The Corner Music

James Brown will never die. This is not the sort of hyperbole reserved for music fans that treat innovators in popular music as idols in the most biblical sense of the word. In this case, it is much closer to fact. Some artists maintain fame and recognition by way of their best singles being played on niche-market radio stations. Others have done the same through sampling. As hip hop has always relied upon mining of classic tracks for loopable breaks, beats, and vocals, artists such as James Brown will never be forgotten. Unlike others, much of [...]

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The Early Years of Rock Music
There are few things in this world as wonderful as music and when rock music became popular, the entire free world was in the middle of revolution. Characterized by electronics and amplification, with roots in the black man’s blues and soul music, rock and roll really emerged on the scene in the United States, around the 1950’s.
There is some debate regarding its origins, however. Heavily influenced by rhythm and blues, jazz and early country music, most people do not think of Motown hits or Elvis Presley as “ [...]

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The early origins of rap can be traced back to the African roots, centuries before hip hop music even existed. West African historians would tell stories rhythmically over drums and other various instruments becoming what mainstream musicians would refer to as spoken word artists.

From there, the tradition of storytelling carried over through the days of slavery where it was put to American beats and music to create the various genres we know and love today. Some forms of storytelling were influenced by religious music giving way to gospel while others paved the way for the blues and jazz.

Narrative poems became a musical format through which slaves could not only carry on their history but express their feelings and their plight. And, over a hundred years later, it became a form of street art used by the black community to define themselves and call back to their roots

From there, various forms of rap came into being including various types called “put-downs” which were used in activities like rap battles. Rap battles were battles of wits and words that strengthened the verbal repertoire of an artists and the culture as a whole.

If you’re about ready to immerse yourself in the genre, you can find lots of songs on the internet. If you have a television service provider like http://www.getdirecttv.org, they also have a specialized music channel devoted to the genre.

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Most people think of rap as a current and trendy music genre. However, rap music can be dated all the way back to 1979 with the Sugar Hill Gang and Grandmaster Flash. While it was a new thing in America, African tribes have used these type of music with talking for centuries.

The first versions of rap music were not as accepted as they are nowadays. In 1980 break-dancing was first introduced and this new and wild style of dance helped bring the acceptance of rap. The first rap concert was held in 1984 [...]

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The 60s brought about many changes, especially in music. Ever since Elvis Presley swiveled his hips on live television, music has been changing and evolving constantly, but nothing changed music quite like the 60s. In the 60s, music evolved from puppy love songs into the mind blowing experience of psychedelic rock. This music was created using experimental sounds and deep, meaningful lyrics and was the soundtrack of the hippie movement. Even though psychedelic music is over 40 years old, it still heavily influences many musicians of today.

From the more [...]

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The Golden Era of Rap (1980s to the 1990s) is long gone. However, there are still remnants this day that bring a certain level of hope in those wishing to get back to those times. The underground rap circuit in the NYC area is starting to flourish yet again. The South is the dominant force in mainstream rap these days, but NYC is starting to build their buzz back.

However, there are some great things happening in NYC. The underground buzz [...]

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Rap has always been a part of the music scene in the West Coast and famous rappers like Snoop Dogg have been able to make their name. However, people have been talking about the “rivalry” between the West Coast and East Coast rappers and it seems like there really is no point. Music is certainly subjective and so there was never any point of the rivalry.

The Rise and Fall Of The Hyphy Movement

The “hyphy” movement [...]

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When Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn (both of The Buggles and future members of Yes) ushered in the video age in 1979 with “Video Killed The Radio Star”, MTV thought it was poignant enough to use this song as the first music video to show during their debut in 1981. This started a revolution in musical terms, as MTV became part of the fabric and design of the music industry. All of a sudden, getting a video played on MTV was part of a record label’s [...]

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