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The golden age of hip hop, derivative of old school hip hop, began with the popularity of Run-DMC's album Raising Hell in 1986 and ended with the popularity of G-Funk around 1993 . It was characterized by ubiquitous soul, jazz and funk samples (ala James Brown and Curtis Mayfield) and Afrocentric lyrics . The golden age was based in New York City, and featured rappers including Rakim, KRS-ONE, and Chuck D, who advanced the wordplay, delivery, and subject matter of rap. Additionally, groups such as De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Leaders of the New School produced socially conscious recordings, leading to the genre of conscious hip hop. Hip hop also expanded into new subgenres and styles. During this period, Def Jam became the first independent hip hop record label .
New styles
A number of new hip hop styles and subgenres began appearing as the genre gained popularity. Run-D.M.C.'s collaboration with hard rock band Aerosmith on "Walk This Way" was an early example of rock and hip hop fusions. Also, the mid-1980s saw the rise of the first major black female group, Salt-N-Pepa, who hit the charts with singles like "The Show Stoppa" in 1985. Ice T's seminal "6n' Da Mornin'" (1986) was one of the first nationally successful West Coast hip hop singles, and is often said to be the beginning of gangsta rap.
In 1987, Public Enemy brought out their debut album (Yo! Bum Rush the Show), and Boogie Down Productions followed up in 1988 with By All Means Necessary. Both records pioneered a wave of hard-edged politicized performers. In 1988 and 1989, artists from the Native Tongues Posse released the first conscious hip hop albums, with jazz-based samples and diverse, quirky and often political lyrics covering a diverse range of topics (see jazz rap) and strongly influenced by the Afrocentric messages of Bambaataa's Zulu Nation. Also, in 1988, Public Enemy released their sophomore album, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. This album, generally considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time AllMusic Guide, and praised by critics and fans, combined noisy, often atonal samples with fiery political rhetoric to create a wholly unique sound, never before seen in hip-hop. The influence of these albums can be seen in the social consciousness of later records by artists including KRS-ONE, A Tribe Called Quest, Eric B. & Rakim, and later De La Soul and Gang Starr .
Def Jam Recordings
In 1984, Def Jam Recordings was founded by Russell Simmons, the brother of Joseph Simmons of Run-D.M.C., and producer Rick Rubin. It was the first independent hip hop record label. Its first releases were LL Cool J's "I Need A Beat" and the Beastie Boys' "Rock Hard," both in 1984 The Musicangle Interview: Producer Rick Rubin Part I.
Post-golden age
A few contemporary artists still follow the golden age hip-hop standard: People Under The Stairs, Jurassic Five, and Little Brother, among others. These groups are commonly referred to as "retro-rap" rather than "golden age," perhaps due to the realization that golden age hip hop is no longer en vogue.
See also
References
"Golden age hip hop"