50 years of Hip Hop- How Come?


Having been a music fan for over 50 years, it’s been fun to see all the different musical genres that have come and gone in popular music.

In the the 50s it was Rock n Roll. Then in the 60s we had Psychedelia, in the 70s Punk, in the 80s New Wave, in the 90s Grunge. It was always interesting to see how music changed into the next new thing.

At the latest Grammy awards, which I did not see, there was a segment called 50 years of hip hop.

I’ve personally never been a big fan of the genre, there are some songs I have liked, but that’s ok. Everyone has their tastes. What I am surprised about is Hip Hops longevity. It just seems like for the last 25 years a lot of music hasn’t really changed much. There has been no " next new thing"as far as I can tell.

How Come? Anyone feel the same way or care to comment. Am I just getting old??

 

128x128alvinnir2

I liked hip-hop pretty much from day-1. Greatly prefer it to rap, though some rap really rocks me, too. I tend to hear hip-hop as more continuous, more part of "music/time."

Some of the best hip-hop I ever heard came out of France. It turns out that the language used in the vocal TOTALLY matters. French, even slang French, sounds musical to begin with. It gives French hip-hop a particular slippery flow.

Final point: I watch a fair amount of streaming content on Amazon Prime’s FreeVee (formerly IMDBtv). 1-2 months ago they relentlessly played an excerpt of a hiphop song that really really go to me. Spend way too much time trying to find what it is but never could. Think it was a Beats ad, not sure. That tune, if I ever get hold of it, is a perfect demo of the hypnotic flow hip-hop can achieve.

PS: I'm >70 but my ears are forever in pursuit of sonic beauty (it comes from everywhere)

........hello all and larsman - I will dismiss the majority of that genre of music as I do try to listen to listen to it but get get past the typical lyrics and thumping noises. Hmmmm....Kanye West, Snoop Doog and LL Kool Jay to are classically trained ? Yeahhhh okay on that one. 

I have yet to see them play any instruments or I am missing that one too ? The majority of them ......I don't see one either ? Maybe some .....    

@perkri  "Old white guys discussing rap and hip hop.  Hilarious."

so you're both racist AND agist?  ok, thanks for letting us know.

what if somebody wrote "Young black guys discussing classical.  Hilarious." ...?  

think about it. 

@curtdr 

 

Well, isn’t that just the dumbest comparison. 

Old white guys have historically been subjected to such marginalization, right? 

And seeing as how I’m an old white guy…

Any other clever comments you want to add?