Alternate sound hip hop series#

Similar to the alternative rock movement, alternative hip hop segued into the mainstream at the dawn of the 1990s.

Originating in the late 1980s, in midst of the golden age of hip hop, alternative hip hop was headed primarily by East Coast groups such as De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Brand Nubian, and Digable Planets in subsidiary conjunction by West Coast acts such as The Pharcyde, Digital Underground, Souls of Mischief, Del the Funky Homosapien, and Freestyle Fellowship as well as certain Southern acts such as Arrested Development, Goodie Mob, and Outkast.

The most prominent alternative hip hop acts include A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Hieroglyphics, The Pharcyde, Digable Planets and Black Sheep. Alternative hip hop acts have attained much critical acclaim, but receive relatively little exposure through radio and other media outlets. The alternative hip hop movement has expanded beyond the United States to include the Somali-Canadian poet K'naan, and English artist M.I.A. A resurgence came about in the late 1990s and early 2000s at the dawn of the digital era with a rejuvenated interest in independent music by the general public.ĭuring the 2000s, alternative hip hop reattained its place within the mainstream due to the declining commercial viability of gangsta rap as well as the crossover success of artists such as Outkast and Kanye West. The commercial and cultural momentum was impeded by the simultaneous emergence of significantly harder-edged West Coast gangsta rap. While some groups such as Arrested Development and The Fugees managed to achieve commercial success before breaking up, many alternative rap acts tend to be embraced by alternative rock listeners other than hip-hop or pop audiences. Instead, they blur genres drawing equally from funk and pop/rock, as well as jazz, soul, reggae, and even folk.' Īlternative hip hop developed in the late 1980s and experienced a degree of mainstream recognition during the early-to-mid 1990s. AllMusic defines it as comprising ' hip hop groups that refuse to conform to any of the traditional stereotypes of rap, such as gangsta, bass, hardcore, and party rap. After “Origins,” Episodes 10-20 will feature explorations of the crafts of MCing, production, and DJing.Ĭheck out the Hip-Hop At 50 vinyl releases here.Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap and experimental hip hop ) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream.

The series, which launched on May 8, kicked off “Origins,” which featured nine episodes released throughout the month of May dedicated to unearthing the storylines that define hip-hop’s most prominent regions (East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, and South).

Alternate sound hip hop series#

The audio series is hosted by Ebro Darden, Apple Music’s global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B, and explores this chain of influence through four distinct lenses. The program’s guiding principle is that all artists-no matter the era or discipline-carry with them the music and practices of their influences and, whether they’re aware of it or not, of their influences’ influences. Last month, Apple Music began celebrating 50 years of hip-hop with Hip-Hop DNA, a 20-episode audio series mining the rich catalogs of today’s biggest stars to trace their artistic evolution back to the art form’s beginning. Hip-Hop At 50 is getting celebrated across the music industry. 1 on November 3, followed by Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back on November 10. In the fall, releases include Gang Starr’s Daily Operation, LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out, Onyx’s Bacdafucup and Guru’s Jazzmatazz Vol.