British hip hop

British hip- hop is a genre of music and culture that covers a variety of styles of British rap music. The early scene was heavily influenced by the hip- hop scene in New York City, at first very awesome to American inventors ( with British rappers, who often took on the American street slang in the early 1990s ) before they gained confidence, American to take on styles and adapt for their own use.

Hip- Hop never won in the UK the same kind of cultural influence as in the United States, with home- made ​​British artists who toiled to achieve the same success as even imported, American artist in the UK managed. The scene began to make a virtue of it, put profit equal to sellout and defended the idea of the British underdog who struggles financially, but his dream remains faithful. After an initial hint of interest of major record labels in the 1980s, the scene was in the early 1990s into the ground after the record companies withdrew from the genre, disappointed by its inability to cross the Atlantic to make profitable success in the U.S. market. Anyway, in the mid - 1990s a new generation of British rappers began to emerge who had the ability and confidence to deal with the American superstars. The hip-hop in the UK began to experiment and fan out - often turning into completely different genres, such as trip hop, garage or drum and bass - and he urged critical (from the perspective of the record companies ) in the U.S. market.

Today, the British hip-hop is enjoying his second spring - he tries to manage, without popular Sale and innovative, but not to be daunting. Although still not as popular as their American ancestors, the supporters of the British scene is growing at home and British rappers and DJs earn respect by American artists and fans.

Demography

British hip-hop, like its American counterpart, so it usually comes part of a feeling of poor, mostly dark-skinned areas. Most of the music is made by rappers Caribbean origin, so the reggae and ragga influence in the British hip-hop. Although there are a few white and British Asian rapper. British hip-hop also usually comes from the major urban areas such as London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester and Bristol.

History

Early years

As in the United States and the British hip-hop grew out of a scene of graffiti and break dancing and then went to DJs and Liverapping at parties and club nights over. In itself, it is difficult to attach it to a founder or place of birth: in the early 1980s, the scene began to grow, as their supporters listened predominantly American hip -hop and were influenced by him. Meanwhile British songs but began to appear - the first-ever, on a label published, British song is one of "London Bridge" ( Jive, 1984) of Newtrament, but most of these British artists there were cassette recordings and Liverap, the fan-to- fan were served. Also there was former mainstream pop recordings that were mixed with rap - so for example, " Ant Rap " by Adam and the Ants from "Prince Charming" (CBS, 1981) LP, " Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do ) "by Wham! from Fantastic ( Inner Vision, 1982) or " Buffalo Gals " by Malcolm McLaren from " Duck Rock" ( Charisma, 1982) - but these are generally Popverwendungen of U.S. rap and less the beginning of British hip-hop culture. However, there are counter-arguments, like this one from Greg Wilson.

Over the next five years, more British hip-hop and electro music started herauszuschleichen: Street Sounds Electro UK ( Street Sounds, 1984 ), which was produced by Greg Wilson and an early appearance by MC Kermit included, who later went over to the of Ruthless Rap Assassins Wilson promoted to mold; "Kids Rap / Rap Party " by The Rapologists to Hip Hop Beat ( Billy Boy, 1984); "Do not Be Flash" by DJ Richie Rich ( spinoffs, 1985). But publications were still few and far between and the scene remained predominantly underground and live.

Although record companies began notice of this underground scene to take, radio and public were still to have a great difficulty when trying to grow the grünschnabelige scene: that should be a big problem for the British hip-hop through the 1980s and 1990s, through, and often made it the scene only orally or and the support of pirate radio stations, which flourished around the country ( and, more often than vice versa, then disappeared again) to survive. Nevertheless, the mainstream British radio hip-hop played occasionally and conducive to the scene to bring the larger interest of the country were DJs like Dave Pearce and Tim Westwood.

The first British hip-hop labels

A major milestone in the history of British hip-hop was the creation of the first recorded in Britain Labels 1986, which was used to publish British hip-hop stations. Simon Harris ' Music of Life record label brought the underground scene into the light, first and foremost by the success of the rapper Derek B - the first British rapper who recorded the successes in the charts.

Building Success on Derek B's, drove Music of Life continues legendary British hip hop groups to discover and undertake, such as Hijack, the Demon Boyz, Hard Noise (later Son of Noise ) and MC Duke. Their Hard as Hell - series were almost essential to hear the fan clearly recognizable Hip- Hop, homespun talents like Thrash Pack and the She Rockers mixend with the attention they received by U.S. artists such as Professor handle. Music of Life led the creation of other British hip-hop record labels, such as Mango Records and Kold Sweat.

The British hip-hop from the American roots removing began to develop their own sounds: pioneers such as Hijack, Hard Noise and Silver Bullet developed fast hardcore hip-hop, which is associated at most with the scene, but many other rappers and groups felt in the style not well and took their influences from somewhere else. Caveman and Outlaw Posse developed a jazz -influenced style, while MC Mell'O ' well-placed between jazz and hardcore. London Posse and Black Radical Mk II were more influenced by reggae, Wee Papa Girl Rappers while, Cookie Crew and Monie Love produced more " radio- friendly " hip-hop, thus reaching success on the charts. Other groups emerged from the hip hop scene and brought their own influences so successful that they are classified as different to hip -hop that new genres sprang to describe it: Massive Attack with trip hop or Galliano with Acid Jazz to an example.

Phantasmal light

Despite the chart success of some British hip-hop artist - for example, the London-born Slick Rick, who wandered in his early years in the United States - was the majority of the scene in the underground and of small scale. It developed a Mindset - best characterized by "No Sell Out " by Gunshot (Vinyl Solution, 1991) or "Poor But Hardcore " Son of Noise from The Mighty Son Of Noise ( Kold Sweat, 1992) - which distrusted artists, the chart successes achieved to use the style without the usually associated with the scene hardcore. The chart success of Silver Bullet was applauded because of the chosen rapid ascent, whereas Derek B and Rebel MC were despised when they were more influenced by pop, but reaped success on undisputed texts. Divisions as to win this made ​​it difficult for British artist chart successes within the community for fear of being branded as "selling out ".

Anyway, things looked promising: Hip Hop Connection, the first great British hip-hop magazine, was founded in 1989 and in the early 1990s seemed the British hip-hop scene to thrive. There was not only a stable foundation to rappers in London - legends such as Blade, Black Radical Mk II and Overlord X - but it developed outside the capital, many cities have their own district scenes. Bristol scene brought (especially the St. Paul area ) The Wild Bunch (later better known as Massive Attack ) and significant groups such as Plus One and Smith & Mighty and later became the home of trip-hop. Nottingham was the birthplace of the Stereo MCs, while us Nightmares on Wax Leeds, Braintax and gave Breaking the illusion that revolutionized the scene through the creation of Low Life Records. Manchester Ruthless Rap Assassins cried, Krispy 3 (later Krispy ), the Kaliphz and MC Tunes to life. As the scene grew, it became customary to imitate less and less American accents for British rappers (those who did, were often ridiculed ) and British Rap vouched more and more for his own identity.

Caveman was signed to a major label - Profile Records, the British home of Run DMC - Kold Sweat and established himself and discovered groups like The SL Troopers, Unanimous Decision, and Katch 22, whose "Diary of a Blackman " was banned by Radio 1, because they used a section of a song by the National Front. Published in 1991 Hijack The Horns of Jericho ( Rhyme Syndicate Records, 1991) on the label only recently been founded by Ice-T Rhyme Syndicate. The first single, "The Badman is Robbin ' " was a Top 40 hit on and the group continued over 30,000 albums leads to sell.

And yet the prophesied British hip-hop boom never came. The Horns of Jericho ( Rhyme Syndicate Records, 1991) was never released in the U.S. and record companies took artists from their lists down, appealing to poor sales and lack of interest. Mango Records was closed, even more British hip-hop artist to judge without leaving behind record company and to make matters worse the circumstances began, the British audience interest tions Drum and Bass / Jungle, is a fusion of hip hop and ragga. The British hip-hop has been hit hard by the record industry, which has been shaken by the impact of sampling and began to call for the use of samples and to pursue those who used it without permission. The major U.S. artists were able to afford the licenses for a few selected samples and still profitably knock out for her label: the smaller British artists could sparsely satisfy the desires of their labels for profit without zipping Other costs for the licensing of samples.

Between the mid - 1990s and early 2000, many veteran British hip-hop artist put their microphones down and got professions in real life and the scene, which was threatened every moment to be mainstream, remained steadfast in the underground.

The next generation

But when the older rapper left the scene, came the second generation - from hip-hop and electronica sprung - in the right age: The Herbaliser released " Remedies " ( Ninja Tune, 1995), Mr. Scruff published " Frolic EP Pt 1" (Pleasure Music, 1995 ), Mark B released " Any More Questions? " ( Jazz Fudge, 1995 ) and DJ Skitz released " Where My Mind Is At / Blessed Be The Manor " ( Ronin Records, 1996), which contained a young rapper named Roots Manuva as a guest singer, who a year earlier with his single, " Next Type of Motion " ( sound of Money, 1995) impressed. New record companies who were trying to style and sensibilities of the British hip-hop to merge with modern dance music emerged and received note, as Mark Rae's Grand Central or DJ Vadim's Jazz Fudge. These artists made ​​it increasingly the questions to avoid regarding use of samples with self -made music ( bands like the Stereo MCs began to play instruments, and then to sample their own melodies for his own recordings ) or by searching out lesser-known recordings, where a most cost-effective licensing deal could be arranged ( or where the sample could be used with a high level of security without that the original artist would ever hear of it).

The British hip-hop began to wander through a renaissance, whose style away from the previous fast hardcore stencils of his early years and proceeded in melodiöseres terrain. Mark B and Blade worked together to take the " Hitmen for Hire EP" ( Jazz Fudge, 1998), the distinguished guest appearances by stars like Lewis Parker and Mr. Thing contained (of the Scratch Perverts ). The EP was a success and led to the album Unknown ( Worldplay, 2001) and chart success. Roots Manuva, Blak Twang, Phi Life Cypher and Ty all came to the attention of the public and altgediegene legends like Rodney P, Mike J and Mc Mell'O ' intervened again to the microphone.

The new generation

British hip-hop also unfolds in new directions, with a new style of electronic music that became known in the early 2000s and was heavily influenced by hip-hop and garage. The new genre was baptized Grime, but it is sometimes also called Eskibeat or sublow. Well-known artists of this first wave were Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Kano and Lady Sovereign. There is some controversy about whether Grime is just a subgenre of British hip-hop or a separate genre.

Further success followed as The Streets Original Pirate Material album be ( 679 Records, 2002) published and became one of the first of the new type of British hip-hop to combine credibility and impressive sales figures, both in the UK and in the USA. The success of The Streets again brought major record companies to the British hip- hop to look for the big hit, and TV and radio gave British hip hop artists how to play Skinnyman air, as well as their American counterparts.

Groups such as Euro transition also achieved success on the international market, when they signed to an American record label. Artists such as Mr. 45 will also receive growing respect from American artists during use groups such as Goldie Lookin Chain Hip- Hop and Rap on their way to get chart success.