50 years of Hip Hop- How Come?

Human beings like to classify stuff. I think the word "genre" is just French for classification. So much modern music is a blend of genres. Modern R&B has many elements of Electronica. I hear Jazz infused Hip Hop. Even some Country has elements of Urban (read Black music) elements. Some Rap has elements of Electronica and even Jazz phrasing. Its a wonderful mish-mosh, which is elemental to "American" music.

I now enjoy listening to World music. I hear a lot of very cool electronica in Middle-Eastern and Indian music. Not to mention the influence of Reggae on African music.

I suggest streaming the "Station" World Revolutions, one of the three streams on World Fusion Radio. Although its only 320 kbps, it's very listenable, even on an elevated sound system. He does request donations.

@shutupuface. Most critics/scholars put August 11, 1973 as the beginning of Hip Hop, when DJ Kool Herc was the DJ at his sister’s back-to-school party. Just like any other genre (punk, rock, country, etc.) there is no definitive start date. Most genres obviously don’t start with the artist calling it that from the beginning, but are usually branded over time by fans, critics and record labels.

As usual with these threads, the original OP’s question (if artfully stated) has devolved into old white guys sounding off on something they don’t know that much about. [to a degree, myself included]

As I read the original question, why has there been no new, popular genre of music that has lasted since Hip Hop?? Yes, as other posters have pointed out, there have been 100’s of genres and subgenres that have bubbled up, but nothing as massive or long-lasting as Hip Hop. I believe that has more to do with the way that popular entertainment and music consumption has become so diffused. There is no definitive source where (general speaking, young people) congregate to get their music entertainment.

MTV and then commercial radio was a key developer for popularizing Hip Hop. Once could also argue that the channel acted as a gatekeeper to hold back the genre from exploding more in the 80’s. There is no such go-to place today. Commercial radio is strong, but doesn’t really set trends anymore for younger listeners, they follow.

Also Hip Hop has lasted (and yes evolved) because it is much more than a music genre. It's an culture, attitude, fashion, political stance...in films/TV, sports, etc..  Like rock n roll, it has evolved and gone mainstream and seeped into every aspect of our society.  And please don't chime in that it's not your style...that's the point. 

Money.

Rap has impacted me in the same light as punk and hardcore. It's a genre from the streets with gritty and personal tales. It's even more impactful with it's on a local level and around you. My parents never understood it, so I'd say it's revolutionary music like the Beatles were in their time. Or ozzy was in his.  Or Motorhead in theirs. 

No - this is not old age ... I will say terrible news - if a person is not mentally ill - with age he only becomes smarter ... The soul does not die at all ...

Of course, making a hit is a stroke of luck and often quite a challenge for any genre...

But we are considering a phenomenon - the general primitivization of the human population ... the death of morality ... of conscience ... of what distinguishes a person from an animal ...

This does not happen by itself - this is the work of "shepherds" (owners of big money - corporations, funds, banks, oligarchs) - stupid people are easier to manage and rob them ...
if you do not have a good education, serious books, a guaranteed future, affordable and good medicine, you will quickly degrade (as a society) ...
if you are Mowgli - you were raised by wolves .., - you are unlikely to admire classical music ... you will need primitive but strong emotions - boom boom boom ... rhythm.

Like it or not, but Satanism (the religion of the consumer society) is the religion of the United States ... someone will say, but what about Catholics and Protestants ??? - I assure you - this is a caricature ... a caricature of Christianity and has nothing to do with it ... (I'm talking about society as a whole - individual people do not count).

Pay attention - the problems of the broad masses of ordinary people in America (by and large all over the world) began with the collapse of the USSR (the reasons are not important - it was not the economy - mostly betrayal - the population was deceived) ... THE COUNTRY EXAMPLE disappeared (free housing for everyone , the best free education in the world, good free medicine, the complete absence of unemployment, the opportunity to be creative for everyone, the absence of drug addiction, confidence in the future, a growing economy) - now big capital has a free hand - out of greed they are again "tightening the screws" (they were forced to make concessions to ordinary people - so that they would not remove them from power and begin to build socialism) ...

In the era of dinosaurs, ancient people must have listened to hip-hop ... did not live long ... were sick ... painted animals on the rocks with coal and excrement ... Society may soon return to this activity ... the only hope is China and Vietnam) ))

Did you like my fairy tale about a magical land where every child had a happy childhood? - Of course, I made it all up - do not believe it.