subject: Hip Hop History: The Rise of Hip Hop Jewelry [print this page] Hip Hop History: The Rise of Hip Hop Jewelry
Today hip hop is the most popular genre of music in the world. Growing exponentially in popularity over the past three decades or so, it has led to hip hop jewelry becoming one of the most popular types of diamond jewelry out there. Obviously this is not just mere coincidence. The meteoric rise of hip hop music has led to its most popular artists becoming pop music icons. We all know what happens when someone becomes a star other people want to be like them. So today we are going to look at the rise of hip hop music, because without it there would be no hip hop jewelry, and that really would be a tragedy.
The origins of hip hop can be traced back to the 1970s. The phenomenon of block parties in working class areas of New York City, like the Bronx for example, led to a combining of African American and Puerto Rican musical cultures. Funk and soul music were very popular, and people began to listen to the beats on their own, without lyrics. This trend first became common in Jamaican dub music and grew among the substantial number of Jamaican immigrants in New York. However, dub music wasn't popular outside of the Jamaican community so the same techniques were instead applied to funk, soul and disco and with that hip hop music was born.
Hip hop became more diverse and complex in the 1980s. Slow jams with dub influences and heavy use of reverb as well as echo and playful sound effects came to define hip hop from that early era. The mid-1980s in turn was marked by the influence of rock music, with the release of such albums as 'King of Rock' by Run D.M.C. and 'Licensed to Ill' by the Beastie Boys.
The golden era of hip hop is generally agreed to have occurred between the mid 1980s and the mid 1990s. This was a period in mainstream hip hop that was characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence. The music was fresh and experimental, employing an eclectic use of sampling techniques, and the message behind the songs was meaningful and often very political. Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Big Daddy Kane and the Jungle Brothers are just some of the names that are today associated with the so-called golden era.
These early hip hop icons were seen by their legions of fans wearing all kinds of crazy diamond jewelry think of Flava Flav's huge clock pendants. Naturally, those millions of fans wanted to follow in their idols footsteps. People started to buy lavish diamond jewelry in order to emulate their hip hop heroes. Thus came the dawn of the age of hip hop jewelry and it was here to stay.
Today hip hop music is hotter than ever, with new icons like Jay-Z, Eminem, Lil Wayne and many many more dominating the scene and making rap the most popular genre of music in the world. Needless to say, hip hop jewelry is experiencing a period of unprecedented popularity too.
So, with hop hop music and diamond jewelry both being more popular than they have ever been, it means that hip hop jewelry is at the pinnacle of its popularity too. You name it, superstars like Kanye West, Pharrell, 50 Cent are always featured in the press wearing a sick new diamond jewelry pendant or hip hop jewelry diamond watch.
Now that you know part of the long and compelling history of hip hop and why hip hop jewelry has risen to become one of the most popular types of diamond jewelry on the market today, you can pick up some seriously fresh iced out pieces at the best prices from TraxNYC today. After all, we already count some of hip hops buggest names among our customer base; Diddy, Ludacris, Akon, BOB... the list goes on!