Pop Music: RapIn the 90s

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Info

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Started when people

of West Africa were telling stories in rhythm Elijah Wald has

referred to “hip hip” as

“the living blues” James Brown is a main

influence of this genre Known for inventing

funk in th e60s

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Jazz poetry and spoken word has influenced rap Use of creative word

play Use of Flow Flow-the rhythms and

rhymes of a hip song

and how they interact

Ele

ments

of

Rap

Flow Rhyme Diction and Dialect Style Literary Technique

Rhythm Delivery Subject Matter

Nota

ble

Rappers

in

the 9

0s

Redman Lauryn Hill Snoop Dogg Ice Cube Andre 3000 Jay-Z Scarface Nas 2Pac The Notorious B.I.G.

Ice C

ube

Real name is O’shea Jackson Began career in

1984 From South Central Los Angeles, California Also successful record producer, actor,

screenwriter, film producer and director

Ice C

ube

Performed at parties

for Dr. Dre Met Dr. Dre 1984; began working with Dre shortly afterward

Has had a solo career

since 1989

Ice C

ube

Noted as a strong storyteller “brutally honest rapper” Sometimes his lyrics are violent Considered one of the founding artists of gangsta rap

Ice C

ube

Did not win any notable awards during the 90s

Recently won the VH1 Hip Hop Honors (2006)

award and the BET0 Hip-Hop Awards (2009)

Was ranked #8 on MTV’s 10 Greatest MCs of All Time list

One of his most popular songs is “Check Yo Self”

Redm

an Reginald “Reggie”

Noble From Newark, New Jersey Started in 1990 with

the Def Jam record label. Member of Def Squad

in late 1990s

Redm

an

Debut was with EPDM

on their Business as Usual album Redman’s debut

album as Whut? Thee

Album Blended reggae and

funk influences Named “Rap Artist of

the Year” by The Source in this year

Redm

an

During the 90s he was

known for using a “terse, though fluid rap style” Allmusic Third album, Muddy

Waters was also very

popular Featured two popular

songs: “Whateva Man”

and “It’s Like That (My

Big Brother)”

Laury

n H

ill

From East Orange, New Jersey In a band called

Tranzlator Crew Later changed their name to The Fugees in

1994 Members were Lauryn

Hill, Pras Michel, and

Wyclef Jean

Laury

n H

ill

Known for blending rap, reggae, rock, and

soul Sang and rapped for

The Fugees Won a Grammy for their album The Score

(1996) This album also peaked

at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200

Laury

n H

ill

Began a solo career in

1997 after band split-

up The Miseducation of

Lauryn Hill In it, Hill moved between singing and

rapping “Lost Ones” Hill won five Grammy

awards for this album

Snoop D

oggy

Dogg

Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. From Long Beach,

California Known for Hip Hop, raggae, gangsta rap

Started in 1992 Has since then sold over 30 million albums

worldwide

Snoop D

oggy

Dogg

Discovered by Dr. Dre Debut album was

Doggystyle (1993) Debut at No. 1 on

Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-

Hop Songs Follow-up album was

Tha Doggfather (1996)

Also reached No. 1 on

both charts

Snoop D

oggy

Dogg

Snoop Dogg gained criticism

over use of violence and

misogynism Snoop Dogg is known for his

“ultra-smooth, laidback

delivery” Kool Moe Dee Known for freestyling most

of his early work with Dr. Dre

Notable songs from solo

albums are: Who Am I (What’s My Name)?

And “Snoop’s Ubside Ya Head”

Jay-

Z

Shawn Corey Carter From Tribeca New York

City, New York Early career began in

1989, rapping on other

artists’ albums First rap single was “In

My Lifetime”

Jay

- Z

Debut album was Reasonable Doubt (1995) His third album, Vol.

2…Hard Knock Life, brought him to mainstream success Popular song, “Hard

Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” This album won a

Grammy Award

Jay

- Z

Early influences of his rapping

style were Marvin Gaye and

Donny Hathaway Uses cuts from these artists’

work in his own work

Fredro Starr describes Jay-Z as

“a master of the flow—he can

flow fast, he can flow slow”

During performances, he is

known for using “smoothness

and clever wordplay to keep

audience interested and

entertained” -Shock G of Digital Underground

Big

gie

Sm

alls

Christopher George Latore Wallace Also known as

Notorious B.I.G. From New York City,

New York Received first recognition rapping in

1992

Big

gie

Sm

alls

Debut album was Ready to Die in 1994 Certified four times

platinum Some say this made

East Coast Rap popular again over West Coast Rap From this album, “Big

Poppa”, reached No. 1

on the U.S. rap chart

Big

gie

Sm

alls

Smalls became involved

with a feud between

East and West Coast rap

scenes Main issues were with

Tupak Shakur They were friends and

colleagues at one point

Smalls accused of having connections with

assault on Tupac in 1994

2pac

Tupak Amaru Shakur Also known as Makaveli

Born in East Harlem,

New York but represented from Marin City, California

Started his musical career in 1988

2Pa

c

Parents were members

of the Black Panther

Party Began his career as a

back-up dancer for Digital Underground

First solo album was

2Pacalypse Now Criticized for its strong

theme of police brutality

2Pa

c

1993-2Pac formed the

group Thug Life This group came out with

the album Thug Life:

Volume 1. Decently successful

1995 – 2Pac joined Death

Row Records and in 1996

released his fourth album.

All Eyez on Me Very pivotal album in 90s Rap

Music No. 1 Singles “How Do U Want

It” and “California Love”

2Pa

c

Final Album was Makaveli The Don – Killuminati: The 7 Day

Theory Very successful after his

death Peaked at No. 1 on Billboard Top R&B/Hip-

Hop Albums and Billboard 200