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Some will argue that hip hop started in the seventies with Kurtis Blow and Grandmaster Flash pioneering the new style that was popularized by Sugar Hill Gang's 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight," which was simply deejays rapping over the instrumental of the disco/soul hit "Good Times" by Chic. Following Blondie's 1981 number one smash "Rapture" more and more rap songs began to surface into the mainstream. Rap music in the 1980s began to appear on the pop charts and even pulled in the rock crowd when Run DMC teamed up with Aerosmith to do "Walk This Way" in 1986. The decade culminated with party rap like "Wild Thing" by Tone Loc and "Bust a Move" by Young MC. In the 1990s, rap and hip hop took on more serious themes. Artists such as Arrested Development and Ice T offered social commentary in their rhythms. Meanwhile, rap also ignited a Congressional controversy about profanity in lyrics that eventually led to parental advisory stickers on CD packages. The 2000s have been a milestone period for rap and hip hop, although the bigger selling acts had their best success in the early part of the decade. |