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East
Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New
York City during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and
evolved first in The Bronx, New York; East Coast hip hop only became a distinct
subgenre after artists from other regions of the United States emerged with
different styles. In contrast to other styles, East Coast hip hop music has
prioritized complex lyrics for attentive listening rather than beats for
dancing. The main components of hip hop culture from that time and still today
are MCing, DJing, break dancing, and graffiti.
In
contrast to the simplistic rhyme pattern and scheme utilized in old school hip
hop, East Coast hip hop has been noted for its emphasis on lyrical dexterity.
It has also been characterized by multi-syllabic rhymes, complex wordplay, a
continuous free-flowing delivery and intricate metaphors. Although East Coast
hip hop can vary in sound and style, "aggressive" beats and the
combining of samples were common to the subgenre in the mid- to late 1980s. The
aggressive and hard-hitting beats of the form were emphasized by such acts as
EPMD, Beastie Boys and Public Enemy, while artists such as Eric B. & Rakim,
Boogie Down Productions, Big Daddy Kane, Nas, Notorious B.I.G and Slick Rick
were noted for their lyrical skill. Lyrical themes throughout the history of
East Coast hip hop have ranged from lyrical consciousness by such artists as
Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest to mafioso rap themes by rappers such as
Raekwon, MF Grimm and Kool G Rap.
Emergence
(1970s–80s)
East
coast hip hop is occasionally referred to as New York rap due to its origins
and development at block parties thrown in New York City during the 1970s. According to AllMusic, "At the dawn of
the hip-hop era, all rap was East Coast rap." Early artists of the form,
including DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, the Sugarhill
Gang, Kurtis Blow, Jam Master Jay, and Run-D.M.C., pioneered East Coast hip hop
during hip hop's development. As the genre developed, lyrical themes evolved
through the work of East Coast artists such as the Native Tongues, a collective
of hip hop artists associated with generally positive, Afrocentric themes, and
assembled by Afrika Bambaataa. New York-based groups such as De La Soul, A
Tribe Called Quest, and the Jungle Brothers also earned recognition for their
musical eclecticism.
Renaissance
(1990s)
This
was called "The Golden Age" of hip hop. Although East Coast hip hop
was more popular throughout the late 1980s, N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton
(released in the summer of 1988) presented the toughened sound of West Coast
hip hop, which was accompanied by gritty, street-level subject matter. Later in
1992, Dr. Dre's G-Funk record The Chronic would introduce West Coast hip hop to
the mainstream. Along with a combined ability to keep its primary function as
party music, the West Coast form of hip hop became a dominant force during the
early 1990s. Although G-Funk was the
most popular variety of hip hop during the early 1990s, the East Coast hip hop
scene remained an integral part of the music industry. During this period,
several New York City rappers rising from the local underground scene, began
releasing noteworthy albums in the early and mid nineties such as Nas, The
Notorious B.I.G. and others.
Nas's
1994 debut album Illmatic has also been noted as one of the creative high
points of the East Coast hip hop scene, and featured production from such
renowned New York-based producers as Large Professor, Pete Rock and DJ Premier.
Meanwhile, The Wu-Tang Clan, Lost Boyz and Mobb Deep became pillars in New
York's hardcore hip hop scene, achieving widespread critical acclaim for their
landmark albums, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993), Legal Drug Money
(1996) and The Infamous (1995) and spawning legions of imitators. Adam Hemleich
comments on the collective impact of these emerging artists: "Along with
Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and Mobb Deep all but invented 90s New York rap [...] Those
three...designed the manner and style in which New York artists would
address...rap’s hottest topics: drugs and violence."
The
Notorious B.I.G. became the central figure in East Coast hip hop during most of
the 1990s. Bad Boy Records comprised a team of producers known as the Hitmen
Stevie J, Derrick "D Dot" Angelletie and Amen Ra directed by Sean
Combs to move the focus on hip hop to New York with the Notorious B.I.G.'s
Billboard topping hits. His success on the music charts and rise to the
mainstream drew more attention to New York at the time of West Coast hip hop's
dominance. According to AllMusic editor Steve Huey, the success of his 1994
debut album Ready to Die "reinvented East Coast rap for the gangsta
age" and "turned the Notorious B.I.G. into a hip-hop sensation — the
first major star the East Coast had produced since the rise of Dr. Dre's West
Coast G-funk". Many saw his dominating presence as a catalyzing factor in
the East Coast/ West Coast hip hop rivalry that polarized much of the hip hop
community, stirring the issue enough to result in the Brooklyn rapper's 1997
death, as well as his West Coast counterpart, Tupac Shakur, months prior. His
commercial success helped pave the way for the success of other East Coast
rappers such as Jay-Z, Nas, DMX, Busta Rhymes and many upcoming rappers.
Legacy
Many
knowledgeable hip hop fans look favorably upon this period as a time of
creative growth and influential recordings, describing it as "The East
Coast Renaissance." Music writer May Blaize of MVRemix Urban comments on
the nostalgia felt among hip hop fans for records released during this time:
It
was claimed as the East Coast Renaissance. Wu-Tang brought the ruckus with 36
Chambers. The world was ours when Nas released Illmatic. Big L, (The MVP) came
out with Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous. Temperatures rose in clubs when
Mobb Deep came out with The Infamous and Brooklyn’s finest Jay-Z released
Reasonable Doubt. . . And who can forget the powerful uplifting anthem that
would brand New York’s concrete "Bucktown" (Smif-n-Wessun's hit single)?
. . .Ahh, it was a beautiful time in hip-hop history that many of us wish we
could return to.
David
Drake of Stylus Magazine writes of hip hop during 1994 and its contributions,
stating: "The beats were hot, the rhymes were hot - it really was an
amazing time for hip-hop and music in general. This was the critical point for
the East Coast, a time when rappers from the New York area were releasing
bucketloads of thrilling work - Digable Planets, Gang Starr, Pete Rock, Jeru,
O.C., Organized Konfusion - I mean, this was a year of serious music."
Influential Albums
A
list of notable East Coast hip hop music record labels.
American
King Music, founded in 2006 by Mims
ASAP
Worldwide, founded in 2011 by ASAP Rocky and ASAP Yams
Babygrande,
founded in 2001 by DJ Chuck Wilson
Bad
Boy Records, founded in 1993 by Sean Combs
Blacksmith
Records, founded in 2005 by Talib Kweli and Cory Smith
Bloodline
Records, founded in 2000 by DMX
Cold
Chillin' Records, founded in 1987 by Tyrone Williams
D-Block
Records, founded in 2001 by The Lox
Dame
Dash Music Group, founded in 2005 by Damon Dash
Def
Jam Recordings, founded in 1983 by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons
Definitive
Jux, founded in 1999 by Jaime "El-P" Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe
Desert
Storm Records, founded in 1997 by Duro and DJ Clue
Diplomat
Records, founded in 2002 by Cam'ron
Duck
Down Records, founded in 1995 by Dru Ha and Buckshot
Enjoy
Records, founded in 1962 by Bobby Robinson
Flipmode
Records, founded in 1994 by Busta Rhymes
Fort
Knocks Entertainment, founded in 2004 by Just Blaze
Full
Surface Records, founded in 2001 by Swizz Beatz
G-Unit
Records, founded in 2003 by 50 Cent
Get
Low Records, founded in 1999 by Memphis Bleek
Good
Hands Records, founded in 2002 by DJ Truth and Art Beeswax
Ill
Will Records, founded in 1999 by Nas
Murder
Inc. Records, founded in 1998 by Irv Gotti and Chris Gotti
Loud
Records, founded in 1991 by Steve Rifkind
M3
Records, founded in 2003 by Masta Ace
MVB
Records, founded in 2006 by Abdel Russell
Rawkus
Records, founded in 1995 by Brian Brater and Jarret Myer
Relativity
Records, founded in 1982 by Barry Kobrin
Roc-A-Fella
Records, founded in 1995 by Jay-Z , Damon Dash and Kareem Burke
Ruff
Ryders, founded in 1988, by The Dean Family
RSMG,
founded in 2005 by Russell Simmons
Select
Records, founded in 1981 by Fred Munao
So
So Def Records, founded in 1993 by Jermaine Dupri
Streetsweepers
Entertainment, founded in 2000 by DJ Kay Slay
Terror
Squad Entertainment, founded in 1992 by Fat Joe
Tommy
Boy Entertainment, founded in 1981 by Tom Silverman
TrapHouse
Icon, founded in 2001 by Mark. R
TVT
Records, founded in 1985 by Steve Gottlieb
Uptown
Records, founded in 1986 by Andre Harrell
Violator,
founded by Chris Lighty
GOOD
Music, founded in 2004 by Kanye West