Jazz-Rap
The jazz-rap style was an attempt to fuse African-American music of the past with a newly dominant form of the present, paying tribute to and reinvigorating the former while expanding the horizons of the latter.
Birth: 1992 Bloom: 1994
Musically, the rhythms have been typically those of hip hop rather than jazz, over which are placed repetitive phrases of jazz instrumentation: trumpet, double bass, etc. This style was the most popular among other hip-hop sub genres for a long time. Many artists demonstrated their Afro-centric political awareness making this style more historically authentic. Jazz rap has never been a favorite within street hangouts because of its intellectual component.
Representatives of this style called themselves supporters of more positive alternative to the hardcore/gangsta movement. They wanted to distribute hip-hop to listeners, who weren`t able to accept or understand increasing aggression in urban music culture. So, jazz rap found its main part of fans in dorms and was supported by critics and fans of «white» alternative rock.
The band Native Tongues (a New York ensemble assembled by Africa Bambaataa that contains of Afro-American rap groups) became the strongest representative of this style alongside A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and the Jungle Brothers. Besides, examples of jazz rap include Digable Planets, Gang Starr names.
Also read: Freestyle
Umbrellate style: Hip-hop/Rap
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