I was cruising in my cousin’s car blasting music the other day and thought to myself how important it is to play good rap songs on late night drives. This genre of music is such a huge part of the younger generations in America, but when did it start and how? Of course, the answer I found involved New York, my hometown! Or would homecity be more appropriate? Anyways, rap originated in New York at the block parties that we are so famously known for.
The block parties obviously involved music, but they had a specific system that they followed. DJ’s played beats and MC’s (what would later become rappers) would introduce the next DJ, as well as hype up the crowd during breaks and the like. DJ’s started to mess a bit with the beats from disco, funk, and soul while MC’s started to rhyme and flow with the rhythm. I guess the rest is history!
Of course today’s rap is different from its father, but alas it’s all about bobbing your head and enjoying the music.
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7550286
