Top Music Videos

We went through our video archive and selected some of the classic videos that have come to define the genre. Hit us up with your favorites, and leave them in the comments so we can consider adding them to the list:

Triumph
WuTang Clan

The classic Wu-Tang video is visually impressive with bees swaming a city as ODB stands atop a skyscraper as the Clan aims to save him. Triumph pioneered the use of special effects in hip-hop videos. Most impressive is Inspectah Deck scaling the skyscraper as his beats play in the background.

Planet Rock
Afrika Bamaattaa

A classic early video, Planet Rock was one of the first rap videos on the scene. Afrika samples a wide variety of tracks and shows his mixing genius.

California Love
Tupac

2Pac came onto the scene in California after moving from the East coast, and this song celebrates the rhythms that came to define West Coast hip-hop. The vocal effects, from Dre and Roger Troutman, showcase 2Pac’s sound.

Rapper’s Delight
Sugarhill Gang

The first true rap hit, Rapper’s Delight came out in 1979 and is still a modern classic.

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Hit us up in the comments with your favorite video, and we’ll consider adding it to the list.

Rap Radio Stations

We have checked out out the top hip-hop radio stations, and compiled a list of some of the best rap radio. Each of these rap music stations provides original urban programming:

BBC Urban Radio
London, UK
BBC Urban radio has a diverse set of DJs who spin original tracks and features in-station performances and interviews from a variety of artists. Recent in-house performances include Ray-J, an in-depth interview with Lil Wayne and live broadcasting from the Leeds Carnival performances. Check out some of the most original rap radio programming at the BBC from DJs such as Trevor Nelson,Ras Kwame and Zane Lowe.

Hot 97.7
San Francisco, CA
KFFG 97.7 spins a diverse array of urban sounds from rap to reggae, blues and soul. With original programming from DJs like Big Rick Stuart and quality original shows, Hot 97 is California’s top rap station.
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Have a favorite rap radio station? Hit us up in the comments, and we’ll review your suggestions to build out the list.

History of Rap

Rap has it roots in the rhythms of various ancient cultural traditions. Music tracing back centuries contained elements of what would evolve into modern hip-hop.

In the 20th century, the musical tradition that would coalesce as rap began to form. Within the upbeat environment of the 1920s, performer Earl Tucker, known as Snake Hips, developed a series of dance techniques that would later become break dancing. The musical elements of rap developed in the 1950s with Soundclash, the first DJ Battles.

With the advent of James Brown’s Live at the Apollo, the break beat gained a cultural foothold, and in 1969 Brown released the influential single Funky Drummer. In the multi-cultural environment of New York, the modern hip-hop movement began to come together.

A Jamaican immigrant named Clive Campbell, nicknamed Hercules began writing rhythmic lyrics and performs them to electronic mixed beats. Campbell took the performing name DJ Kool Herc in 1973 and began playing house parties throughout New York. Herc influenced Grandmaster Flash and others, as the art began to take on a life of its own. In the late 1970s rap hit mainstream with the SugarHill Gang’s hit single Rapper’s Delight.

In this environment, artist such as Run DMC developed rap rock along with groups such as the Beastie Boys, which helped carry rap further into mainstream culture.  Drawing heavily from the influences of the New York arts and music scene, DMC released hits such as Jam Master Jay, working with acclaimed producer Rick Rubin.

Diverse groups began to craft their own hip-hop blends, Russell Simmons founding Def Jam records with albums by T La Rock and LL Cool J. By the mid 1980s, hip-hop had become politically charged, led by groups such as Public Enemy, NWA and Ice T. MTV begins producing Yo! MTV Raps in 1988, marking rap’s arrival in mainstream American culture.