Hip Hop is subjectively the greatest musical genre, constantly evolving as the months and years go by to reflect the changes in culture and generations. From the charts, to fashion, to sports, and everything in between. Hip-Hop is king, and it’s not going anywhere any time soon.
Once upon a time, the king of music was rock n’ roll. You had to see the crowds in the 70s and 80s to really see this popularity for yourself. People would climb over each other, just to hear a guitar solo from Hendrix or perhaps the thunder that the Rolling Stones provided. People thought there would never be anything like The Beatles and, to some extent, they were right. But in the era of rock, there were many Beatles-like followings of bands. Everyone loved rock n roll, from the kids to the grandparents. Eventually, in the 90s, a genre that branched from rap, became the dominant force. We are of course, talking about hip-hop. It’s been at the top for 3 consecutive decades. So will it stay there for this decade? You bet.
The Younger Generation
In today’s social media world, the younger generation feel that hip-hop symbolizes who they are. This is why Vines and not Tik Tok videos featuring well-known songs like Drake’s Hotline Bling are still so popular. The songs have been incorporated in different ways, everything from classic hip-hop, to 80s synthesizers and even classical music. Children have been learning hotline bling chords through music sheets that they can easily purchase online. This particular music sheet is allows for interaction, so you can playback and transpose a section, helping you to learn how to play it in a methodical manner.
Incorporation Into Sports
Something that rock and roll perhaps didn’t have, was widespread support in sports teams and famous players. However, hip-hop stars regularly attend basketball and football games, as well as other sports. This makes hip-hop music, more relatable and isn’t just anti-establishment like rock was, but closer to the normal lives of everyday people. Famous NBA players like Lebron James and the late Kobe, were always smiling and talking with rappers and hip-hop articles that attended the games. We all know and love the sight of Jay-Z and Beyonce at the side of the court for the Lakers. Hip-hop is played during the pauses in many sports, because it gets the crowds fired up. Does anyone see a rock solo having the same effect? Nope!
The Fashion Continues
Just like rock and roll, hip-hop has it’s own fashion. The only difference is, it was way ahead of it’s time. The studded leather jackets that rockers wore, are long gone. But the jackets, hats, jeans and sneakers that hip-hop artists wore in the 90s, are still going strong! Nowadays we call it streetwear or urban wear. The bomber jacket, mixed with the dark denim and urban sneakers is a style that is known the world over. From London, England, Osaka, Japan, to New York, USA, this fashion has been adopted by successive generations. This is ultimately why the genre continues today. Because it’s not just something you hear, but it’s something you wear.
What do you guys think? Do you think hip-hop has seen it’s golden era, or do you think that no other genre of music or culture has the same sway as hip-hop?
Drunk On Pop 