HIP HOP

Graffiti - History

  • Began as remedy, an escape for boredom and poverty - late 60s, early 70s. 

  • The goal: to be remembered, recognized, admired for “maximum eye gain.”

  • Tag - An alternate (often a combo of nickname and street number. The combo should “sound” good and “look” good together,

  • Writer - the higher plane of graffiti artists; takes greater risks, has a following, admirers. 

  • Wildstyle - edgier, brighter, more colourful, and abstract form of graffiti. 

  • Developed crews of writers.

  • Primary focus was on the subway lines.

  • Stealing paint supplies added to the excitement.

  • Some violence in the 80s between crews.

  • Eventually became more organized - with groups like the UGA (united graffiti artists) and NOGA (Nation of Graffiti Artists) - put on workshops and gallery showings. 



Key Figures in Graffiti:

  • Cornbread - Philly late 1960s

  • Taki 183 - the first graffiti artist featured in the media (NYT). Highly admired because of the dangerous places his name appeared. 

  • Fab 5 Freddy - musical director for the movie. Wild Style (1982); later became host of “yo” MTV Raps.

  • Basquiat impact & background.

  • Today graffiti is a global phenomenon, across ethnic groups and culture.



Politicizing Graffiti

  • Early punishment

    • If under 16 just lectured and sen home

    • If over 16, charged with malicious mischief, could serve up to one-year in prison

  • Mid 1971 - Taki was featured in the NYT.

  • Early 1972 - Mayor John V. Lindsay and other city officials declared war on graffiti artists.

    • Bans on the sale of spray cans

    • Fines and jail time for anyone caught with open spray cans.

  • MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) supports the efforts.

  • Late 1972 - Bill passed

    • Illegal to carry aerosol cans

    • Sentenced to remove graffiti.

    • Graffiti Task Enforcement formed.

    • Scientists developed Hydron 300 for easier graffiti removal

    • Believed graffiti led to other forms of criminality and was perpetrated by felons.

    • Press blackout on the subject of graffiti.

  • In 1977 Mayor Koch continued the efforts against.

    • New Trains.

    • Graffiti-Proof paint.

    • Barbed wire fences and guard dogs.

    • Efforts failed.

  • Proponents of graffiti

    • Believed the art cheered people up.

    • Developed the Taki Awards.



Key Moments in Hip Hop History - Firsts (1980s)

  • Rapper's Delight by the sugar hill gang hit the radio in the summer of 1979. The first rap song to hit the top 40 of the Billboard charts.

  • Kurtis Blow; first rapper to sign to a major label (Mercury Records).

    • Released “Christmas Rapping” late 1979

    • First rap artist to appear on national television.

  • Funky 4 + 1 More - First rap artists to appear on SNL

  • Wild style - first full length movie featuring elements of hip hop culture (1982)

  • Flashdance (April 1983) - Rock steady crew - first representation of hip hop culture in a major motion picture.

  • First major rap concert tour - Fresh Fest - featuring Run-D.M.C., Kurtis Blow, Whodini, Fat Boys (UTFO, Doug E. Fresh...) 1984. 

  • The Show by Doug E. Fresh & MC Ricky D (Slick Rick) released as a single (1985). Broke records in Europe as the first top selling rap single. La Di Da Di was the B-side.

  • First Salt-n-Pepa record release (1986) - first album by an all-female rap group. Reached gold and platinum status.

  • Run-DMC - the first hip hop artists featured on MTV (1986) - Walk This Way.


Key Moments in Hip Hop History - Game Changers

  • Eric B. & Rakim first album release (1987) - Paid in Full.

  • NWA releases Straight Outta Compton (1988) - considered the first gangsta rap album.

  • Yo MTV Raps premieres (1988)

  • Slick Rick's album release The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988).

  • MC Lyte debut album Lyte as a Rock (1988).

  • First A Tribe Called Quest debut album release (1989).

  • Tupac joins digital underground (1990). The Humpty Dance

  • Tupac debut album (1991) 2Pacalypse Now.

  • Dr. Dre releases The Chronic (Dec 1992).

  • Snoop debut album (1993) Doggystyle.

  • WuTang Clan debut album - Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (1993).


Historic Hip Hop Beefs

  • Busy Bee vs. Kool Moe Dee (1981) - gave birth to Lyrical battles. Some early MCs used to just talk about how great their DJ was or focus on hyping up the crowd.

  • KRS-One vs. MC Shan (Juice Crew vs. BDP) (Queens Bridge vs. South Bronx) (DJ Mr. Magic v. DJ Red Alert) (1986).

  • LL Cool J. vs. Kool Moe Dee (1987).

  • Ice Cube vs. NWA (1990)

  • Common Vs. West Side Connection (1996)

    • I Used to Love Her (1994)

    • Westside Slaughterhouse

    • The Bitch in You


East Coast vs. West Coast 

  • (Tupac vs. Biggie)

  • Beefed up by the media.

  • Tupac & Biggie rose to the front of the battle because they were the biggest sellers.

  • Crews/friends/associates got heavily involved and added to the problem Fueling the Beef.

  • Started with Tupac's first shooting in 1994 - shot 5 times in NYC.

  • Who Shot Ya? - Biggie Feb. 1995

  • Hit 'Em Up - Tupac June 1996

  • Then, Tupac was murdered in Sept. 1996 after a Tyson fight.

  • Biggie murdered in March 1997 after the Soul Train Awards in California.

  • 1997 - Louis Farrakhan calls an intervention against the violence in the industry. Several artists show up and embrace one another. Coordinated by Russell Simmons.


Jay Z vs. Nas 

  • Who's the real King of New York?

  • Takeover

  • Ether

  • 50 Cent - How to Rob (1999) vs. Ja Rule & Murder Inc.

  • Both from Queens

  • 50 Cent was seen hanging out with a guy who robbed Ja Rule.

  • 1999 they had a physical fight in a club

  • 50 was shot nine times in 2000.

  • Always on Time

  • Toxic Masculinity

20 v. 1 Drake & The Social Media Angel

  • Drake v. Meek Mill - Back-to-Back (2015)

  • Drake v. Pusha T. - The Story of Adidon

  • Drake v. Kendrick - Not Like Us 

    • Ten years in the making 

    • Control verse

    • First Person Shooter

    • Like That

    • Pushups

    • Taylor Made

    • Euphoria

    • 6:16 in L.A.

    • Family Matters

    • Meet the Grahams

    • Not Like Us

The Five-Percent Nation’s Impact on Hip Hop

  • Also known as the Nation of Gods and Earths.

  • Originated with the teachings of the Nation of Islam - founded in the 1930s, but most popularized in the 1960s when Malcolm X was one of the primary teachers.

  • Founded by Clarence 13X in 1964.

  • Primary beliefs:

    • Ten percent of the people know the truth, but they are selfish; 85 percent are ignorant; the five percent know the truth and aim to teach the other 85 percent. They are the poor, righteous teachers PRT

    • The Black man is the original man

    • The Black man is his own God - Allah

    • The Black woman is Mother Earth

    • Supreme Mathematics RZA :51

  1. Knowledge

  2. Wisdom

  3. Understanding

  4. Culture or Freedom

  5. Power or Refinement

  6. Equality

  7. God

  8. Build or Destroy

  9. Born (Birth)

  10. Cipher Brand Nubians 3:35


The Afrocentric Vibe

  • 1988 - the jungle brothers released straight out of the jungle; then in 1989 - done by the forces of nature. 

  • 1989 - de la soul released 3 feet high & rising

  • 1989 - was the first a tribe called quest single

  • 1990 - ATCQ released people's instinctive travels and the paths of Rhythm; then in 1991 - The Low-End Theory

  • The collective called themselves, The Native Tongues - included The Jungle Brothers, Tribe, De La Soul, Monie Love, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes (Leaders of the New school), Black Sheep The choice is yours & Brand Nubians Slow Down.

    • Native tongue style vs the west coast style.

  • 1992 - Arrested Development released - 3 years, 5 months, & 2 Days in the life of… everyday people

  • 1992 - Common (sense) released his first album - Can I Burrow a Dollar?; then 1994 - Resurrection I used to love her

  • 1993 - The roots released - Organix 

    • You got me (1999)