Hip hop as a whole started emerging as a powerful force in the late ass, and by 1990, there were many artists that had either already laid the foundation or were looming on the horizon. Among the artists that have already made an impact were ‘Public Enemy’, ‘Boogie Down Productions’, ‘Run-DAM’, and ‘AL Cool J’. Artists such as ‘A Tribe Called Quest’, ‘De La Soul’, and ‘Gangster’ were establishing their positions in the game to complement the group of existing pioneers.
In the upcoming years, hip hop has been through a number of transitions, the industry and market for hip hop has grown exponentially as the culture has made its mark on society, with the majority of the artists coming out of the NYC area. Artists such as ‘Nas’, ‘The Notorious B. I. G. ‘, Jay-Z’, ‘Big L’, ‘DAM’ and ‘Big Pun’ are taking the genre to the next level. Although, hip hop expanded beyond the Northeast (although the West Coast had already established itself with the likes of ‘NNW’, ‘Ice-TV, ‘Snoop Dog and ‘Outpace’) to bring artists including ‘Common’ (Chicago), ‘Outcast’ (Atlanta) and ‘Mine’ (Detroit) to the masses.
Several Canadian hip-hop artists have also found their way into the spotlight. Toronto rapper ‘Chocoholic’ made an appearance in the “hip-hop bible”, ‘The Source Magazine’s’ unsigned-hype column. In addition, the Canadian rap group ‘Rascals’ continues to succeed, with their album ‘Northern Touch’, featuring many up and coming Canadian hip-hop artists. During this time, different artists have Joined forces to create superposes. Groups such as ‘DITCH’, ‘NNW’, ‘Cypress Hill’, ‘The Roots’, and We Tang Clan’ emerged combining the versatility of different emcees with the creativity of the producers.
Many of these artists also went on to release their own solo projects. Over the past few years this decade, a countless number of classic albums have hit the streets, each bringing their own flavor. Fans have been able to enjoy a broad range of quality, whether it’s the mostly laid back, Jazzy mood created by artists such as ‘A Tribe Called Quest’, the west coast, “G-funk” sound of ‘Dry. Drew’ & ‘Snoop Dog’, or the raw, street sound of the We Tang Clan’. Across the spectrum, one can sense the hunger in the artists, all trying to bring their unique styles to the table.
To this day, the time period from the late asses to where we are right now is being considered the golden age of hip hop with a seemingly endless supply of great music. Rock & Roll: In the early asses, pop metal ruled the music scene. However, by 1991, pop metal had become a cliche©. The formula for selling records and getting singles on the radio Music in the ass By monks iris single, followed by a power ballad as the second. Even ‘Metallic’, with their enormous hit ‘Black Album’, was criticized by many as being too mainstream, too “sell out”.
Mainstream metal was dying, and a new scene that had been slowly building up would soon take its place… A new breed of bands came from Washington state, mostly from Seattle, and changed the musical landscape with a mix of hardcore punk and metal that came to be known as grunge. The name “grunge” described the dirty sound of the music and the generally sloppy appearance of the musicians. The panned, sparkles, and big hair of pop metal were gone. Grunge musicians, instead, chose to wear flannel shirts, ripped Jeans, and old tennis shoes.
Grunge dominated the early ass, with record companies frantically looking for bands that sounded like ‘Nirvana’, ‘Pearl Jam’, ‘Soundboards’, and ‘Alice in Chains’. However, grunge was a short-lived movement, which quickly died along with ‘Nirvana’ lead singer Kurt Cabin’s suicide in 1994. Since the beginning of rock and roll, there have been bands and artists that have avoided big record companies to make their albums. In the ass, he music of these independent bands really exploded, pushing alternative rock into the mainstream.
By recording music in their own home studios, or by going through small record companies, Indies bands were able to create music that didn’t follow the rules set forth by big record companies, and truly unique music came out during this time. Also, in the ass, punk-oriented bands have began producing radio-friendly music that began to be referred to as “punk pop”. Of these punk pop bands, the most successful has been ‘Green Day’, with their 1994 album “Dioxide” quickly selling ever 10 million records.
They paved the way for other pop punk pioneers, such as ‘The Offspring’, ‘Rancid’, ‘Blink 182’ and ‘Good Charlotte’ to hit the charts and sell lots of albums. This also paved the way for Canadian groups such as ‘Sum 41 ‘ who have inspired many “punk pop” artists with their hardcore style, as they have been nominated for several Juncos already. On that note, alternative Canadian rock groups such as ‘Bryan Adams’, ‘Tragically Hip’, ‘Barebacked Ladies’, ‘Our Lady Peace’ and ‘The Matthew Good Band’ seem to be continuing their international success into this decade.
