Hip-hop has come quite a ways since the days of sampling “Funky Drummer” and rockin’ Adidas shoes. The styles are as varied as the record crates they come from: Brooklyn, Queens, Detroit, Atlanta, L.A. We at the Vault are not the experts, so it’s a good thing the voices of these exceptional artists and entertainers speak for themselves. It is, after all, music of recognition, self-expression and cultural identity.
And it’s the genre we have chosen to honor this September (2006).
For nearly three decades, hip-hop has seeped its way into American culture, and for those who don’t consider it as American-certified as rock and roll or mom’s apple pie, y’all better recognize. This month’s retrospective will walk readers through the break beats, boasting and big-ups of a powerful genre that influences everything in America today, from language to lifestyle.
Instead of ordering albums chronologically or by style, we’ve mixed it up. Many of these artists and reviews will appear on the Vault for the first time, and every day could bring the riveting street yarns of Ghostface Killah, the jazzy classics of A Tribe Called Quest, the pop envelope-pushing Missy Elliot or the funk of Outkast. From the confident flow of Jay-Z to 50 Cent’s bulletproof hits, from Eminem’s character assassination to the thoughtful rhymes of Mos Def and Talib Kweli, our reviewers will look at it all.
Kick it old school, spark a Philly, bust out the cardboard to bust a move and get ur freak on this month. Don’t front; instead, get acquainted or reconnect with these key releases, which begin Sept. 4 and run every day through the end of the month.
Founded in January 1997, the Daily Vault has featured thousands of reviews from artists covering almost the entire musical spectrum, written by a volunteer review staff from around the world. Previous Artist Of The Month retrospectives have spotlighted the work of artists from Tori Amos to Frank Zappa, including Garth Brooks, R.E.M., Madonna, Led Zeppelin and many others. Themed retrospectives have focused on punk, grunge, arena rock and dynamic debuts.
