| Hardcore hip hop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Hip hop |
| Cultural origins | mid-1980s |
| Typical instruments | Various |
| Derivative forms | Gangsta rap, Horrorcore |
| Subgenres | |
| Mafioso rap, Dirty rap | |
| Regional scenes | |
| Southwest hip hop, West Coast hip hop, East Coast hip hop, Southern hip hop, Midwest hip hop, | |
Hardcore hip hop (also hardcore rap) is a form of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s.[1] Pioneered by such artists as Schoolly D, Spoonie Gee, Boogie Down Productions, and Kool G Rap, it is generally characterized by angry & aggressive sounds and confrontational lyricism. Following a breakthrough in the early 1990s, hardcore hip hop became a popular crossover style during the mid-1990s.
Hardcore rap began in East Coast hip hop during the 1980s when artists such as Run-D.M.C., Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions, Spoonie Gee, Public Enemy, and Kool G Rap began eschewing the themes of partying and bragging.[1] Their music reflected the often harsh and grim experiences of the rapper's urban surroundings. Run-D.M.C. have been credited as the first hardcore hip hop group.[2] Before a formula for gangsta rap had developed, artists such as the New York City-based Boogie Down Productions and Los Angeles native Ice-T implemented detailed observations of "street life", while the chaotic, rough sounding production style of Public Enemy's records set new standards for hip hop production.[1] In the early 1990s, hardcore rap became largely synonymous with West Coast gangsta (gangsters) rap, as exemplified by N.W.A, until the Wu-Tang Clan emerged in 1993. Wu Tang Clan's minimalistic beats and piano-driven sampling became widely popular among other hip hop artists of the time, such as Onyx, House Of Pain, and Cypress Hill.[1] The most notable Southern hardcore scene existed during the 1990s in Memphis, where the dark, gritty lyrics and production (labeled by some as Horrorcore) contrasted with other, more party-oriented Southern hip hop.[3]
Gangsta rap has been associated with the style; however, hardcore hip hop does not generally revolve around "gangsta" lyrical themes, even though there is a great deal of overlap, especially among hardcore rappers of the 1990s.[1] Allmusic stated that hardcore hip hop is characterized by "anger, aggression and confrontation whether in the lyrical subject matter, the hard, driving beats, the noisy sampling and production, or any combination thereof."[1] Russell Potter wrote that while hardcore rap has been associated with a "monolithic 'gangsta' outlook" by the popular press, hardcore rappers have "laid claim to a wide variety of ground".[4]