How did hip-hop music evolve from the 1970s to today?

Hip-hop originated in the early 1970s during Bronx block parties, developing out of DJ techniques that extended instrumental breaks. Over subsequent decades, the genre expanded through distinct eras, including its mid-1980s to mid-1990s golden age, the late 1990s bling era, and the internet-driven trap era. By 2017, hip-hop became the bestselling popular music genre in the United States while establishing global movements and high-profile rivalries.

What we know

• Hip-hop emerged in the Bronx during the early 1970s, where DJs extended instrumental breaks on disco and popular records to provide a platform for break dancers and rappers. [3]
• The period between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s became hip-hop's golden age, characterized by widespread sales and regional subgenres such as West Coast G-funk, East Coast boom bap, and Southern rap. [2, 3]
• Hip-hop shifted from the late 1990s club-oriented bling era to the internet blog era of the late 2000s, followed by the surge of trap music and SoundCloud rap in the mid-to-late 2010s. [3]
• Hip-hop became the bestselling popular music genre in the United States in 2017. [3]

Where to go next

• whenWhat were the key eras of golden age hip-hop?
• whereHow did West Coast hip-hop develop in California?
• a case in pointHow did the Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud unfold?
• the bigger pictureHow did global hip-hop scenes like Chinese rap begin?
• how it workedHow did DJ breakbeats create early hip-hop music?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a 1984 film help introduce hip-hop to China?Videotapes of the 1984 American movie Beat Street brought into China by embassy workers and foreign businessmen served as early influences for Chinese hip-hop.

Sources

• [1]West Coast hip-hop (Wikidata Q429264) · CC0 1.0
• [2]West Coast hip-hop · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Hip-hop · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Chinese hip-hop · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

1. How did Pascal's calculator mechanism work?
2. /What is the significance of Mount Sinai in Islam?
3. /How did the Women's Rugby World Cup grow into a major event?
4. /How did hip-hop music evolve from the 1970s to today?