East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that
originated in the New York City area during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized
to have originated and evolved first in 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 MC’ing, DJ’ing, break-dancing, and graffiti.
Musical style 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. While East Coast hip hop does
not have a uniform sound or standard style, it tends to gravitate to
aggressive beats and sample collages. The aggressive and hard-hitting beats of
the form were emphasized by such acts as EPMD 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 and Kool G Rap.
History = Emergence=
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=
Although East Coast hip hop was more popular throughout the late 1980s,
N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton 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 retain 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. Black Moon's 1993 debut, Enta Da Stage, was one of
the first major recordings to emerge from New York's hardcore hip hop scene.
The album has been credited with helping spark trends that would later come to
characterize this period in East Coast hip hop, and marked an early appearance
for the rap supergroup Boot Camp Clik .. Nas's 1994 debut album Illmatic has also
been noted as a creative high point 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 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 and
The Infamous 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 and Nas.
Legacy Many hip hop aficionados 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 dubbed 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”? . . .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." See also
Music of New Jersey Music of New York City
Culture of New York City Music of Pennsylvania
Midwest hip hop West Coast hip hop
East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry List of East Coast hip hop record labels
References External links
Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation — By Jeff Chang
It's Bigger Than Hip Hop — By M. K. Asante, Jr.
Rap Music and Street Consciousness — By Cheryl L. Keyes