User:Kevin.Sims001

Hip-Hop Evolution

The series went on to feature some of the most influential artists of the genre, without whom its current form would not exist, such as Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, N.W.A, Ice-T, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and LL Cool J, as well as documenting Schooly D, from Philadelphia, as the influence for gangsta rap on the West Coast, as told by the words of Ice T. It limits its telling of the history at that point, as it documents that was the turning point in which Hip Hop had turned from an underground movement within music to a mainstream genre, that ripples its influence throughout contemporary culture. The first thing that I did was find an article that I was interested in and then figure out if the sources that are reliable to talk about the hip-hop evolution.

After looking at multiple websites such as, theodysessyonline.com, thedailybeast.com, and hiphopevolution.com; these sources were able to support my claim of how hip-hop has changed overtime. Most of the websites that I looked on talks about the different times that hip-hop has changed and the origin of some of the most famous music moguls. Additionally, this included the style of the music, the lyrics that were being said, the fashion, and of course the impact that it has brought on to its audience. After doing the research, it displayed how over each decade, the way Hip Hop has evolved. Majority of the influence and visuals was looked upon as being bad for adolescents to witness. In the beginning, people believed that this genre of music was simply a phase and was going to die out sooner than later. However, it has been 41 years and hip-hop music is still making an impact. The late eighties saw the inception of this musical movement, but the force and substantiation associated with hip-hop music largely developed throughout the span of the nineties. the nineties saw large changes in music and culture. So much so that the U.S. experienced the establishment of a veritable "Hip-Hop Nation". Despite controversy over the legitimacy of the music , hip-hop marks a national movement with the power to uplift an entire sector of the national community. The late twentieth century decade often simply referred to as "the nineties" marked extensive social changes in American history and social culture. One example of influential new trends that took place in the nineties centers on the evolution of hip- hop culture. The history of hip-hop stems from black community consciousness within the United States. Additionally, hip-hop culture can be viewed as a direct response to the socio-economic issues that spawned from the history of being in America. Through musical expression, the black community, as well as other groups, turned their discontent from the unjust actions they faced into a productive protest, helping to restructure social attitudes and opportunities for youth and adults alike.

Hip-hop has had an overwhelming influence in multiple communities. Hip-hop is more than music, it is a culture and to some a way of life. Over the past four decades, hip-hop has influenced and uplifted America, speaking up for generations and providing a voice for marginalized populations. Opponents of the culture argue that the music is aggressive in nature and promotes social rebellion and even encourages crime. That said, provocative lyrics do not negate the fact that hip-hop is a vocal outlet for many people in America. Even though there are valid points being expressed, people must understand that For decades, hip-hop has provided a platform for MCs and rappers to express their opinions about society, the government, and the treatment of African Americans in America. This outlet is especially crucial to the communities of color, but, if people opposed to hip-hop tried to embrace the culture rather than attack the culture, it could benefit society as a whole.

Social Awareness with Hip Hop

Through education and understanding, rap music has sparked social awareness in communities around the country. Rap music has served as a tool to speak out against negative aspects of life such as violence and guns. Many artists use their musical talents to promote peace and anti-violent acts. By communicating messages about violence and discrimination, and relating to youth people, it provides an opportunity for them to make positive changes in their own life. Rappers such as the late Tupac Shakur were often criticized for their lyrics, which painted a bleak picture of urban America. While such lyrics were perhaps partially intended to shock consumers, they also brought awareness to the country's social problems, particularly those in the inner city. Issues such as violence, drug addiction and poverty are all common themes in rap music. When someone listens to the genre, he may be doing so for entertainment, but he won't be able to avoid hearing about these issues and giving thought to them.

There is some rap music that is created with the intention of sending a positive message to its audience. There are songs that denounce violence and call for more peace and togetherness in the inner city in an attempt to improve the quality of life. One great example of a rap song that sends this message is entitled “Self Destruction” and performed by the East Coast All Stars. Now for you Hip-Hop historians, I know that this goes back quite some time, but it is one of the best examples of the positive influence of rap music. A group of independent rap artists got together to make this song because they were aware of the great power and influence that they have with their music and were attempting to use that influence to make a positive change. This project served two very important purposes because it did not only create awareness of the inner city’s problems with violence, but it also showed that rappers could be socially conscious and make music that was positive.

The Fashion Through Time

From Kangol bucket hats to chunky street-tuff gold chains, and name-plated necklaces with names written in cursive; the trends in fashion was something that was noticed and admired. The eighties was the birth of street fashion. The New York style came with Adidas shell-toe trainers with wide white laces and black tracksuits which was established by Run-D.M.C, LL Cool J, Funk Master Flash, The Fat Boys, and Big Daddy Kane, and many other artists who were trendsetters in making authentic fashion statements. LL Cool J wore his then signature Kangol hat when few Americans knew anything about the European hat maker, but its association with hip-hop quickly invigorated the brand.

The 80's

When Run-DMC sang about “My Adidas,” it at once pioneered the use of rap as a fashion advertisement and paved the way for the first endorsement deal between rap and clothing designers. In the mid ‘80s, the Adidas Superstar was an old basketball shoe, originally handed to players in 1969. The way Run-DMC wore their Superstars was different: The combination of sneakers without laces (similar to in prison, where they were removed to prevent inmates hanging themselves), black Lee jeans, leather goose-down jackets, Cazal glasses, and gold rope chains had long been the look of New York hustlers. But as earlier popular artists such as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were pushed by their labels into wearing flamboyant, shiny, post-disco gear, Run-DMC would successfully take the street look mainstream. The rise of female rappers such as Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, Salt-N-Pepa, etc. all encourage black pride and self by wearing Afrocentric fabrics, head-wraps, large gold earrings, and asymmetric haircuts, which all symbolized a movement that gave rise to social conscious hip-hop.

The ‘90s

The transformation of the hip-hop “look” to a mass fashion and high fashion trend pushed hip-hop pioneer fashion labels such as Roca Wear, Phat Farm, Karl Kani, FUBU, Calvin Klein, and Versace into iconic status. With cross color attires, Biker outfits, Jordans, jail suits, and many other styles have left a lot of memories. During this decade, female hip-hop artists like Lil kim, Foxy Brown, Mary J. Blige, and many more started to break out to the world creating " the age of sex appeal". For Some people, the most memorable moments in hip hop fashion have came from lil' Kim. From her music videos like "Crush On you" and to her photoshoot, she has paved the way for other female rappers to express their bodies and their looks. In this era hip-hop was becoming more high fashion and luxurious with brands like Prada, Chanel, Gucci, and louis vuitton for their audience as well as fans to see. In modern times, many of the now vintage styles of the 90's have been making a come back

The ‘00s

In this era there was a large mix in styles. The 2000s became the next huge fashion influence derived from hip-hop culture. This evolution of the style suggested extreme wealth when hip-hop’s biggest stars began wearing more extravagant attire, a lot more jewelry, and larger clothes. Coming off the bright and colorful ‘90s, the advancement of technology and travel delivered a wide variety of influences to fashion, and it seemed like every rapper with a little bit of money and power attached his or her name to a clothing label. Outside of full-blown fashion brands, some more obscure trends did make their way into the fashion mainstream. For instance, in Nelly's Air Force One music video; he mentioned that he needs new pairs of air force ones because every time they get dirty they become invaluable. Attire worn Nelly and other people in Hip Hop gained some admiration, As a result, this had a rapid crossover appeal and wearing sports accessory and Nike sneakers influenced people to start wearing the same thing on completely non-athletic occasions. One of the most universally known fashion trends of the was the oversized clothes. Looking back at the era, the oversize tee of any color was status quo for youth around the country. Artists like Soulja Boy, Cam'ron, T.I, 50 Cent, etc. have promoted these types of styles. Even though oversized clothes were a thing, there are a few artists that broke away from the trend and brought something else to the table. When West released his first album “The College Dropout” in 2004, his prepped out style and popped collars was perfectly timed with the rise and dominance to then absurdly expensive stores like Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, and Banana Republic . It was a brand of "being preppy" that enable him to receive a lot of attention from the world.  

Kevin.Sims001 (talk) 15:57, 10 March 2020 (UTC)Kevin Sims