All Genres
    Rap/Hip-Hop
    East Coast Rap/Hip-Hop
    East Coast Old School

East Coast Old School

  • Overview
  • Artists
  • Albums
  • Tracks
  • Radio
  • Posts
21386531_356x237
1715319_356x237
670172_356x237
12185972_356x237
Play
Options

Play All Top Tracks
More

  • Play
    1
    Options
    3:24
    No Plans for Love (with Ne-Yo & Kent Jones)
    D-Nice
  • Play
    2
    Options
    5:20
    Ain't No Half-Steppin'
    Big Daddy Kane
  • Play
    3
    Options
    3:36
    Favorite Sause
    Public Enemy

Description

The East Coast region is arguably the birthplace of hip-hop culture. Hip-hop's origins date to the mid-'70s, but its recorded history began in 1979 with several protean 12-inches, including The Sugarhill Gang's Top 40 hit "Rapper's Delight" and the Fatback Band's "King Tim III (Personality Jock)." The Sugarhill Gang's success led to a deluge of now-forgotten artists, but a few innovators emerged amid the confusion. Afrika Bambaataa created electro-hop with "Planet Rock"; Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five introduced social consciousness with "The Message"; and Run-D.M.C. hit the pop mainstream with a hardcore street image and hard rock appeal. By the mid-'80s, rap's sound was evolving dramatically from the choppy electro-funk of Kurtis Mantronik and Larry Smith to the sampling techniques of Rick Rubin, Marley Marl and Prince Paul. The emcee's role grew from party-rocker to complex lyricist, thanks to the storied Juice Crew, LL Cool J, Slick Rick and Rakim. Public Enemy's 1988 masterpiece, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, proved hip-hop was not just a passing fad, but a new and significant American art form. This era is considered the "golden age" of hip-hop.

Featured on Rhapsody

More
Album Spotlight: Public Enemy, 'What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down'

Chuck and Flav are back with their take on the current political climate

Play
Options
Album Spotlight: Public Enemy, 'What...