Hardcore Rap: Hip Hop At 50
The controversial nature of hardcore rap was a response to the continued oppression and harsh realities experienced by marginalized communities. The controversy was the point.
Hardcore rap was a response to the continued oppression and harsh realities experienced by marginalized communities. Purposefully aggressive and confrontational, the music addressed themes of violence, crime, and social injustice. The success of artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac Shakur helped to popularize West Coast gangsta rap, whose G-Funk sound incorporated funk and smooth R&B. Albums like Dr. Dre’s The Chronic brought the stories of L.A., Compton, and Oakland to middle American homes.
“LBC and the ING” (1998) by Written by Dedrick Rolison, Calvin Broadus, Kenton Nix and Recorded by Mack 10 featuring Snoop DoggRock & Roll Hall of Fame
Snoop Dogg, “LBC and the ING”
Snoop Dogg, a protégé of N.W.A.’s Dr. Dre, became one of the breakout stars of the newly formed Death Row Records, cofounded by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, The D.O.C. and Dick Griffey. Death Row established the West Coast rap scene and popularized the G-funk subgenre of gangsta rap.
Ice Cube Inductee acceptance speech (2016) by Rock & Roll Hall of FameRock & Roll Hall of Fame
Ice Cube Inductee acceptance speech
Ice Cube of N.W.A accepts his Hall of Fame award at the 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Snoop Dogg shirt
Snoop’s work became controversial because of the subject matter, which included ties to gangs, exaltation of drugs, and objectification of women. In the 1990s, renowned singer Dionne Warwick famously invited a group of rap artists, including Snoop, to her house to confront them.
Snoop Dogg Shoes (c. 2000) by Shoe design by Doggy Biscuitz by PonyRock & Roll Hall of Fame
Snoop Dogg shoes
Warwick was concerned with the misogyny in their lyrics. “She was checking me at a time when I thought we couldn’t be checked,” Snoop recalled. “We were the most gangsta as you could be, but that day at Dionne Warwick’s house, I believe we got out-gangstered that day."
50 Cent Bulletproof Vest
50 Cent was a protégé of Run-D.M.C.’s Jam Master Jay, and got his mainstream breakthrough when Eminem included “Wanksta” on the soundtrack to 8 Mile. 50 Cent wore this bulletproof vest onstage; he routinely wore protective garments since being shot in 2000.
Get Rich or Die Tryin’ 20th Anniversary Edition (2023) by 50 CentRock & Roll Hall of Fame
50 Cent, Get Rich or Die Tryin’
50 Cent’s debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, is credited with revitalizing and redefining gangsta rap with its themes of struggle, survival, and perseverance.
Rolling Stone magazine
Tupac Shakur began his career as a roadie, dancer, and occasional rapper for hip hop group Digital Underground. His music juxtaposed a wide range of themes and perspectives, from poignant feminist anthems to misogynist and violent tracks to laid-back party songs.
“Runnin’ On E” (c. 2001) by Written by Tupac Shakur, Yafeu Fula, Bruce Washington Jr., Rufus Cooper III, Sean Cole and Recorded by 2PacRock & Roll Hall of Fame
“Runnin’ On E”
2Pac moved to California as a teenager and quickly became a paradigm of the West Coast sound and a key figure in the West Coast vs. East Coast hip hop rivalry. Chuck D recalled, “2Pac and other artists like Snoop and Dre became targets in the debate over censoring hip hop."
“Runnin’ On E” (c. 2001) by Written by Tupac Shakur, Yafeu Fula, Bruce Washington Jr., Rufus Cooper III, Sean Cole and Recorded by 2PacRock & Roll Hall of Fame
Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting on September 7, 1996, at the age of 25, just five short years into his career; while his murder remains unsolved, his legacy and impact have continued to expand across the globe. This track was released posthumously.
Snoop Dogg inducts Tupac Shakur (2017) by Rock & Roll Hall of FameRock & Roll Hall of Fame
Snoop Dogg inducts 2Pac
Snoop Dogg inducts the late Tupac Shakur into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during the 32nd Annual Induction Ceremony held at the Barclays Center in New York City
2Pac track list
Tupac Shakur wrote this track list for his fifth studio album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996), released posthumously under the alias Makaveli.
N.W.A and Ice-T openly challenged police brutality, inciting nationwide fervor and controversy. Their over-the-top presentation was criticized for its explicit content, and sparked protests and attempts at censorship – but the controversy was the point.
Rolling Stone magazine
Ice-T’s “6 in the Morning" was a definitive example of West Coast gangsta rap that paved the way for the genre. “Cop Killer,” recorded by Ice-T’s metal band Body Count, was a protest song about police brutality recorded in the wake of the Rodney King beating by LAPD officers.
Ice-T release of contract from Sire Records
Due to public pressure, Sire Records asked Ice-T to pull “Cop Killer” from the Body Count album, claiming it advocated violence against police. Ice-T felt the request compromised his artistic integrity. This letter released the artist from his recording contract.
Court document reversing 2 Live Crew obscenity decision
2 Live Crew gained notoriety for their album As Nasty As They Wanna Be, which featured explicit lyrics and set off a string of obscenity court rulings in the South. A 1992 appeals court overturned the obscenity ruling, saying the work was protected by the First Amendment.
The East Coast was changing its game with Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Lil’ Kim, and The Notorious B.I.G., who brought the genre a renewed focus on lyricism and storytelling.
Notorious B.I.G. Necklace (c. 1995)Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Notorious B.I.G. necklace
Notorious B.I.G. was signed to Uptown Records in 1992 by Sean Combs. B.I.G. popularized “the Jesus-piece” necklace, setting a style trend for rappers to come. Biggie wore this necklace while performing as a guest artist in 112’s video for “Only You.”
Notorious B.I.G. Induction Spotlight (2020) by Rock & Roll Hall of FameRock & Roll Hall of Fame
Notorious B.I.G. Inductee Spotlight
Biggie's closest friends, collaborators and family honor his life, legacy and his Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Greatest Hits (c. 1996) by Notorious B.I.G., 1972-1997Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
On March 9, 1997, Biggie was tragically killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles.
Eminem (2000)Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Eminem
Eminem – the best-selling artist of the 2000s, a 15-time GRAMMY winner and the first artist to have ten consecutive Number One debut albums on the Billboard 200 – solidified hip hop as the most commercially successful music on the planet.
Inductee Insights: Eminem (2022) by Rock & Roll Hall of FameRock & Roll Hall of Fame
Inductee Insights: Eminem
Eminem’s raw talent, brilliant wordplay, and intense delivery are unapologetically infused with a strong dose of reality, putting this Inductee on another level.
Rolling Stone magazine
Eminem has crafted an inimitable rap technique ripe with inventive wordplay and infectious hooks. Often controversial, he has become more explicitly political, covering domestic violence (“Stan”), white privilege (“White America”) and corrupt politicians ("Mosh").
Eminem outfit
Eminem wore this outfit to induct Run-D.M.C. into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. The clothing paid tribute to the band members by dressing in the group’s signature style from the 1980s. Eminem was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2022.
Eminem solidified hip hop as the most commercially successful music on the planet. The entrepreneurial spirit of hip hop is one of the genre's defining characteristics. From its early days in the Bronx in the 1970s, hip hop has been a platform for self-expression and self-determination, and many of its pioneers embraced the do-it-yourself mentality of the culture.
Rock Hall EDU is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's online portal and resource guide for teachers and parents offering free lesson plans, artifact images, and materials, videos, playlists, and writing prompts all designed by Rock Hall Education staff.
Rock Hall EDU celebrates the sound and experience of youth culture across generations with Hip Hop's 50th Anniversary Collection. Use this collection to explore some of the top hip hop names over the style's first 50 years, and then go beyond Inductees and seek the newer sounds of artists like Kendrick Lamar and Lizzo. Kick back and keep things old-school, and investigate how scratching, playing a song's break, dynamic lyrics, and keen business sense contributed to hip hop's unique sound.
The Hip Hop At 50: Holla If Ya Hear Me exhibit opened at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on June 30, 2023.
