For many of us, when the name Haiti is mentioned, what comes to our minds might not be hip-hop/rap music. Although this is quite sad, for many people, what comes to mind is the 2010 earthquake which occurred on January 12, 2010. This was not just an ordinary natural disaster that shook a certain country—as … Read More
Over time, profanity has almost become synonymous with hip-hop/rap. The relationship between rap and curse/profane words is a rather complex one that some anti-censorship claim has a lot to do with self-expression. To a great extent, they are not very far from being right. It is always an amazing thing when creatives are allowed to … Read More
For many of us, when we hear about Jamaica, the first thing that comes to our minds is not exactly hip-hop/rap music. By the mention of Jamaica, by default, we might start visualizing reggae music, Bob Marley, beautiful beaches, Rastafarianism, coconuts, mangos, the black, green, and gold flag, and maybe some cannabis—but definitely not a … Read More
When talking about the history of hip-hop and how much different places have contributed to this rich history, Harlem is oftentimes overlooked and not properly talked about. This is always a common mistake made by hip-hop historians and custodians. However, apart from having a rich musical/artistic culture and a reputation as a vibrant, commercial and … Read More
Be it contemporary or old-school hip-hop/rap, Brooklyn, somehow, has its feet solidly rooted in the past, present, and even the future of hip-hop/rap music. Being the hometown of legends like The Notorious B.I.G, Nas, Big Daddy Kane and Jay-Z and also the birthplace of Mos Def, Lil’ Kim, and AZ, Brooklyn has played and still … Read More
Hip-hop/rap is one genre that has always managed to successfully synergize or marry different styles and music cultures to create a unique and solid musical form and style. This explains why there are so many sub-genres and idioms of hip-hop/rap. Across diverse world cultures, hip-hop will always find a way to leave its mark—this makes … Read More
With the rapid growth and expansion of hip-hop/rap, we have witnessed an emergence of different sub-genres and styles over the years. One of these sub-genres is a genre known as “Dark Rap,” Horrorcore, or, horror hip hop. Unlike hardcore hip-hop and gangsta rap, Dark rap themes often push highly violent content and imagery in their … Read More
It is a fact that YouTube plays a major role in deciding the music and artists we listen to. Gone are those days when the record store and the radio were the major places where we could discover new music and musicians. With YouTube playing such an important role in the contemporary music industry, especially … Read More
Symbolisms have always been a part of art (music included). Over the years, signs and symbols have always been a strong part of the hip-hop/rap culture. The four-finger hand sign had always been used by rap artists from the earliest days of the rap culture. Rappers like 2pac Shakur, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg have … Read More
When talking about hip-hop in America and the entire world, we can all agree that Wisconsin would not exactly make the list of the first places to mention it. Over the years, hip-hop/rap has travelled, settled in places, and demonstrated some dynamism over the course of its development. But regardless of this, hip-hop has not … Read More
Hip-Hop and Rap music has a long, exciting and enormous history. With its roots going back to West Africa and its griot tradition, the history, propagation and evolution of Hip-Hop have always been an interesting case study. Although this article is not about the history of Hip-Hop in America, it is important to remark that, … Read More
Rap is a genre of music that has been around for several decades and has evolved into a cultural phenomenon. It has become a tool for artists to express themselves through lyrics, beats, and rhymes. One of the most important terms in the world of rap is MC (emcee), which stands for Master of Ceremonies. … Read More