Summary from upcoming discussion at Benedict College
Benedict College professors William Gunn and Julian Shabazz will explore the evolution of hip-hop in a presentation Tuesday called Hip-Hop: An Expression of African American Culture.
From the days of Krush Groove and fledgling Def Jam Recordings to the reign of rap royalty Jay-Z, the professors will discuss the origin of hip-hop and the social and economic forces that caused it to explode as an art form.
Here is a glimpse of what the professors plan to discuss:
What Professor Julian Shabazz Said:
On hip-hop’s beginning: “Hip-hop was created by kids in the ghetto. They created something out of nothing.”
On music mogul Russell Simmons: “Essentially he’s the one individual who (led hip-hop) to become a mainstream art form.”
On the misconception that artists just want to make easy money: “The images are cute, but you’ve got to look at the work ethic behind it. Some 18-year-old impressionable kids might think you say a few curse words, call women some ugly names and sell records. That wouldn’t be the model a college student should follow.”
What Professor William Gunn said:
On hip-hop’s origin: “The music, the beats, are not different from how jazz evolved. (People) used music as a means of coping. Our young folks didn’t have a way of expressing themselves.”
On dead rapper Tupac Shakur and Martin Luther King Jr.: “They both have that oratorical, spiritual overtone. Tupac had the gangster side, but the other side was interesting poetry. Some of what he said was horrible. Some was beautiful.”
On contemporary hip-hop: “It’s not what it used to be. They were speaking to what was happening in the community. It has evolved into the kind of violent, greed movement I see in society. It’s not ethical or moral. It’s dying.”
Gunn and Shabazz identify a number of hip-hop artists who had a key role in shaping contemporary hip-hop music.
Russel Simmons
Some call Simmons the most important businessman in the history of rap music.
As co-founder of the Def Jam label, Simmons helped bring hip-hop to mainstream American culture. He's often been compared to Motown creator Berry Gordy, but while Gordy strove to make R&B that would be considered respectable by pop audiences, Simmons ensured that his artists remained as uncompromisingly rebellious as possible. That attitude made hip-hop a music of choice for a generation of teenagers by staying true to its roots.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z worked hard to pull himself from rags to riches and eventually became the reigning rapper of New York City.
After a short-lived retirement, he became a major-label executive.
In the wake of his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z's albums sold millions with each release, and his endless parade of hits made him omnipresent on urban radio and video television.
Sean "P. Diddy" Combs
By the time Combs was in his early twenties, he had started his own record label, Bad Boy Records.
In the years that followed, Combs would not only shape the careers of such popular artists as Mary J. Blige and Jodeci, but also build a successful career as a re-cording artist himself with such albums as his debut, No Way Out and the follow-up Forever.
Public Enemy
Public Enemy rewrote the rules of hip-hop, becoming the most influential and controversial rap group of the late '80s and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time.
The group pioneered a variation of hard-core rap that was musically and politically revolutionary.
Lead rapper Chuck D rhymed about all kinds of social problems, particularly those plaguing the black community, often condoning revolutionary tactics and social activism.
In the process, he directed hip-hop toward black consciousness which became the culture's signature throughout the next decade.
Lauryn Hill
Some call Lauryn Hill, formerly of The Fugees, the mother of hip-hop.
With her 1998 solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she established herself as capable of integrating Rap, Soul, Reggae and R&B into her own sound.
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur became the unlikely martyr of Gangsta-Rap, and a tragic symbol of the toll its lifestyle can take on urban black America.
In 1991, he delivered an acclaimed debut album, 2Pacalypse Now, and quickly followed with a star-making performance in the movie Juice.
Over the course of one year, his profile rose, based as much on his run-ins with the law as his music. Tupac released All Eyez on Me in the spring of 1996, and the record, as well as its hit single "California Love," confirmed his superstar status.
The gangsta lifestyle he captured in his music soon overtook his own life. He publicly fought with his rival, The Notorious B.I.G.
A September 1996 drive-by shooting killed him. He left behind a legacy that was based as much on his lifestyle as it was his music.
Nas
For years Nas, was New York’s leading rapper, expressing what critics called a “righteous, self-empowered swagger.”
As the self-appointed “King of New York,” he battled numerous adversaries for his position among other East Coast rappers, including Jay-Z.
Music critics said Nas continually matured as an artist, evolving from a young street disciple to a vain all-knowing sage to a humbled teacher. Such growth, they said, made every album release an event and prolonged his increasingly storied career.
Master P
Master P quietly became the biggest underground mogul in hip-hop, winning a loyal fan base and building a multi-million dollar empire based on a string of platinum-selling albums dealing with the gritty realities of street life in the South. In 1999, Fortune magazine estimated his worth at $361 million.
Source: VH1
Benedict College professors William Gunn and Julian Shabazz will explore the evolution of hip-hop in a presentation Tuesday called Hip-Hop: An Expression of African American Culture.
From the days of Krush Groove and fledgling Def Jam Recordings to the reign of rap royalty Jay-Z, the professors will discuss the origin of hip-hop and the social and economic forces that caused it to explode as an art form.
Here is a glimpse of what the professors plan to discuss:
What Professor Julian Shabazz Said:
On hip-hop’s beginning: “Hip-hop was created by kids in the ghetto. They created something out of nothing.”
On music mogul Russell Simmons: “Essentially he’s the one individual who (led hip-hop) to become a mainstream art form.”
On the misconception that artists just want to make easy money: “The images are cute, but you’ve got to look at the work ethic behind it. Some 18-year-old impressionable kids might think you say a few curse words, call women some ugly names and sell records. That wouldn’t be the model a college student should follow.”
What Professor William Gunn said:
On hip-hop’s origin: “The music, the beats, are not different from how jazz evolved. (People) used music as a means of coping. Our young folks didn’t have a way of expressing themselves.”
On dead rapper Tupac Shakur and Martin Luther King Jr.: “They both have that oratorical, spiritual overtone. Tupac had the gangster side, but the other side was interesting poetry. Some of what he said was horrible. Some was beautiful.”
On contemporary hip-hop: “It’s not what it used to be. They were speaking to what was happening in the community. It has evolved into the kind of violent, greed movement I see in society. It’s not ethical or moral. It’s dying.”
Gunn and Shabazz identify a number of hip-hop artists who had a key role in shaping contemporary hip-hop music.
Russel Simmons
Some call Simmons the most important businessman in the history of rap music.
As co-founder of the Def Jam label, Simmons helped bring hip-hop to mainstream American culture. He's often been compared to Motown creator Berry Gordy, but while Gordy strove to make R&B that would be considered respectable by pop audiences, Simmons ensured that his artists remained as uncompromisingly rebellious as possible. That attitude made hip-hop a music of choice for a generation of teenagers by staying true to its roots.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z worked hard to pull himself from rags to riches and eventually became the reigning rapper of New York City.
After a short-lived retirement, he became a major-label executive.
In the wake of his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z's albums sold millions with each release, and his endless parade of hits made him omnipresent on urban radio and video television.
Sean "P. Diddy" Combs
By the time Combs was in his early twenties, he had started his own record label, Bad Boy Records.
In the years that followed, Combs would not only shape the careers of such popular artists as Mary J. Blige and Jodeci, but also build a successful career as a re-cording artist himself with such albums as his debut, No Way Out and the follow-up Forever.
Public Enemy
Public Enemy rewrote the rules of hip-hop, becoming the most influential and controversial rap group of the late '80s and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time.
The group pioneered a variation of hard-core rap that was musically and politically revolutionary.
Lead rapper Chuck D rhymed about all kinds of social problems, particularly those plaguing the black community, often condoning revolutionary tactics and social activism.
In the process, he directed hip-hop toward black consciousness which became the culture's signature throughout the next decade.
Lauryn Hill
Some call Lauryn Hill, formerly of The Fugees, the mother of hip-hop.
With her 1998 solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she established herself as capable of integrating Rap, Soul, Reggae and R&B into her own sound.
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur became the unlikely martyr of Gangsta-Rap, and a tragic symbol of the toll its lifestyle can take on urban black America.
In 1991, he delivered an acclaimed debut album, 2Pacalypse Now, and quickly followed with a star-making performance in the movie Juice.
Over the course of one year, his profile rose, based as much on his run-ins with the law as his music. Tupac released All Eyez on Me in the spring of 1996, and the record, as well as its hit single "California Love," confirmed his superstar status.
The gangsta lifestyle he captured in his music soon overtook his own life. He publicly fought with his rival, The Notorious B.I.G.
A September 1996 drive-by shooting killed him. He left behind a legacy that was based as much on his lifestyle as it was his music.
Nas
For years Nas, was New York’s leading rapper, expressing what critics called a “righteous, self-empowered swagger.”
As the self-appointed “King of New York,” he battled numerous adversaries for his position among other East Coast rappers, including Jay-Z.
Music critics said Nas continually matured as an artist, evolving from a young street disciple to a vain all-knowing sage to a humbled teacher. Such growth, they said, made every album release an event and prolonged his increasingly storied career.
Master P
Master P quietly became the biggest underground mogul in hip-hop, winning a loyal fan base and building a multi-million dollar empire based on a string of platinum-selling albums dealing with the gritty realities of street life in the South. In 1999, Fortune magazine estimated his worth at $361 million.
Source: VH1
