Types of Rap

Old School (1979-1984):

The first defined period in the history of rap became known as Old School. The most important artists of this time were also the ones who shaped the rap music to what it is today. These were among others: KOOL DJ HERC, GRANDMASTER FLASH & THE FURIOUS FIVE, AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, JAZZY FIVE, SOUL SONIC FORCE, THE TREACHEROUS THREE, SPOONIE G., KURTIS BLOW, GRANDMIXER DST, COLD CRUSH BROTHERS, FAB FIVE FREDDY, GRANDMASTER CAZ, BEASY BEE, KOOL MOE D., DJ RED ALERT, JAZZY JEFF, LIL RODNEY CEE, SHA ROCK, FANTASTIC FREAKS. In the years of 1983/84, rap had its first stylistic crisis; lots of the published songs that were very similar as they worked all with the same limited beat boxes. The selling numbers sank and it looked like rap would stop being popular. This was the reason why the artists searched for other styles. The new style they came up with was the New School.

New School (since 1984/85)

In the beginnings of the 80’s the digital samplers got cheap enough for everybody to use. Now it was possible to sample complex drum loops and old funk records without having to use syntactic beats. Rap music sounded now more natural and got more musical complexity. It was during this time, that rap music got its wide range that reached from the apocalyptic tracks by Public Enemy all the way to love songs by LL COOl J. New School also came into life on the east coast, and was, like Old School, mainly a phenomenon of New York.

West Coast (since 1980)

The rap on the west coast took a completely different road of evolution. Its centre was LA. The history of west coast rap started in 1980, when the SUGAR HILL GANG had a major brake through with their song "Rapper’s Delight". In most of the text from the west coast, the brutal life of blacks that live in ghettos is described and that was what made this kind of rap popular, but it also cast the light of criticism on the texts. The songs were always compared to the rapper. One who talks about brutality, so people thought, must also be brutal.

Today, the west coast rap is probably even more wide-spread than the old, or new school style. It is richer and the rappers have made themselves a name: ICE T, DR DRE, WARREN G., ICE CUBE, HOUSE OF PAIN, CYPRESS HILL, DIGITAL UNDERGROUND YOUNG MC and many more.