The Golden Age of Hip-Hop

Staying clear of the opinion that current day rap music doesn’t measure up, at times listening to old classics takes us back to a time, adolescent years for those of us from the hip-hop generation, of what it felt like to be part of a movement that changed the status quo of the music industry.

Rap music during the late eighties and early nineties, also known as the golden age of hip-hop, was able to connect with the youth in a manner seldom witnessed by another genre.

This occurred for several reasons, the first of which is novelty. Arguably, rap has been around since the late seventies, this meant that the genre belonged to no previous generation. Thus, listening to your first rap album gave one the same independence as getting your first car. And as devotion grew, we debated who was the best on the microphone, and who had the most credibility, it belonged to us.

Rap was/is democracy, by capitalizing on freedom of speech. The discourse covered issues such as poverty, discrimination, and politics that existed in the inner city, thus giving the masses an education in social issues. And while questions were and still are raised about the language used, this would spark debate within the industry itself, thus practicing accountability.

Rap represented the times. While much respect has to be given to bringing in live bands, sampling is at the core of hip-hop. Producers would dig in the crates to find different sounds and piece them together to produce something new. Thus, rap was a strong part of the postmodern era, taking from the past to create.

Rap didn’t discriminate, hip-hop culture in general didn’t close the door, if one understood and respected what the movement was all about, it wasn’t an issue to sign up, race didn’t matter.

In the current state of rap much has changed, as it has become part of the mainstream. And the status quo opinion is that the music has watered down. There is truth to this, however, devoted followers recognise, that one will not get to hear all the rap out there by paying attention to the mainstream, as record sales alone don’t justify a good album.

Thus this is what rap will always hold onto, the ability to stay clear of trends. It defines its own credibility. The golden age of hip-hop was good to be a part of, as the movement continues today.


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