For my project, I did a slide show of the artists that we talked about in class. This slideshow reflects the change of each era, and how hiphop has changed lyrically and the perception of hip hop. I did research on hip-hop and how it has globally changed within time. During the 1980s, hip hop began to evolve. Instrumentals were being created, samples from old funk and disco records began to be the norm in the genre. Early hip hop had a distinct tone with a consistent theme of that ” hood power”, which is how Nas referenced hip-hop in one of his songs. As you can see with the slideshow, as time goes on, females rappers also start to be recognized, and not looked past. The hip-hop/rap genre, despite having garnered a reputation of violence and misogyny, is a uniquely genuine voice amidst the development of our culture. During 1990s hip-hop, songs were less about an artist’s success and more about his or her rise to it; even the most financially successful rappers wrote about violence, crime, and living in poverty. As Poppa Sims puts it, in addition to a commitment to honest communication, an artist’s “longevity comes from the fact that he or she put in real, hard work.” Rap will only strengthen its foothold in the music world. Hip-hop is a civilization, and is here to stay. Hip-hop is more than a genre. It is become an entire culture that continues to influence other cultures, societies, and some have realized it does, and some has realized it doesn’t. Hip-Hop today is a global culture that has changed music, dance, fashion, language, and even politics. Hip-hop is a continually evolving genre of music, always shapeshifting to encompass eclectic new sounds and sub-genres.
