Boogie Down Productions-Word From Our Sponser
87.Mc Shan-Go For Yours (‘Cause I’m Gonna Get Mine)
88.Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five-Can’t Keep Runnin’ Away
89.EPMD-You Had Too Much To Drink
90.Kool Moe Dee-The Best
91.Special Ed-One In A Million (Loose Talk In The Studio)
92.MC Lyte-Cappucino
93.LL Cool J-Def Jam In The Motherland
94.MC Hammer-You’re Being Served
95.N.W.A.-Something Like That
96.Dj Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince-Another Special Announcement
97.Beastie Boys-Hey Ladies
98.MC Shan-Dub Biter
99.Ice-T-What Ya Wanna Do?
100.Kool Moe Dee-Stupid
80s rap music has influenced many youth to start being more critically conscious about the things happening around them such as the police brutality, targeting of black youth and the stop and frisk practices that were prominent in the 80s. For example, many rap songs produced in the 80s were about the police so the phrase “F*** the police” and “Fight the power” in a song starts conversations within the community providing that vocal outlet that has not been present for many years. It most importantly impacted America because as Black people were oppressed for so long, they finally had something and somewhere that not only belonged to them but was unregulated and soon became their way to express the injustices happening towards Black people. It also impacted the world globally since you now see artists like Skepta and Drake who are also Hip Hop/Rap artists but not from America. Although this sound began in the 80s, over the years it has made its way across borders and into the ears of like minded artists who enjoyed the sound and wanted to produce the same message .
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