Hi, my name is Ryan Stachler and I
am nineteen years old and am a student at the University of South Carolina.
Growing up I listened to a lot of hip-hop music and am fascinated by how some
of the biggest names in the genre still today are from the beginnings of the
creation of this type of music back in the eighties and nineties. This blog is
here for to help avid listeners of hip-hop to reminisce on past music as well
as any music listener to gain a further appreciation of the impact it had on
the time period, genre, and life itself.
This is the top independent Hip-Hop
blog featuring the best of the 1980s to 1990s hip-hop music. As a fan of
hip-hop, the 1980s and 1990s was an era of hip-hop that stands above them all.
This time period was the beginnings of the genre. This was a time when it was
as if every new single was reinventing the genre as a whole. Artists inventive
spirits were at an all time high with each artist trying to expand upon what they
and other artists had done to create the next big thing. While writing this
blog I want to help explain the extraordinary art behind the genre. I want
people to be able to see how a genre that started out with disco beats on a
turntable quickly turned into the hard hitting music we all love today. With
each album review you read, I hope to show not only my opinion on the album on
a musical side, but also how the album progresses the genre.
Of course when it comes down to it
this blog isn’t just about the progression, but it is about the music that
unites us all. As you read this blog, I
hope to show a different viewpoint on some of the top albums and songs from
this time period. We all know songs by Nas, N.W.A., Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C.
and other big names from this time, but for a lot of people they only see these
productions as music. I want to show how the effect of music in this genre
extends far beyond just being good music. Hip-hop songs from this genre acted
as a cultural artifact with many of the songs reflecting the artists position
on the social and economic state of his race or class. I don’t think the music
from this genre can be fully appreciated without discussing the impact it had
on society. I hope to show how the lyrics they rap not only talked about the
need for change, but actually caused change to happen. The 80s and 90s was not
just the Golden Age of hip hop for the inventiveness and brilliance of its
songs, but for the impact this had on how life is today.
I’m
sure you can tell by now that I am not that over the top music blogger, but I assure
you I am as passionate about hip-hop as anyone out there. Feel free to comment
on any of my posts and tell me what you think about this album. I am always
open to hearing how these albums effected your lives and what you think of them
as a whole.
This blog will post a variety of
different types of album reviews focusing on different elements. These include:
- Album Reviews is exactly what it sounds like
- Genre Analysis discusses and analyzes how an artist, album, or song fits into this Incredible age of music
- Cultural Analysis discusses the connection between artists, albums, and songs and the broader culture by which it exists
- The Academic Conversation integrates academic sources about reoccurring themes for 1080s and 1990s hip hop to say something meaningful about the culture, concept, ideology, or value of the genre
- The Academic Arguments use a theme or topic prevalent within the genre in order to make a meaningful claim about the object of study and the value system of which it is a part
