respected figures in hip-hop. Parker brought his
positive message to the world with the next four
albums and also did several black peace projects
such as the “Stop the Violence" and "H.E.A.L."
movements.
Critics complained that Parker’s music got
weaker with each of these projects such as “Radio
Song" with R.E.M., so in 1992, Kris came back hard
with "Sex and Violence," his hardest album to date.
Eric B. and Rakim exploded onto the scene in
the summer of 1986 with “Eric B. is President." With
help from the ever-growing power of Marley Marl,
the group produced several hit singles — a blend of
religious and gangsta formats.
Herbie (Luv Bug) Azor, an aspiring producer
concerned more with party music than gangstas and
messages, found two Sears employees in 1986 and
turned them into Salt ‘N Pepa, a group that broke
down doors for female rap groups. Herbie went on
to produce such breakthrough groups as Kid ‘N
Play, of "House Party" fame, and Dana Dane, who
had the single “Nightmares" in 1988.
The year 1988 was big for rap. Rob Base and
DJ EZ Rock came out with their hit singles, “It Takes
Two' and "Joy and Pain," making America dance like
never before.
“Pickin’ Boogers," the single released by Biz
Markie and produced by Big Daddy Kane, inaugu
rated Biz as the clown prince of rap. Kane released
“Ain’t No Half Steppin’" to start off his rapping career
as a smooth operator.
Miiumer yruup our ur Long isianu was
Erick and Parrish Making Dollars.
EPMD released "You Gots to
Chill" and took the world
by storm with a laid
back, lispy flow. The
crew has produced
four gold albums and
now produces
influential New Jacks '
like DAS EFX, K-Solo
and Redman
MC Lyte released
lyte as a Rock" and
advanced the hard
core female rap scene
with production help
from her brothers Milk
D and Gizmo. Milk
and Giz’s group,
Audio 2, produced its
own underground
classic, Top Billin’,"
and popularized what
is called the basement
flavor.
In the middle of
the hard-core scene
emeiged a group that
turned rap on its end.
De La Soul came out soft with tricky rhymes that
people had to listen to closely to catch the meaning
Instead of dissing "Sucker MCs" like Run-DMC, the
rhymes complained about "Potholes in My Lawn ’
On the collaboration “Buddy," De La introduced
the rest of the Native Tongues Posse, Jungle
Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest. The Jungle
«... i i •• r* a _ __. 4 nno_
Drainers reieaseu iis msi diuum m i w wiu i an
Afrocentric style, while A Tribe Called Quest came
out in 1990 with more of a jazz feel. The Native
Tongues also engendered the group Black Sheep,
which was acclaimed for its album “A Wolf in
Sheep’s Clothing’in 1991.
New styles have popped up every year in New
York. X-Clan came out with Afrocentric views in
1989, the same year that Queen Latifah hit the
scene with her intelligent, feminist style. A group
called 3rd Bass proved white guys could hit hard in
1990, and the summer of 1991 saw everyone
chanting “0.P.P", the song by Naughty By Nature,
which stood for “Other People’s Pussy" and “Other
People’s Penises.'
New York City wasn’t the only place for rap,
Oakland. Calif., showed its stuff early with the funky
style of Too Short.
Short claims he used to sell dirty raps to his Eas
-HWi=;]
DAILY NEBRASKAN ,
Side fans starting in 1984,
and now he has several
platinum albums. M.C. 4
Hammer started the
biggest rap career in
history in 1988 as a
gangsta rapper,
dissing East Coast
groups.
When he realized
he could dance, he
dropped the “M.C." and
became Hammer, the
dancer/entertainer
superstar who
sold more than
10 million
albums
worldwide. All
the while, Digital
Underground took
funk rap to a new
level in 1990 with
help from some
old George Clinton
music. The group didn't gamer as
much fame as Hammer, but enjoyed much more
respect as rappers from the music community.
A transplant from the East Coast, Ice-T took a
shot at raD music in Los Anaeles in 1987 and
became the rap czar of the West Coast. Besides his
own music, Ice set up Jhe-Rhyme Syndicate,
which brings bahds together and
produces dozens of groups.
Tone-Loc had the
biggest-selling single to date
in 1989 with Wild Thing,"
written by Marvin Young,
known as Young MC, who
dropped his own hit "Bust a
Move" later that year. Cypru
Hill, with its Latino flow, ant
House of Pain, spouting ife
1 Irish origins, are the most
recent influential groups to
come out of LA.
With its release on an
independent label, NWA
(Niggers With Attitude)
introduced Compton as a rap
breeding ground. But NWA
really stirred things up in 1989
with its album, "Straight Outta
Compton." The group
watch when the group
came to town.
Ice Cube, the group's chief lyricist, moved to the
East Coast after a dispute over money with the
group’s manager. Each of the group’s members
now has a solo album — Ice Cube has four
and an EP — and it doesn’t seem likely that
this influential group will reunite any time
soon.
on Mix-M-LUi n my wiui
“Squaredance Rap" and later in
1988 with fosse on Broadway"
from Seattle. Recently, his third
album soared up the pop charts
with the release of “Baby Got
Back."
While the East Coast and the
West Coast prove to be the two
rap powerhouses of America,
rappers have started popping up
everywhere.
The Third Ward in Houston has been
the recording home of the Geto Boys since
1988. Philadelphia sired the playful DJ Jazzy ^
Jeff and the Fresh Prince and the hard-core
Schooly D.
Miami overtook Oakland, Calif., as the home
t of big bass.
X In 1986, 2
\ Live Crew
' unleashed its
explicit sex
\ rhymes on the
J Broward County
conservatives, and
the court declared
them obscene and
arrested the group’s mem
bers. That decision was
overturned in court.
However, confidence
in Miami has waned
since 1990, when
Vanilla Ice produced a
weak copy of
Hammer’s dancing and
a background shrouded
n lies, blew it up
Since then, rap has
emanated from many sources.
From Atlanta sprung forth Kris
Kross, hitting the charts this
summer with “Jump’’ and “Warm It
Up Kris." In New Jersey, P.M. Dawn scored with "Set
Adrift on Memory Bliss." The group recorded in
London to get the soft, European feel it wanted.
London has bred its share of rappers with Derek
B in 1988 and this year with Merlin. Across the
channel in Paris, the French try to imitate American
rappers with groups such as Supreme NTM and
Assassin.
All over the world, from Major Force Posse in
Japan to El General in Latin America, rap has taken
over the world.
The last 17 years also have evolved Jamaica's
rap scene. No longer “toasting," Jamaican rap is
called Raggamuffin or Dancehall Reggae.
In the United States, Papa San. with the help of
s Todd-1, helped introduce the new style to "Yol MTV
I Raps" viewers. Since then, America has taken a
; liking to the dancehall style, which embraces artists
such as Papa San; Shabba Ranks, the rudeboy
lover; Cutty Ranks; Super Cat and Daddy Freddy,
the world’s fastest rapper. Daddy Freddy is listed in
the Guiness Book of World Records as rapping at a
rate of 512 syllables per minute.
From DJ Kool Here's Origins in Jamaica to the
new popularity with Dancehall Reggae, rap has
come full circle. Once thought to be a fad, rap has a
future that promises growth and increased popular
ity.
Background sources for this story were Havelock
Nelson and Michael A. Gonzales’ book, “Bring the
i Noise: A Guide to Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture,"
and B. Adler's "Portraits and Lyrics of a Generation
--5
Chump: a weak,
scared or timid
individual
Clean: to be well
dressed
Clockin’: to watch
someone intently or
to accumulate large
sums of money V
Clout: having
connections and
influence
C-Low: a game with
three dice popular in
New York City
Clucker: a crack
addict
C.O.: prison correc
tion officer
Cold: extreme
Cold Chillin':
totally relaxed
Come correct: to
tell the truth
Come off: appear
Coolin' out: resting
or relaxing
Cop: to go buy
something
Crew: your immedi
ate group of close
friends
Crib: home
Cruisin': driving
around slowly
Cut: to manipulate
one or two records
on a turntable to
create a percussive
sound in time to the
beat